Publisher: Headline Books

#BlogTour #BookReview The Woman on the Bridge by Sheila O’Flanagan @sheilaoflanagan @Mobius_Books #TheWomanontheBridge #SheilaOFlanagan #MobiusBooksUS

categories: 8.5/10, Book Review, Historical Fiction
#BlogTour #BookReview The Woman on the Bridge by Sheila O’Flanagan @sheilaoflanagan @Mobius_Books #TheWomanontheBridge #SheilaOFlanagan #MobiusBooksUS Title: The Woman on the Bridge

Author: Sheila O'Flanagan

Published by: Headline Books on Jun. 6, 2023

Genres: Historical Fiction

Pages: 448

Format: ARC, Paperback

Source: Mobius Books US

Book Rating: 8.5/10

Dublin. The 1920s. As war tears Ireland apart, two young people are caught up in events that will bring love, tragedy – and the hardest of choices.

In a country fighting for freedom, it’s hard to live a normal life. Winnie O’Leary supports the cause, but she doesn’t go looking for trouble. Then rebel Joseph Burke steps into her workplace. Winnie is furious with him about a broken window. She’s not interested in romance. But love comes when you least expect it.

Joseph’s family shelter fugitives and transport weapons. Joseph would never ask Winnie to join the fight; but his mother and sisters demand commitment. Will Winnie choose Joseph, and put her own loved ones in deadly danger? Or wait for a time of peace that may never come?

Ireland’s tumultuous independence struggle is the backdrop for an unforgettable story of courage and heartbreak, in which heroes are made of ordinary people. Inspired by the story of Sheila O’Flanagan’s grandmother, The Woman on the Bridge is the unmissable, compulsive new novel from a bestselling author.

Review:

Tender, nostalgic, and immersive!

The Woman on the Bridge is an intriguing tale that sweeps you away to Dublin during the 1920s when Ireland is full of unrest and upheaval and the sweet, dependable Winnie O’Leary and her rebel husband-to-be, Joseph Burke, have to navigate a world full of simmering anger, violence, imprisonments, and tragic losses of life before finally making it to the altar.

The prose is polished and rich. The characters are passionate, driven, and endearing. And the well-paced, compelling plot is a wonderful mix of familial dynamics, drama, emotion, self-discovery, secrets, revelations, love, loss, heartbreak, courage, duty, grief, passion, and conflict.

Overall, The Woman on the Bridge is an atmospheric, absorbing, heartfelt debut in the historical fiction genre for O’Flanagan that does a beautiful job of highlighting her exceptional ability to portray complex, memorable characters, which in this case are based on real-life family members, and historically troubling times in such a way that is not only insightful but also impactful.

 

This novel is available now.

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

         

 

 

 

Thank you to Mobius Books US for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Sheila O'Flanagan

Sheila O’Flanagan is the author of nearly 30 bestselling novels including Three Weddings and a Proposal, The Women Who Ran Away, Her Husband’s Mistake, The Hideaway and The Missing Wife. She lives in Dublin with her husband.

Photo courtesy of Author's Goodreads Page.

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#BlogTour #BookReview The Lighthouse Sisters by Gill Thompson @wordkindling @Mobius_Books #TheLighthouseSisters #GillThompson #MobiusBooksUS

categories: 9/10, Blog Tour, Book Review, Historical Fiction
#BlogTour #BookReview The Lighthouse Sisters by Gill Thompson @wordkindling @Mobius_Books #TheLighthouseSisters #GillThompson #MobiusBooksUS Title: The Lighthouse Sisters

Author: Gill Thompson

Published by: Headline Books on Oct. 11, 2022

Genres: Historical Fiction

Pages: 352

Format: Paperback

Source: Mobius Books US

Book Rating: 9/10

1996: The war may have ended decades earlier, but for the elegant woman sitting alone now, the images live on in her memory: her sister’s carefree laughter, the inky black of a German soldier’s boots, the little boats that never came back. And the one constant through it all: the lighthouse that always guided them back to the island.

