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Everyday Kindness: A Collection of Uplifting Tales to Brighten Your Day Audible Audiobook – Unabridged LJ Ross – editor 

Everyday Kindness: A Collection of Uplifting Tales to Brighten Your Day Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

LJ Ross – editor 

Everyday Kindness is a lovely collection of short stories, all of which will certainly brighten your day. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to them all! I’m not sure I could choose a favourite out of so many but some of them are written by some of my favourite authors who never disappoint, so I knew I’d be on to a winner with this collection. Each one has a narrator which really suits the story they’re reading too. LJ Ross edited it and if anyone knows a good story she does! If you haven’t read her DCI Ryan series yet, then you are seriously missing out. (Start with Holy Island.)

This book has something for everyone, and I can’t imagine anyone not loving it. Plus, proceeds from the book are donated to Shelter, a charity that helps millions of people a year struggling with bad housing or homelessness so, why not treat yourself or it would make the perfect gift.

Perfect for dipping in and out of and I really enjoyed the Audible edition. I do have a hardcover copy too, which I will read at some point. I’ll probably treat myself to a story per day and enjoy them all, all over again.

Everyday Kindness is a charity anthology of short, fictional stories of kindness, edited by LJ Ross. These uplifting tales of hope and of small, everyday kindnesses are intended to support wider, positive mental health goals and foster wellbeing through the act of reading tales of goodwill inspired by others. Featuring authors across the spectrum of literature, some international bestsellers and award-winning writers amongst them, this is a unique collection of words.

Proceeds from the book will be donated to Shelter, a charity that helps millions of people a year struggling with bad housing or homelessness.

Authors include: LJ Ross, Adam Hamdy, Alex Smith, Alexander Gordon Smith, Alison Stockham, Anne O’Leary, Barbara Copperthwaite, J.D. Kirk, C.L. Taylor, Caroline Mitchell, Chris McDonald, Claire Sheehy, Clare Flynn, Darren O’Sullivan, David Leadbeater, Debbie Young, Deborah Carr, Emma Robinson, Graham Brack, Hannah Lynn, Heather Martin, Holly Martin, Ian Sainsbury, Imogen Clark, James Gilbert, Jane Corry, Jean Gill, J.J. Marsh, Judith O’Reilly, Kelly Clayton, Kim Nash, Leah Mercer, Liz Fenwick, Louise Beech, Louise Jensen, Louise Mumford, Malcolm Hollingdrake, Marcia Woolf, Mark Stay, Marcie Steele, Natasha Bache, Nick Jackson, Nick Quantrill, Nicky Black, Patricia Gibney, Rachel Sargeant, Rob Parker, Rob Scragg, S.E. Lynes, Shelley Day, Casey Kelleher, Sophie Hannah, Victoria Connelly, Victoria Cooke, Will Dean.

Happy reading!

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Murder in the Family by Cara Hunter @CaraHunterBooks

Murder in the Family

by Cara Hunter 

Having never read a book without chapters before I have now read two in the same month! This one was a completely new format for me, written as a true crime documentary, and I wasn’t sure how I was going to get on with it at first, but I raced through it. I read it in two days, which is very quick for me. I was well and truly gripped and I think the format helped to keep me turning those pages.

A true-crime show is re-opening a twenty-year-old cold case to finally find out the truth about who murdered Luke Ryder. His stepchildren are helping with the investigations and the truths they discover along the way are nothing short of shocking. As the story unfolds it becomes more tense and the need to find out what really happened intensified. I thought I had it sussed at one point and was convinced I was right as I read on, but nope! How wrong was I! I would never have guessed. Absolutely heart-breaking.

Clever. Very clever! I loved it!

** This was our August ‘Buddy Read Book Club’ read chosen by @afsa.ahmed

Read along with…. @erin_reads_alot @fiction_book_reviews @mrskp_reads @northyorkshirereader @mrs_n_reads @booknook.mama

Great choice, Afsa! **

IT WAS A CASE THAT GRIPPED THE NATION

LUKE RYDER’S MURDER HAS NEVER BEEN SOLVED

In October 2003, Luke Ryder was found dead in the garden of the family home in London, leaving behind a wealthy older widow and three stepchildren. Nobody saw anything.

Now, secrets will be revealed – live on camera.

Years later a group of experts re-examine the evidence on Infamous, a true-crime show – with shocking results. Does the team know more than they’ve been letting on?

Or does the truth lie closer to home?

