Category: 9/10

#BlogTour #BookReview The Things We Need to Say by Rachel Burton @bookish_yogi @rararesources @HQDigitalUK

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#BlogTour #BookReview The Things We Need to Say by Rachel Burton @bookish_yogi @rararesources @HQDigitalUK

#BlogTour #BookReview The Things We Need to Say by Rachel Burton @bookish_yogi @rararesources @HQDigitalUK Title: The Things We Need to Say

Author: Rachel Burton

Published by: HQ Digital on May 11, 2018

Genres: General Fiction, Women's Fiction

Pages: 384

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: HQ Digital, NetGalley, Rachel's Random Resources

Book Rating: 9/10

Sometimes the things we never say are the most important.

Fran loves Will with all her heart. They had a whirlwind romance, a perfect marriage and a wonderful life. Until everything changed. Now Fran needs to find her way again and teaching a yoga retreat in Spain offers her just that. Leaving behind a broken marriage she has some very important decisions to make.

Will needs his wife, he needs her to open up to him if they’re to ever return to the ways things once were. But he may have damaged any possibility he had of mending their relationship and now Fran is in Spain and Will is alone.

As both Fran and Will begin to let go of a life that could have been, fate may just find a way of bringing them back together.

 Perfect for fans of Katie Marsh, Amanda Prowse and Sheila O’Flanagan

Review:

Heartwrenching, touching, and undeniably affecting!

The Things We Need to Say is an absorbing, character-driven novel that highlights the emotional, physical and mental strain infertility and the loss of a child can have on a marriage.

The writing is vivid and eloquent. The characters are raw, consumed, traumatized, and real. And the plot told from dual perspectives is a beautifully written tale about life, loss, heartache, infidelity, friendship, yoga, introspection, and second-chance love.

Overall I would have to say that The Things We Need to Say is an immersive, warm, thought-provoking novel that reminds us just how important trust, communication, honesty, forgiveness, and love are to the success of a relationship and thus ultimately our own happiness.

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from the following link.

    

 

 

Thank you to Rachel Burton, HQ Digital, and Rachel’s Random Resources for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Rachel Burton

Rachel Burton has been making up stories since she first learned to talk. After many false starts she finally made one up that was worth writing down.

After graduating with a degree in Classics and another in English, she didn’t really know what to do when she grew up. She has worked as a waitress, a paralegal and a yoga teacher.

She has spent most of her life between Cambridge and London but now lives in Leeds with her boyfriend and three cats. The main loves of her life are The Beatles and very tall romantic heroes.

Her debut, The Many Colours of Us, was an Amazon Kindle bestseller. Her second novel, The Things We Need to Say, is released on 11 May 2018. She is currently working on her third novel in which the heroine follows the love of her life to live in a city in northern England. It has no autobiographical elements at all…..maybe.

Find her on Twitter & Instagram as @bookish_yogi or search Facebook for Rachel Burton Author. She is always happy to talk books, writing, music, cats and how the weather in Yorkshire is rubbish. She is mostly dreaming of her next holiday….

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#BookReview The Greek Escape by Karen Swan @KarenSwan1 @PGCBooks @panmacmillan

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#BookReview The Greek Escape by Karen Swan @KarenSwan1 @PGCBooks @panmacmillan Title: The Greek Escape

Author: Karen Swan

Published by: Pan Macmillan on May 8, 2018

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Women's Fiction

Pages: 432

Format: Paperback, ARC

Source: Publishers Group Canada

Book Rating: 9/10

A scorching and sensational summer novel from the Globe and Mail bestselling author of The Paris Secret and The Rome Affair.

Set between the skyscrapers of Manhattan and the crystal blue waters of the Mediterranean, The Greek Escape will leave you breathless as each twist unfolds.

Running from heartbreak, Chloe Marston leaves her old life in London for a fresh start in New York. Working at a luxury concierge company, she makes other people’s lives run perfectly, even if her own has ground to a halt. But a terrible accident forces her to step into a new role, up close and personal with the company’s most esteemed and powerful clients. Charismatic Joe Lincoln is one of them and his every wish is her command, so when he asks her to find him a secluded holiday home in the Greek Islands, she sets about sourcing the perfect retreat.

But when Tom, her ex, unexpectedly shows up in Manhattan and the stability of her new life is thrown off-balance again, Chloe jumps at the chance to help Joe inspect the holiday house. Escaping to Greece will give her the time and space to decide where her future truly lies. Tom is the man she has loved for so long but he has hurt her before – can she give him another chance? And as she draws closer to Joe, does she even want to? As magnetic as he is mysterious, there’s an undeniable chemistry between them that she can’t resist.