1940: For sisters Alice and Jenny life is just beginning when the Nazis seize control of the island of Jersey, driving the girls down separate paths. While Alice is forced by the enemy to work in the German hospital, Jenny is attracted to the circle of islanders rising up to resist the occupiers. And as the war tightens its grip, it will cause each of the sisters to make an extraordinary choice, experience unimaginable heartbreak and emerge forever changed…

Review:

Absorbing, moving, and impactful!

The Lighthouse Sisters is a poignant, immersive tale predominantly set in Jersey that takes you into the lives of the Robinson family, especially two sisters, Alice, a young nurse working in the local hospital, and Jenny, a bright scholar destined for Cambridge, whose lives are unimaginably changed forever when their homeland is occupied by the Germans during WWII.

The prose is eloquent and expressive. The characters are brave, tenacious, and determined. And the plot is an exceptionally touching tale about life, loss, family, secrets, separation, desperation, forbidden love, tragedy, friendship, and the horrors of war.

Overall, The Lighthouse Sisters is a captivating, emotional, beautifully written tale by Thompson inspired by real-life events that reminds us that there’s always a light that guides us home, and survival of any kind often involves heartbreaking choices, moral dilemmas, action, spirit, and beyond all else, sacrifice and courage.

This novel is available now.

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

            

 

 

 

Thank you to Mobius Books US for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Gill Thompson

Gill Thompson is an English lecturer who completed an MA in Creative Writing at Chichester University. Her novels THE OCEANS BETWEEN US and THE CHILD ON PLATFORM ONE were both digital bestsellers and have been highly acclaimed. She lives with her family in West Sussex and teaches English to college students.

Website | Twitter | Goodreads

 

#BookReview The School Teacher of Saint-Michel @sarah_l_steele @Mobius_Books @headlinepg #TheSchoolTeacherofSaintMichel #SarahSteele #MobiusBooksUS

categories: 10/10, Book Review, Historical Fiction
#BookReview The School Teacher of Saint-Michel @sarah_l_steele @Mobius_Books @headlinepg #TheSchoolTeacherofSaintMichel #SarahSteele #MobiusBooksUS Title: The School Teacher of Saint-Michel

Author: Sarah Steele

Published by: Headline Books on Jun. 14, 2022

Genres: Historical Fiction

Pages: 405

Format: Paperback

Source: Mobius Books US

Book Rating: 10/10

My darling girl, I need you to find someone for me . . .’

France, 1942. At the end of the day, the schoolteacher releases her pupils. She checks they have their identity passes, and warns them not to stop until the German guards have let them through the barrier that separates occupied France from Free France. As the little ones fly across the border and into their mothers’ arms, she breathes a sigh of relief. No one is safe now. Not even the children.

Berkshire, present day. A letter left to her by her beloved late grandmother Gigi takes Hannah Stone on a journey deep into the heart of the Dordogne landscape. As she begins to unravel a forgotten history of wartime bravery and sacrifice, she discovers the heartrending secret that binds her grandmother to a village schoolteacher, the remarkable Lucie Laval…

Review:

Beautiful, captivating, and heart-tugging!

The School Teacher of Saint-Michel is predominantly set in France during 1942, as well as present day, and is told from two different perspectives; Hannah, a young woman who journeys to France after her grandmother’s death to unravel the secrets of her past, and Lucie, a school teacher who even at the detriment to her own safety does whatever she needs to in order to smuggle as many Jewish children as possible over the demarcation line and out of Nazi-occupied territory and into free France.

The prose is vivid and expressive. The characters are multi-layered, vulnerable, and resilient. And the plot is a moving tale about life, love, heartbreak, loss, guilt, grief, desperation, courage, hope, war, survival, suffering, romance, familial relationships, and regret.

Overall, The School Teacher of Saint-Michel is the perfect blend of historical facts, evocative fiction, and palpable emotion. It’s a bittersweet, affecting, tender tale that will make you smile, make you cry, and resonate with you long after you finish the final page.

This novel is available now.

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

                

 

 

Thank you to Mobius Books US for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Sarah Steele

Sarah Steele is the author of USA Today bestseller THE MISSING PIECES OF NANCY MOON, THE SCHOOLTEACHER OF SAINT-MICHEL and THE LOST SONG OF PARIS.

After training in London as a classical pianist and violinist, Sarah joined the world of publishing as an editorial assistant at Hodder and Stoughton. She was for many years a freelance editor, and now lives in the vibrant Gloucestershire town of Stroud.

