tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25237276162439702262024-02-19T13:38:04.728+01:00M's Bookshelf M's Bookshelf is a place for book reviews and all things book-related. Take a look at what's on my shelf and my thoughts on those books. Meet some of my favorite novels and authors in all kinds of genres. Hope you enjoy. Happy reading, M. xM's Bookshelfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15671920265732406607noreply@blogger.comBlogger363125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523727616243970226.post-7939839065099227932024-01-21T12:53:00.001+01:002024-01-21T12:58:56.417+01:00#BookReview Liz Tomforde - Mile High (Windy City #1)<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjirbcH6y3blyEGEYQzT4rvAeaDqKxulq1HVfxNL0l37oqkuMyG5kueZ95Ae4f9rtiW_16zThnIEeOiPdZ08Fcb2Iqlo3Yerk_DT02jaILJveuU4j_eZ5Q4i6tD7r_k1SoVBd-1Fgm9ju-2qOWDgp9xipQHjrAaMYpO7GR-EE7Ho8zXYveQcwgLmN7LGxji/s2000/LizTomforde_WindyCity1_MileHigh.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="2000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjirbcH6y3blyEGEYQzT4rvAeaDqKxulq1HVfxNL0l37oqkuMyG5kueZ95Ae4f9rtiW_16zThnIEeOiPdZ08Fcb2Iqlo3Yerk_DT02jaILJveuU4j_eZ5Q4i6tD7r_k1SoVBd-1Fgm9ju-2qOWDgp9xipQHjrAaMYpO7GR-EE7Ho8zXYveQcwgLmN7LGxji/s320/LizTomforde_WindyCity1_MileHigh.jpg" width="320" /></a><u>The blurb.</u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">ZANDERS</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Chicago hockey isn't complete without me - everyone's favourite player to hate. I know my role, and I play it well. In fact, I thoroughly enjoy spending the majority of my game time in the penalty box before leaving the arena with a new girl on my arm each night.<br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">What I don't like is the new flight attendant on our team's private plane. She works for me, not the other way around. But I'll be sure to remind her of that, and I can guarantee, by the end of the season, she'll be begging to quit her job.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">But every road trip blurs the lines, and I can't quite figure out if I keep pushing that flight attendant call button in order to push her buttons, or if it's more than that.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">STEVIE</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I've been a flight attendant for years. I thought I'd seen it all, but when my new job lands me onboard working for the most egotistical and self-righteous diva in the NHL, I start to second guess everything. Including the promise I made to myself of never hooking up with an athlete again . . . no matter how annoyingly tempting he may be.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Evan Zanders is unfiltered, unapologetic, and too attractive for his own good. He loves his image, but I hate everything about it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Everything but him.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60909831-mile-high" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><u><br /></u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><u>My review.</u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><u><br /></u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I read this book in under 24h. For some reason, I couldn’t put it down. Zanders, the male MC, and I did get off on the wrong foot though. Within pages of meeting him, he introduces himself as a fckboy, claims this is “just an act”, all the while scrolling through his notes(!) on previous conquests, catalogued by the city they live in, feeling very proud of himself and his many options. And although I gave in and ended op swooning over him, I couldn’t shake the feeling of this being against my better judgement. Because even when we see him being ‘real’, the way he talks to Stevie or the words he uses to describe women or sex, just feel “ick”. “Lockerroom talk”, I guess? It didn’t do it for me. And I wasn’t fully convinced by the reasons why he thought he had to play a certain part for the media, on order for him to stay on the team. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Stevie, however, I loved from the get go. I found her the more real or believable. Definitely the more relatable character as well and seeing her grow in confidence was great. The relationships in this book, both friendships and family ties, were real and raw and I liked how prominent that part of the story was for both our MC’s, making this book a lot deeper and relevant than “just” an enemies to lover, spicy romance.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">So red flags be damned, I was hooked and I have part #2 of the series ready to go!</div><div><br /></div></div></div>
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margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C2XIiCjrxoZ/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">Een bericht gedeeld door M's Bookshelf (@msbookshelf_reviews)</a></p></div></blockquote> <script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>M's Bookshelfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15671920265732406607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523727616243970226.post-76856716701261170432024-01-15T09:00:00.004+01:002024-01-15T09:24:35.354+01:00#BookReview Amanda Lees - The Paris Spy's Girl<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGYYxnWZOsTRfl-2z4Ieh0SHg06Vum-Id_7ZYPp06iS9kXUwhacwzKiPWrHRXJLlVhhVotj1oMmDSfriQcTUMSUEPllkWcvrJlN5C6gijeVaquOFO_e5cofsl6YJQWAWS6Lg_tdpYbOpW5kJt8qGIckIP8WRXCMBtkRhbq-kdB2dzJHSZkiejhE4yFNcd0/s2000/AmandaLees_TheParisSpysGirl.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="2000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGYYxnWZOsTRfl-2z4Ieh0SHg06Vum-Id_7ZYPp06iS9kXUwhacwzKiPWrHRXJLlVhhVotj1oMmDSfriQcTUMSUEPllkWcvrJlN5C6gijeVaquOFO_e5cofsl6YJQWAWS6Lg_tdpYbOpW5kJt8qGIckIP8WRXCMBtkRhbq-kdB2dzJHSZkiejhE4yFNcd0/s320/AmandaLees_TheParisSpysGirl.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915;"><u>The blurb.<br /></u></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">Paris, 1943. The candlelit salon goes silent, the eyes of every German officer on me. I pause in the door, no hint of a tremble from the champagne glass in my hand, playing my part to perfection. If my deception doesn’t utterly convince them, the war will be lost…</span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">As war rages all over Europe, former runaway </span><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915;">Christine</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;"> is now the most dangerous – and most beautiful – asset the British Secret Service has in Paris. Every safe house that falls under the shadow of the Eiffel Tower is like a second home, and she can disappear into the winding maze of cobbled streets that lead to the Seine like a shadow. </span><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915;">Now Christine is on her most vital mission yet. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">She must go deep undercover to find out who has betrayed the Allied spy network, selling their secrets – and her fellow agents – to the Nazis.Forced to work with </span><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915;">Charlie</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">, a charmingly determined American secret agent, Christine has no choice but to rely on him. Together, they must pretend to be everything they aren’t – Nazi collaborators, and lovers – and risk not just their lives but the lives of their colleagues all over France to unmask the traitor in their midst. But as they get closer to the truth, and each other, the stress of living undercover takes its toll. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915;">Christine can’t trust anyone, even Charlie</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">. And just as her past – and the girl she was before she became Christine – catches up with her, the mission demands a sacrifice so great it may destroy everything she holds dear. </span><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915;">Can Christine find the courage to do what it takes? And who will pay the ultimate sacrifice if she fails…?</span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/201844922-the-paris-spy-s-girl" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><u>My review.</u><br />What a
gorgeous read. I’ve got a bit of a book hangover after finishing this, not sure
what to read or even do next! An incredibly moving, gripping page turner set
during a dangerous time in a city filled with intrigue, betrayal and passion.
The suspense kept me glued to the page, which intensified when the storyline
was interrupted by chapters that went back a couple of years in the past. Those
chapters explained more of who our main character is, where she comes from and
how she got the where she is in the present day (… her present day, 1944). All
the while making you want to know more and yet continue to the storyline in
1944, dying to know what will happen next, both fascinated and afraid of what
Christine will encounter next. Almost too scared to find out who’s betrayal she’ll
stumble on… or if she’ll finally be found out. I couldn’t put this down and was
incredibly moved by the heartbreak and bravery shown by these characters,
knowing how many of them like this did give their lives fighting for freedom
all those years ago. Beautiful read.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p>
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/C2HSSEng6Ac/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C2HSSEng6Ac/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; 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margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C2HSSEng6Ac/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">Een bericht gedeeld door M's Bookshelf (@msbookshelf_reviews)</a></p></div></blockquote> <script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>M's Bookshelfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15671920265732406607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523727616243970226.post-54548397825676201932024-01-14T09:37:00.005+01:002024-01-14T09:43:37.624+01:00#BookReview Marty Wingate - A Body on the Doorstep (London Ladies' Murder Club #1)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1w2vun38YOEf8zF2ljhviGl6Dg2gYB8igQiziYGBAH9zhuyDWEIq1NHXLCXn2FUiJr0A0IjgxhmAqgWyYARMZ8v5LEBytR180XUedwxV61TDi8gNTXdduVZuSUNlxQpOibXaURlm38wRRnnyLTXAaybPs5nNecledi7xME4x3tFXyFME_t1usiJR6P9-g/s2000/MartyWingate_LondonLadiesMurderClub1_ABodyOnTheDoorstep.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="2000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1w2vun38YOEf8zF2ljhviGl6Dg2gYB8igQiziYGBAH9zhuyDWEIq1NHXLCXn2FUiJr0A0IjgxhmAqgWyYARMZ8v5LEBytR180XUedwxV61TDi8gNTXdduVZuSUNlxQpOibXaURlm38wRRnnyLTXAaybPs5nNecledi7xME4x3tFXyFME_t1usiJR6P9-g/s320/MartyWingate_LondonLadiesMurderClub1_ABodyOnTheDoorstep.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><u><span style="font-family: georgia;">The blurb.</span></u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">Fiercely independent Mabel Canning can’t wait to begin working for the Useful Women’s Agency. But when she discovers a body on her client’s doorstep, it’s time to add solving murders to her job description…</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">London, 1921: Mabel Canning is proud to be a modern woman working for the Useful Women’s Agency, carrying out tasks for gentlewomen from flower arranging to washing muddy dogs. But when she answers the door for wealthy widow Rosalind Despard, she almost chokes on her cucumber sandwich when she finds a soldier’s body on the doorstep.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">As she offers tea to the policemen of Scotland Yard, Mabel can’t resist getting drawn into the investigation. Who was the mysterious dead man? And why was he holding a letter for Rosalind, written by her husband on the day he disappeared?</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">As Mabel hunts for clues, she joins forces with Rosalind’s handsome brother, former detective Park Winstone, and his adorable terrier, Gladys. But when Mabel suspects she is being followed, the detective duo know that time is running out before the killer strikes again.<br /></span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">As she investigates, Mabel discovers dusty old photographs that help her reveal the soldier’s true identity. But as she gets closer to uncovering the young man’s murderer, she knows she’s also one step closer to danger... Can she outsmart the killer and save Park and Rosalind before they also turn up dead as doornails?</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/199495349-a-body-on-the-doorstep" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Goodreads</span></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><u>My review.<br /></u>ARC | Is this a
new genre I completely missed?! How brilliant! Historical fiction, a classic whodunnit
crime novel, all with the easiness and joyfulness of a delicious women’s fiction
read. I’m obsessed! Just like I am with the main character, Mabel. She’s smart,
insightful and brave. I’m in awe with how she carries herself and, as I previously
drew comparison to chick-lit or women’s fiction, it’s incredibly refreshing to
have a MC who’s not held back by doubt or insecurities, which is so often the
case. Mabel is fierce, very confident in herself, her talents and intellect and
