Category: Reviews

The Safe House by Louise Mumford

Reviewed by Lotte

This book was unnerving because it was so believable! It’s the subtlety and simplicity that show it really could happen and that’s what makes it a great, unsettling psychological thriller.

Esther and her mum, Hannah, live in a bunker completely off grid. It’s all Esther has ever known – a life of isolation with just her Mum (and of course Mr Wiffles), living inside, with a high spec air filtration system, hazmat suits for going outside, regimented routines etc. For Hannah, this came about because Esther has asthma and she became terrified and determined to keep her safe. Mumford has written this book in a character focused way that shows us both sides – the lengths mum went to keep Esther safe before they even moved to the bunker, the reasons behind her actions and all she’s sacrificed; as well as Esther, how normal it was for her before she realised there was a whole world out there and learning that what she thinks is true might actually be wrong. This all starts to unravel when a stranger turns up, knowing things about Esther. He shows her she doesn’t need to be as cautious as she believes but the suspense woven into the storyline keeps you on tenterhooks just incase – what if mum was right and something will happen. So even as the plot unravelled and different things were revealed it still felt uncertain. Mr Wiffles was a great addition with his whit and humour as well as adding to the distorted reality Esther was living in.

The first half of the book was really good but a little slow, however, I feel that added to this sense of normality that Mumford was trying to create. The second half moved a little faster, so much so that some things felt a little off-kilter, as in, would she really do that after growing up the way she has. The story went from one extreme to another but perhaps that added to the suspense that it could all go wrong. And we truly didn’t find out for sure if Esther was ok or whether Mum was right. There were many twists and turns that added to this suspense and sense of unknown as well as giving us some great shock moments.

This was a good book with a well paced plot and fully developed characters. It wasn’t extreme but the eerie element of realness kept the book gripping throughout.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this ARC.

Author: Louise Mumford
Publisher: HQ Digital
Release Date: 12 May 2022

Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult

Reviewed by Lotte

It’s no secret that I am a massive Jodi Picoult fan, I love her books and it just so happens we share the same birthday. Some might say I’m biased but I’d challenge anyone to tell me this book didn’t impact them in some way. For me Jodi produced another knock out novel that will stay with me for some time.

We meet Diane, someone who has her life on track – or so she thinks – a job she loves, a partner she also loves, she has plans for the future and a clear idea of where she’s heading. And then the pandemic hits and everything changed. She became stranded in the Galapagos whilst her partner Finn is stuck in New York working as a doctor on the front lines in a major New York hospital. To top it off they’re cut off from each other, receiving sporadic emails and sending postcards. These opposing worlds summed up the divide we were all facing in some way, with some people fighting on the front lines and the rest of us looking in helplessly. Diane goes through the same grief we all did, losing special events we were looking forward to, being unable to fulfil plans and being left feeling bereft and pretty lost. Her experiences on the island, the people she meets, the isolation from loved ones, the heartbreak and the hope she feels, all guide her through figuring out what she’s going to do next and more importantly who she is now. All while being quarantined on an island where she doesn’t know the language and is relying of the kindness of strangers. This beautifully mirrored the experience of so many of us: we were all lost in an unknown world.

As usual Jodi throws in so many twists and turns. There’s multi-layered characters and plot lines twisted perfectly together. As always Jodi has researched this novel extensively and that’s seen in the level of detail she includes (which is pretty miraculous given we were all in lockdown!). This novel is told through the lens of Diane, punctuated by emails from Finn that just heightened the fractious nature of their situation and how extreme this pandemic had become. The emails were perfectly times, along with the character development to create suspense and a sense tapestry of a novel. There was always something happening, or another emotion playing out, always something that kept me wanting to read more and more.

The pandemic shattered our sense of who we were, leaving us lost in the abyss while chaos raged in the outside world. We lost who we were, our plans, our goals, our direction. It left us questioning what we wanted for ourselves and from the world around us. It left us questioning what mattered. And it took many us a long time to find our way back – which wasn’t always to the place we started at. This pandemic has irrevocably changed many of our lives and Jodi depicts this perfectly in this story. I’ve heard many people say this is the book we didn’t know we needed, and I can honestly say it was. It was validating, eye opening, reassuring, it helped me make sense of the last couple of years and I felt heard as a result of Jodi’s masterful, powerful writing. I couldn’t recommend it more.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this ARC (apologies for the delay in sharing, ill-health happened).

