Play Of Shadows by Sebastien De Castell

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Damelas Shademantaigne picked a poor night to flee a judicial duel. He has precious little hope of escaping the wrath of the Vixen, the most feared duellist in the entire city, until he stumbles through the stage doors of the magnificent Operato Belleza and tricks his way into the company of actors. An archaic law provides a temporary respite from his troubles – until one night a ghostly voice in his head causes Damelas to fumble his lines, inadvertently blurting out a dreadful truth: the city’s most legendary hero may actually be a traitor and a brutal murderer. With only the help of his boisterous and lusty friend Bereto, a beautiful assassin whose target may well be Damelas himself, and a company of misfit actors who’d just as soon see him dead, this failed son of two Greatcoats must somehow find within himself the courage to dig up long-buried truths before a ruthless band of bravos known as the Iron Orchids come for his head.Oh, and there’s still that matter of the Vixen waiting to duel him…

This was really good. I had such a fun time with it. I absolutely love Sebastien De Castell’s writing style. He is great at writing characters. Damelas is an excellent leading character. I really got behind him and wanted him to succeed. I enjoyed all the side characters and they bounce off each other perfectly. The atmosphere and world building are excellently written. This author can really write an action scene that puts you right there with the characters. The thing I absolutely love about Sebastien De Castell’s writing is his humour and his injection of emotions. One minute you’re fearing for the characters lives and the next you are laughing your head off. I also listened to the audio and the voice actor Joe Jameson does an amazing job of bringing these characters and story to life. I cannot wait for the next instalment of this series.

Thank you to Quercus Books for the advanced copy of this book.

Heartsong by TJ Klune

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All Robbie Fontaine ever wanted was a place to belong. After the death of his mother, he bounces around from pack to pack, forming temporary bonds to keep from turning feral. It’s enough —until he receives a summons from the wolf stronghold in Caswell, Maine. Life as the trusted second to Michelle Hughes-the Alpha of all —and the cherished friend of a gentle old witch teaches Robbie what it means to be pack, to have a home. But when a mission from Michelle sends Robbie into the field, he finds himself questioning where he belongs and everything he’s been told. Whispers of traitorous wolves and wild magic abound —but who are the traitors and who the betrayed? More than anything, Robbie hungers for answers, because one of those alleged traitors is Kelly Bennett-the wolf who may be his mate. The truth has a way of coming out. And when it does, everything will shatter.

I really enjoyed this one. It’s so wholesome and cosy. I liked the world and the adventure elements. The characters were really likeable. I like the relationships between the characters and the LGBT rep was really good. I don’t think the fact that I haven’t read the first two books in the series hindered me in anyway. I listened to the audio and the narrator did a good job of bringing the story to life. Although I did did the audio a little on the slower side, I bumped it up to 3x speed and could have gone faster, but that’s just person preference. All in all, a cute read that I am going to have to backtrack and read the first two of the series.

Thank you to MacMillan UK Audio for this advanced copy.

Starling House by Alix E Harrow

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Eden, Kentucky, is just another dying, bad-luck town, known only for the legend of E. Starling, the reclusive nineteenth-century author and illustrator who wrote The Underland–and disappeared. Before she vanished, Starling House appeared. But everyone agrees that it’s best to let the uncanny house-and its last lonely heir, Arthur Starling-go to rot. Opal knows better than to mess with haunted houses or brooding men, but an unexpected job offer might be a chance to get her brother out of Eden. Too quickly, though, Starling House starts to feel dangerously like something she’s never had: a home. As sinister forces converge on Starling House, Opal and Arthur are going to have to make a dire choice to dig up the buried secrets of the past and confront their own fears, or let Eden be taken over by literal nightmares. If Opal wants a home, she’ll have to fight for it.

I really liked this book. I was easily hooked and found it hard to put down. Harrow sets the scene well with a dark and eerie atmosphere. I liked our lead character Opal. She’s down on her luck and struggling to make ends meet but she’s definitely relatable. The plot is well thought out with great back stories of the house and Starling family. There are footnotes for added information where needed. I listened to the audio and Natalie Naudus does a great job of being this story to life. This is definitely a must read for October.

