The Dilemma

by B A Paris

The Dilemma is the first book I’ve read by B A Paris but I hope it won’t be the last.

Livia is turning 40 and had promised herself a lavish party to celebrate. She has pretty much been planning it for 20 years and really wants it to be everything she dreamed it would be. She has her reasons.

Her husband, Adam, is more than happy to allow Livia the party of her dreams and has even arranged for an extra special surprise for her.

However, before the party begins, he suspects something which will devastate Livia if true and he battles with himself over whether to tell her before the party or not, especially as he hopes he’s wrong and all will be fine.

Livia has been keeping her own secret from Adam. Worried that her party would be ruined if she told him beforehand.

They are both avoiding the truth. Both not wanting to spoil the party for the other.

I could kind of understand both of their reasoning, although I did want to bang their heads together at times. I did really feel for Adam. I can’t even begin to imagine how I would deal with the same situation. It did make me question what I would do, and I honestly don’t know. Livia’s initial reaction was understandable, and my heart broke for her.

This is a compelling, emotional read. One I will happily recommend.

** I purchased the Kindle edition of The Dilemma on the 2^{nd of} September 2024 so I could join in with this month’s buddy read along with my Bookstagram friends. Good choice, Lucie! **

It’s Livia’s 40th birthday and she’s having the party of a lifetime to make up for the wedding she never had. Everyone she loves will be there except her daughter Marnie, who’s studying abroad. But although Livia loves Marnie, she’s secretly glad she won’t be at the party. She needs to tell Adam something about their daughter but she’s waiting until the party is over so they can have this last happy time together.

Adam wants everything to be perfect for Livia so he’s secretly arranged for Marnie to come home and surprise her on her birthday. During the day, he hears some terrible news. He needs to tell Livia, because how can the party go on? But she’s so happy, so excited – and the guests are about to arrive.

The Dilemma – how far would you go to give someone you love a last few hours of happiness?

Happy reading!

The Sentinel (The Sentinel Series Book 1)

by Holly Martin 

The Sentinel is very different to most of the books I read. It’s YA fantasy and I didn’t really know what to expect from it. I enjoyed it far more than I thought I might. It’s been like a breath of fresh air to step completely out of my comfort zone and try something different for a change.

Eve is a very likeable character, with the weight of the world on her shoulders. What she discovers after being rescued from a crash would be a lot for anyone to come to terms with. I could fully understand her feelings regarding the unusual situation she finds herself in.

This is a fast-paced story which has inspired me to add book two in the series to my reading list.

** According to Amazon I purchased the Kindle edition of this book on 28th June 2015. I am working my way through my TBR slowly, but surely 😊 **

When Eve is rescued from a horrific coach crash by her teachers, she is shocked to discover they possess super strength and speed. But what happens next is even more harrowing.
In the aftermath of the crash she discovers that everyone in her life from neighbours, doctors, dentists, teachers, shop keepers and even her family and friends are actually super strength Guardians sent to protect her. They all have one thing in common, a single minded ferocity that she must be kept alive at all costs.
However, she is surrounded by secrets and lies. Those in the know deny all knowledge of what happened that fateful night. Everyone else carries on as normal, seemingly unaware of the new strange world that she has stumbled against.
With the help of Seth, her best friend, Eve discovers the prophecies surrounding her true identity and the super strength she too holds. With her Guardians pledged to protect her, her closest friends ready to die for her, her own hopes and dreams are put on hold whilst she battles to control the amazing powers she has been bestowed with.
But those that seek to destroy her move ever closer. Will the Guardians be enough to protect her when so many are prepared to stop at nothing to see her dead? And will she be strong enough to fulfil her destiny when the time comes?

Happy reading!

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 September 2023 + a link to previous September FBFs….

happy reading!

Under a Greek Moon

by Carol Kirkwood

Under a Greek Moon is a such a lovely story set, for the most part, on a gorgeous sounding Greek island. Honestly, this book, and those by Emma Cowell, have really made me want to visit Greece. It sounds amazing!

This story centres around Hollywood star, Shauna Jackson, who has enjoyed a successful career and seemingly happy marriage. She has never forgotten her first love though.

