Coffee and Kindle Book Reviews: September 2018

Friday 28 September 2018

The Victoria Lie by Sarah Marie Graye

The Victoria Lie

Sarah Marie Graye

So today it is my turn on the blog tour for this book. Thank you to Rachel's Random Resources and to Sarah Marie Graye for my copy of this book.

Book blurb

When is a lie a lifeline? To Tori lies are everything.
ZOE wants to end her life. But she can’t just leave a note. She needs to say goodbye to boyfriend JAMES and best friend ALISON.
TORI is waiting in the wings to fill the space ZOE will leave behind, wanting to claim both James and Alison for herself.
But with ZOE still alive and Alison's childhood friend RUBY now on the scene vying to fill the gap, TORI realises she has her work cut out.
Just what lengths is TORI willing to go to in order to claim Alison and James for herself?
(Trigger warnings: Suicide, depression, IRA bombings, ADHD, Autism, manipulative characters.)

My review

This book is very different to the usual type of book I would read but I thought I would give it a try as you never know what you might find out.

The subject of the book is one that most people would maybe find difficult to address however I found that Sarah was able to address the subject of suicide very well and it was obviously well researched. I think the book is very well written as this is a very difficult subject and I think its great that Sarah didn't shy away from it. I think it was good that the effects were shown through with each character however I did find it difficult at times with how quickly it skipped from character to character. I was pleased that Zoe could get the help she needed. This is the second book in the series and I feel I might have found it easier to read if I had read the first book, however it can be read as a standalone read.

This is the first book I have read by Sarah Marie Graye and I would really like to read more.

Purchase Links

Amazon Book Page https://getbook.at/VictoriaLie

Amazon Author Page https://author.to/SarahMarieGraye

Author Bio

British writer Sarah Marie Graye is the author of The Butterfly Effect series, which looks at suicides and those left behind. The Second Cup, the first book in the series, was published in July 2017, and this Blog Tour is to celebrate the launch of the second book in the series, The Victoria Lie.

Social Media

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/sarahmariegraye

Twitter https://twitter.com/SarahMarieGraye

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/sarahmariegraye

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/sarahmariegraye

Giveaway

Giveaway – Win 3 x Signed copies of The Victoria Lie by Sarah Marie Graye (Open to UK Only)

*Terms and Conditions –UK entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box

below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and

will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then I

reserve the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or

over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose

only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’

information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the

prize, after which time I will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or

delivery of the prize.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/33c69494138/

I hope you have enjoyed reading my blog today.

Thursday 27 September 2018

Bear With Me by Jessica Redland

Bear With Me

Jessica Redland

So today I am taking part in the blog tour for this amazing novel from Jessica Redland. Such a treat from Start to finish. Read on for my review. Happy Reading!

Book Description

Jemma has the job of her dreams as curator for the children’s section of a museum in London.
She spends each day surrounded by the one thing she’s absolutely passionate about: teddybears. When boyfriend, Scott, shows a genuine interest in her passion instead of laughing at her for “playing with teddies all day”, she knows he’s a keeper. Returning home to the North Yorkshire seaside town of Whitsborough Bay to celebrate her birthday, Jemma thinks she’s heading for her happy-ever-after when Scott unexpectedly proposes. So, a few days later, why isn’t he retuning her calls or responding to her texts?

Julie has always been a wonderful single mother to Jemma and her little brother, Sean. As owner of specialist teddy bear shop, Bear With Me, and the creative genius behind the successful range of Ju-Sea Bears, she inspires Jemma with her ability to balance a demanding career with home life. So why is the shop now in disarray and why is Sean so upset?

Sam thought he had his future all worked out. With a promising neurology career, a home, and a devoted fiancée, life was looking good. But now he’s all alone in a strange city, far from everyone and everything he cares about, struggling to rebuild the tatters of his life. Did he do the right thing by running away? What does the future hold and is he strong enough to face it?

Sometimes love finds us when we least expect it. But sometimes love leaves us, just as unexpectedly. When you’ve loved and lost, can you bear to let love in again?

Bear With Me, as all will be revealed ...