Photo courtesy of Author's Website.

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#BookReview What Eden Did Next by Sheila O’Flanagan @sheilaoflanagan @Mobius_Books #WhatEdenDidNext #SheilaOFlanagan #MobiusBooksUS

categories: 9/10, Book Review, Contemporary Romance, Women's Fiction
#BookReview What Eden Did Next by Sheila O’Flanagan @sheilaoflanagan @Mobius_Books #WhatEdenDidNext #SheilaOFlanagan #MobiusBooksUS Title: What Eden Did Next

Author: Sheila O'Flanagan

Published by: Headline Books on Jun. 28, 2022

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Women's Fiction

Pages: 432

Format: Hardcover

Source: Mobius Books US

Book Rating: 9/10

Eden found perfect love with Andy. How it ended was shocking. For the five years since, her little daughter Lila – and Eden’s secret letters to Andy – have been all she needed. And Andy’s family like it that way.

Rafe wants nothing more than to start a new life back home in Ireland. It’s time for him to turn the page on his own tragedy. And every woman in the neighbourhood is ready to help a single dad settle in.

When Eden and Rafe meet, it seems that everyone has a good reason for thinking their tentative relationship is bad idea, despite the distant past that links them.

New relationships are rarely easy, especially if you’ve loved deeply before. And when there’s opposition, it can bring you closer – or drive you apart . .

Review:

Uplifting, tender, and romantic!

What Eden Did Next is a heartfelt, beautifully written story set in Dublin that takes us into the life of Eden, a young mother juggling to come to grips with losing the love of her life, raising her daughter alone, and rekindling a friendship with her childhood friend Rafe, a young widower himself who has just returned home from the United States to raise his daughter and hopefully learn how to move on from the all-consuming grief he can’t seem to shake.

The prose is genuine and smooth. The characters are hesitant, scarred, and sympathetic. And the plot is a addictive, alluring mix of friendship, family, forgiveness, support, loss, drama, selflessness, parenthood, introspection, community, new beginnings, and the power of love.

What Eden Did Next was one of my most anticipated reads of 2022, and it did not disappoint. Once again, Sheila O’Flanagan has written a moving, absorbing, charming tale that has an abundance of irresistible characters and a storyline I couldn’t get enough of!

This novel is available now.

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

            

 

 

 

Thank you to Mobius Books US for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Sheila O'Flanagan

Sheila O’Flanagan is the author of nearly 30 bestselling novels including Three Weddings and a Proposal, The Women Who Ran Away, Her Husband’s Mistake, The Hideaway and The Missing Wife. She lives in Dublin with her husband.

Photo courtesy of Author's Goodreads Page.

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#BookReview The Letter Home by Rachael English @EnglishRachael @Mobius_Books @headlinepg #TheLetterHome #RachaelEnglish #MobiusBooksUS

categories: 9/10, Book Review, Historical Fiction
#BookReview The Letter Home by Rachael English @EnglishRachael @Mobius_Books @headlinepg #TheLetterHome #RachaelEnglish #MobiusBooksUS Title: The Letter Home

Author: Rachael English

Published by: Headline Books on Jul. 7, 2022

Genres: Historical Fiction

Pages: 384

Format: Paperback

Source: Mobius Books US

Book Rating: 9/10

A rich, heartbreaking novel, moving between west of Ireland and Boston, of a mother’s love, a baby girl, a courageous voyage, and a forgotten story that binds two families separated by an ocean…

She had left behind everything she loved to forge a future for the one she treasured most…

2019 Dublin. When Jessie Daly loses her job, her flat and her relationship, she travels home to Ireland’s west coast and helps an old friend researching what happened in the area during the 1840s Famine. They are drawn into the remarkable story of a brave young mother called Bridget Moloney, and Jessie becomes determined to find out what happened to Bridget and her daughter, Norah.

On the other side of the Atlantic, Kaitlin Wilson is researching her family tree. She knows her ancestors left Ireland for Boston in the 19th century. Everything else is a mystery. Kaitlin unearths a fascinating story, but her research forces her to confront uncomfortable truths about herself and her family and also uncover a heartbreaking connection to a young woman in the west of Ireland…

Review:

Captivating, layered, and heartfelt!