Thank you to MacMillan UK Audio for the advanced audiobook.

Too Far by Sylvia Day

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You can’t believe all of them, but can you trust any of them? Lily Black was presumed dead for years. Now, she’s back in the unquestioning arms of her loving husband, Kane. Where she’s been remains a mystery, but her past sins haunt her and bring deadly danger into the lives of the family. Meanwhile Aliyah, Kane’s mother, has worked hard for her position of power. She has never believed Lily is who she says she is, and will stop at nothing to expose her. Amy, Kane’s sister-in-law, has always been a pawn in the dangerous games this family plays. But she knows she deserves more, and will do anything to claim the biggest prize. Three women fight to outrun their pasts. But could they have more in common than they think?

I struggled to like this one. The writing style was hard to adjust to as it just didn’t seem to flow too easily. Although a lot is happening, nothing is really happening. Because there is so much going on, the time line keeps jumping and we keep changing characters, it’s hard to follow and link to any character. It also means that much of the plot is not fleshed out as much as I would have like. I did however like a few of the characters. I like Rogelio, strong and doesn’t take any shit. I enjoyed Kane. And Witte’s chapters were good.

Thank you to Penguin Random House for this advanced copy.

Days At The Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa

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Hidden in Jimbocho, Tokyo, is a booklover’s paradise. On a quiet corner in an old wooden building lies a shop filled with hundreds of second-hand books. Twenty-five-year-old Takako has never liked reading, although the Morisaki bookshop has been in her family for three generations. It is the pride and joy of her uncle Satoru, who has devoted his life to the bookshop since his wife Momoko left him five years earlier. When Takako’s boyfriend reveals he’s marrying someone else, she reluctantly accepts her eccentric uncle’s offer to live rent-free in the tiny room above the shop. Hoping to nurse her broken heart in peace, Takako is surprised to encounter new worlds within the stacks of books lining the Morisaki bookshop. As summer fades to autumn, Satoru and Takako discover they have more in common than they first thought. The Morisaki bookshop has something to teach them both about life, love, and the healing power of books.

This book definitely gave me the cosy vibes. Although I didn’t connect with the characters as much as I would have liked. It felt flat in places where there could be so much more depth. There are some good plot points around new beginnings, friendships and family but it also has a really strong sense that books can be so transformative. I don’t know if it’s the writing or probably the translation but it didn’t flow as easily in some spots. I preferred the first section of this book to the second. The audio narration was decent and easy to follow along with the book. I think if you are really into your books and like a cosy bookshop vibe then you should give this a go.

Thank you to Bonnier UK for this advanced audiobook.

Bookshops And Bonedust by Travis Baldree

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Viv’s career with the notorious mercenary company Rackam’s Ravens isn’t going as planned. Wounded during the hunt for a powerful necromancer, she’s packed off against her will to recuperate in the sleepy beach town of Murk-so far from the action that she worries she’ll never be able to return to it. What’s a thwarted soldier of fortune to do? Spending her hours at a beleaguered bookshop in the company of its foul-mouthed proprietor is the last thing Viv would have predicted, but it may be both exactly what she needs and the seed of changes she couldn’t possibly imagine. Still, adventure isn’t all that far away. A suspicious traveler in gray, a gnome with a chip on her shoulder, a summer fling, and an improbable number of skeletons prove Murk to be more eventful than Viv could have ever expected.

Loved this. It was so heart warming and cosy. Loved seeing a younger Viv and you can really see different sides of her personality. I love the new characters we met. Fern owns the bookshop and loves to recommend great books that the reader would have never of picked up. There’s a beautiful relationship between Fern and Viv. A baker, a carpenter and a doctor add to the fun cast of characters. The descriptions of Murk make you feel like you’re really there. I also listened to the fabulous audio that really bought the book to life. If you loved Legends & Lattes then you’ll love this. I need more books in this world please.

Thank you to Pan MacMillan and Macmillan UK Audio for this advanced copy.