she radiates a self confidence you can feel coming through the pages. She is
kind and considerate and both the woman you’d aspire to be and want as your
friend.<br />Although this
is not your typical fast paced crime novel, the mystery keeps you glued to the
page as the plot thickens and more clues (and bodies!) are discovered. It took
me until the final chapter to understand how this could be turned into a
series, but yesss I am here for it!<br />Great read!</span></p><p><br /></p>
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/C2EwmTZg2MI/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C2EwmTZg2MI/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; 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margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C2EwmTZg2MI/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">Een bericht gedeeld door M's Bookshelf (@msbookshelf_reviews)</a></p></div></blockquote> <script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>M's Bookshelfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15671920265732406607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523727616243970226.post-66842395475996224282024-01-08T12:27:00.004+01:002024-01-08T12:42:22.867+01:00#BookReview Robert Bryndza - Lethal Vengeance (Erika Foster #8)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8KSW3HqorMpj7PDWw_EjEJeC_iG8EZvqYIJz5glYwAzX2Ktxp8xgI4RkINvqW0CA6TabNLkH3aJqLv_dSkKnpchgM8XZCLJjIdkUDiAaKuJa7eyw2yCyAOtPoV_EGYFhS7lmHwpbXNODZR8m5EqY_-GGLi3b63CJ0RCodOouTXQoWIwqXvVfsu29bV95g/s2000/RobertBryndza_ErikaFoster8_LethalVengeance.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1996" data-original-width="2000" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8KSW3HqorMpj7PDWw_EjEJeC_iG8EZvqYIJz5glYwAzX2Ktxp8xgI4RkINvqW0CA6TabNLkH3aJqLv_dSkKnpchgM8XZCLJjIdkUDiAaKuJa7eyw2yCyAOtPoV_EGYFhS7lmHwpbXNODZR8m5EqY_-GGLi3b63CJ0RCodOouTXQoWIwqXvVfsu29bV95g/s320/RobertBryndza_ErikaFoster8_LethalVengeance.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><u>The blurb.</u></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">The man lay on his front, his arms and legs bound and pulled up with a rope connecting the two. His head was arched back, so he faced the curtains, and there was masking tape over his mouth. Erika gingerly reached out and checked his pulse.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">Yep. Dead all right.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">When Detective Erika Foster finds politician Neville Lomas naked, hog-tied, and dead in his own bed, skittish higher-ups at the Met quickly rule the death from natural causes. Case closed . . . until two months later when a well-known casting director and a star footballer are found murdered and tied with the same knots. The Met can no longer ignore what’s staring them in the face: there’s a serial killer loose in London, and they’re out to settle a score.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">As Erika and her team investigate, things take a strange turn as CCTV footage turns up five female suspects . . . and they’re all identical.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">In the hunt to identify the women, Erika is outpaced at every turn by an elusive sex worker with dirt on enough powerful men to make the Met’s top brass nervous – and desperate.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">As time ticks away until the killer strikes again, it’s up to Erika to untangle the web of evidence and answer the critical questions: What ties the victims together, who else is caught up in this scandal, and how far are the higher-ups willing to go to protect their own?</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">Gripping, tense and impossible to put down, Lethal Vengeance will have you on the edge of your seat, racing to the final dramatic page.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/181334409-lethal-vengeance?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=DoUZGRhjV1&rank=1" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></p><p style="text-align: left;"><u>My review.</u></p><p style="text-align: left;">Hard to believe this is the eight book in the Detective Erika Foster series, when both the main character(s), the villains and the cases keep surprising you. Although Erika has reflected before on how her life turned out, choices she made, things that happened,... she seems a bit more melancholic about them in this book, being ever more conscious about her age. She might see herself as an "old dinosaur" compared to some new people on the force, she's still as fearless, determined and smart as ever. (I for one am not at all ready to say goodbye to DCI Erika Foster, Rob!)</p><p style="text-align: left;">With a high profile case surrounded by secrecy and threats, Erika has to stand her ground and fight for her place in the investigation yet again. But, yet again, she easily proves why she is the best detective to have on the case. I love how Erika has a team around her with some excellent detectives she can trust, especially when there's so much suspicion surrounding this particular case, and so much police 'politics' she always seems to be on the wrong side of. It's comforting to know she has a couple of loyal, unconditional relationships as well. She's come a long way since first arriving in London!</p><p style="text-align: left;">In this book we, as readers, have some insight into the killer's past and motives, but a lot remains a mystery and the pieces of the puzzle all end up falling into place beautifully, bit by bit. I loved the villain, the extra layers added by the secrecy, suspicion and disguises. Probably one of my favourite storylines yet. It's gripping until the very end. Literally, 'cause I checked twice to see if that actually was the final chapter, the final sentence. No spoilers... But I'm still in suspense and haven't been able to put this book, this case, to rest. And obviously, neither has Erika.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Dive in for a gripping, thrilling, exciting crime thriller.</p>
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/C11ng45LSVv/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C11ng45LSVv/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; 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margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C11ng45LSVv/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">Een bericht gedeeld door M's Bookshelf (@msbookshelf_reviews)</a></p></div></blockquote> <script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>M's Bookshelfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15671920265732406607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523727616243970226.post-65975533428311122712024-01-05T09:25:00.001+01:002024-01-05T09:35:50.111+01:00#BookReview Kristin Harmel - The Winemaker's Wife<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhudfXjEQWzek9nSAn8TxVQoMVillZnBNx4pwz1lTqCIu_Cc0FEz7ewllaVsg2GkcbHCeeBtb8Cc9ZIqgIbCj7FrsIA1lcKgVeVlnjuMkKTj60wNNzh6LnFpc-eppDWXwJs0o3jcNush-Rd_ubtT47KwiJ6rsMi7pNhVrGc7Hbi2khqME5qT-mdMsLjssk/s2000/KristinHarmel_TheWinemakersWife.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="2000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhudfXjEQWzek9nSAn8TxVQoMVillZnBNx4pwz1lTqCIu_Cc0FEz7ewllaVsg2GkcbHCeeBtb8Cc9ZIqgIbCj7FrsIA1lcKgVeVlnjuMkKTj60wNNzh6LnFpc-eppDWXwJs0o3jcNush-Rd_ubtT47KwiJ6rsMi7pNhVrGc7Hbi2khqME5qT-mdMsLjssk/s320/KristinHarmel_TheWinemakersWife.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><u>The blurb.</u></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Champagne, 1940: Inès has just married Michel, the owner of storied champagne house Maison Chauveau, when the Germans invade. As the danger mounts, Michel turns his back on his marriage to begin hiding munitions for the<i> Résistance</i>. Inès fears they’ll be exposed, but for Céline, half-Jewish wife of Chauveau’s <i>chef de cave</i>, the risk is even greater—rumors abound of Jews being shipped east to an unspeakable fate.<br /><br />When Céline recklessly follows her heart in one desperate bid for happiness, and Inès makes a dangerous mistake with a Nazi collaborator, they risk the lives of those they love—and the champagne house that ties them together.<br /><br />New York, 2019: Liv Kent has just lost everything when her eccentric French grandmother shows up unannounced, insisting on a trip to France. But the older woman has an ulterior motive—and a tragic, decades-old story to share. When past and present finally collide, Liv finds herself on a road to salvation that leads right to the caves of the Maison Chauveau.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42201870-the-winemaker-s-wife?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=We6D95VCb9&rank=1" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><u>My review.</u></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>'The Winemaker's Wife'</i> is a beautifully heartbreaking read. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">It was a bit of a slow start. As the story alternates between chapters set in the past and those in the present day, it takes a little while before the story starts unfolding. I didn't connect as much with those present day chapters, but luckily the story is mostly being told by or through the characters from the 1940's. And that story is both beautiful and tragic. Hearing from the perspective of several different people adds even more extra layers to the history of the Maison Chauveau and it's inhabitants. It also gives you, as a reader, the chance to get to know all the different characters involved. To understand their motives, reactions and feelings. I loved how they are </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">all flawed, complicated and brave, all in their own ways.</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> The building tension as the war continues is tangible. The stakes are so high and, as we see while the story unfolds and catches up to the present day, the decisions and choices made have an impact for generations to come. Beautiful.</span></p><p><br /></p>
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/C1tj8WvA4S_/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C1tj8WvA4S_/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; 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margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C1tj8WvA4S_/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">Een bericht gedeeld door M's Bookshelf (@msbookshelf_reviews)</a></p></div></blockquote> <script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>M's Bookshelfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15671920265732406607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523727616243970226.post-9789455214298177462023-12-05T21:02:00.002+01:002023-12-05T21:13:29.209+01:00#BookReview Sarah Morgan - The Christmas Escape<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_JsS_ug3q7GNmLu0j78VGv2scAHci_Hp-TS2WZJcWIIkOGXncMWhkvUCaLEd7y1SYdLHQc_5eRm_B7eRtz9DDvyVVT651HfaI3UYM7BYSv3hgNODQ4293YwowPdeFQ7VDYSqOzxBpEJddW7CY16ef8UTS2a7kNvN588bnP3qqQaLizayA3TyumqqI9NI9/s2000/SarahMorgan_TheChristmasEscape.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="2000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_JsS_ug3q7GNmLu0j78VGv2scAHci_Hp-TS2WZJcWIIkOGXncMWhkvUCaLEd7y1SYdLHQc_5eRm_B7eRtz9DDvyVVT651HfaI3UYM7BYSv3hgNODQ4293YwowPdeFQ7VDYSqOzxBpEJddW7CY16ef8UTS2a7kNvN588bnP3qqQaLizayA3TyumqqI9NI9/s320/SarahMorgan_TheChristmasEscape.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><u>The blurb.</u></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #1e1915; font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;">It was supposed to be Christy Sullivan’s perfect Christmas getaway—a trip to Lapland with her family and best friend, Alix. But facing a make-or-break marriage crisis, Christy desperately needs time alone with her husband. Her solution? Alix can take Christy’s little daughter to Lapland, and they will reunite there for Christmas Day. It’s a big ask, but what else are friends for?</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;">There’s nothing Alix won’t do for Christy. But Christy’s request to save Christmas is giving Alix sleepless nights. She knows something is wrong, but for the first time ever, Christy isn’t talking. And even the Arctic temperatures in Lapland aren’t enough to dampen the seriously inconvenient sizzle Alix is developing for Zac, a fellow guest and nemesis from her past.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;">As secrets unravel and unexpected romance shines under the northern lights, can Christy and Alix’s Christmas escape give them the courage to fight for the relationships they really want, and save the precious gift of each other’s friendship?</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #1e1915; font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1e1915; font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58908063-the-christmas-escape" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></span></span></div><p><u><span style="font-family: georgia;">My review.<br /></span></u></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: georgia;">A Winter
Wonderland novel that transports you to stunning, snowy Lapland, all the while
reminding you what the Christmas season is all about. ‘The Christmas Escape’ doesn’t
just bring you a Christmas love story. It dives into friendships, family ties
and drama, a marriage, parenthood,… It gives you so much more than anticipated.