The Letter Home is an intriguing tale set in Ireland and Boston during the mid-1800s, as well as present-day, and is told from three different perspectives. Bridget, a young woman who suffers unimaginable loss and makes sacrifices no mother should ever have to make during The Irish Potato Famine, Jesse, a spirited journalist who, after blowing up her career and heading home to Co. Clare, stumbles upon new revelations about her past while researching the nineteenth century for a friend, and Kaitlin, a successful lawyer who, after feeling a little discontent with life, endeavours to discover more information about her Irish roots.

The prose is eloquent and expressive. The characters are resilient, independent, and strong. And the plot sweeps you away into a touching tale about life, loss, friendship, family, heartbreak, tragedy, survival, self-discovery, and the importance of remembering those who’ve come before.

Overall, The Letter Home is an insightful, engrossing, poignant read by English that does a lovely job of interweaving historical facts and compelling fiction into an absorbing, heart-tugging tale that is exceptionally atmospheric and beautifully entertaining.

This novel is available now.

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

                

 

 

Thank you to Mobius Books US for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Rachael English

Rachael English is the author of five novels: GOING BACK, which was shortlisted for the most-promising newcomer award at the Irish Book Awards, EACH AND EVERY ONE, THE AMERICAN GIRL, which reached number one on the Irish paperback best sellers list, THE NIGHT OF THE PARTY and THE PAPER BRACELET.
Like many many writers, she also has a day job. She's a presenter on the radio programme, Morning Ireland.

Photograph courtesy of Author's Goodreads Page.

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#BookReview I Know What You’ve Done By Dorothy Koomson @DorothyKoomson @Mobius_Books @headlinepg #IKnowWhatYouveDone #DorothyKoomson #MobiusBooksUS

categories: 8/10, Book Review, Mystery/Thriller
#BookReview I Know What You’ve Done By Dorothy Koomson @DorothyKoomson @Mobius_Books @headlinepg #IKnowWhatYouveDone #DorothyKoomson #MobiusBooksUS Title: I Know What You've Done

Author: Dorothy Koomson

Published by: Headline Books on Apr. 26, 2022

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 432

Format: Paperback

Source: Mobius Books US

Book Rating: 8/10

Do you have any idea what the people you know are capable of?

Bestselling author of All My Lies Are True, Dorothy Koomson, asks how well you can really know your neighbors. Fans of Lisa Jewell and Louise Candlish will rip through the pages of this addictive new thriller.

What if all your neighbors’ secrets landed in a diary on your doorstep?
 
What if the woman who gave it to you was murdered by one of the people in the diary?

What if the police asked if you knew anything? 

Would you hand over the book of secrets? 

Or … would you try to find out what everyone had done? 

Review:

Brisk, intense, and ominous!

I Know What You’ve Done is a tortuous, simmering thriller that introduces us to Rae, a young mother who, after the recent attempted murder of one of her neighbours, discovers that no one is who they claim to be, everyone has something to hide, and danger lurks around every corner, especially for the one person who has possession of Priscilla’s coveted, tell-all journal.

The writing is edgy and tight. The characters are consumed, troubled, and secretive. And the plot is an unnerving, suspenseful tale of deception, manipulation, suspicions, revelations, nefarious intentions, indiscretions, corruption, mayhem, and violence.

Overall, I Know What You’ve Done is a sinister, atmospheric, twisty whodunit by Koomson that does a wonderful job of highlighting just how easily people can be emotionally and psychologically exploited, and reminds us that even those we think we know so well often have deep, dark secrets they choose to hide.

 

This novel is available now.

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

                

 

 

Thank you to Mobius Books US for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Dorothy Koomson

Hello, my name's Dorothy Koomson and I'll try to make this bit that's all about me as interesting as possible.

I wrote my first novel called There's A Thin Line Between Love And Hate when I was 13. I used to write a chapter every night then pass it around to my fellow convent school pupils every morning, and they seemed to love it.

I grew up in London and then grew up again in Leeds when I went to university. I eventually returned to London to study for my master's degree and stayed put for the following years. I took up various temping jobs and eventually got my big break writing, editing and subbing for various women's magazines and national papers.