When her heart is broken after a devastating, sudden loss, she returns to the Island for a holiday and the hope of putting the past behind her. Little does she know….

Shauna is a very likeable character, as are most of the characters throughout this story. I very much enjoyed the stories they had to tell. I was never quite sure where I thought the story was going, but I knew the direction I wanted it to go in! There are one or two surprises along the way. One I never saw coming at all. One I twigged quite quickly but that didn’t stop me from enjoying the characters finding out.

Just beautiful! I LOVED it!

** This is the first book I have read by Carol Kirkwood, but I hope it won’t be my last. I read the paperback copy. Her other books are now on my Wishlist **

One woman returns to the island that changed her life forever

A-list actress Shauna Jackson has the perfect life. Fame, fortune, marriage. Or so it seems.

Running from a scandal, Shauna flees to the place that changed her life twenty years ago, the idyllic Greek island of Ithos.

Captivated once more by the azure seas and scented olive groves, bittersweet memories resurface of one summer, one unforgettable man, and a long-hidden secret.

Shauna can escape Hollywood, but can she escape her past?

Happy reading!

It Ends With Us

by Colleen Hoover 

I know I’m very late to the party, so to speak, but I also know I’m not the only one to bump this to the top of my TBR list in anticipation of seeing the film at the cinema! I already owned a paperback copy, which I won via a giveaway.

Anyway….

OH. MY. GOODNESS!

What an emotional read!

I liked Lily immediately. I liked that teenage Lily was kind enough to help Atlas in his hour of need. I like how their friendship develops, and I love how she writes her diary in the form of letters to Ellen. I really felt her mixed emotions towards her father, and her mother for ‘putting up’ with him.

I love that Lily bites the bullet and opens her own florist.

I love Allysa!

When Ryle wanders back into her life the chemistry between them is palpable and my heart was so happy for her. That is until the first time he lets his temper get the better of him. My heart broke with hers as she faces the hardest of decisions.

Thankfully I have no personal experience to draw from, but I could understand her reluctance to just leave Ryle immediately. He’s not a completely bad guy and is very likeable in many ways. It’s easy to see why she fell for him, and he obviously adores her. It’s just the most heart-wrenching of situations.

I cried a lot reading this book, especially towards the end and especially during the hospital scene. I can’t even begin to imagine going through such heartache.

There is a light at the end of the tunnel though….

I’m looking forward to reading book 2, It Starts With Us.

Lily hasn’t always had it easy, but that’s never stopped her from working hard for the life she wants. She’s come a long way from the small town where she grew up—she graduated from college, moved to Boston, and started her own business. And when she feels a spark with a gorgeous neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid, everything in Lily’s life seems too good to be true.

Ryle is assertive, stubborn, maybe even a little arrogant. He’s also sensitive, brilliant, and has a total soft spot for Lily. And the way he looks in scrubs certainly doesn’t hurt. Lily can’t get him out of her head. But Ryle’s complete aversion to relationships is disturbing. Even as Lily finds herself becoming the exception to his “no dating” rule, she can’t help but wonder what made him that way in the first place.

As questions about her new relationship overwhelm her, so do thoughts of Atlas Corrigan—her first love and a link to the past she left behind. He was her kindred spirit, her protector. When Atlas suddenly reappears, everything Lily has built with Ryle is threatened.

With this bold and deeply personal novel, IT ENDS WITH US is a heart-wrenching story and an unforgettable tale of love that comes at the ultimate price. 

Happy reading!

To Kill a Mockingbird

Harper Lee

I had never read this book in all my 46 years and I know it’s a favourite of many. I have thoroughly enjoyed listening to it on Audible. Sissy Spacek narrates it perfectly!

It’s easy to see why this book is a classic.

I plan to read it again either on Kindle or paperback sometime.

Is this one of your favourite’s?

One of the greatest American novels ever written.

Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit ’em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.

A lawyer’s advice to his children as he defends the real mockingbird of Harper Lee’s classic novel – a black man falsely charged with the rape of a white girl. Through the young eyes of Scout and Jem Finch, Harper Lee explores with exuberant humour the irrationality of adult attitudes to race and class in the Deep South of the 1930s. The conscience of a town steeped in prejudice, violence and hypocrisy is pricked by the stamina of one man’s struggle for justice. But the weight of history will only tolerate so much.