But whatever her heart is telling her, she’s in over her head—another client’s wife has mysteriously disappeared and seriously allegations about Joe threaten more than just her happiness. Who can she trust? And will Chloe uncover the truth in time?

Review:

Mysterious, enticing, and wickedly entertaining!

The Greek Escape is a provocative thrill ride that takes you on a journey into the life of the heartbroken, hardworking Chloe as she juggles relocation, a high-pressure career, a two-timing ex, the whims and dalliances of the rich and famous, and a cocky, demanding, handsome new client.

The prose is evocative and polished. The characters are inquisitive, ambitious, and spontaneous. The settings are exotic and picturesque. And the plot is a true guilty pleasure that’s packed with action, humour, suspense, drama, corruption, scandals, sex, and romance.

The Greek Escape is a fresh, sophisticated, addictive novel with irresistible characters that I devoured from start to finish. I’m a huge fan of Karen Swan, and this novel didn’t disappoint. It enthralled, captivated, and amused me, and I highly recommend it.

This novel is available now in some countries.

Pick up or preorder a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

             

 

 

Thank you to PGC Canada and Pan Macmillan for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Karen Swan

Karen Swan began her career in fashion journalism before giving it all up to raise her three children and a puppy, and to pursue her ambition of becoming a writer. She lives in the forest outside Sussex, England, writing her books in a treehouse overlooking the Downs.

An internationally bestselling author, her numerous books include The Rome Affair, The Paris Secret, Christmas Under the Stars, and The Christmas Secret. 

Photograph by Alexander James

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#BookReview Her Last Word by Mary Burton @MaryBurtonBooks @JoanSchulhafer

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#BookReview Her Last Word by Mary Burton @MaryBurtonBooks @JoanSchulhafer Title: Her Last Word

Author: Mary Burton

Published by: Montlake Romance on May 8, 2018

Genres: Mystery/Thriller, Romantic Suspense

Pages: 360

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: Mary Burton, NetGalley

Book Rating: 9/10

An unsolved crime pits a desperate woman against a relentless killer in New York Times bestselling author Mary Burton’s heart-stopping novel of psychological suspense…

Fourteen years ago, Kaitlin Roe was the lone witness to the abduction of her cousin Gina. She still remembers that lonely Virginia road. She can still see the masked stranger and hear Gina’s screams. And she still suffers the guilt of running away in fear and resents being interrogated as a suspect in the immediate aftermath. Now Kaitlin has only one way to assuage the pain and nightmares—by interviewing everyone associated with the unsolved crime for a podcast that could finally bring closure to a case gone cold.

But when a woman Kaitlin questions is later found stabbed to death, she fears that she’s drawn a killer out of hiding. It’s Detective John Adler’s fear that the murders have only just begun. Now his job is to keep Kaitlin safe. As a bond between Kaitlin and Adler builds, the past closes in just as fast—and it’s darker than Kaitlin remembers. Soon, her wish will come true. She’s going to find out exactly what happened to Gina. Someone has been dying to tell her.

Review:

Suspenseful, sinister, and exceptionally gripping!

Her Last Word is a fast-paced, intense police procedural that not only delves into a 14-year-old cold case involving a missing teen but takes you on a hunt for an obsessed serial killer consumed with revenge.

The writing is sharp and crisp. The characters are flawed, scarred, and tenacious. And the complex plot told through a mixture of narration and interview-style musings interweaves into a compelling story with lots of twists, turns, red herrings, violence, sexual attraction, mayhem, and murder.

Once again with Her Last Word, Burton has written a highly entertaining, intricately woven mystery with a touch of romance that is satisfying, enthralling, and doesn’t disappoint.

This book will be available May 8, 2018.

Preorder now from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

             

 

 

Thank you to Mary Burton and Joan Schulhafer Publishing for providing me with a copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Mary Burton

New York Times and USA Today bestselling novelist Mary Burton is the highly praised author of twenty-six romance and suspense novels and five novellas. She lives in Virginia with her husband and three miniature dachshunds.