Author: Jodi Picoult
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Release Date: 25th November 2021

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

Reviewed by Lotte

We Were Liars was not what I expected it to be and at the start I just wasn’t sure what the story was doing. Then it caught me with a few intriguing themes so I persevered. The main protagonist, told entirely from her perspective, appeared to have had some kind of serious accident but it all felt off – something wasn’t adding up and a few things were going through my mind. I didn’t actually work it out until right at the end when the terrible circumstances were revealed. I liked that I wasn’t sure, and that the author led us to believe there could have been other things happen, in fact anything except the truth! But once again I feel like those things could have been made so much more of. In fairness this was off-set by the fact the book wasn’t very long and was told in short sharp accounts so there wasn’t time to dwell on the lack of details. I’d say this is an easy to read, fairly compelling book, enough to keep me occupied today!

Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this ARC.

Author: E. Lockhart
Publisher: Hot Key Books
Release Date: 14 May 2014

Midnight Magic by Gina Kincade and Others

Reviewed by Lotte

What a brilliant book filled with fantastical, often very steamy, paranormal romance type novels and novellas. This was such a great way to read book by other authors that you might not come across and having read this, I’ll be sure to look up their other work. For me, I was eagerly awaiting Caswell’s Convict by M.C. Solaris. It’s linked loosely with the Orion’s Order series, where we first met Clyde in Rhyker’s Key. Caswell’s convict was like a mini version of one of the Orion’s Order books yet it still had everything we know and love about it. There was the Lion shifters, including Clyde one of our main characters, a mind healer, Maddie, who was our other main character, other species, a steamy love narrative where ultimately good come through. I loved that Solaris made me fall in love with both Clyde and Maddie immediately. I was rooting for them, felt frustration when things didn’t go to plan and elated when things were good…probably during the hot scenes! I loved that I was hooked by the story in such a short amount of time too. There was so much to it, without it being serious dense with information – lots of emotional ups and downs and a whole lot of suspense! Really hope we see more of Clyde and Maddie. The Caswell Lion Pride we’re only mentioned briefly so you don’t have to read Orion’s order to enjoy Caswell’s Convict (although I strongly recommend them if you like shifters, paranormal and sizzling romances – you’ll be hooked!).
The other stories in this book are equally fantastic – you’ll be sure to enjoy!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Authors: Gina Kincade, C.D. Gorri, Laura Greenwood, Juliana Haygert, Rebekah R. Ganiere, Louisa Bacio, Siera London, Susannah Shannon, Ariel Dawn, Fiona Starr, Julie Morgan, Taya Rune, Taylor Aston White, Quell T. Fox, Autumn Breeze, Asa Maria Bradley, Kate Rudolph, M.C. Solaris, Emilia Rose, Mia Meade, Hanleigh Bradley, Pepper McGraw, McKayla Schutt, Lilith Darville
Publisher: Naughty Nights Press LLC
Release Date: 10 May 2022

The Seven Sisters by Lucinda Riley

Reviewed by Lotte:

I’ve read all seven of The Seven Sisters books throughout this year and I have to admit I’ve enjoyed each one. The sisters are each named after a star constellation called the Seven Sisters of The Pleiades. We have:

Book one – Maia – The Seven Sisters #1
Book two: Ally – relating to Alycone – The Storm Sister #2
Book three: Star – relating to Asterope – The Shadow Sister #3
Book four: CeCe – relating to Celaeno – The Pearl Sister #4
Book five Tiggy – relating to Teygete – The Moon Sister #5
Book six: Electra – The Sun Sister #6
Book seven: Mary – relating to Merope – The Missing Sister #7

I really enjoyed how in each book every sister went on their own journey to find out about their past and that Riley was able to make their stories original. Without giving away any spoilers each sister was taken down paths with different histories, locations and backgrounds, discovering connections to family in different ways.

The narrative was told in both present and past day settings, so as the sister discovered parts of their past in the present day, Riley took us back to see that past playing out too. It made for interesting reading as the dynamic changed and gave us multiple perspectives. In present day I found myself eager to go back to the past to read the truth and when reading the past I was excited to find out how the sister was finding the information. I think this is what kept me hooked through these long books and throughout the whole series, because in the same way that I wanted to switch between past and present, I was also intrigued to find out the next sister’s story.

I don’t really think I can choose a favourite story but I did find there was more repetition within the plot as we progressed through the books. This was a useful reminder and I can imagine if you read them a year apart from each other it would be helpful but as I read them in a short space of time I found them unnecessary and tried to read through those parts quickly. With this in mind you could read each book on its own, as it contains enough backstory for it to be a stand-alone book. A friend actually read book 6 without having read the previous 5 books and loved it!

