From the Book Elf

  A Long Time Burning  by J A Higgins A Long Time Burning by J A Higgins was published on 21st September 2022.  My thanks to the author for sending me a copy to review and to  Rachel at Rachel's Random Resources for inviting me to take part on the tour. Synopsis Nell has had a terrible year, so she travels to North Chase to find some true Christmas magic. But the town has its own problems; its solstice festival is tainted by the disappearance of two teenage boys and a witch's curse is blamed. Then, nine-month-old Ava is threatened. Has a medieval killer been awoken or does something else haunt the woods? Nell must battle through horrific nightmares and face her own demons to expose the truth before another child is spirited away. There is magic in the air this Christmas, but behind the tinsel and baubles glitters a terrifying secret that one family has hidden for centuries, and only Nell can uncover it. My Review This was an absolutely gripping, supernatural rea...

  The Highlander's Unexpected Bride  by Nicole Locke  The Highlander's Unexpected Bride by Nicole Locke  was published on 28th September 2023 by Mills & Boon . My thanks to the author and the publisher for sending me a copy to review and to Rachel of Rachel's Random Resources for inviting me to take part on the tour. Synopsis Is the wife the Highlander seeks …already by his side? Back from battle, Hamilton of Clan Graham makes a bet with his brother: to find a wife by summer’s end! The Scottish warrior enlists his childhood friend Beileag to help him woo the perfect woman. But, like he has, Beileag has changed whilst he’s been away—and she intrigues him as never before… His focus  should  be on winning a bride. So why is Beileag all he can think about? My Review For all those Mills & Boon fans out there , The Highlander's Unexpected Bride won't disappoint. As hamilton and Beileag embark on the road to love and all the trials and tribu...

 Deadly Deceit  by Mari Hannah Deadly Deceit by Mari Hannah was published on 11th April 2013 by Pan Books  My thanks to the author and the publisher for sending me a copy to review and to Tracy at Compulsive Readers for inviting me to be a part of  #TeamDaniels in the lead up to the latest book in the series  The Longest Goodbye being published on 18th January 2024 Synopsis Four a.m on a wet stretch of the A1 and a driver skids out of control. Quick on the scene, Senior Investigating Officer Kate Daniels and partner DS Hank Gormley are presented with a horrifying image of carnage and mayhem that quickly becomes one of the worst road traffic accidents in Northumberland s history. But as the casualties mount up, they soon realise that not all deaths were as a result of the accident . . . On the other side of town a house goes up in flames, turning its two inhabitants into charred corpses. Seemingly unconnected with the traffic accident, Kate sets about invest...

  Doris  by H.O.WARD When life is hard.... love is strong! Doris by H.O WARD was published in 2020. It has been a privilege to read this lovely story of love and humanity that Howard gifted to me in exchange for an honest review and yes Howard this is an honest review. A COMPELLING AND VISCERAL STORY THAT TOUCHES THE DEPTH OF HUMAN HEARTS Synopsis Based on a true encounter by the author, H.O.WARD, presents his character Doris as a homeless vagabond on the streets of London in 1966, where she has the misfortune to fall ill and be taken to hospital by her street friend Harry. It is Harry who continues the story of Doris, a tender and caring Queen Alexandra Nurse, telling of her journey through military training in Inverary, SCotland, her experience of war torn Italy in Anzio, and her romance in Florence, before her forced return to London, England. As with all lives , they should not be judged on the merits of the surroundings in which the person is first encountered, but b...

  Things We Do For Love  by Vered Neta Things We Do For Love by Vered Neta was published on 21st June 2023 . My thanks to Vered for sending me a copy to review and to Rachel of Rachel's Random Resources for inviting me to take part on the tour. Synopsis Daisy Bach, a therapist, has always been certain that she did not want to have children. Her childhood experiences with an overbearing and controlling mother, Verity, who tore the family apart, further cemented this decision. However, at the age of forty-five, Daisy finds herself reconsidering this choice. ​ Unfortunately, her decision to try and conceive is complicated by her mother's diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. With strained family relationships, Daisy faces the daunting task of caring for her elderly parents while also attempting to conceive. ​ As she navigates this challenging time, Daisy is forced to confront her deep-seated resentment towards Verity. This journey leads her to re-evaluate her beliefs about motherh...

  Maybe it's about Time  by Neil Boss Synopsis Two people trapped in their different worlds. One by wealth and one by poverty. Twenty years working for The Firm has given Marcus Barlow everything he wants but has taken his soul in return. Finding a way to leave has become an obsession.   Claire Halford’s life hits rock bottom when she is caught stealing food from Tesco Express. Left alone by her husband with two small children and an STI, her suicide music is starting to play louder in her head.   A chance meeting brings them together. As a mystery virus from China starts to run riot across the country, their world’s collide and they find they have more in common than they knew.   Set in the early months of 2020, Maybe It’s About Time is a story about the difficulty of changing lives for the better. Starting as a funny and satirical view of the egocentric world of professional services, it gives way to a heart-warming story of an unlikely friendship that rejuven...

  Singles' Holiday  by Elaine Spires Singles' Holiday is the first in a series of books by Elaine Spires and was published in 2012. My thanks to the author for sending me a copy to review and to Rachel at Rachel's Random Resources for inviting me to take part on the tour. Synopsis Antigua. . . the Caribbean at its most luscious, its most beautiful. . . silver sand, cobalt sky, warm turquoise sea. . . and a bunch of complete strangers, who only have one thing in common: they're single. Some are looking for romance, some for something else. But they've all chosen to spend their holiday with people they have never met before. And pretty soon, some will become good friends, some enemies and some lovers. And many of them will experience things they never expected, including their tour manager Eve, who perhaps has the biggest shock of all. A story that will make you laugh and make you cry with just the right number of twists to keep you turning the pages as you get to kno...

 Bus Rhymes and Playtime  by Sue Wickstead My thanks to the author and the publisher for sending me a copy to review and to Rachel at Rachel's Random Resources for inviting me to take part on the tour. Have you got your ticket ready? ​ Where shall we go today? ​ Why not jump on board the bus ​ – come along to sing and play. ​ So, take your seat as off we go. ​ What could happen along the way? ​ (Rhymes for Jay-Jay; Daisy; Sparky and Gloria too. Tickets with questions to answer as well as poems for storybooks)   My Review This is a lovely rhyming book for young children who will experience many hours of reading enjoyment with it. Right from the very first poem, and the stunning illustrations, this book shows itself to be one of those books every child should have read to them before moving on to read it for themselves and then for them to maybe read it to younger siblings and friends over the ensuing years. The language, amount of writing in regar...

  Scareground  by Angela Kecojevic Roll up, roll up, the Scareground is in town! Scareground by Angela Kecojevic was published on 7th September 2023 by Neem Tree Press.  My thanks to the author and the publisher for sending me a copy to review and to  The Write Reads for inviting me to take part on the tour. Synopsis Twelve-year-old Nancy Crumpet lives above a bakery and her life is a delightful mix of flour, salt, and love. Yet her mind is brimming with questions no one can answer:  Why did her birth parents disappear?  Why can she speak with the sky?  And why must she keep her mysterious birthmark hidden? Everything is about to change when the Scareground returns to Greenwich. Nancy is convinced it holds the answers to her parents’ disappearance. Nancy and her best friend Arthur Green meet the fair’s spooky owner, Skelter, and discover a world full of dark magic and mystery. Nancy must confront her greatest fears to get to the truth. But is she ready...