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#BookReview The Broken Girls by Simone St. James @simone_stjames @BerkleyPub #NetGalley

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#BookReview The Broken Girls by Simone St. James @simone_stjames @BerkleyPub #NetGalley Title: The Broken Girls

Author: Simone St. James

Published by: Berkley Publishing on Mar. 20, 2018

Genres: Mystery/Thriller, Historical Fiction

Pages: 336

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: Berkley Publishing, NetGalley

Book Rating: 9/10

A suspense novel from the award-winning author of The Haunting of Maddy Clare…

Vermont, 1950. There’s a place for the girls whom no one wants–the troublemakers, the illegitimate, the too smart for their own good. It’s called Idlewild Hall. And in the small town where it’s located, there are rumors that the boarding school is haunted. Four roommates bond over their whispered fears, their budding friendship blossoming–until one of them mysteriously disappears. . . .

Vermont, 2014. As much as she’s tried, journalist Fiona Sheridan cannot stop revisiting the events surrounding her older sister’s death. Twenty years ago, her body was found lying in the overgrown fields near the ruins of Idlewild Hall. And though her sister’s boyfriend was tried and convicted of murder, Fiona can’t shake the suspicion that something was never right about the case.

When Fiona discovers that Idlewild Hall is being restored by an anonymous benefactor, she decides to write a story about it. But a shocking discovery during the renovations will link the loss of her sister to secrets that were meant to stay hidden in the past–and a voice that won’t be silenced. . . .

Review:

Haunting, imaginative, and mystical!

In this latest novel by St. James, The Broken Girls, she transports us to Barrons, Vermont a small town where the restoration of an abandoned boarding school will unearth powerful emotions, tragic memories, and more long-buried secrets and skeletons than anyone could have imagined.

The prose is eerie and dark. The plot, told from alternating timelines, is gripping, suspenseful and filled with familial drama, neglect, hatred, abuse, desperation, violence, and murder all interwoven with a thread of the supernatural. And the characterization is spot on with a cast of characters that are damaged, fearless, and loyal, and a setting, Idlewild Hall, that is a character itself with its dereliction and isolation.

Overall, The Broken Girls is an intelligent, unique, skillfully crafted page-turner that will have you on the edge of your seat from the very first page and will ultimately leave you chilled, surprised, satisfied and thoroughly entertained.

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

                                        

 

 

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Simone St. James

Simone St. James is the award-winning author of The Haunting of Maddy Clare, which won two RITA awards from Romance Writers of America and an Arthur Ellis Award from Crime Writers of Canada. She wrote her first ghost story, about a haunted library, when she was in high school, and spent twenty years behind the scenes in the television business before leaving to write full-time. She lives in Toronto, Canada with her husband and a spoiled cat.

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#BookReview Unmasked by Stefanie London @Stefanie_London #HarlequinDARE

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#BookReview Unmasked by Stefanie London @Stefanie_London #HarlequinDARE Title: Unmasked

Author: Stefanie London

Series: Melbourne After Dark #1

Published by: Harlequin Dare on Apr. 1, 2018

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 158

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: Stefanie London

Book Rating: 9/10

Cinderella is about to get wicked…

But can a naughty fantasy have a happily-ever-after?

Lainey Kline has one goal before she leaves Melbourne forever: transform herself into a sexy siren, sneak into the season’s most glamorous masquerade ball and seduce Damian McKnight. Only there’s a teeny little problem—one deliciously hot night isn’t nearly enough. Now Lainey wants more. But while getting naked is one thing, taking off their masks is quite another…

Review:

Frisky, enticing, and salacious!

Unmasked is a passionate, beguiling read that mixes the determined, focused Lainey who may have come up with the perfect plan to spend one fervent night with the man of her dreams, and Damian, the handsome, consumed businessman who may finally discover his little sister’s best friend is more than he ever could have imagined.

The writing style is steamy and smooth. The characters are hesitant, playful, spirited, and endearing. And the plot is a wonderful combination of light drama, family, friendship, delicious tension, smoking chemistry, sexy innuendoes, and swoon-worthy romance.

Overall, Unmasked is a provocative, entertaining novel that I would have to say is hands down one of the sexiest fairy tales I’ve ever read.

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

                                           

 

 

Thank you to Stefanie London for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Stefanie London

USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance with humour, heat and heart. Also llamas.

Originally from Melbourne, Australia Stefanie now lives in Toronto, Canada with her wonderful husband. She loves to read, collect lipsticks, watch zombie movies and drink coffee.

Her bestselling book, Pretend It’s Love, is a 2016 Romantic Book of the Year finalist with the Romance Writers of Australia.