I know we all thought book 7 would be the last but it turns out we have one more to go – the story of the mysterious Pa Salt, the sisters adopted Father, and if I’m honest I’m looking forward to reading it! His actual name is Atlas, which fits with the theme because according to legend, Atlas was the Father of the Seven Sisters. So I’m captivated and hoping this last book will finally give us the rest of the answers we’ve been holding on to!

Author: Lucinda Riley
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
Release Date: Nov 2014 – April 2021

Calypso’s Heart by M.C. Solaris

Reviewed by Lotte:

This book was absolutely fantastic!

Going into it I wasn’t sure if it was for me, and with it being a fairly lengthy read, I was dubious. But oh my word, it was sooooo worth it! I found it completely addictive, the plot line and characters were enthralling and by the time I was finished I felt cheated that I didn’t have the second book to hand to begin reading immediately. Brilliant read, fab author, so happy I stumbled across it!

Thank you to the author and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. Full review pending.

Author: M.C. Solaris
Publisher: MC Solaris LLC
Release Date: 15 May 2020

Sleepless by Louise Mumford

Reviewed by Lotte:

Sleepless was a great, pacey novel filled with suspense. It moved along at a nice speed with enough content to keep it interesting and enticing. There was plenty of events happening one after the other, which kept my attention throughout. The twists and turns gave the story more depth although some of them were a little predictable.

This didn’t take away from the enjoyment too much though because the plot line was based on a fairly original but conceivable concept. So many people suffer from insomnia and sleepless episodes, so the thought of being desperate enough to try a sleep trial is completely conceivable. And although the tech involved isn’t something yet created – thank goodness – the premise is sound and has potential to exist. This makes it a great read because it is so relatable and applicable to our lives. It was also refreshing to read something that hasn’t been completely over done in other novels. The ideas and story line were new and intriguing which made me want to read the book in the first place and continue reading chapter after chapter once I’d started.

However, it is lacking in the detail I often look for in a book, like information about the specifics of the tech involved, how does it alter REM sleep, how do the discs work etc. It also lacked reaction. So many things happened and yet our protagonist, Thea, barely reacted to them, or reacted very short term and then the next thing came along. Don’t get me wrong, I really liked Thea, but I would have loved her more if I’d have seen and felt more from her. I would have also liked a little more from the ending. Without providing any spoilers we have no idea if and how Thea escaped successfully at the end and the way in which the whole situation was tied up left a lot of ambiguity – I have so many questions! This is the only part of the book that felt less feasible. I’m wondering if this is to leave it open for a future book or merely leaving us with a cliff-hanger. Either way I felt like it ended too quickly.

Overall, this was a good read and something I’d recommend if you want to be entertained without it being too heavy in information (something we all need in our reading pile!).

Thanks so much to NetGalley, HQ Digital and Louise Mumford for the opportunity to read this book.

Author: Louise Mumford
Publisher: HQ Digital
Release Date: 10 December 2020

Christmas for Beginners by Carole Matthews

Reviewed by Sophie

Despite not reading the first book ” Happiness for beginners”, Carole does an excellent job of bringing the reader up to speed in the first few chapters without letting too much out of the bag.
I will be making sure I read the first book in due course.

An easy, nice read from start to finish.

I loved the setting for this book. The fact that the farm is used as an outreach program for troubled youths really interested me. The characters were described realistically and I was touched by each of the students’ troubles and situations. I felt like…wanting to rescue them all from their current situations and hug them.

The protagonist, Molly seems older than in her 30’s. Her relationship with actor Shelby is something to be desired. From the beginning, I dislike Shelby and his attitude towards the farm and his son Lucas who is in the care of Molly while he thinks of nothing but his acting career. I do start to feel for him at some points during the book, but my aggravation comes back too many times. I know his relationship with his son is strained but he doesn’t even try. I feel this is where reading the first book would have been helpful.
Love the other supporting characters lovely Bev, stroppy Lucas and loved up Alan.

The whole way through the book I keep thinking how patient Molly is. With her relationship with Shelby, the animals, the children and with Lucas. Especially after Lucas announces his bombshell and her own heartbreaking loss.

I struggled a bit to get into the story at first but quickly became engrossed in the book. The Christmas feeling on the farm definitely helped and I actually wet myself laughing at the fiasco with the alpacas in the nativity. (Just you wait.)

All in all a splendid read; not just for Christmas.