I wasn’t sure at first where this story was going, but suddenly I found myself,
past midnight with ice cold hands, so invested into these characters and their unfolding
relationships that I couldn’t stop reading. Only after finishing it, I realised
I felt like I had 1. gone through a very healing therapy session, 2. attended marriage
counselling and 3. that I was most moved by the friendships in this book. A
gorgeous, surprisingly moving Christmas read. </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/C0e_MoyrOWJ/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C0e_MoyrOWJ/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; 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margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C0e_MoyrOWJ/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">Een bericht gedeeld door M's Bookshelf (@msbookshelf_reviews)</a></p></div></blockquote> <script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>M's Bookshelfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15671920265732406607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523727616243970226.post-20998877578679631212023-11-20T11:55:00.002+01:002023-11-20T12:10:01.548+01:00#BookReview Sue Moorcroft - The Christmas Letters<p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbeRbH_UP9dlfHBdczSiYz38vZ3nCKmbBgDYVkOdB7_BrSdShOpcJIrIcqT54EYu-cct_zGSZxpfUrZU86dSZl56ENS08QB_Tiq_FNIMWwYiG9Ct1hrKpCnDrI6k-KFrOiKdgM1B1V5kpJFcPgLGScP7UsW1qA1nEeso4921WSet_YSCVdxMSHqBHcBt4X/s2000/SueMoorcroft_TheChristmasLoveLetters.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="2000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbeRbH_UP9dlfHBdczSiYz38vZ3nCKmbBgDYVkOdB7_BrSdShOpcJIrIcqT54EYu-cct_zGSZxpfUrZU86dSZl56ENS08QB_Tiq_FNIMWwYiG9Ct1hrKpCnDrI6k-KFrOiKdgM1B1V5kpJFcPgLGScP7UsW1qA1nEeso4921WSet_YSCVdxMSHqBHcBt4X/s320/SueMoorcroft_TheChristmasLoveLetters.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;"><u>The blurb.<br /></u></span></span><i style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">A secret romance was just the start of the story…<br /></span></i><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-family: georgia; font-size: 16px;">Tucked into a crook of the Norfolk coast lies Nelson’s Bar – an idyllic village where time seems to stand still. Maddy Cracey has called this beautiful spot home all her life, as had her husband Adey – until an epic row sent him storming out into a blizzard, with no sign of him since that fateful night.<br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-family: georgia; font-size: 16px;">Six years on, and Maddy’s life in the village has settled into a gentle pattern with her young daughter and Great Aunt Ruthie. However, when handsome stranger Raff turns up with a handful of long-forgotten love letters, their quiet life is upended as family secrets from the past are unearthed.<br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-family: georgia; font-size: 16px;">As Raff and Maddy get to know each other, they grow closer and a love story of their own seems inevitable. But when Maddy receives a mysterious message, she can’t help but wonder whether her own past is as distant as she'd thought it was…</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ea9999;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/175421369-the-christmas-love-letters" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><u>My review<br /></u></span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: 13.5pt;">I was very pleasantly surprised by this
lovely, warm read by Sue Moorcroft. Expecting a light, one in a million,
slightly predictable but entertaining and cosy 'christmassy' book, I instead
found myself invested in a love story that went so much deeper than I had
anticipated. Yes it's set in Winter time and yes, there is a small English village,
snow and romance. But there's so much more depth in both storylines and characters.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: 13.5pt;">'The Christmas Letters' tells us the love
story of more than one couple, and none of them are straightforward or
predictable. With 'family' as the main focus point, the story is every bit as
complicated, messy and yet heartwarming as you would expect. But when Maddy's
past starts haunting her, another layer is added with this sense of foreboding
and even dread.<br /></span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: 13.5pt;">A perfect romance story for those dark and
cosy winter nights. Very much enjoyed reading 'The Christmas Letters'.</span></p><blockquote
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cz3ZVTiNR0P/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cz3ZVTiNR0P/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; 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margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cz3ZVTiNR0P/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">Een bericht gedeeld door M's Bookshelf (@msbookshelf_reviews)</a></p></div></blockquote> <script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>M's Bookshelfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15671920265732406607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523727616243970226.post-78184455237582852162023-11-17T09:02:00.001+01:002023-11-17T09:13:22.499+01:00#BookReview Ken Follet - The Armour of Light (Kingsbridge #4)<p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp5e627I-pZrNttFS17jJMEwa6rpoyD3Dzp909lnUeJ4YyuEZynhnYBQYA0rdTXEzvSKtQnTyXYZDk1_0Mn3ajgUAJ91LtiJmi-p2PkGqSsJkYjQs-hyba0iEgLiI0FqtUqQExTNCEUAUvwRyw2J-BvoUYU7xDTV-kM3h5AekC6RulChYoLLuSxADGV8p9/s2000/KenFollet_TheArmourOfLight.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="2000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp5e627I-pZrNttFS17jJMEwa6rpoyD3Dzp909lnUeJ4YyuEZynhnYBQYA0rdTXEzvSKtQnTyXYZDk1_0Mn3ajgUAJ91LtiJmi-p2PkGqSsJkYjQs-hyba0iEgLiI0FqtUqQExTNCEUAUvwRyw2J-BvoUYU7xDTV-kM3h5AekC6RulChYoLLuSxADGV8p9/s320/KenFollet_TheArmourOfLight.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><u>The blurb.</u></span><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><div><i>Revolution is in the air</i></div><div>1792. A tyrannical government is determined to make England a mighty commercial empire. In France, Napoleon Bonaparte begins his rise to power, and with dissent rife, France’s neighbours are on high alert.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Kingsbridge is on the edge</i></div><div>Unprecedented industrial change sweeps the land, making the lives of the workers in Kingbridge’s prosperous cloth mills a misery. Rampant modernization and dangerous new machinery are rendering jobs obsolete and tearing families apart.</div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>Tyranny is on the horizon</i></div><div>Now, as international conflict nears, a story of a small group of Kingsbridge people - including spinner Sal Clitheroe, weaver David Shoveller and Kit, Sal’s inventive and headstrong son - will come to define the struggle of a generation as they seek enlightenment and fight for a future free from oppression. . .</div><div><br /></div><div>Taking the reader straight into the heart of history with the fifth novel in the ground-breaking Kingsbridge series, The Armour of Light is master storyteller Ken Follett’s most ambitious novel to date.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/78089088-the-armour-of-light?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=dJ5MjGSI7R&rank=1" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></div></span><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><u>My review</u></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Where to even begin. The books in The Kingsbridge series are probably my
most favourite historical novels. And this 5th instalment, the 4th
chronologically, delivers exactly like the others did. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Religion, corruption, abuse of power and the unfairness of the social
classes are still prominent in 18th and early 19th century Kingsbridge. So even
though the city itself is unrecognisable in many ways, very few things have
changed if you're born into the lower working class, from when prior Philip
built his cathedral. 'Change' however is in many ways the main theme of 'The
Armour of Light'. With revolutions in the different industries and politics and
a war, we see the world changing bit by bit through the course of this story.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Filled to the brim with historical detail that leaves me even more in
awe of Ken Follet's historical knowledge and the incredible amount of research
that must have gone in to writing this book. He mastered the feel, and the
historical facts, of yet another time period in this massive read. From
socio-economic to military and political topics, all of it is described and
understood with an astonishing depth.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Another key element of Ken Follet's books for me is that his characters
are never guaranteed a happy ending. Their successes, happiness, good
fortune,... never comes easily and is often hard won after loss and hardship.
It again contributes to how accurate and believable both the storylines and the
characters are. This story too spans a lifetime of some of these characters,
making you feel even more invested.</span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: NL-BE; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div> <blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CzvXAc3tpC6/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CzvXAc3tpC6/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; 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font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;">Dit bericht op Instagram bekijken</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"><div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; 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margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CzvXAc3tpC6/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">Een bericht gedeeld door M's Bookshelf (@msbookshelf_reviews)</a></p></div></blockquote> <script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>M's Bookshelfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15671920265732406607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523727616243970226.post-89338753636955883262023-11-16T10:17:00.002+01:002023-11-16T10:26:48.783+01:00#BookReview Robert Bryndza - Nine Elms (Kate Marshall #1)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7WP9dBrPdSI5yHC6ThpkN7D4YsxBnCkCGlAj07y0cdEzB2lsagAM2HLgfIHsUPckysTMk_b5s8jBKLCBjDjm4RPNbX4dc-qAo2PKYE00tphuGId8EbSfK63Yd_MbMVCQQbLz6DDY1kFGL_u0iNDzzYTEYhYrjWoXgy5aC9M-_1HjxUC3ZY3LpqRn2sOJN/s2000/BrobertBryndza_KateMarshall1_NineElms.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="2000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7WP9dBrPdSI5yHC6ThpkN7D4YsxBnCkCGlAj07y0cdEzB2lsagAM2HLgfIHsUPckysTMk_b5s8jBKLCBjDjm4RPNbX4dc-qAo2PKYE00tphuGId8EbSfK63Yd_MbMVCQQbLz6DDY1kFGL_u0iNDzzYTEYhYrjWoXgy5aC9M-_1HjxUC3ZY3LpqRn2sOJN/s320/BrobertBryndza_KateMarshall1_NineElms.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><u><span style="background-color: white;">Blurb.</span></u></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #1e1915;">Kate Marshall was a promising young police detective when she caught the notorious Nine Elms serial killer. But her greatest victory suddenly turned into a nightmare. Traumatized, betrayed, and publicly vilified for the shocking circumstances surrounding the cannibal murder case, Kate could only watch as her career ended in scandal.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span style="color: #1e1915;">Fifteen years after those catastrophic events, Kate is still haunted by the unquiet ghosts of her troubled past. Now a lecturer at a small coastal English university, she finally has a chance to face them. A copycat killer has taken up the Nine Elms mantle, continuing the ghastly work of his idol.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span style="color: #1e1915;">Enlisting her brilliant research assistant, Tristan Harper, Kate draws on her prodigious and long-neglected skills as an investigator to catch a new monster. Success promises redemption, but there’s much more on the line: Kate was the original killer’s intended fifth victim…and his successor means to finish the job.</span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #1e1915;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #1e1915;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44375176-nine-elms?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=AWONWD2Cio&rank=1" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/robertbryndza/" target="_blank">Instagram</a></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;"><u>My review.</u></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: white; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: NL-BE; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">What a brilliant start to a new crime series
that's already proving to be very addictive. In Kate Marshall we meet a new,
powerful female lead. She's a heroine with faults. She's courageous and strong.
And even though she has her demons, past and present, even though she has
massive trauma in her past, she never acts, feels or is depicted as a victim.