My Review

This is a fantastic story of love and trust that is written so well that I devoured it in one sitting, even if I did find myself reaching for the tissues at times. I love the setting in Whitsborough Bay and I could really imagine myself strolling along the seafront watching the world go by.

My heart really went out to Jemma in this book as she is not only dealing with the man of her dreams (or so she thought) deceiving her in such an awful manner. She is also having to deal with the difficulties her mum is facing and making decisions that will affect her whole family. I think the decision Jemma made to move back to her home town to support her mum and the family business was a very brave and selfless thing to do and I really admired her for that.
Sam is finding it incredibly hard dealing with the grief of losing his wife to be Nikki and is not in a good place when he meets Jemma, however something sparks between them and they both feel that they have both found someone who can help them through their difficult times. As the story unfolds you get a real insight into both Jemma and Sams history and learn more and more about their pasts and why they are where they are today. This story has plenty of twists and turns and each one will have you wanting to read more and more. There are plenty of supporting characters in this book that help build up the story and each one plays a special part, both good, and bad in the lives of Sam and Jemma and they help with telling the story of them both.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
This is the first book I have read by Jessica Redland but I can assure you it will not be the last.

Purchase link
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bear-Me-youve-loved-again-ebook/dp/B07116632Y

Author Bio

Jessica had never considered writing as a career until a former manager kept telling her that her business reports read more like stories and she should write a book. She loved writing but had no plot ideas. Then something happened to her that prompted the premise for her debut novel, Searching for Steven. She put fingers to keyboard and soon realised she had a trilogy and a novella! She lives on the stunning North Yorkshire Coast – the inspiration for the settings in her books – with her husband, daughter, cat, Sprocker Spaniel, and an ever-growing collection of collectible teddy bears. Although if the dog has her way, the collection will be reduced to a pile of stuffing and chewed limbs!
Jessica tries to balance her time – usually unsuccessfully – between being an HR tutor and writing.

Social Media
Twitter www.twitter.com/@JessicaRedland

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/JessicaRedlandWriter/

Website and blog www.jessicaredland.com

Thank you to Rachels Random resources and Jessica Redland for my copy of this book.
if you enjoyed reading my blog today please share it with you friends.

Friday 21 September 2018

Take Me, I'm yours by Lizzie Lamb

Take Me, I'm Yours

Lizzie Lamb

Happy Friday everyone!

Today I am pleased to bring you my review of the fantastic new release from Lizzie Lamb as part of the blog tour arranged by Rachels Random Resources.

Happy reading!

Book Description

India Buchanan plans to set up an English-Style bed and breakfast establishment in her great-aunt’s home, MacFarlane’s Landing, Wisconsin. But she’s reckoned without opposition from Logan MacFarlane whose family once owned her aunt’s house and now want it back. MacFarlane is in no mood to be denied. His grandfather’s living on borrowed time and Logan has vowed to ensure the old man sees out his days in their former home. India’s great-aunt has other ideas and has threatened to burn the house to the ground before she lets a MacFarlane set foot in it. There’s a story here. One the family elders aren’t prepared to share. When India finds herself in Logan’s debt, her feelings towards him change. However, the past casts a long shadow and events conspire to deny them the love and happiness they both deserve. Can India and Logan’s love overcome all odds? Or is history about to repeat itself?

For the duration of the blog tour - Take Me, I'm Yours will be downloadable for 99p

My Review

This was the first book by Lizzie Lamb I have read and boy was it a treat to read. I enjoyed the story from start to finish. I thought all of the characters were written well and I enjoyed learning about the history of both the MacFarlane and Buchanan families, and finding out why there was such a battle for ownership of the house in MacFarlane's Landing, Wisconsin.

I loved the spark that there was between India and Logan, and their attraction for each other was evident from the first time they meet, although neither of them are keen to show this and they are both very guarded. As time goes on they both start to get to know one another, although India is very reluctant to do this at first, and only really accepts Logan being around when he steps in and helps her when her great-Aunt Elsbeth is taken ill. India starts to let her guard down and finds out that both of their upbringings are not all that different, and that they have more in common than they both first thought.

I was so pleased when romance really started to blossom although it wasn't long before there was a spanner in the works.