Fiction and storytelling were still a HUGE passion of mine and I continued to write short stories and novels every spare moment that I got. In 2001 I had the idea for The Cupid Effect and my career as a published novelist began. And it's been fantastic. In 2006, my third novel, My Best Friend's Girl was published. It was incredibly successful - selling nearly 90,000 copies within its first few weeks on sale. Six weeks later, it was selected for the Richard & Judy Summer Reads Book Club and the book went on to sell over 500,000 copies. Oh, there I go again, this is meant to be about me, not my novels.

Okay, back to me. I recently spent two years living in Sydney Australia, and now I'm back in England. But I can't say for how long I'll be in the UK because I've been well and truly bitten by the travel bug.

Photo courtesy of Author's Website.

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#BlogTour #BookReview The Midwife’s Secret by Emily Gunnis @EmilyGunnis @Mobius_Books @headlinepg #TheMidwifesSecret #EmilyGunnis #MobiusBooksUS

categories: 9/10, Blog Tour, Book Review, Historical Fiction, Mystery/Thriller
#BlogTour #BookReview The Midwife’s Secret by Emily Gunnis @EmilyGunnis @Mobius_Books @headlinepg #TheMidwifesSecret #EmilyGunnis #MobiusBooksUS Title: The Midwife's Secret

Author: Emily Gunnis

Published by: Headline Books on Dec. 7, 2021

Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 384

Format: Hardcover

Source: Mobius Books US

Book Rating: 9/10

A little girl goes missing from Yew Tree Manor – the same house from which a girl vanished decades before. Does the key to the present lie buried even deeper in the past, in the forgotten history of an innocent midwife accused by a family of shocking betrayal? A gripping, heartwrenching story of love, loyalty and family secrets.

From the internationally bestselling author of THE GIRL IN THE LETTER and THE LOST CHILD.

When six-year-old Alice Hilton goes missing in the snow on New Year’s Eve 1969 from Yew Tree Manor, suspicion immediately falls on local man Alf Simms. Simms had a grievance against Alice’s father, wealthy Richard Hilton, and he is arrested, tried and found guilty for Alice’s death. Tragically the child is never found.

Decades later, Willow Simms, an architect working on a development at Yew Tree Manor, discovers that the land surrounding the house is holding a secret. And when another little girl goes missing from Yew Tree, Willow realizes the key to her disappearance lies in the history of the house, and the two families attached to it. A terrible wrong needs to be made right…and to uncover it, Willow must unravel events from long ago, when in 1919 a court sentenced a midwife to death, for a shocking crime that happened at Yew Tree Manor…

Review:

Absorbing, mysterious, and moving!

The Midwife’s Secret transports you to Sussex, England between 1946 and 2017, and immerses you into the ongoing, complex, multi-generational relationships between the wealthy, entitled Hilton family and the poor, victimized James family complete with all the powerful emotions, despicable tales, long-buried secrets, and unimaginable tragedy that has tied them together for the past seventy years.

The prose is eloquent and expressive. The characters are vulnerable, conflicted, and hardworking. And the plot is an enthralling, emotional saga filled with life, loss, familial drama, survival, betrayal, corruption, social injustice, tragedy, inequality, manipulation, and heartbreak.

Overall, The Midwife’s Secret is a heart-tugging, clever, haunting tale by Gunnis that reminds us that the choices we make often have far-reaching consequences, and skeletons often find their way to the surface no matter how well they’re buried.

This novel is available now.

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

                

 

 

Thank you to Mobius Books US for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Emily Gunnis

Emily Gunnis previously worked in TV drama and lives in Brighton with her young family. She is one of the four daughters of Sunday Times bestselling author Penny Vincenzi.

Photo courtesy of Author's Website.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

 

#BookReview All My Lies Are True By Dorothy Koomson @DorothyKoomson @Mobius_Books @headlinepg #AllMyLiesAreTrue #DorothyKoomson #MobiusBooksUS

categories: 9/10, Book Review, Mystery/Thriller
#BookReview All My Lies Are True By Dorothy Koomson @DorothyKoomson @Mobius_Books @headlinepg #AllMyLiesAreTrue #DorothyKoomson #MobiusBooksUS Title: All My Lies Are True

Author: Dorothy Koomson

Series: Poppy & Serena #2

Published by: Headline Books on Mar. 9, 2021

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 400

Format: Paperback

Source: Mobius Books US

Book Rating: 9/10

From the bestselling author of The Ice Cream Girls comes a gripping emotional thriller of love and obsession and the nature of coercive control. ‘The author plays a blinder’ says the Sun.