Add her assistant Tristan as her "side kick", and we have a wonderful
crime solving duo with an effortless dynamic between them.</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: white; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: NL-BE; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">I'm very much looking forward to getting to
know Tristan's character better, as his storyline isn't really explored yet in
this first instalment of the series.</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: white; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: NL-BE; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Both the original killer in this story and
his copycat commit gruesome acts of violence and abuse. But even though it
shocks and disgusts you as an audience to read certain elements of this, the
violence is never written in a salacious way - which is a constant in Robert
Bryndza's writing.</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">In 'Nine Elms' we get haunting insights into
these killers' minds, another signature of Robert Bryndza's brilliant crime
novels. Whether the chapter reveals another terrible crime, a cold case, a
missing person's case, a throwback to Kate's past,... there isn't a dull moment
in this book. You won't be able to put it down. It was almost as if I'd held my
breath until finally closing that final chapter. </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: NL-BE; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="background: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">What a read. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>
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margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Czs6OH8tDF2/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">Een bericht gedeeld door M's Bookshelf (@msbookshelf_reviews)</a></p></div></blockquote> <script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>M's Bookshelfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15671920265732406607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523727616243970226.post-12453481850194202522023-11-16T09:50:00.001+01:002023-11-16T10:27:41.044+01:00#BookReview Suzanne Collins - The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (The Hunger Games #0)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFkbND669StWsRIKmi0zny6234C1tTcw03o9jhleSPqkndILll-ErgGPhOM5gUzVjlEM-tajXsmxmMQyMoHhUskoGho3wt-MEGom-X9bktQmcCUdsc5dBDSMlxK_OLZrzeq2jf7yL108XUe4ZGkWvSk1OFKo_8w9QselbyzNWtLLmOiIEphqKz7_SrYLS7/s2000/SuzanneCollins_TheHungerGames0_TheBalladOfSongbirdsAndSnakes.jpg" style="background-color: white; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="2000" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFkbND669StWsRIKmi0zny6234C1tTcw03o9jhleSPqkndILll-ErgGPhOM5gUzVjlEM-tajXsmxmMQyMoHhUskoGho3wt-MEGom-X9bktQmcCUdsc5dBDSMlxK_OLZrzeq2jf7yL108XUe4ZGkWvSk1OFKo_8w9QselbyzNWtLLmOiIEphqKz7_SrYLS7/w248-h248/SuzanneCollins_TheHungerGames0_TheBalladOfSongbirdsAndSnakes.jpg" width="248" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><u style="background-color: white;">The blurb.</u></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia;"><span style="color: #1e1915;">It is the morning of the reaping that will kick off the tenth annual Hunger Games. In the Capital, eighteen-year-old Coriolanus Snow is preparing for his one shot at glory as a mentor in the Games. The once-mighty house of Snow has fallen on hard times, its fate hanging on the slender chance that Coriolanus will be able to outcharm, outwit, and outmaneuver his fellow students to mentor the winning tribute.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span style="color: #1e1915;">The odds are against him. He's been given the humiliating assignment of mentoring the female tribute from District 12, the lowest of the low. Their fates are now completely intertwined -- every choice Coriolanus makes could lead to favor or failure, triumph or ruin. Inside the arena, it will be a fight to the death. Outside the arena, Coriolanus starts to feel for his doomed tribute... and must weigh his need to follow the rules against his desire to survive no matter what it takes.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53034698-the-ballad-of-songbirds-and-snakes" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></span></span></div><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><p><u style="background-color: white;">My review.</u></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;">This was a reread for me. I first read The Ballad
of Songbirds and Snakes when it first came out in 2020, and just now read it
again in anticipation of the new movie. I was a fan in 2020, and I’m still a
fan now. I know the feelings are mixed on this one, but I found it to be the
absolute perfect prequel to The Hunger Game trilogy. Having read this backstory
to the character of president Snow, it brings a whole new dimension to the well-known
storylines and characters, both in film and books.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;">When we’re first introduced to Coriolanus in this
book, he’s a clever young man obsessed by his image and the perception people
have of him and his family, driven to climb the ladder of influence and restore
some of the standing and wealth his family lost in the war. His ambition
however quickly turns into ruthlessness when he rationalises every other broken
boundary as a stepping stone to his own future success, reshaping or abandoning
his moral as he goes. Seemingly not noticing himself how he loses little bits
of his humanity along the way.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: NL-BE; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Where The Hunger Games is a brilliant dystopian trilogy,
this prequel reads more as a political thriller. And a very good one at that.</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p></p>
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font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0px 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Czs3iiFNWB7/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Een bericht gedeeld door M's Bookshelf (@msbookshelf_reviews)</a></p></div></blockquote> <script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>M's Bookshelfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15671920265732406607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523727616243970226.post-39752424507551429772023-10-29T11:59:00.002+01:002023-10-29T11:59:18.088+01:00*Under construction*<p> <span style="font-family: georgia;">Hi! Thank you for visiting M's Bookshelf.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">As you can see, this site is currently *under construction*. </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">After a 4 year hiatus, I'm slowly rebuilding M's Bookshelf.</span></p><p>While you will still be able to access my old posts, soon you will be able to read along with me as I post new reviews and book related content.</p><p>You will also find M's Bookshelf on Instagram, @msbookshelf_reviews.</p><p>See you soon?</p><p>Love, M. x</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX0pVKytmDCSBRqwNsFAqUTJ9JeM9wWzTGvVsGUXBuR3deiM4Um2Tb_kTV_71We-gWfRIvbqCkNl1UfIN6PV98LuN77Gc2V0uVKOa4ozloOm7NpOT1h3zEdbQ-ZYcajq3T3twwFk68AuyfyuMNIyCopAdSVNuOu5zCw3oJ3Gc-z7E1zp_pUyCnyIlSJpcj/s2714/image.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2622" data-original-width="2714" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX0pVKytmDCSBRqwNsFAqUTJ9JeM9wWzTGvVsGUXBuR3deiM4Um2Tb_kTV_71We-gWfRIvbqCkNl1UfIN6PV98LuN77Gc2V0uVKOa4ozloOm7NpOT1h3zEdbQ-ZYcajq3T3twwFk68AuyfyuMNIyCopAdSVNuOu5zCw3oJ3Gc-z7E1zp_pUyCnyIlSJpcj/s320/image.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>M's Bookshelfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15671920265732406607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523727616243970226.post-22462660147332975962019-07-08T08:00:00.000+02:002019-07-08T16:13:32.534+02:00Book tour: The Little Village of Happiness - Holly Martin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Tws3HXXFTGo/XSNPb0OivJI/AAAAAAAAE6g/ugFwNp0QjKAt41Mmbn-cC2zxvSiBfu-mQCLcBGAs/s1600/20190701_110215.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1029" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Tws3HXXFTGo/XSNPb0OivJI/AAAAAAAAE6g/ugFwNp0QjKAt41Mmbn-cC2zxvSiBfu-mQCLcBGAs/s400/20190701_110215.jpg" width="256" /></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eYlGE6C12gM/XRmhlKSVQpI/AAAAAAAAE6Q/aHOTe0Go6lk6wswIpIfBCjlJwUFDyAY5gCLcBGAs/s1600/LitttleVillageOfHappiness.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="324" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eYlGE6C12gM/XRmhlKSVQpI/AAAAAAAAE6Q/aHOTe0Go6lk6wswIpIfBCjlJwUFDyAY5gCLcBGAs/s1600/LitttleVillageOfHappiness.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Willow McKay needs a fresh start. Her recent break-up may not have left her heartbroken but it’s certainly wounded her pride. Desperate to escape the whispers and stares of her town’s gossips, an advert offering homes in a picturesque village in the grounds of a majestic castle on the Cornish coast sounds like just what she needs. Without thinking twice Willow applies for a cottage and packs up her life for the village of Happiness.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">But when Willow arrives she finds a crumbling ruin and ramshackle cottages, nothing like the pretty picture the advert had boasted. It seems Happiness was too good to be true. That is until she meets the incredibly handsome estate manager Andrew Harrington…</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">His passion for restoring the village to its former glory is contagious and soon they are working together to bring happiness back to Happiness. And as sparks fly between them Willow can feel herself falling. But Andrew is holding something back.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Can Willow risk her heart again? And will they succeed in transforming the old village to its original beauty before it’s too late?</span><br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/46226517-the-little-village-of-happiness?from_search=true" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="41" data-original-width="130" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N1dB_mKNrnY/Urg0OKgzZLI/AAAAAAAAAjs/oCuS2fTaCZo7jZDTLDX0kXYNi25-UsVhACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/goodreads-badge-add-plus-d700d4d3e3c0b346066731ac07b7fe47.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"><u>My opinion.</u></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;">Ah Holly, you've gone and done it again. How easily you make me fall in love with yet another wonderful town its colourful characters.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;">Willow must be one of my favourite female leads in a romance novel to date. She has a great sense of humor that had me smiling throughout and a very loving and caring nature. Something about her just made me click with her instantly. I'm usually head of over heals for Holly's male leads after just a couple of chapters. Or sentences. But this time it was "the girl" who stole the show, for me.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;">That being said, Andrew Harrington is a very lovable, sexy, and interesting hero I loved getting to know through these pages. A man who's good with his hands (as in: DIY and construction, you filthy minds) is always sexy. Combine that with a heart of gold and very sensitive, caring side? Consider me smitten! I also really liked his backstory. Without giving anything away about what that is, I'm so relieved that it is more/something other than just another broken heart and trust issues because of a failed relationship in the past. There's more to Andrew than just a hesitation to get his heart broken. It not only gives him an extra layer as a character, it also brings so much more depth to the rest of the story as well.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;">Together, Andrew and Willow have a great chemistry, a lot of laughs and a great enthusiasm to bring change to their little village.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;">Holly Martin made me fall completely and utterly in love with the gorgeous little village of 'Happiness' and it's wonderful characters. What started with me picking up the book "just to start on the first few chapters", turned into almost finishing the book in one sitting - not caring at all about the short night's sleep, or about my arms going numb from holding the book! I laughed out loud and cried... a lot. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;">You cannot leave on holiday without this gorgeous Holly Martin book in your suitcase. Another must-read from the amazingly talented Holly Martin!</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Little-Village-Happiness-gorgeous-uplifting/dp/1916011144/ref=as_li_ss_tl?crid=3NIIOJ580V6CZ&keywords=the+little+village+of+happiness&qid=1561055850&s=gateway&sprefix=The+little+village+of+hap,aps,151&sr=8-2&linkCode=sl1&tag=all-targets-21&linkId=7b2b02035d575685bb17a1bed868e99e&language=en_GB" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="85" data-original-width="85" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pQ9tDV-e6PY/UtVdthkbBBI/AAAAAAAAAq4/4LDZxITECM4RzCE6swsKZs9U4IRle3A3gCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/amazon%2Buk%2Bbuy%2Bbutton.png" /></a> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Little-Village-Happiness-gorgeous-uplifting/dp/1916011160/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=holly+martin+happiness&qid=1561963314&s=gateway&sr=8-1" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="88" data-original-width="88" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1_VJ7ebOgR8/UtVdt7ywilI/AAAAAAAAAq8/JVyB5wqB8HQ604EBw5YFUzfAJDQHHpV3QCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/images%2B%25281%2529.jpg" /></a></div>