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#BookReview On a Beautiful Day by Lucy Diamond @LDiamondAuthor @PGCBooks @panmacmillan

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#BookReview On a Beautiful Day by Lucy Diamond @LDiamondAuthor @PGCBooks @panmacmillan Title: On a Beautiful Day

Author: Lucy Diamond

Published by: Pan Macmillan on Mar. 9, 2018

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Women's Fiction

Pages: 480

Format: Paperback, ARC

Source: Publishers Group Canada

Book Rating: 9/10

An inspiring and uplifting novel from the bestselling author of The Secrets of Happiness and The House of New Beginnings.

In Lucy Diamond’s new novel, On a Beautiful Day, four thirty-something friends are catching up, eating al fresco at a bistro in Manchester. Laura is desperate to get pregnant and is glumly starting to think it’s never going to happen. Recent divorcee Juliet is swept up in a whirlwind romance although finding it hard to win over her new partner’s precocious teenage daughter. Eve, an uptight and a control freak, has found a lump in her breast and is in complete denial that anything might be wrong. India is the most happy-go-lucky of the four, but when you’re trying to juggle a career, marriage, kids, ailing parents, neurotic dog, and a falling-down house, there’s always a catastrophe waiting in the wings.

But when they witness an accident on the street that changes them forever, each woman begins to contemplate just how lucky (or not) they really are.

Review:

Affecting, inspiring, and delightfully mesmerizing!

On a Beautiful Day is a heartwarming tale that reminds us that life should be lived to the fullest every day and it’s not only the high but also the low moments in life that truly shape us.

There are four main characters in this novel; Eve, an accountant and mother of two who struggles to ask for help; Jo, a divorcee and nurse who’s hesitant to fall in love; Laura, a middle-aged woman who craves motherhood; and India, a mother of three who has a secret from the past that continually haunts.

The prose is warm and emotional. The characters are multifaceted, empathetic, resilient, and endearing. And the plot is a sweeping saga about life, loss, family, secrets, adultery, infertility, determination, acceptance, self-discovery, happiness, romance, and love.

Diamond has an uncanny ability to write beautiful, beguiling stories about female friendships that resonate and On a Beautiful Day is no exception. It’s powerful, genuine, heartfelt, and moving and I enjoyed every minute of it.

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links. 

          

 

 

Thank you to Publishers Group Canada for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Lucy Diamond

Lucy Diamond lives in Bath, England with her husband and their three children. She has penned numerous bestselling novels, including The House of New Beginnings, The Secrets of Happiness, Summer at Shell Cottage, and The Year of Taking Chances.

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#BookReview Bad Bachelor by Stefanie London @Stefanie_London @SourcebooksCasa

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#BookReview Bad Bachelor by Stefanie London @Stefanie_London @SourcebooksCasa Title: Bad Bachelor

Author: Stefanie London

Series: Bad Bachelors #1

Published by: Sourcebooks Casablanca on Mar. 6, 2018

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 384

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: Sourcebooks Casablanca, NetGalley

Book Rating: 9/10

Everybody’s talking about the hot new app reviewing New York’s most eligible bachelors. But why focus on prince charming when you can read the latest dirt on the lowest-ranked “Bad Bachelors”—NYC’s most notorious bad boys.

If one more person mentions Bad Bachelors to Reed McMahon, someone’s gonna get hurt. A PR whiz, Reed is known as an ‘image fixer’ but his womanizing ways have caught up with him. What he needs is a PR miracle of his own.

When Reed strolls into Darcy Greer’s workplace offering to help save the struggling library, she isn’t buying it. The prickly Brooklynite knows Reed is exactly the kind of guy she should avoid. But the library does need his help. But as she reluctantly works with Reed, she realizes there’s more to a man than his reputation. Maybe, just maybe Bad Bachelor #1 is THE one for her.

Review:

Seductive, sweet, and sexy!

Bad Bachelor is a delightfully, witty rom-com set in the hip-and-happening New York City where the Bad Bachelor app is the latest-and-greatest source for finding your mate and the fiery, intelligent, librarian, Darcy may not be able to trust everything she reads when it comes to the successful, suave, Reed McMahon.

The writing style is whimsical and clever. The characterization is spot on, with an incredible cast of characters who are quirky, charming, loveable, and fun. And the plot is a well crafted, amusing blend of drama, emotion, playful banter, exquisite tension, touching moments, steamy chemistry, and smoldering romance.