Can you solve the case before they do?

The truth will blow your mind.

Happy reading!

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Out of Sorts by Aurélie Valognes (Author), Wendeline A. Hardenberg (Translator) 

Out of Sorts

by Aurélie Valognes (Author), Wendeline A. Hardenberg (Translator) 

I really, really enjoyed Out of Sorts. Ferdinand Brun is a cantankerous old git, but I couldn’t help but like him. I can understand how he would frustrate his neighbours though!

He’s a fascinating character and I love how much he loves Daisy. My heart broke for him when he lost her. His attitude towards his daughter and his ex-wife made me sad, but I love how Juliette and Beatrice endeavour to change him. Even at his grand age, they are quite determined!

A heart-warming read. Sad, but funny. Ultimately uplifting. I loved it!

** According to Amazon I purchased the Kindle copy of Out of Sorts on the 3rd of December 2015 **

Ferdinand Brun hasn’t always been a grumpy old man. Many years ago, he was a grumpy young man. Now he’d much rather spend time with his canine companion, Daisy, than any of his nosy neighbors. But as his behavior becomes increasingly peculiar, his daughter grows concerned and begins to consider moving him into a retirement home.

In order to maintain his freedom, Ferdinand must submit to an apartment inspection by his longtime enemy, the iron-fisted concierge, Mrs. Suarez. Unfortunately, he’s never tidied up a day in his life. His neighbors, precocious ten-year-old Juliette and vivacious ninety-two-year-old Beatrice, come to the rescue. And once he lets these two into his life, things will never be the same. After an eighty-three-year reign of grouchiness, Ferdinand may finally learn that it’s never too late to start living.

Happy reading!

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Red Dirt by E.M. Reapy

Red Dirt

by E.M. Reapy

I think Red Dirt is the first book I’ve ever read which doesn’t have chapters. I found this a bit weird at first, but I soon got over it.

I found myself fascinated by these characters and their escapades. I was quite mortified when they left Hopper in the middle of nowhere! I don’t think my conscience would have ever let me sleep again. I can’t actually imagine doing anything this lot do, but I guess desperate times call for desperate measures.

This is a difficult one to review because there are no big twists or an intricate plot line, just real people making questionable choices and facing potential danger in order to scrape a living and survive. An interesting read!

** I think I must have won or been gifted this book as I have no record of buying it for myself. So, thank you if you sent it to me **

A group of young Irish migrants leave a man called Hopper for dead on an outback road in Australia. They barely know him; no-one will miss him in their world of hostels, wild nights on cheap wine and grinding work on isolated farms.

In this powerful novel about the discovery of responsibility, three young people – Fiona, Murph and Hopper – flee the collapse of their country’s economy. In the heat and endless spaces of Australia they try to escape their past, but impulsive cruelty, shame and guilt drag them down, and it is easy to make terrible choices.

Happy reading!

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The Rue Stone: The Dark Stranger (Book 1 of 3) (The Dark Stranger Series) by Janet Stock @JanetStock12 #BookPromotion @BoBookPublicity

A touch of wonder. A flicker of connection. Then, only the Rue stone remained.

The Rue was thought to be extinct-until a mysterious guest arrived at the inn.

Shrouded in a hood and silence, the stranger asks for a room and nothing more. But for barmaid Janna, his arrival changes everything.

What begins as a quiet evening becomes a night of fleeting wonder, flickering power, and something close to connection.

By dawn, he’s gone.

Only a strange stone remains.

And a question that won’t let Janna rest:

Will the Rue return?

But only time and the Rue stone will tell.

** RE-LAUNCH **

The Rue Stone: The Dark Stranger

(Book 1 of 3)

(The Dark Stranger Series) 

by Janet Stock

Available now!

Happy reading!

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39 Weeks by Terri Douglas @terri_douglas_

39 Weeks 

by Terri Douglas 

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is a delightful read!

Judy is a fabulous character and one I warmed to straight away. As a Mum of two, both planned, I can’t say I could relate to her when she finds out she’s expecting a baby after a one-night stand. I would probably be terrified in her situation too! I love how she slowly gets used to the idea of being a Mum though, but she certainly doesn’t like to make life easy for herself. Her story from conception to motherhood is full of drama, from her difficult relationship with her mother, problems at work, love life complications, and a friendship with the baby’s uncle who doesn’t even know he’s the uncle!