To Kill a Mockingbird is a coming-of-age story, an anti-racist novel, a historical drama of the Great Depression and a sublime example of the Southern writing tradition.

Happy reading/listening!

Every Last Suspect

by Nicola Moriarty

Every Last Suspect is a whirlwind of a read. The story happens over a very short period as Harriet’s husband attempts to organise a not-really-a-surprise, surprise party for her 40^th Birthday. Harriet is extremely high maintenance and seemingly changes her mind as often as her knickers and her poor husband is struggling to keep up with the demands of the party of the year. Honestly, I’d have told her to crack on and organise her own party! Lol!

They are in an open marriage which seems to only suit Harriet. I really did feel sorry for her husband. I don’t understand people who get married but still want to sleep with other people. Just stay single! Or is it just me!?

Harriet isn’t the most likeable of characters and I couldn’t really understand why everyone bows down to her so much. She seems to have some kind of power over these people. Especially her best friend, and bit on the side lover, Victoria, although I can understand the hold she has over her at least. It must be awful living your life constantly watching over your shoulder and putting such trust in another person to keep your secrets.

I wasn’t quite sure where I thought this story was going to go to be honest, but I thoroughly enjoyed the ride. There are many other fascinating characters involved in this tale, and other little sub plots, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The ending was a complete surprise and still kind of leaves me wondering. Such clever writing! I now need to go and add Nicola Moriarty’s other books to my TBR list as this is the first one of hers I have read and I loved it!

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

Who killed Harriet?

Complicated, driven, loving; manipulative, irresistible, monstrous – whether you love her or hate her, Harriet is impossible to say no to. But someone has finally snapped and as Harriet lies dying, she is determined to figure out who has killed her.

Was it her devoted husband? Or was it her best friend and sometimes lover?

Or Karen, a fellow school mum and seemingly the woman who has it all – until the night Harriet persuaded her into playing Two Truths and a Lie?

Teenage bullies, complicated friendships, and games (both on and off the playground) combine with envy, obsession and revenge to create a twisty tale of drama and suspense that you won’t be able to put down.

Pre-order now….

Happy reading!

The Love of My Life

by Rosie Walsh 

The Love of My Life centres around Emma, Leo, and their daughter, Ruby. Emma is a marine biologist and Leo is an obituary writer. Both fascinating jobs! They’ve been together for ten years and when Emma is diagnosed with a serious illness their lives are turned upside down. For Leo in more ways than he could have ever imagined.

I really liked Leo and my heart went out to him. I can’t imagine how I would cope with coming to terms with what he discovers, and I think his reactions are very believable.

I also can’t imagine what Emma went through prior to meeting Leo and I can understand why she was reluctant to tell him. It must be horrendous having to keep that kind of secret from your husband though. The truth always finds a way eventually.

This is such an emotional story. It’s so full of suspense too. It kept me guessing throughout, I couldn’t wait to find out how it was all going to pan out. There are some jaw dropping moments which I absolutely did not see coming!

A story of marriage, motherhood, desperation, depression, and deceit but ultimately one of true love, understanding, and hope.

I loved it!

** This is the first book I’ve read by Rosie Walsh, even though it is her second novel. Her first book, The Man Who Didn’t Call, is on my Wishlist! **

I have held you every night for ten years and I didn’t even know your name. We have a child together. A dog, a house.
Who are you?

Emma loves her husband Leo and their young daughter Ruby: she’d do anything for them. But almost everything she’s told them about herself is a lie.

And she might just have got away with it, if it weren’t for her husband’s job. Leo is an obituary writer and Emma is a well-known marine biologist. So, when she suffers a serious illness, Leo copes by doing what he knows best – reading and writing about her life. But as he starts to unravel her past, he discovers the woman he loves doesn’t really exist. Even her name is a fiction.

When the very darkest moments of Emma’s past life finally emerge, she must somehow prove to Leo that she really is the woman he always thought she was . . . But first, she must tell him about the love of her other life.

Happy reading!