Bad Bachelor is undeniably an entertaining, lighthearted, humorous read that I thoroughly enjoyed and is without a doubt a fantastic way to kick off this new series!

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

                                           

 

 

Thank you to Stefanie London and Sourcebooks Casablanca for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Stefanie London

USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance with humour, heat and heart. Also llamas.

Originally from Melbourne, Australia Stefanie now lives in Toronto, Canada with her wonderful husband. She loves to read, collect lipsticks, watch zombie movies and drink coffee.

Her bestselling book, Pretend It’s Love, is a 2016 Romantic Book of the Year finalist with the Romance Writers of Australia.

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#BlogTour #BookReview Baby Daddy by Kendall Ryan @KendallRyan1 @InkSlingerPR

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#BlogTour #BookReview Baby Daddy by Kendall Ryan @KendallRyan1 @InkSlingerPR

#BlogTour #BookReview Baby Daddy by Kendall Ryan @KendallRyan1 @InkSlingerPR Title: Baby Daddy

Author: Kendall Ryan

Published by: Kendall Ryan Books on Feb. 27, 2018

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 319

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: InkSlingerPR

Book Rating: 9/10

A hot and hilarious new standalone from New York Times bestseller Kendall Ryan. We met in a trapped elevator.

Emmett was on his way to work, sophisticated and handsome in his tailored suit and tie.

I was on my way to the sperm bank. Awkward, right?

At thirty-five, my life hadn’t taken the path I thought it would and I was tired of waiting—I wanted a baby. And I was ready to take matters into my own hands to make it happen.

After our ill-fated elevator encounter, Emmett insisted on taking me to dinner—he also insisted on something else—that I ditch my plan involving a turkey baster and let him do the job. He would be my baby daddy. He was a wealthy and powerful CEO with little interest in diapers or playdates. And since he didn’t want kids, I’d be on my own once his bun was in my oven, free to go my own way.

But once his baby was inside me, it was like a switch had been flipped, and I got a whole lot more than I ever bargained for. 

This full-length standalone contains a hot, swoonworthy hero, lots of playful banter and some hot baby-making ! Enjoy.

Review:

Romantic, super sexy and so much fun!

Baby Daddy is an adorable, sultry rom-com featuring the fun-loving, intelligent Jeanna who’s ready and determined to be a mother, and the successful, hard-bodied Emmett who has no intention of ever being a family man.

The prose is witty and lighthearted. The characters are charismatic, playful, and endearing. And the plot is an engaging mix of drama, emotion, sizzling chemistry, saucy innuendos, flirty banter, palpable attraction, and of course some steamy baby-making.

Baby Daddy is a charming, romantic, delectable indulgence with a humorous plot, irresistible characters and an ending that will leave you smitten and yearning for more!

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from the following link.

                                        

 

 

 

Thank you to InkSlingerPR and Kendall Ryan for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Kendall Ryan

A New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of more than two dozen titles, Kendall Ryan has sold over 1.5 million books and her books have been translated into several languages in countries around the world. She’s a traditionally published author with Simon & Schuster and Harper Collins UK, as well as an independently published author. Since she first began self-publishing in 2012, she’s appeared at #1 on Barnes & Noble and iBooks charts around the world. Her books have also appeared on the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists more than three dozen times. Ryan has been featured in such publications as USA Today, Newsweek, and InTouch Magazine.

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#BookReview Songs of Love and War by Santa Montefiore @SantaMontefiore @SimonSchusterCA

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#BookReview Songs of Love and War by Santa Montefiore @SantaMontefiore @SimonSchusterCA Title: Songs of Love and War

Author: Santa Montefiore

Series: Deverill Chronicles #1

Published by: Simon & Schuster UK on Feb. 13, 2018

Genres: Historical Fiction

Pages: 528

Format: Paperback, ARC

Source: Simon & Schuster Canada

Book Rating: 9/10

The #1 international bestseller about the enduring bond between three women and the castle they will never forget.

Their lives were mapped out ahead of them. But love and war will change everything…

It’s the early 1900s and Castle Deverill stands staunchly untouched by time, hidden away in the rolling Irish hills. Within the castle walls, three friends have formed a close bond: affluent, flame-haired Kitty Deverill; Bridie Doyle, Kitty’s best friend and daughter of the castle’s cook; and Celia Deverill, Kitty’s flamboyant English cousin. They’ve grown up together, always sheltered from the conflict embroiling the rest of the country. But when Bridie learns of a secret Kitty has been keeping, their idyllic world is forever torn apart.