I wont reveal anymore otherwise I will spoil the story!

If you love a good romantic story then This book comes highly recommend. I can't wait to read more books by Lizzie Lamb.

Purchase links

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Take-Yours-Wisconsin-passionate-attraction-ebook/dp/B07FCT6J7M

Author Bio

After teaching her 1000th pupil and working as a deputy head teacher in a large primary school, Lizzie decided to pursue her first love: writing. She joined the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s New Writers’ Scheme, wrote Tall, Dark and Kilted (2012), quickly followed by Boot Camp Bride. She went on to publish Scotch on the Rocks, which achieved Best Seller status within two weeks of appearing on Amazon and her next novel, Girl in the Castle, reached #3 in the Amazon charts. Lizzie is a founder member of indie publishing group – New Romantics Press, and has co-hosted author events at Aspinall, St Pancras and Waterstones, Kensington, talking about the research which underpins her novels. Lizzie latest romance Take Me, I’m Yours is set in Wisconsin, a part of the USA which she adores. She has further Scottish-themed romances planned and has just returned from a tour of the Scottish Highlands in her caravan researching men in kilts. What’s not to like? As for the years she spent as a teacher, they haven’t quite gone to waste. She is building a reputation as a go-to speaker on indie publishing, and how to plan, write, and publish a debut novel. Lizzie lives in Leicestershire (UK) with her husband, David.
She loves to hear from readers, so do get in touch . . .

Lizzie's Links

https://www.amazon.com/author/lizzielamb

www.facebook.com/LizzieLambwriter

lizzielambwriter@gmail.com

www.lizzielamb.co.uk

Newsletter http://tinyurl.com/ELNL-2016

Linked in uk.linkedin.com/pub/lizzie-lamb/18/194/202/

Goodreads http://tinyurl.com/cbla48d

I really hope you enjoyed reading my blog post today and I look forward to you visiting me again.

Don't forget to click on the follow link to keep up with my blog and take a peek at all of the books I review.

Thank you.

Tuesday 18 September 2018

Haircuts, Hens and Homicide by Stephanie Dagg

Haircuts, Hens and Homicide

Stephanie Dagg

so today its my turn on this blog tour for this brilliant read. I loved every page and I hope you will too! thank you to Rachel's Random Resources and to Stephanie Dagg for my copy of this book.

Happy reading!

Book Description

Megan finds mayhem when she arrives in France to bury her Gran and sort out her affairs. She expected difficult encounters with civil servants and red tape but not with wandering chickens, an imperious policeman and a dead body. Together with her unlikely new friend, the elderly and grumpy Alphonse and his canine equivalent, Monsieur Moustache, Megan becomes involved in investigating the fowl-related foul play that’s at work in this sleepy part of rural France.
She’s helped but mainly hindered by the people she comes across. These include the local mayor, who wants Megan to stay and set up a hair salon in his village to help keep it alive. There are the cousins Romain, the gendarme, and Nico, the clumsy but hunky farmer. They have always clashed, but do so constantly now that Megan is on the scene. Michelle, Romain’s terrifying ex who wants him back, appears along the way, as does Claudette, a wheelchair-bound old lady, and Kayla, Megan’s best friend, who is hugely pregnant but not above taking on the forces of French law and order when Megan finds herself the prime suspect after Alphonse is stabbed.
There’s excitement, humour and lots of ruffled feathers in this rom-com slash cosy mystery, the first in a projected series.

My Review

Wow what a brilliant and funny book that had me captivated from the first page to the last!

With a beautiful setting in a small French village, some very quirky and interesting characters and some poultry thrown into the mix this makes for a great fun read.

I really enjoyed getting to know all of the different characters within the book and it was great that the book was written from Megans perspective. Getting to hear about Megan's past gives you a good insight as to why she is now in France and about the relationship she had with her grandmother. All of the characters are so well described including some of the animals, and each of them is unique and they all have very different personalities which often leads to some heated discussions, especially between cousins Romain and Nico who are both very keen on becoming more than just friends with Megan. I loved the drama of the murder mystery in this book which will have you guessing right up to the end.