Honestly it is a truly entertaining tale. Laugh out loud funny at times and frustrating at others (why do people not communicate!?).

Ultimately heart-warming. A proper feel-good read. I loved it!

** According to Amazon I purchased the kindle copy of this book on the 14th of November 2013. It is currently still available for 99p **

To her utter dismay Judy discovers she is pregnant. She knows it’s the end of everything, sex, sleep, going out, and generally having a life. The father was a one night Bacardi induced mistake who’s now long gone, thank goodness.
She struggles with prenatal check-up’s and scans and copes with her first craving and leaky boobs, not to mention her ever increasing waistline, and say’s goodbye to size 10 dresses and pretty underwear, although who’s going to be seeing her in her underwear ever again pretty or not she has no idea, and resigns herself to ‘fat clothes’. All Judy wants is to not be pregnant and to be able to get on with her self-imposed never having another relationship life. ‘I mean who needs some bloke telling you how to do everything, or anything, while they consistently bollocks things up.’
Then to add to her quandary, on a last fling night out before the bump gets too noticeably big, she meets the gorgeous Rob who could have been her ‘The One’ if only she wasn’t pregnant.

Happy reading!

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#FlashbackFriday August 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! x

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

The Love of My Life by Rosie Walsh @TheRosieWalsh

Every Last Suspect by Nicola Moriarty @NikkiM3 #BookBlogger #BookReview #NetGalley #EveryLastSuspect

To Kill a Mockingbird #Audible Harper Lee (Author), Sissy Spacek (Narrator), Penguin Audio (Publisher)

It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover @colleenhoover

Under a Greek Moon by Carol Kirkwood
#FlashbackFriday August 2024

Happy reading!

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The Intruders by Louise Jensen 

The Intruders

by Louise Jensen 

Wow! This is an excellent read!

Cass and James make a lovely couple. When an opportunity arises for them to live rent free for a while, giving them a chance to save for their own place, it seems too good to be true. These things often are! The house has been unoccupied for many years after a home invasion resulted in the previous owners losing their lives. Cass and James are to be caretakers of the property for a short while. I’m not sure I’d want to live there, but it does seem a shame when a house sits abandoned.

It isn’t long before weird things start happening. The tension Cass feels, particularly when she’s on her own in the property, is palpable. James seems more inclined to find rational explanations for the window that seems to keep opening itself amongst other things. I was with Cass, something wasn’t right with that house and as creepy as it is I couldn’t stop reading. As the story progresses things become even more disturbing, fast-paced, and jaw-dropping. The chapters seemed to get shorter and the need to find out where the story was heading more urgent. I would never have guessed it in a million years! Absolutely brilliantly written. I loved it!

This was our Instagram Buddy Read Book Club pick for July, chosen by @katies_cosy_reading_corner

Excellent choice, Katie!

Read along with @afsa.ahmed @readswithdanii @erin_reads_alot @fiction_book_reviews @the_bookshelf_2023 @lollysbooknook @mrskp_reads @northyorkshirereader @mrs_n_reads @yorkshire.bookworm & @booknook.mama

** I purchased a paperback copy for the purpose of the buddy read **

They were told to leave. They should have listened.

The perfect opportunity…

A manor house available rent-free to house-sitters is an offer too good to miss for Cass and James, who have been saving for a deposit on their own home for so long.

Although it had been abandoned for almost thirty years, after a home invasion left almost all the inhabitants dead, it is an amazing chance for them to build their future.

But is it worth the price?

Shortly after moving in things take a sinister turn. Objects disappear and turn up in odd places, the clock always stops at the same time, the house is strangely oppressive and sometimes it feels like Cass and James are not alone.

Newington House may have bad energy, and a dark reputation. But surely there’s no reason for history to repeat itself, is there?

Treat yourself

I.C.Y.M.I

#TheSister @Fab_fiction @bookouture @thecrimevault @littlebookcafe #BookReview #PaperbackRelease
The Gift by Louise Jensen @Fab_fiction @bookouture #BlogTour #BookReview

Happy reading!

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Alien Lord’s Captive (Warriors of the Lathar Book 1) by Mina Carter @minacarter

Alien Lord’s Captive (Warriors of the Lathar Book 1) 

by Mina Carter 

If you’re a regular reader of my blog you will know that this isn’t my usual kind of read, but according to Amazon I bought the kindle copy on the 15th of November 2021, so someone must have recommended it to me back then.