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M's Bookshelfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15671920265732406607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523727616243970226.post-70908192620161894582019-04-01T08:00:00.000+02:002019-04-03T08:31:30.785+02:00Book tour: The Summer of Chasing Dreams - Holly Martin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Eva is quite content with her life in London. In her job as a cover designer, she works at home, and often in her cosy pyjamas. She's happy to stay in her safe little world and not explore much outside of it.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">She is the opposite of her mum, a free spirit who craved finding adventure and thrills in all corners of the world. But on the day her mum’s will is finalised, Eva finds a list of all the dreams her mum wanted to achieve in her life. Things she never did because she fell pregnant with Eva.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Eva decides these dreams will not go unfulfilled — she is going to be brave and complete them for her mum. As Eva has no experience travelling the world, she hires a guide to go with her on this holiday.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Gorgeous but rude Thor Anderson is not the person she would choose to accompany her on this journey, but somehow she gets stuck with him. As they discover the world together Eva starts to think he might not be as bad as she first thought. She is swept away by Thor's kindness and mischievous sense of humour. But will it be a simple holiday romance or could this wonderful adventure lead to so much more?</span><br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43455804-the-summer-of-chasing-dreams?from_search=true" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="41" data-original-width="130" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-N1dB_mKNrnY/Urg0OKgzZLI/AAAAAAAAAjs/oCuS2fTaCZo7jZDTLDX0kXYNi25-UsVhACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/goodreads-badge-add-plus-d700d4d3e3c0b346066731ac07b7fe47.png" /></span></a></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">My opinion.</span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Where to even begin. Love love LOVED this book. Holly Martin wrote thé must read novel for this summer. It's an absolute gem. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">We meet our main character, Eva, when she's about to start crossing off some outrageous things on someone else's bucket list. Original to say the least, as a reader you're already set for journey full of unexpected twists and turns. Eva is a very easy to love character who feels like a friend, or at least very familiar from the start.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">And then there's Thor. Pfew. Now I'm definitely at a loss for words. How to describe the Thor-phenomenon?! I was completely smitten. After reading this book, I feel as if I've already had my summer romance this year (don't tell my husband) and boy was it a steamy one. I felt every spark there was between him and Eva and I fell head over heals for their romance. Or was it Thor himself I fell for? Wouldn't be hard, seeing as he looked as either/both/one of the Hemsworth brothers in my imagination.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">In all seriousness, Holly Martin's writing as always transports you right to the heart of the story. You feel the characters' emotions, you believe their dreams and you wish for their hopes and dreams. Someone almost had to physically remove the book from my hands for me to stop reading. I just couldn't get enough.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The fact that Eva is going on these crazy travels, pushing herself doing these (sometimes) ridiculous activities in memory of her mum adds another layer to this story. It's incredibly moving and beautiful. This story will definitely stay with you long after reading that final chapter. I'm always excited about a new Holly Martin book, but now I definitely cannot wait to read more!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Emotional, passionate, funny, and very, very addictive - 'The Summer of Chasing Dreams' is an absolute must read this season.</span></div>
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M's Bookshelfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15671920265732406607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523727616243970226.post-66961359409049266382019-03-15T16:36:00.000+01:002019-04-03T08:27:17.674+02:00Book tour: The Mum Who Got Her Life Back - Fiona Gibson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">When her 18-year-old twins leave for university, single mum Nadia’s life changes in ways she never expected: her Glasgow flat feels suddenly huge, laundry doesn’t take up half her week, and she no longer has to buy ‘the Big Milk’. After almost two decades of putting everyone else first, Nadia is finally taking care of herself. And with a budding romance with new boyfriend Jack, She’s never felt more alive.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">That is, until her son Alfie drops out of university, and Nadia finds her empty nest is empty no more. With a heartbroken teenager to contend with, Nadia has to ask herself: is it ever possible for a mother to get her own life back? And can Jack and Nadia’s relationship survive having a sulky teenager around?</span><br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41210701-the-mum-who-got-her-life-back?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="41" data-original-width="130" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-N1dB_mKNrnY/Urg0OKgzZLI/AAAAAAAAAjs/oCuS2fTaCZo7jZDTLDX0kXYNi25-UsVhACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/goodreads-badge-add-plus-d700d4d3e3c0b346066731ac07b7fe47.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><u>My opinion.</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Uplifting, colourful and funny. Those were my first impressions when holding this book. And Fiona Gibson did not disappoint on those expectations.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Her delightful sense of humor really shines through. Her characters are easy to love, easy to relate to and hard to forget. Even when your own day to day life doesn't like anything like Nadia's or Jack's, you somehow relate to them from the start. Or I'm now really getting old for feeling more understanding and sympathy towards the 50-something parents, instead of the college students - who I was one of only a couple of years ago! </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">All credit to Fiona Gibson's writing to make these characters and their stories recognizable</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">, even for someone like me - who's just now getting used to the idea of being someone's mum in a couple of months time! Let alone a couple of teenagers...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Both Jack and Nadia are wonderful characters. They've both bring their past to this relationship. At least one failed relationship, a temporary loss of identity when becoming a parent, or in Jack's case some scars that run even deeper. I loved how despite, or maybe because of all this baggage, they were open to the possibilities of getting to know each other.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Jack is an incredible guy and an amazing father figure. His involvement and care towards his volunteers in the shop and the way he tries to be both a friend to them, as well as a "coach" in whichever way they need, is heartwarming. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Apart from making me feel very grateful for my ever-patient parents during those horrible teenage years, 'The Mum Who Got Her Life Back' made me laugh out loud, and even cry a little. Great, uplifting and heartwarming read!</span><br />
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M's Bookshelfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15671920265732406607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523727616243970226.post-91709825320461317052019-02-06T09:00:00.000+01:002019-02-06T09:00:06.607+01:00Book tour: In Safe Hands - J.P. Carter (DCI Anna Tate #1)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<strong style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">How far would you go to save the ones you love?</strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"> The first book in a gripping new crime series featuring DCI Anna Tate.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">When nine children are snatched from a nursery school in South London, their distressed parents have no idea if they will ever see them again. The community in the surrounding area in shock. How could this happen right under their noses? No one in the quiet suburban street saw anything – or at least that's what they're saying.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">But DCI Anna Tate knows that nothing is impossible, and she also knows that time is quickly running out. It’s unclear if the kidnappers are desperate for money or set on revenge, but the ransom is going up by £1million daily. And they know that one little boy in particular is fighting for his life.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">It’s one of the most disturbing cases DCI Anna Tate has ever worked on – not only because nine children are being held hostage, but because she’s pretty sure that someone close to them is lying…</span><br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41210699-in-safe-hands?from_search=true" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="41" data-original-width="130" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-N1dB_mKNrnY/Urg0OKgzZLI/AAAAAAAAAjs/oCuS2fTaCZo7jZDTLDX0kXYNi25-UsVhACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/goodreads-badge-add-plus-d700d4d3e3c0b346066731ac07b7fe47.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><u>My opinion.</u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">What an incredible read! Highly addictive from the start, there was no way I could put this book down.<br />DCI Anna Tate is a strong woman that has had to deal with a terrible trauma and loss in her personal life. Her private life alone would be enough for most to just give up. But not only does Anna Tate find a way to fight through it, she's an incredibly skilled detective that won't stop until she's got all the answers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The crime she's faced with in this book, is incredibly layered. Not only are there multiple victims, there are so many people involved, each bringing their own drama. All the puzzle pieces are there, but without knowing which image they're supposed to form, it's staking precious time for Anna Tate and her team... and time is not on their side.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">All these extra characters and story lines could have easily distracted from the main story - both for our fictional detective, as for us readers. But somehow they added to the urgency to get to the truth, as well as adding possible motives and suspects to the, seemingly endless, list. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Fast paced, but with an incredible attention to detail with in-debt characters throughout, 'In Safe Hands' is an incredible read I would highly recommend. I for sure cannot wait to read what's next for DCI Anna Tate.</span></div>
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M's Bookshelfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15671920265732406607noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523727616243970226.post-42112095532296540292018-12-06T09:30:00.000+01:002018-12-06T09:31:01.332+01:00Book Tour: Cuckoo - Sophie Draper<br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><em><strong>There’s a stranger in your house…</strong> </em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><em> </em> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">When her stepmother dies unexpectedly, Caro returns to her childhood home in Derbyshire. She hadn’t seen Elizabeth in years, but the remote farmhouse offers refuge from a bad relationship, and a chance to start again.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">But going through Elizabeth’s belongings unearths memories Caro would rather stay buried. In particular, the story her stepmother would tell her, about two little girls and the terrible thing they do.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">As heavy snow traps Caro in the village, where her neighbours stare and whisper, Caro is forced to question why Elizabeth hated her so much, and what she was hiding. But does she really want to uncover the truth?</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41061962-cuckoo" target="_blank"><img alt="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41061962-cuckoo" border="0" data-original-height="41" data-original-width="130" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-N1dB_mKNrnY/Urg0OKgzZLI/AAAAAAAAAjs/oCuS2fTaCZo7jZDTLDX0kXYNi25-UsVhACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/goodreads-badge-add-plus-d700d4d3e3c0b346066731ac07b7fe47.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><u>My opinion.</u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";">Highly disturbing and incredibly addictive. I was glued to my Kindle, almost physically unable to stop reading. Raised heart rate and shallow breaths, admittedly the scariest book I've read. Dark, spooky, and very unpredictable, Sophie Draper keeps you guessing. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";">Caro's thoughts, memories and illustrations are just fragments of a whole, never telling the full story. Her past experiences, both from a previous relationship and from childhood, have left her fragile, suspicious and even paranoid. Thanks to Sophie Draper's brilliant writing, you can't help but get swept up in this feeling of paranoia and confusion that haunts Caro. More plot twists than I can count, '<em>Cuckoo</em>' takes you on a spooky, haunting rollercoaster from one secret to another, with mind games and manipulations aplenty.</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cuckoo-haunting-psychological-thriller-Christmas/dp/0008311285/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1544084576&sr=8-1&keywords=cuckoo+sophie+draper" target="_blank"><img alt="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cuckoo-haunting-psychological-thriller-Christmas/dp/0008311285/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1544084576&sr=8-1&keywords=cuckoo+sophie+draper" border="0" data-original-height="85" data-original-width="85" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pQ9tDV-e6PY/UtVdthkbBBI/AAAAAAAAAq4/4LDZxITECM4RzCE6swsKZs9U4IRle3A3gCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/amazon%2Buk%2Bbuy%2Bbutton.png" /> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Cuckoo-haunting-psychological-thriller-Christmas-ebook/dp/B07D469M5Z/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1544084583&sr=8-1" target="_blank"><img alt="https://www.amazon.com/Cuckoo-haunting-psychological-thriller-Christmas-ebook/dp/B07D469M5Z/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1544084583&sr=8-1" border="0" data-original-height="88" data-original-width="88" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1_VJ7ebOgR8/UtVdt7ywilI/AAAAAAAAAq8/JVyB5wqB8HQ604EBw5YFUzfAJDQHHpV3QCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/images%2B%25281%2529.jpg" /></a></a></div>