Author: Carole Matthews
Publisher: Sphere
Release Date: 29 October 2020

The Book of Two Ways by Jodi Picoult

Reviewed by Lotte:

Ok so I should probably say I’m a complete Jodi Picoult fan – like, ride or die fan. I’m pretty sure I’d love anything she writes because up until now I haven’t been disappointed with a single one of her books (and I’ve read them all!). This one certainly didn’t let me down either – it was epic!

Within 16% Jodi had managed to intertwine the physics theory of quantum mechanics, the Ancient Egyptian Book of Two Ways, a love story and a moral dilemma. If that’s not mastery I don’t know what is!

So, let’s rewind slightly. The book opens with Dawn’s near-death experience and the thoughts she had in what she believed would be her last moments. She didn’t see the man she had married though, instead she saw the road she hadn’t taken. This is where the book splits into the Water Path (Boston) and the Land Path (Egypt). I don’t want to give any spoilers away so let’s just say we follow these two timelines as Dawn works through whether she should carry on in the life she was living or pick up the road not taken and finish the work she left behind in Egypt.

I found Dawn a pretty interesting character. For a start she was a Death Doula, not something I’d heard of before, and her history of academia, her mother and her current life were well-developed. This also included her flaws; we saw how human and real she was which made her really relatable. None of us are sunshine, roses and straight forward thoughts so it was refreshing to read.

I always enjoy the structures of Jodi’s books and this one was the same. Having the two paths playing out in parallel until later in the book when they converged was a super clever way of following the theory of multiverses existing. It was also a neat way of writing from different perspectives (although it was still Dawn throughout) which Jodi is well-known for. This structure really helped us understand the real dilemma that Dawn was facing because both ‘timelines’ could be completely feasible. How do you decide which one to choose? 

The other thing I really enjoyed was the level of detail in the plot. There is a lot of Egyptian terminology and names, lots of which I had to google (only because I wanted to attempt the correct pronunciation not because it was necessary, Jodi explains it all really well for us). The book is pitched in a way that combines these academic lives with the complexities of emotions and the different connections we have the people around us. All these different facets made it compelling to read and kept me engaged throughout.

This was yet another cracking novel from Jodi and a well-earned NYT #1 bestseller! But are you Team Wyatt or Team Brian?!

Author: Jodi Picoult
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Release Date: 20 October 2020

Anxious People by Fredrik Backman

Reviewed by Sophie:

“A bank robbery. A hostage drama. A stairwell full of police officers on their way to storm an apartment. It was easy to get to this point, much easier than you might think. All it took was one single really bad idea. This story is about a lot of things, but mostly about idiots. “

This has to be one of the best openings to a book ever. Thank you Net Galley and Penguin for allowing me the opportunity to read this book.
I have read many books by Fredik Backman, so was excited to be allowed to read his latest addition to the collection.

From the off set the book begins its humorous account of a bank robbery gone wrong. I mean… It’s definitely an opportunity for some hilarious antics and this book doesn’t disappoint with that.

The language is wonderful. There are some moments where I literally laughed aloud and giggled all the way through.
Solely in the first chapter, Fredrik compares the knowledge of sex to a usb leads” wrong way round, wrong way round, wrong way round and there! In” as well as the bank robbers mum “consisted of so much gin and tonic that they didn’t dare cremate her because of risk of explosion”. The book is full of these little gems.

The structure of the book is very disjointed and goes back and forth in time. The writing seems to go off on tangents just as of you were having a conversation with someone who was relaying this tale rather than reading a book, which could make alot of people … Well anxious…. As the flow of the book isn’t smooth transitions and could almost be deemed as frustrating to some.

However, the structure of the book becomes a unique quality. We start to learn more about the individual characters. Again at first all deemed annoying and unlikable in there own rights, but Backman builds on these qualities as and reader sees that first impressions aren’t always correct.
Like all his books Backman looks at the characters in a manor that makes us laugh and cry at the same time. Each character is not an “idiot” as the introduction may lead us to believe but actually a spider web of intricately knitted problems that all of us may have encountered at some point in our lives. The bank robber who messes up everything just to pay the rent; Roger who’s life is the buying and selling of these apartments to fill a granchildless void, Ro who is missing her father’s support and is needing an apartment for her blossoming family with Julie; Zara who’s attends viewings because of addiction and routine, Jack and Jim and many other characters. We realise it’s more than a bank robbery gone wrong; it’s a story about people helping others; chance meetings.

Anxious people was not what I was expecting….it was better.

Author: Fredrik Backman
Publisher: Atria Books
Release Date: 8 September 2020