I have to say that I enjoyed it more than I expected. Alien romance wouldn’t be my go-to genre, but this is really well written, and I really enjoyed it once I got into it. This is a romance which begins with a forced proximity which made me feel a bit queasy at first. It soon becomes obvious though that Cat won’t need to be forced to do anything she doesn’t want to. She’s a strong character who quickly becomes enamoured with her alien captor. When I say alien, he isn’t much different to a human man, apart from a feline eye and he’s much bigger (in every sense of the word 😉). I enjoyed how their romance and love for one another blossoms. There is A LOT of heat between the two of them! If you like a bit of passion in your books and are looking for an escape from the real world, then maybe give this one a try.

I’m not sure I loved this enough to immediately read the following nineteen books in this twenty-book series, but I have added book two to my Wishlist! Thank you to whoever it was who brought this series to my attention.

She’s trained for everything up to and including alien invasion. One problem. No one told her aliens would be so damn sexy.

It’s simple. When her base is attacked by aliens, Cat has to fight. Whenever and however possible. But the alien leader, Tarrick, has her in his sights and she has one choice. Come to his bed or things go badly for her friends.

Determined to resist, it’s hard to remember what she’s fighting against when her alien captor is built like a god and his touch sets her body on fire. She only has to fool him for a while, just long enough to get the information they need to escape. Long enough to find out her sexy alien isn’t the monster she thought… But when the time comes, will she want to leave?

He needs a female, or they all die.

His species is dying. Not today, maybe not tomorrow, but with no females, their days are numbered. Finding a base full of females is a bounty Tarrick can’t ignore. Nor can he ignore the delicate little female who stirs his blood yet dares to defy him at every step. Then a dangerous rival challenges his claim on Terran space and all it’s females. He can’t afford to lose control, or his clan is doomed.

When his treasured female is taken, he’ll do anything to rescue her. Including starting an intergalactic war…

Treat yourself

Happy reading!

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The Torments (The Annie Jackson Mysteries Book 2) by Michael J. Malone @michaelJmalone1 @OrendaBooks

The Torments (The Annie Jackson Mysteries Book 2)

by Michael J. Malone 

After reading and thoroughly enjoying The Murmurs (Book one in the Annie Jackson series) I couldn’t resist purchasing book two and bumping it to the top of my TBR list!

Annie is a very likeable character. One with a family curse I don’t envy her for. I’m not surprised she wants to hide away in her remote cottage where she gets some peace from everything.

However, when her adoptive mother begs for her help as her nephew has gone missing, she feels obliged to do whatever she can do to help although her visions don’t really work that way. With the help of her brother, Lewis, she leaves her sanctuary, unaware of the danger she’s about to be confronted with.

This is another fast paced, suspenseful novel which I found to be more than a little creepy. Some of the characters are certainly more than a little creepy! Again, I was completely invested from the very beginning. It was extremely difficult to put down. I would have happily read it in one sitting if I could have. I’m looking forward to book three, The Howling, but that isn’t being released until September. If you haven’t already, I recommend you catch up with the series in the meantime like I have. You won’t regret it!

** I purchased a paperback copy of The Torments on the 18th of June 2025 **

Annie surged forward, but she was too slow, too late.

A hand came over and down, and she felt a sharp pain at the back of her neck.

Then all became smoke, and silence.

Hiding from the world in her little white cottage on the shores of a loch, Annie Jackson is fighting to come to terms with the world of the murmurs, a curse that has haunted female members of her family for centuries.

While she is within the ancient, heavy stone of the old dwelling, the voices merely buzz, but the moment she steps outside the door they clamour to torment her all over again, bringing with them shocking visions of imminent deaths.

Into this oasis comes her adoptive mother, Mandy McEvoy, begging for Annie’s help. Mandy’s nephew Damien has gone missing, after dropping off his four-year old son at his mother’s home.

Unable to refuse, but terrified to leave her sanctuary, Annie, with the help of her brother Lewis, is drawn in to a secretive, seductive world that will have her question everything she holds dear, while Lewis’ life may be changed forever…

The second book in the critically acclaimed Annie Jackson Mysteries series, The Torments is both a contemporary gothic thriller and a spellbinding mystery that deeps deep into a past that should, perhaps, remain undisturbed…

Treat yourself

I.C.Y.M.I

The Murmurs (The Annie Jackson Mysteries Book 1) by Michael J. Malone @michaelJmalone1 @OrendaBooks

Happy reading!