Later, the three women scatter to different parts of the globe. Kitty must salvage what she can before Castle Deverill and everything she has ever known is reduced to ash. Songs of Love and War is an epic generational saga about the lasting bonds of true friendship and the powerful ties we all have to the place we call home.

Previously published in the US as The Girl in the Castle.

Review:

Insightful, riveting, and incredibly atmospheric!

Songs of Love and War is an intriguing tale that sweeps you to Co. Cork in the early 1900s when Ireland is full of unrest and upheaval not only due to the Great War being waged on the fields of Europe but in their own countryside where the simmering anger and need for self-identity, patriotism, and independence from Anglo rule are about to come to a head.

The prose is poetic and vividly described. The three main characters Kitty, Birdie, and Celia are strong and independent, and their lives are bound and entangled together by the magnificent Castle Deverill that graces the Irish hillside and in some way each calls home. And the plot is an engaging saga filled with self-discovery, familial drama, social stratification, spiritual occurrences, tragedy, heartbreak, romance, war, life, loss, and friendship.

Songs of Love and War is an exquisitely written, exceptionally detailed, beautiful start to a trilogy that is sure to be a big hit with historical fiction fans and book clubs everywhere, and you can be sure that Daughters of Castle Deverill, Deverill Chronicles #2, is already on my TBR list.

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

                                            

 

 

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Santa Montefiore

Santa Montefiore’s books have been translated into twenty languages and have sold more than four million copies in England and Europe. She is married to writer Simon Sebag Montefiore. They live with their two children, Lily and Sasha, in London.

Photograph by Santa Montefiore

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#BookReview Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton @ChanelCleeton @BerkleyPub

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#BookReview Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton @ChanelCleeton @BerkleyPub Title: Next Year in Havana

Author: Chanel Cleeton

Published by: Berkley Publishing on Feb. 6, 2018

Genres: General Fiction, Historical Fiction

Pages: 394

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: Berkley Publishing, NetGalley

Book Rating: 9/10

After the death of her beloved grandmother, a Cuban-American woman travels to Havana, where she discovers the roots of her identity–and unearths a family secret hidden since the revolution…

Havana, 1958. The daughter of a sugar baron, nineteen-year-old Elisa Perez is part of Cuba’s high society, where she is largely sheltered from the country’s growing political unrest–until she embarks on a clandestine affair with a passionate revolutionary…

Miami, 2017. Freelance writer Marisol Ferrera grew up hearing romantic stories of Cuba from her late grandmother Elisa, who was forced to flee with her family during the revolution. Elisa’s last wish was for Marisol to scatter her ashes in the country of her birth.

Arriving in Havana, Marisol comes face-to-face with the contrast of Cuba’s tropical, timeless beauty and its perilous political climate. When more family history comes to light and Marisol finds herself attracted to a man with secrets of his own, she’ll need the lessons of her grandmother’s past to help her understand the true meaning of courage.

Review:

Atmospheric, absorbing, and incredibly heartfelt!

Next Year in Havana is a riveting tale that sweeps you into a country ravished by rebellion, oppression, economic instability, and political upheaval, and a populace that’s confused, disappointed, angry and struggling with self-identity, patriotism, and a lack of freedom and rights.

The story is set in Cuba during both the late 1950s, as well as present day and is full of mystique, familial drama, heartbreak, secrets, deception, history, culture, courage, loss, self-discovery, hope, and romance.

The prose is eloquent and vivid. The characters are multi-layered, sympathetic, and torn. And the plot is well crafted and uses a past/present style to unravel all the motivations, personalities, and relationships within it.

Next Year in Havana is the perfect blend of historical facts, intriguing fiction, and palpable emotion. It’s a beautifully written story that is nostalgic, heartbreaking, fascinating and sweet and highlights Cleeton’s passion for her familial heritage.

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

                                            

 

 

Thank you to Chanel Cleeton and Berkley Publishing for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Chanel Cleeton

Originally from Florida, Chanel Cleeton grew up on stories of her family’s exodus from Cuba following the events of the Cuban Revolution. Her passion for politics and history continued during her years spent studying in England where she earned a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Richmond, The American International University in London and a master’s degree in Global Politics from the London School of Economics & Political Science. Chanel also received her Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina School of Law. She loves to travel and has lived in the Caribbean, Europe, and Asia.

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