Verity is telling lies…
And that’s why she’s about to be arrested for attempted murder.

Serena has been lying for years. . .
And that may have driven her daughter, Verity, to do something unthinkable…

Poppy’s lies have come back to haunt her . . .
So will her quest for the truth hurt everyone she loves?

Everyone lies.
But whose lies are going to end in tragedy?

Review:

Twisty, tragic, and unpredictable!

All My Lies Are True is the tortuous, cunning sequel to The Ice Cream Girls that takes you into the life of Poppy Carlisle’s brother, Logan, who is consumed with vindication, revenge, and an all-consuming love affair with Serena Gorringe’s daughter, Verity.

The prose is tight and intense. The characters are secretive, scarred, and troubled. And the plot told from multiple perspectives and using a past/present, back-and-forth style builds and unravels quickly into an ominous tale filled with deep-seated resentments, suspicious motivations, shocking revelations, familial drama, deception, lies, obsession, abuse, and violence.

Overall, All My Lies Are True is an unsettling, clever, riveting tale by Koomson that delves into the long-reaching, enduring emotional and psychological damage caused by traumatic events and highlights just how easily dominance, intimidation, and manipulation can be masked as love.

This novel is available now.

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

                

 

 

Thank you to Mobius Books US for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Dorothy Koomson

Hello, my name's Dorothy Koomson and I'll try to make this bit that's all about me as interesting as possible.

I wrote my first novel called There's A Thin Line Between Love And Hate when I was 13. I used to write a chapter every night then pass it around to my fellow convent school pupils every morning, and they seemed to love it.

I grew up in London and then grew up again in Leeds when I went to university. I eventually returned to London to study for my master's degree and stayed put for the following years. I took up various temping jobs and eventually got my big break writing, editing and subbing for various women's magazines and national papers.

Fiction and storytelling were still a HUGE passion of mine and I continued to write short stories and novels every spare moment that I got. In 2001 I had the idea for The Cupid Effect and my career as a published novelist began. And it's been fantastic. In 2006, my third novel, My Best Friend's Girl was published. It was incredibly successful - selling nearly 90,000 copies within its first few weeks on sale. Six weeks later, it was selected for the Richard & Judy Summer Reads Book Club and the book went on to sell over 500,000 copies. Oh, there I go again, this is meant to be about me, not my novels.

Okay, back to me. I recently spent two years living in Sydney Australia, and now I'm back in England. But I can't say for how long I'll be in the UK because I've been well and truly bitten by the travel bug.

Photo courtesy of Author's Website.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram

#BookReview The Paper Bracelet by Rachael English @EnglishRachael @Mobius_Books @headlinepg #ThePaperBracelet #RachaelEnglish #MobiusBooksUS

categories: 9/10, Book Review, Historical Fiction
#BookReview The Paper Bracelet by Rachael English @EnglishRachael @Mobius_Books @headlinepg #ThePaperBracelet #RachaelEnglish #MobiusBooksUS Title: The Paper Bracelet

Author: Rachael English

Published by: Headline Books on Jan. 5, 2021

Genres: Historical Fiction

Pages: 384

Format: Paperback

Source: Mobius Books US

Book Rating: 9/10

Every baby’s bracelet held a mother’s secret…

Inspired by heartrending real events, the gripping new novel from No. 1 bestselling author Rachael English. Readers of Diane Chamberlain and Kathryn Hughes will love this book.

‘A true storyteller who keeps you turning the pages’ Cathy Kelly

For almost fifty years, Katie Carroll has kept a box tucked away inside her wardrobe. It dates from her time working as a nurse in a west of Ireland mother and baby home in the 1960s. The box contains a notebook holding the details of the babies and young women she met there. It also holds many of the babies’ identity bracelets.