I thoroughly recommend this book and I think it really sets the scene for the next book in the series which you can get a sneak peak of at the end of the book. I am really looking forward to reading the next release from Stephanie Dagg

Purchase Links

getbook.at/HHH

Author Bio

I'm an English expat living in France, having moved here with my family in 2006 after fourteen years as an expat in Ireland. I now consider myself a European rather than 'belonging' to any particular country. The last ten years have been interesting, to put it mildly. Taking on seventy-five acres with three lakes, two hovels and one cathedral-sized barn, not to mention an ever increasing menagerie, makes for exciting times. The current array of animals includes alpacas, llamas, huarizos (alpaca- llama crossbreds, unintended in our case and all of them thanks to one very determined alpaca male), sheep, goats, pigs, ducks, geese, chickens and turkeys, not forgetting our pets of dogs, cats, zebra finches, budgies , canaries, lovebirds and Chinese quail. Before we came to France all we had was a dog and two chickens, so it's been a steep learning curve. I recount these experiences in my book Heads Above Water: Staying Afloat in France and the sequel to that, Total Immersion: Ten Years in France. I also blog regularly at www.bloginfrance.com.

I'm married to Chris and we have three bilingual TCKs (third culture kids) who are resilient and resourceful and generally wonderful.

I'm a traditionally-published author of many children's books, and am now self-publishing too. I have worked part-time as a freelance editor for thirty years after starting out as a desk editor for Hodder & Stoughton. Find me at www.editing.zone. The rest of the time I'm running carp fishing lakes with Chris and inevitably cleaning up some or other animal's poop.

Social Media

Facebook www.facebook.com/StephanieDaggBooks/

www.bloginfrance.com

Have a look on the left to read more reviews about Megan and her friends on this blog tour. Enjoy catching up with them all and seeing what other bloggers think.

Monday 17 September 2018

The Pretender by Katie Ward

The Pretender

Katie Ward

Hello and welcome to my blog. Today I am really excited to be part of this blog tour for Katie Ward. Thank you to Rachel's Random Resources for inviting me to take part.

read on for my review and for a chance to Win a signed original illustration from Emma Haines.

Happy reading!

Book Description

France 2000: Two babies are born on the same day just two hours apart - but to very different

lives. Isabella is a Princess and heir to the French throne, while Sophia is born into a life of

poverty and abuse at the hands of her father. At the age of 18, Sophia runs away from home.

That same night, Isabella is also fleeing from the burden of her royal life when she finds Sophia

slumped at the palace gates. Amazed by how alike they look, Isabella proposes a daring plot - to

exchange their lives for one week.

‘The Pretender’ is an emotionally intense and compelling story of friendship, love and the strange

power of destiny.

My Review

This is a fantastic, feminine and modern take on the classic tale of the 'Prince and the Pauper' I really enjoyed reading this fantastic new release from Katie Ward. This is a perfect YA book that I really got stuck into and could not put down. I found both of the main characters, Princess Isabella and Sophie to be very brave and strong characters who both really wanted to make changes to their lives and experience what each other have. I found the decisions they both made in their new lives to be very bold and decisive and what I thought was really good was how well they adapted to their new roles and all the challenges they faced.

I would recommend reading this book and I am looking forward to reading more from Katie Ward.

Purchase Links

Amazon UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pretender-Katie-Ward-ebook/dp/B07GDTD2VH/

Author Bio

Katie Ward always knew she wanted to write for a living. However, she was told by her careers advisor that “it might be more appropriate for you to work in a shop”. When Katie didn’t get the grades she needed to get into college, she negotiated a three month trial. After successfully completing the course she secured a place at her first choice university to study Journalism.
After realising she wanted to be an author, Katie moved to Dublin where she worked her way up from receptionist to Executive Assistant at Merrill Lynch. Katie continued to write in her spare time, submitting her short story into the “Do the Write Thing” competition being run by Irish TV show ‘Seoige and O’Shea’. This story was originally written when Katie was 14 after she was inspired by an article in her favourite teen magazine. Katie was the only non-Irish author selected to have her story published in an anthology of the same name which reached 19 in the Irish Best sellers List. Katie was also shortlisted for a competition judged by MAN Booker Prize winning author Roddy Doyle which was run by Metro Eireann newspaper.
Katie currently lives in Devon with her cat (aka ‘Her Royal Fluffiness’) where she sings in a community choir and has recently taken up Archery. Katie’s favourite author has been Roald Dahl since she was a child as she loves the dark edge he brings to his books. On the flip side though, Katie loves Disney, magic, unicorns and a good rom com film at the cinema with her friends.