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M's Bookshelfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15671920265732406607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523727616243970226.post-71447754577898950002018-11-26T09:30:00.000+01:002018-11-26T09:30:10.045+01:00Book tour: Brexit XXL - Vincent Pluchet<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Plunge into post-Brexit Britain and follow Prime Minister Tracy Meller in the biggest struggle she has ever faced, as the country is hit by a huge crisis and her opponents leave her no respite. Meet ordinary people caught up in the storm. Visit Chequers and historical places where the action takes place.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">London, 2022 Tracy Meller, the UK’s Conservative Prime Minister, is facing an unprecedented crisis.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Having halted the endless negotiations to leave the European Union four years earlier, Prime Minister Meller chose the most uncompromising of all possible exits, a “Brexit XXL” with serious consequences. The economy is at a standstill, the financial markets are panicking. The opposition Labour Party launches an attack on the Prime Minister with a promise of a return to the European Union. The country’s morale is at rock bottom: everyone is afraid for their jobs and losing faith in the future. As for Scotland, its thoughts are increasingly turning back to independence. Prime Minister Meller herself is beginning to doubt the wisdom of her decision…</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Will the UK survive this historic crisis? Brexit XXL is a work of fiction about the most risky Brexit scenario, based on a detailed analysis of British political culture. Both realistic and instructive, the plot of the novel has a particular resonance today, encouraging reflection on the sovereignty of nations and the future of the European project.</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41587323-brexit-xxl?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="41" data-original-width="130" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-N1dB_mKNrnY/Urg0OKgzZLI/AAAAAAAAAjs/oCuS2fTaCZo7jZDTLDX0kXYNi25-UsVhACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/goodreads-badge-add-plus-d700d4d3e3c0b346066731ac07b7fe47.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><u>My opinion.</u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Brexit, a hot-topic if there ever was one. From the moment the concept was introduced, it's been hard to really understand the consequences, pro's and con's of the UK leaving the European Union. In '<i>Brexit XXL'</i>, author Vincent Pluchet sketches a world post-Brexit. Supported by such convincing numbers, theories and arguments, you sometimes have to remind yourself that this is set in a hypothetical future with (barely) fictional politicians. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This is what makes this a tough one to review. On the one hand, it's clear that this political scenario is based on very real facts of present day economical and political structures and climates. Brexit and it's (potential) consequences is explained here in such a way that even a non-UK resident like me with no economical background, understands the different actors involved and the market influences and speculations in this very believable post-Brexit scenario.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We're shown a political chess game with all the right ingredients for a political thriller - with power-struggles, schemes and manipulation on the highest levels of government and financial institutions. But, and this brings me to my reservations, as much as I'd wanted it to, the book didn't progress from a descriptive text to an actual story. However detailed the author tried to present different scenes, the excessive detail tried but failed to 'reach' or move the reader.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Clearly well-researched but with excessive descriptions, '<i>Brexit XXL'</i> was informative and impressive, but not captivating enough.</span><br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Brexit-XXL-English-political-novel/dp/1912183625/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1543220258&sr=8-1&keywords=brexit+xxl" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="85" data-original-width="85" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pQ9tDV-e6PY/UtVdthkbBBI/AAAAAAAAAq4/4LDZxITECM4RzCE6swsKZs9U4IRle3A3gCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/amazon%2Buk%2Bbuy%2Bbutton.png" /></a> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Brexit-XXL-political-Vincent-Pluchet-ebook/dp/B07GNLHXCB/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1543220262&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=brexit+xxl&psc=1" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="88" data-original-width="88" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1_VJ7ebOgR8/UtVdt7ywilI/AAAAAAAAAq8/JVyB5wqB8HQ604EBw5YFUzfAJDQHHpV3QCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/images%2B%25281%2529.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GZiOvWftp5A/W_utIeIyqcI/AAAAAAAAEus/tl1U_P7OfEkpa_mTEtd_s1Xy2bQd1H4lACLcBGAs/s1600/Vincent%2BPluchet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GZiOvWftp5A/W_utIeIyqcI/AAAAAAAAEus/tl1U_P7OfEkpa_mTEtd_s1Xy2bQd1H4lACLcBGAs/s200/Vincent%2BPluchet.jpg" width="200" /></a><b><u><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Author Information </span></span></u></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;">A
graduate of the London School of Economics and the French École Polytechnique,
Vincent Pluchet has a passion for historical and political topics. He works as
a consultant in Finance and Strategy in the Middle East, where he has been
based since 2004. He was a CFO with a large financial institution for more than
fifteen years. He is married with one daughter. Please check out </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://brexitxxl.com/"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">https://brexitxxl.com</span></a></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;">.</span></div>
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</span><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="https://brexitxxl.com/"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">https://brexitxxl.com</span></a></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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M's Bookshelfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15671920265732406607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523727616243970226.post-41040363420920485662018-11-10T13:34:00.001+01:002018-11-10T13:34:54.192+01:00Book tour: Hush Hush - Mel Sherratt (DS Grace Allendale #1)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">A killer is on the loose, attacking people in places they feel most safe: their workplaces, their homes. It’s up to DS Grace Allendale to stop the murders, and prove herself to her new team.</span></div>
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All clues lead to local crime family the Steeles, but that’s where things get complicated. Because the Steeles aren’t just any family, they’re Grace’s family. Two brothers and two sisters, connected by the violent father only Grace and her mother escaped.</div>
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To catch the killer, Grace will have to choose between her team and her blood. But who do you trust, when both sides are out to get you?</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39929094-hush-hush?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="41" data-original-width="130" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-N1dB_mKNrnY/Urg0OKgzZLI/AAAAAAAAAjs/oCuS2fTaCZo7jZDTLDX0kXYNi25-UsVhACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/goodreads-badge-add-plus-d700d4d3e3c0b346066731ac07b7fe47.png" /></a></div>
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<u>My opinion.</u></div>
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Crime fiction at its best. Mel Sherratt introduces us to DS Grace Allendale in this thrilling new series. A crime family, unresolved murders, the constant threat of violence and dubious characters, you won't be able to put this book down even if you wanted to. As the crimes continue, the lack of evidence causes an atmosphere of suspicion and mistrust. There's no telling who to trust. Even when some of the chapters are written from the point of view of other characters than Grace's, they only add to the intrigue and keep you guessing.</div>
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With every clue there's more unanswered questions and missing puzzle pieces. Addictive, and that's without the extra layer of Grace's traumatizing past - both recent and childhood memories - and blood link to the crime family all the signs keep pointing to.</div>
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Close and guarded, Grace isn't the easiest of characters to warm up to, but I for one cannot wait to read more from DS Grace Allendale.</div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hush-million-copy-bestseller-gripping-thriller/dp/0008271046/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1541853043&sr=8-1&keywords=mel+sherratt+hush+hush" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="85" data-original-width="85" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pQ9tDV-e6PY/UtVdthkbBBI/AAAAAAAAAq4/4LDZxITECM4RzCE6swsKZs9U4IRle3A3gCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/amazon%2Buk%2Bbuy%2Bbutton.png" /></a> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Hush/dp/B07G3GXM44/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1541853052&sr=8-1&keywords=mel+sherratt+hush+hush" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="88" data-original-width="88" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1_VJ7ebOgR8/UtVdt7ywilI/AAAAAAAAAq8/JVyB5wqB8HQ604EBw5YFUzfAJDQHHpV3QCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/images%2B%25281%2529.jpg" /></a></div>
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M's Bookshelfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15671920265732406607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523727616243970226.post-35495636536279858672018-11-03T08:00:00.000+01:002018-11-03T08:00:02.992+01:00Book review: One Way or Another - Colleen Coleman<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Twenty-nine-year-old </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Katie Kelly</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"> is at an all-time low. The love of her life, gorgeous </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Ben Cole</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">, took a job abroad and broke her heart, the restaurant she’d put her all into went bust, and now she works in a retirement home, cooking beige mush for the residents. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Not </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">exactly</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"> the life Katie had dreamed of… </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">So when the opportunity comes up to work for one of the best chefs in the country – Katie’s idol – she is determined to get the job, no matter what. But then she discovers who she’s competing against: Ben. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">As the competition heats up, Katie and Ben spend more and more time together, and it’s clear the old spark is still there… But only one person can win their perfect job, and Katie is going to make sure it’s her. She knows she can’t let Ben back in – or can she find a way to have it all? </span></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38602052-one-way-or-another" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="41" data-original-width="130" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-N1dB_mKNrnY/Urg0OKgzZLI/AAAAAAAAAjs/oCuS2fTaCZo7jZDTLDX0kXYNi25-UsVhACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/goodreads-badge-add-plus-d700d4d3e3c0b346066731ac07b7fe47.png" /></a></div>
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<u>My opinion.</u></div>
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'<i>One Way or Another' </i>is a fun, light-hearted story. When we meet Katie Kelly, she's in a bad place. Her career is non-existing, as well as her love life. But maybe she'll find an answer to both when this new opportunity arrives?</div>
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The setting of the cooking competition is fun and original. We've all seen dozens of those on reality tv-shows, but reading about it was completely new to me. But the stress, flavours and heath of a 5 star kitchen in action are just as tangible in this book as they would have been on screen. No Gordon Ramsey here, but equally enough drama to make this story energetic and fast paced.</div>
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Throw in a great romance, an endearing old lady and an hilarious best friend, and you've got yourself a winner. Great, fun read!</div>
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M's Bookshelfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15671920265732406607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523727616243970226.post-8718674177254209472018-11-01T10:00:00.000+01:002018-11-02T09:58:46.819+01:00Book tour: Olga's Egg - Sophie Law<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">When Fabergé specialist Assia Wynfield learns of the discovery of a long-lost Fabergé egg made for the Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna, daughter of the last Tsar of Russia, she appears to be the only person with misgivings. On travelling to St. Petersburg to see the egg, Assia moves among Russia’s new rich but finds herself pulled back into a family past she would rather forget. With news that a friend is missing, Assia starts to dig deeper. But does she really want the answers to the questions she is asking? Set in today’s glamorous world of Russian art with glimpses into the lives of the last Romanovs as their empire crumbled in the wake of the Russian Revolution, Olga’s Egg is an enthralling tale of love, family secrets and the artistic treasures that conceal them.</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41839253-olga-s-egg?from_search=true" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="41" data-original-width="130" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-N1dB_mKNrnY/Urg0OKgzZLI/AAAAAAAAAjs/oCuS2fTaCZo7jZDTLDX0kXYNi25-UsVhACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/goodreads-badge-add-plus-d700d4d3e3c0b346066731ac07b7fe47.png" /></a></div>
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What a gorgeous book. Admittedly, I was sold on this book in the first place purely on the cover design alone. Then I read the blurb, and I just knew I couldn't let this one pass by. And I'm so happy I didn't. <i>'Olga's Egg'</i> is incredibly rich in detail and historical research. The love and passion for (Imperial) Russia, it's art and architecture is so tangible I could easily imagine myself walking around in St. Petersburg, soaking it all in. </div>
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It took me a couple of chapters to find my bearing in this story. In those first pages a lot of characters are introduced with glimpses of their stories, both past and present, and it's a bit confusing as to where the story is going. Once the grand discovery of a long-lost Fabergé egg is made, however, you're catapulted into this world of money, power, art and luxury. Assia as a main character isn't easy to relate to. She's dealing with a difficult past and doesn't open herself up easily, and to me that included us as readers as well. But even though I didn't feel a particularly close connection to the lead, the story itself captivated me and took me along on this beautiful, Imperial, roller coaster. </div>
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The art and mystery in this book stayed with me every time I closed the book - I just had to keep reading to learn more about the art and the history, to figure all the puzzle pieces out. Sophie Law described everything in such glorious detail, taking her time to really set the scene and not rushing the different elements to this story. Absolutely loved it. Now please excuse me while I look up everything I can find on Fabergé and watch the 1997 animation movie "Anastasia".</div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Olgas-Egg-Sophie-Law/dp/1912562596/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1541147612&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=oga%27s+egg+sophie+law" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="85" data-original-width="85" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pQ9tDV-e6PY/UtVdthkbBBI/AAAAAAAAAq4/4LDZxITECM4RzCE6swsKZs9U4IRle3A3gCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/amazon%2Buk%2Bbuy%2Bbutton.png" /></a> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Olgas-Egg-Sophie-Law-ebook/dp/B07H52VJQJ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1541147624&sr=8-1&keywords=olga%27s+egg+sophie+law" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="88" data-original-width="88" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1_VJ7ebOgR8/UtVdt7ywilI/AAAAAAAAAq8/JVyB5wqB8HQ604EBw5YFUzfAJDQHHpV3QCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/images%2B%25281%2529.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>ABOUT THE AUTOR. </b>Sophie Law was born in London in