Good Bad Girl by Alice Feeney

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Sometimes bad things happen to good people, so good people have to do bad things. Twenty years after a baby is stolen from a stroller, a woman is murdered in a care home. The two crimes are somehow linked, and a good bad girl may be the key to discovering the truth. Edith may have been tricked into a nursing home, but at eighty-years-young, she’s planning her escape. Patience works there, cleaning messes and bonding with Edith, a kindred spirit. But Patience is lying to Edith about almost everything. Edith’s own daughter, Clio, won’t speak to her. And someone new is about to knock on Clio’s door…and their intentions aren’t good. With every reason to distrust each other, the women must solve a mystery with three suspects, two murders, and one victim. If they do, they might just find out what happened to the baby who disappeared, the mother who lost her, and the connections that bind them.

I loved this. I was hooked from the beginning. The plot is intriguing and twisty. A total page turner that I managed to get through in just a couple of days. The characters are all likeable and interesting with believable back stories. The beginning may seem a little slow as the characters are established but it’s definitely worth the wait. The writing is brilliant and easy to follow. I will definitely be adding Alice Feeney to my list of must buy authors.

Thank you to Pan MacMillan for this advanced copy.

The Ghost Woods by C.J. Cooke

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In the midst of the woods stands a house called Lichen Hall. This place is shrouded in folklore-old stories of ghosts, of witches, of a child who was not quite a child. Now the woods are creeping closer, and something has been unleashed. Pearl Gorham arrives in 1965, one of a string of young women sent to Lichen Hall to give birth. And she soon suspects the proprietors are hiding something. Then she meets the mysterious mother and young boy who live in the grounds-and together they begin to unpick the secrets of this place. As the truth comes to the surface and the darkness moves in, Pearl must rethink everything she knew-and risk what she holds most dear.

This one started slow for me, however I persevered. The pace did pick up after a while. It’s well written, it’s creative, descriptive and well thought out. I like that it’s atmospheric and I really like the isolated setting. There’s a great cast of characters who are easy to root for. Unfortunately it fell a little flat. I got the sense of the gothic vibe but it not really creepy enough for me. Although predictable , I did enjoy the ending. If you’re looking for an atmospheric gothic read, this could be for you.

Thank you to HarperCollins UK for this advance copy.

The Cruise by Catherine Cooper

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A glamorous ship. A mysterious cast of passengers. And a New Year’s Eve party that goes horribly wrong… During a New Year’s Eve party on a large cruise ship in the Caribbean, the ship’s dancer, Lola, disappears. The ship is searched and the coastguard is called, but there is no sign of her, either dead or alive. Lola was popular on the ship but secretive about her background, and as the mystery around her deepens, each passenger becomes a suspect. Who was she arguing with the night she vanished? Why did she come aboard the cruise in the first place? What was she running from?

Unfortunately this one wasn’t really for me. The premise was intriguing and the beginning was pretty good. It drew me in but then the subplot was introduced that didn’t really fit, so it felt like I was reading two different books. I understand why it was introduced but because of this it took me longer to pick up and for me to stay interested. I liked the mixed media of newpaper cutting and interview transcripts. The ending was good and tied everything together. I will try this author again in the future.

Thank you to HarperCollins UK for this advanced copy.

Skinny Dipping At The Pond On A Hot Summer Day by Ruan Willow

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Star Monet is a sumptuous woman and she has needs, sexual needs. She strips with the intent to pleasure herself right on the pond’s shore, after all, she’s alone right? Phineas Larson, a farmer and assistant manager on a nearby farm owned by his dad, can’t believe his luck when he sneaks up and catches a goddess satisfying herself. A swim is what they both need and want, but seeing each other naked is no way to start a romance.

This was a quick, steamy read. The set up wasn’t so good, grammatical and anatomical errors but once we got to the steam, it was hot and well written. I liked the characters. But Star felt a little immature. Larson however was pretty dreamy. If you want a quick erotica to fill an afternoon, then this could be for you.

Thank you to Ruan Willow for this advanced copy.