Social Media

Twitter https://twitter.com/KatieWWriter

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/KatieWWriter

Website https://katiewardwriter.com/

Giveaway

Giveaway – Win a signed original illustration from Emma Haines (Open Internationally)

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome. Please enter using the

Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all

valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received

within 7 days then I reserve the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all

entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is

used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of

the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for

fulfilment of the prize, after which time I will delete the data. I am not responsible for

despatch or delivery of the prize.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/33c69494134/

Thursday 6 September 2018

A Wedding in Cornwall books 7-12 by Laura Briggs

A wedding in Cornwall

books 7-12

by Laura Briggs

So today I am very excited to be taking part in the blog Blitz for A Wedding in Cornwall.

I hope you enjoy reading my review and find the opportunity to take part in a giveaway to win some great prizes.

A Wedding in Cornwall (Books 7—12)

The last six novellas in the UK bestselling series A WEDDING IN CORNWALL are now available in one collection! Join American event planner Julianne in her final set of adventures 'across the pond' in beautiful Cornwall. From celebrity sightings to a local talent show, from a charming village fete to a secret Cornish garden, there's never a dull moment for Julianne and her Poldark-esque true love Matthew in the quaint village of Ceffylgwyn.

This collection contains A Romance in Cornwall, A Star in Cornwall, A Sewing Circle in Cornwall, A Talent Show in Cornwall, An American in Cornwall, and A Garden in Cornwall. Exclusive bonus materials include a sneak peek of the author's all-new 2019 Cornish romance series!

purchase link

http://smarturl.it/cornwallbooks7-12

My Review

This is great being able to put the last seven parts of this collection of short stories into one book which allows you to read them all at once. I really enjoyed all of the stories within this book and I loved how all the characters flowed from one book to another and how believable each character was however quirky they may seem.

My favourite story was number 7, A romance in Cornwall. This sees Julianne and Matt return from America after moving there for a few months for Matt's work. They move back into their beloved cottage and Julianne returns to work in Cliffs House as their events planner. Its while working that Julianne meets Romance author Rowena St. James who is in the area looking for some ideas for her latest book. Rowena is struggling for ideas so Julianne sets about trying to help with ideas by taking her to some of her favourite parts of the village and where some of the romantic things that have happened in her life with Matt, this causes Julianne to take a trip down memory lane and makes her wonder if living in Cornwall is the best place for her or should she move back to Seattle.

Another one of the short stories I enjoyed was Number 10 A Talent Show in Cornwall. I found this book really fun to read. Its about Rosie who is known as the local 'cat lady', and the local school teacher Lorie organising a talent show in the village after getting inspiration from the reality tv programme Fame Factor.

I found all of the books great to read and there is even a sneak peek at the end of the book of the next series coming from Laura Briggs in 2019 which sounds fantastic and I can't wait for it to be released.

Author Bio –

Laura Briggs is the author of several lighthearted romance novels and novellas, including the bestselling Amazon UK series A Wedding in Cornwall. She has a fondness for vintage-style dresses (especially ones with polka dots), and reads everything from Jane Austen to modern day mysteries. When she's not writing, she enjoys spending time with family, caring for her pets, going to movies and plays, and trying new restaurants.

Social Media links

Twitter https://twitter.com/PaperDollWrites

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/authorlaurabriggs/

Website https://paperdollwrites.blogspot.com/

Giveaway!

Giveaway to Win A Wedding in Cornwall – 3 different prizes (Open Internationally)
1st Name Drawn will win - A paperback copy of the anthology to be shipped to the winner by the author via Amazon
2nd Name Drawn will win - A digital/eBook copy of the anthology to be sent via email
3rd Name Drawn will win - A Smashwords coupon code good for a free download of 1 ‘Surprise eBook’ from the Cornwall series of novellas