1981 and studied at Oxford University and the School of Slavonic and East
European Studies. She began her career as a Russian art expert at Bonhams in
2006. After a number of years heading the Russian department and as a UK Board
Director at Bonhams, she now acts as a consultant specialist. She lives with
her husband and daughter in Oxford.</span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: center;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span lang="EN-GB">Website: </span></b><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="http://sophielawconsultancy.com/">http://<span style="background: white; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">sophielawconsultancy.com</span></a></span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: white;"> </span><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span lang="EN-GB">Twitter:</span></b><span lang="EN-GB"> <span class="MsoHyperlink"><a href="http://twitter.com/sophieatbonhams">http://twitter.com/<span style="background: white; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">sophieatbonhams</span></a></span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: white;"> </span><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span lang="EN-GB">Facebook:</span></b><span lang="EN-GB"> <span class="MsoHyperlink"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=554123034">https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=554123034</a></span></span></span></div>
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<b style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Instagram:</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> <span class="MsoHyperlink"><a href="http://instagram.com/sophierussianart">http://instagram.com/<span style="background: white; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">sophierussianart</span></a></span></span></div>
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M's Bookshelfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15671920265732406607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523727616243970226.post-20446291408695976662018-10-25T16:30:00.000+02:002018-10-25T16:34:50.941+02:00Book review: A Christmas Date - Camilla Isley (First Comes Love #3)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">No one wants to be single at the holidays.</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"> </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Even Little Miss Grinch, Nikki, a successful and independent woman, must face her bachelorette status at the most horrible time of the year. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">December is her personal version of holly-jolly hell: a merry torture made of couples kissing at every corner, forced vacation days, and an inescapable family reunion. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">And when her baby sister announces she’s engaged—to Paul, the man Nikki is secretly in love with—and that he’s spending the holidays with them, Christmas starts looking bluer than ever. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Nikki can’t possibly survive an entire week trapped home as the family’s spinster. But she has no time to meet men or to try the newest dating app, she’s too busy working as a video producer for an advertising agency. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">So what’s a girl to do? </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Nikki has the perfect solution:</span><b style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"> to hire a fake boyfriend.</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"> </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Luckily, her job gives her access to an endless catalog of gorgeous actors to choose from. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">But Nikki will soon discover that keeping business and pleasure from mixing isn’t so easy, and that she might not be immune to a little mistletoe magic. Especially not when she picked out the perfect man as her Christmas date... </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">A fun, festive romantic comedy with lots of bad behavior and Christmas spirit. Like a creamy hot chocolate with marshmallows, you won’t want to put this deliciously hilarious novel down. Perfect for fans of Sophie Kinsella, Sally Thorne, and Jo Watson. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">First Comes Love is a series of interconnected romantic novels. However, each book in the series can be read as a standalone. </span></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41123272-a-christmas-date" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="41" data-original-width="130" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-N1dB_mKNrnY/Urg0OKgzZLI/AAAAAAAAAjs/oCuS2fTaCZo7jZDTLDX0kXYNi25-UsVhACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/goodreads-badge-add-plus-d700d4d3e3c0b346066731ac07b7fe47.png" /></a></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My opinion.</span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">What an absolute must-read this holiday season! '<i>A Christmas Date</i>' is the third installment in Camilla Isley's '<i>First Comes Love</i>' series, but not having read the previous two myself, I can honestly say it can easily be read as a stand alone novel. Although, like me, I'm sure you'll be wanting to read those previous two the second you finish this one.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Starting the story off with a hired fake boyfriend, this could have gone very cheesy and predictable very soon. But Nikki and Diego took me by surprise. I ended up loving them, and their... 'adventure' much more than I would have thought. Christmas time and all the excitement and drama it brings with it, some disastrous cooking and a sexy romance, I absolutely loved every page.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Highly addictive and entertaining, Camilla Isley will bring a smile to your face and will have you humming Christmas songs all day long, holiday season or not!</span></div>
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<br />M's Bookshelfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15671920265732406607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523727616243970226.post-51875452943381819522018-10-21T13:00:00.000+02:002018-10-21T13:13:26.997+02:00Book tour: A Christmas Gift - Sue Moorcroft<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Georgine loves Christmas. The festive season always brings the little village of Middledip to life. But since her ex-boyfriend walked out, leaving her with crippling debts, Georgine’s struggled to make ends meet.</div>
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To keep her mind off her worries, she throws herself into organising the Christmas show at the local school. And when handsome Joe Blackthorn becomes her assistant, Georgine’s grateful for the help. But there’s something about Joe she can’t quite put her finger on. Could there be more to him than meets the eye?</div>
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Georgine’s past is going to catch up with her in ways she never expected. But can the help of friends new and old make this a Christmas to remember after all?</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40361172-a-christmas-gift?from_search=true" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="41" data-original-width="130" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-N1dB_mKNrnY/Urg0OKgzZLI/AAAAAAAAAjs/oCuS2fTaCZo7jZDTLDX0kXYNi25-UsVhACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/goodreads-badge-add-plus-d700d4d3e3c0b346066731ac07b7fe47.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><u>My opinion.</u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Get into the holiday spirit with this gorgeous novel by Sue Moorcroft!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Georgine loves Christmas. Well, so do I. And I love nothing more than a great "Christmassy" read in the countdown to Christmas. But what Sue Moorcroft did here, for me, was reinvent the cozy Christmas novel. Her story, its setting, characters and their issues are unexpected and original. [ * I am now adding all her previous Christmas novels to my wish list * ]</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Her characters, Georgine and Joe, both have some skeletons in their closet (maybe 1 too many?) and some fears to overcome. Their issues, however, run so much deeper than the obvious "bad break-up" most fictional characters seem to suffer from in their hesitation to fall in love. Sue Moorcroft isn't afraid to dig deep and touch on some pretty harsh truths about living in poverty, dealing with neglect and abuse, but also living with disappointment and changed circumstances. And the fear of not being able to keep a roof over your head, or a meal on the table.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Georgine's and Joe's struggles, both past and present, really hit you hard as a reader. Despite these issues, they're able to find love and passion in their lives... and maybe with each other. 'A Christmas Gift' is a heartwarming story you won't be able to let go. </span></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Christmas-Gift-bestseller-returns-romance-ebook/dp/B07C217BV1/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1540119285&sr=8-1&keywords=a+christmas+gift+sue+moorcroft" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="85" data-original-width="85" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pQ9tDV-e6PY/UtVdthkbBBI/AAAAAAAAAq4/4LDZxITECM4RzCE6swsKZs9U4IRle3A3gCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/amazon%2Buk%2Bbuy%2Bbutton.png" /></a> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Gift-bestseller-returns-romance-ebook/dp/B07C217BV1/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1540119305&sr=8-1&keywords=a+christmas+gift+sue+moorcroft" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="88" data-original-width="88" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1_VJ7ebOgR8/UtVdt7ywilI/AAAAAAAAAq8/JVyB5wqB8HQ604EBw5YFUzfAJDQHHpV3QCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/images%2B%25281%2529.jpg" /></a></div>
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M's Bookshelfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15671920265732406607noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523727616243970226.post-73669625648689723232018-10-17T17:30:00.000+02:002018-10-18T08:25:07.953+02:00Book review: The Bottom Line - Aven Ellis (Chicago On Ice #4)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">After landing her dream job as an assistant buyer for a luxury fashion retailer in Minneapolis, Taylor Hartigan’s life becomes a nightmare. Performing mundane tasks and catering to the ridiculous whims of the boss from hell, she sees no opportunity for advancement. Though she’s never quit anything in her life, Taylor walks out and heads home to Chicago, the city that holds her heart. With her confidence shaken and no job on the horizon, she knows she has to find herself again.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Once she arrives, she’s shocked to learn hockey player Hunter Riley has been traded to the Chicago Buffaloes. Taylor met Hunter the previous season when his hard-hitting play broke the glass in front of her. Meeting him after the game, something passed between them—and has stayed with her ever since. Since she’s followed his career, she knows he’s coming off a disastrous season in Houston and must rediscover his game in Chicago—or face losing his hockey dream.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">The timing couldn’t be worse for the pair to become involved since they’re both at a crossroads but the chemistry between them can’t be denied. Taylor worries that their budding relationship won’t survive the challenges of rebuilding two broken careers. Can the new versions of themselves fit together? Or tear them apart?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Or will love be the bottom line, after all?</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41314638-the-bottom-line?from_search=true" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="41" data-original-width="130" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-N1dB_mKNrnY/Urg0OKgzZLI/AAAAAAAAAjs/oCuS2fTaCZo7jZDTLDX0kXYNi25-UsVhACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/goodreads-badge-add-plus-d700d4d3e3c0b346066731ac07b7fe47.png" /></a></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My opinion</span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">American ice hokey must be the place to be for all the single ladies. In 'The Bottom Line', Aven Ellis treats her readers to yet another dreamy, perfect book boyfriend with hockey player Hunter Riley. It's the 4th installment in the Chicago on Ice series, but can be read as a stand alone novel. However, if you've been with the Chicago Buffaloes from the start, reading this book feels like adding to the family. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Our main characters in 'The Bottom Line' start out a little different than the other Buffaloes did. They had their 'meet cute' a year before finally being able to catch up. Having had 12 months of day dreaming and Instagram-stalking, their relationship picks up fast. From the start, Hunter and Taylor make a great team. Very early on, they find a way to understand what the other person needs; and so supporting each other in their doubts and struggles.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;">The story had some laugh-out-loud moments and, of course, had me swooning over that gorgeous book boyfriend of a man, Hunter Riley.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;">For me however, the inner-monologues of self-doubt and hesitations were a bit much. They felt repetitive and unnecessary. Aven Ellis' characters are easy to relate to. Because of how well thought-out they are and the way they are introduced, you as a reader "get" them - without having to read a detailed thought process every step of the way. And sometimes there's just too much over-thinking. Maybe realistic, but not particularly "fun" for a lighthearted romance novel. </span></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bottom-Line-Chicago-Ice-Book-ebook/dp/B07GNN4NRZ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1539790110&sr=8-1&keywords=aven+ellis+bottom+line" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="85" data-original-width="85" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pQ9tDV-e6PY/UtVdthkbBBI/AAAAAAAAAq4/4LDZxITECM4RzCE6swsKZs9U4IRle3A3gCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/amazon%2Buk%2Bbuy%2Bbutton.png" /></a> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bottom-Line-Chicago-Ice-Book-ebook/dp/B07GNN4NRZ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1539790065&sr=8-1&keywords=aven+ellis+the+bottom+line" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="88" data-original-width="88" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1_VJ7ebOgR8/UtVdt7ywilI/AAAAAAAAAq8/JVyB5wqB8HQ604EBw5YFUzfAJDQHHpV3QCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/images%2B%25281%2529.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5IcH3cOmdHI/WdPbpdyPkVI/AAAAAAAAEhY/NUhK3SMnbNIHssbn-mouFke80HqOHU6GwCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/10711062_375722969252585_490803443264071379_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; color: #d47f7f; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5IcH3cOmdHI/WdPbpdyPkVI/AAAAAAAAEhY/NUhK3SMnbNIHssbn-mouFke80HqOHU6GwCPcBGAYYCw/s200/10711062_375722969252585_490803443264071379_n.jpg" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>ABOUT THE AUTHOR.</b> I live in the Dallas area with my family. I enjoy clipping out recipes I will never get around to trying, working out, and chatting with friends on social media. I’m a hockey nut (Go Stars!) and watch as much as humanly possible. I also love shopping and fashion and admit to being obsessed with whatever the Duchess of Cambridge is wearing. In addition to be obsessed with the Duchess, I’m equally obsessed with any show or cookbook featuring Gordon Ramsay.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Links</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Website/Blog - http://avenellis.com/ </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Twitter - https://twitter.com/@AvenEllis </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/AvenEllis1 </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7265661.Aven_Ellis </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Amazon Page - https://amzn.to/2wc99yX </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/avenellis/</span></div>