Following the death of her husband, Katie makes a decision. The information she possesses could help reunite adopted people with their birth mothers, and she decides to post a message on an internet forum. Soon the replies are rolling in, and Katie finds herself returning many of the bracelets to their original owners. She encounters success and failure, heartbreak and joy. But is she prepared for old secrets to be uncovered in her own life?

Review:

Absorbing, poignant, and heartrending!

The Paper Bracelet is a harrowing, moving novel set in Ireland during the 1970s, as well as present-day, that takes you into the halls of Carrigbrack, a mother-and-baby home run by nuns where unwed pregnant girls are unwillingly banished to repent, deliver, and subsequently relinquish their parental rights under conditions of emotional and physical abuse, meagre basic necessities, excessive workloads, and often vicious, sadistic punishments and the complex, emotional journey to reacquaint mothers with their long-lost children years later.

The prose is sentimental and rich. The characters are vulnerable, strong, and brave. And the plot told from multiple perspectives is a compelling blend of life, loss, secrets, surprises, heartbreak, abuse, survival, motherhood, and friendship.

Overall, The Paper Bracelet is a compassionate, enlightening, hopeful tale inspired by true-life events that is a haunting reminder of all those women who lived, suffered, and endured in these horrific institutions and continued to do so late into the 20th century. It’s a book that, ultimately, needs to be read to appreciate just how well researched, beautifully written, and extremely memorable it truly is.

This novel is available now.

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

                

 

 

Thank you to Mobius Books US for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Rachael English

Rachael English is the author of five novels: GOING BACK, which was shortlisted for the most-promising newcomer award at the Irish Book Awards, EACH AND EVERY ONE, THE AMERICAN GIRL, which reached number one on the Irish paperback best sellers list, THE NIGHT OF THE PARTY and THE PAPER BRACELET.
Like many many writers, she also has a day job. She's a presenter on the radio programme, Morning Ireland.

Photograph courtesy of Author's Goodreads Page.

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#BookReview No Mercy by Martina Cole @MartinaCole @headlinepg @HBGCanada

categories: 8/10, Book Review, Mystery/Thriller
#BookReview No Mercy by Martina Cole @MartinaCole @headlinepg @HBGCanada Title: No Mercy

Author: Martina Cole

Published by: Headline Books on Dec. 24, 2019

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 416

Format: Paperback

Source: HBG Canada

Book Rating: 8/10

Family always come first. Until now.

No more waiting, the new novel from the No. 1 bestselling phenomenon Martina Cole is here, and it’s pure Martina gold. No Mercy is a heart-stopping rollercoaster ride of a read that proves there really is only one Martina Cole.

Diana Davis has been head of the family business since the death of her husband, an infamous bank robber. She’s a woman in a man’s world, but no one messes with her.

Her only son, Angus, is a natural born villain, but he needs to earn Diana’s trust before she’ll allow him into the business.

Once he’s proved he has the brains to run their clubs in Marbella, he is given what he’s always wanted. It’s the beginning of a reign of terror that knows no bounds.

But Angus has a blind spot: his wife, Lorna, and their three kids, Angus Junior, Sean and Eilish. And as the next generation enters the business, Angus has a painful truth to learn. Even when it comes to family, he must show no mercy…

Review:

Dark, pacey, and exceptionally gritty!

This latest novel by Cole, No Mercy, is a graphic, engrossing, gang thriller that takes you on a journey into the calculated and disturbing criminal underworld and immerses you in all the manipulation, immorality, depravity, and violence found there.

The prose is crisp and precise. The characters are hot-tempered, callous, and impulsive. And the plot is a fast-paced, riveting tale full of twists, turns, action, intrigue, power, corruption, duplicity, terror, and murder.

Overall, No Mercy is a sinister, edgy, chillingly plausible tale that highlights just how easily the line between right and wrong can become extremely blurry for those with nefarious tendencies, and reminds us that money and greed are often the root of all evil.

 

This book is available now.

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

                 

 

 

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

 

About Martina Cole

Martina Cole was born and brought up in Essex. She is the bestselling author of fourteen novels set in London's gangland, and her most recent three paperbacks have gone straight to No. 1 in the Sunday Times on first publication. Total sales of Martina's novels stand at over eight million copies.

Photograph courtesy of Author's Website.

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