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M's Bookshelfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15671920265732406607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523727616243970226.post-90353728090803580512018-09-29T10:30:00.000+02:002018-09-29T10:30:03.697+02:00Book tour: Coming Home to Maple Cottage - Holly Martin (Sandcastle Bay #3)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JjvXXPHX9_0/W68t8aoPHyI/AAAAAAAAEr8/jWmonS4GXCgSQlKvlCZiZlKYizjGrcQlgCLcBGAs/s1600/Coming-Home-to-Maple-Cottage-Kindle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="411" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JjvXXPHX9_0/W68t8aoPHyI/AAAAAAAAEr8/jWmonS4GXCgSQlKvlCZiZlKYizjGrcQlgCLcBGAs/s400/Coming-Home-to-Maple-Cottage-Kindle.jpg" width="256" /></a> <a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bP1dOqIzWdA/W68uBGQ5tgI/AAAAAAAAEsA/EGuHPhXVWIQ8QWwnAgtAfR7_WMEpVWwfQCLcBGAs/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="394" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bP1dOqIzWdA/W68uBGQ5tgI/AAAAAAAAEsA/EGuHPhXVWIQ8QWwnAgtAfR7_WMEpVWwfQCLcBGAs/s320/1.jpg" width="197" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://mssbookshelf.blogspot.com/p/ms-favourites.html" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="118" data-original-width="117" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc1H6mI5C8ccwLBuB7VCK6j4g36JgafqZA3JUC2WfD_EK0tBulMjWy0-w5akHrxGx0u2FsH3w5HGnx2M-Jiv3PxxONb61TKvLSVG_F2ZE6DgGnxcARM3qGsuGD6Kxs3OaZMZr2LdK1qB0/s1600/MsFavorite.png" /></a><b style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Isla Rosewood</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"> is creating a new life for herself and her sweet nephew </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Elliot</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"> in their cosy, yellow-brick family cottage, brimming with special memories. Living in Sandcastle Bay was never part of Isla’s plan but, after her brother Matthew’s tragic accident, her whole world changed as she unexpectedly became a mother to the little boy she adores so much. </span></div>
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Leo Jackson</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"> was always known as Matthew’s fun-loving and wild best friend. But now Matthew is gone, it’s time to put his colourful past behind him. His role as Elliot’s godfather is the most important thing to him. And even though Leo and Isla are two very different people, they both want to give Elliot the childhood he deserves. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">As the three of them enjoy time together watching fireworks, baking cakes and collecting conkers, Isla begins to see a softer side to charming Leo, with his twinkling eyes and mischievous sense of humour. And, despite herself, she begins to fall for him. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">But does Leo feel the same way? Isla knows their situation is complicated but is it too complicated for true love… or will the year end with a happy new beginning for them all? </span><br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41022894-coming-home-to-maple-cottage?from_search=true" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="41" data-original-width="130" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-N1dB_mKNrnY/Urg0OKgzZLI/AAAAAAAAAjs/oCuS2fTaCZo7jZDTLDX0kXYNi25-UsVhACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/goodreads-badge-add-plus-d700d4d3e3c0b346066731ac07b7fe47.png" /></a></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My opinion</span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">What a beautiful, moving, and addictive novel by Holly Martin, yet again. Holly has yet to write a book I don't love. I absolutely adore reading her books. Somehow though, 'Coming Home to Maple Cottage' had an extra spark I didn't even realize her books needed. Because even though I really loved reading the first 2 books in this series (and the series before this one), 'Maple Cottage' digs a bit deeper than the others. Elliot, as well as the issues of grief, loss, parenting and responsibilities his character introduces to this story, add an entire new layer to Holly Martin's writing. And I love it. "Sweet" is no longer enough to cover the feeling of this book. The love and attraction between all Holly's characters is always intense, but here again Leo and Isla surpass all the other romances in Sandcastle Bay and in previous series. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The banter between the characters and the horribly embarrassing situations had me laughing out loud, I - again - had little patience for the meddlesome elderly villagers (but secretly loved them anyway), and fell a little bit more in love with Elliot with each chapter. His sweet and unbiased love and affection made me cry, as well as the wonderful and unconditional bonds of family and friendship.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Magical berry's, sand- and pumpkin sculptures, eclectic jewelry and fireworks, Sandcastle Bay is unique, meddlesome, a bit strange... but most of all a place I would love to live.</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Coming-Home-Maple-Cottage-perfect-ebook/dp/B07G2TCVTL/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1538207430&sr=8-1&keywords=holly+martin+coming+home+to+maple+cottage" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="85" data-original-width="85" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pQ9tDV-e6PY/UtVdthkbBBI/AAAAAAAAAq4/4LDZxITECM4RzCE6swsKZs9U4IRle3A3gCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/amazon%2Buk%2Bbuy%2Bbutton.png" /></a> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Coming-Home-Maple-Cottage-perfect-ebook/dp/B07G2TCVTL/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1538207424&sr=8-1&keywords=holly+martin+coming+home+to+maple+cottage" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="88" data-original-width="88" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1_VJ7ebOgR8/UtVdt7ywilI/AAAAAAAAAq8/JVyB5wqB8HQ604EBw5YFUzfAJDQHHpV3QCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/images%2B%25281%2529.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://mssbookshelf.blogspot.com/p/ms-favourites.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="118" data-original-width="117" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc1H6mI5C8ccwLBuB7VCK6j4g36JgafqZA3JUC2WfD_EK0tBulMjWy0-w5akHrxGx0u2FsH3w5HGnx2M-Jiv3PxxONb61TKvLSVG_F2ZE6DgGnxcARM3qGsuGD6Kxs3OaZMZr2LdK1qB0/s1600/MsFavorite.png" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Fm5h8D89jpLq86BXgP43vnistRGyqkY7BJRl1t2CTaNHE_erOPW1PJDwOCFszzX-_eXzAtu_K559A8fRUDRZs2uM0CtN8gQ4YKV_nYj3RuzaHE-lMI144UhHVQnNKjlgDR87PZTonpE/s1600/Star+Reviews+In+my+Blogger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="1000" height="99" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Fm5h8D89jpLq86BXgP43vnistRGyqkY7BJRl1t2CTaNHE_erOPW1PJDwOCFszzX-_eXzAtu_K559A8fRUDRZs2uM0CtN8gQ4YKV_nYj3RuzaHE-lMI144UhHVQnNKjlgDR87PZTonpE/s320/Star+Reviews+In+my+Blogger.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #ea9999;"><b>Read all about book #1 and #2 in the Sandcastle Bay series here:</b></span></div>
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<a href="http://mssbookshelf.blogspot.com/2018/04/book-blitz-holiday-cottage-by-sea-holly.html" style="color: #d47f7f; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="412" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IKePDsyCzsQ/Ws450YGwqEI/AAAAAAAAEnA/fkBBno5amYww4cmNSOHZtVz1pYenlnkiQCPcBGAYYCw/s320/The-Holiday-Cottage-by-the-Sea-Kindle.jpeg" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="206" /></a> <a href="http://mssbookshelf.blogspot.com/2018/06/book-tour-cottage-on-sunshine-beach.html" style="font-size: 14.85px;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="305" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tXrXgjlAcjk/Wyd-tVRm_pI/AAAAAAAAEpo/jXyD_BVFgGAz7uzvbhS1usp-M9AOlLsOgCPcBGAYYCw/s320/39719642.jpg" width="205" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sRYCwuH5sJw/VaoJiVmj8PI/AAAAAAAADYY/i8N-Zbv8KQg4Z_mVK5DanVOBGHoAbwT5gCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Holly-Martin-500px.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; color: #d47f7f; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sRYCwuH5sJw/VaoJiVmj8PI/AAAAAAAADYY/i8N-Zbv8KQg4Z_mVK5DanVOBGHoAbwT5gCPcBGAYYCw/s200/Holly-Martin-500px.jpg" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><b>About the author: </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #111111; font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: 14px;">Holly lives in a little white cottage by the sea. She studied media at university which led to a very glitzy career as a hotel receptionist followed by a even more glamorous two years working in a bank. The moment that one of her colleagues received the much coveted carriage clock for fifteen years’ service was the moment when she knew she had to escape. She quit her job and returned to university to train to be a teacher. Three years later, she emerged wide eyed and terrified that she now had responsibility for the development of thirty young minds. She taught for four years and then escaped the classroom to teach history workshops, dressing up as a Viking one day and an Egyptian High Priestess the next. But the long journeys around the UK and many hours sat on the M25 gave her a lot of time to plan out her stories and she now writes full time, doing what she loves.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;"><span style="color: #111111; font-size: 14px;">Holly has been writing for 8 years. She was shortlisted for the New Talent Award at the Festival of Romance. Her short story won the Sunlounger competition and was published in the Sunlounger anthology. She won the Carina Valentine’s competition at the Festival of Romance 2013 with her novel The Guestbook. She was shortlisted for Best Romantic Read, Best eBook and Innovation in Romantic Fiction at the Festival of Romance 2014. She is the bestselling author of 18 books</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;"><span style="color: #111111; font-size: 14px;"></span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #111111; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="color: #111111; font-size: 14px;">Follow her on Twitter @HollyMAuthor</span></span></div>
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M's Bookshelfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15671920265732406607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523727616243970226.post-33743312260545289392018-09-13T16:14:00.001+02:002018-09-15T12:01:39.882+02:00Book tour: The Rufford Rose - Margaret Lambert<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">When gifted young woodcarver Cuthbert Watts is sent to assist in the building of a new hall in Lancashire in 1530 little does he realise what difficulties lie ahead. The Master builder, Abel, resents his presence, refusing to see his work whilst Abel’s apprentice, Will is a lazy, jealous young man who thwarts Cuthbert at every turn. Supported by his fellow workers Cuthbert perseveres and after saving his life, befriends the young son of the owner, another reason for Abel to hate him. What is the reason behind this animosity? What great secret dominates Abel and Will’s life to the extent that lives are threatened, jealousies grow and violence, arson, kidnap and murder are committed?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Set in the Lancashire countryside in the 16th century this is a story which combines the practical difficulties of building a Tudor Hall with the loves and jealousies of those involved. When will Abel realise the value of Cuthbert’s work, when will Will realise he is notwho he believes he is and can Cuthbert win the heart of the girl he loves. Follow Cuthbert through the trials and challenges of his new life and discover whether the hall can finally be completed.</span><br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41442190-the-rufford-rose?from_search=true" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="41" data-original-width="130" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-N1dB_mKNrnY/Urg0OKgzZLI/AAAAAAAAAjs/oCuS2fTaCZo7jZDTLDX0kXYNi25-UsVhACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/goodreads-badge-add-plus-d700d4d3e3c0b346066731ac07b7fe47.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"><u>My opinion.</u></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">I have to admit, seeing that Tudor rose alone would have convinced me to read this book. I'm a huge history geek with an even bigger soft spot for the Tudor era. Tough audience, maybe? But Margaret Lambert had me convinced from the very first chapters: she knows her history. The amount of detail and research that went into this book is astounding. I could almost smell the wood of the construction site through the pages. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;">Cuthbert's story isn't just any guy's story you could copy paste into any other era by tweaking just a couple of details. His craft is described so beautifully and so detailed, as is the rest of the building process and crafts needed to complete it. I loved getting this "behind the scenes" insight into the construction of an historical building of this scale. If we're lucky, we get to visit a well preserved house or manor somewhere tucked away in the English countryside. Sure. But to actually understand it, the way it was constructed, the methods used, all the pieces that are needed to complete the puzzle, the priorities of both builders and owners,... it adds a priceless layer that's tough to get and which is so incredibly valuable.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">As thorough and intricate Margaret Lambert's account of the building is, in the description of the personal relationships and emotions of the characters, it fell a bit flat for me. Not that those stories weren't beautiful, but I didn't feel as invested in those characters and their hardships as I would have wanted in a book as detailed as this one. That's the only thing that's keeping me from describing this book as "perfect". Because 'The Rufford Rose' is a brilliant, memorable read that makes for a very deserving addition to any history geek's collection.</span></span></span></div>
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