NetGalley Reviewer nix21230

LETHAL ACTION is the ninth book in the Mason Sharpe thriller series by Logan Ryles - it's another corker! Something is not as it should be in Prairie Junction, Iowa, and Mason Sharpe's internal warning signals are ringing loud and clear.  Suddenly a swarm of choppers and trucks descend on the sleepy town and everyone is told to stay indoors whilst the town is put under complete lockdown with roadblocks restricting movements. As we know from previous escapades, Sharpe is not one to sit and wait, so he starts investigating. After witnessing a murder of a local man, it's clear that something big is happening.  Sharpe is soon calling in a favour from an old friend who is now in a position of power within central government.  Working together to outsmart the bad guys and trying to figure out what is actually happening we are treated to an action packed and intelligent thriller in true Sharpe style.  Highly recommended! #LethalAction #netgalley

Part of a series, but can be read standalone.  War time London and the three librarians Cordelia, Mavis, and Jane take to the streets to protest against their living conditions, standing up together against dirty landlords, rent increases and horrible living conditions.  The librarians also take books to the people, run treasure hunts within the library and provide hope to the local community. Cordelia enjoys life, but is split as to how far to take it with one of the American GIs. A bit of dancing, isn't wrong, is it? This story, is another great example of how history can come to life, be more real and provide us all with a better understanding of the struggles, perseverance and community present during the war in London.  A Better Tomorrow for the East End Library Girls by Patricia McBride will be published on 4 December 2024. #ABetterTomorrowfortheEastEndLibraryGirls #NetGalley

Noelle is heading back to her hometown to find out what her aunt has left her in her will. She's leaving it 'til last minute and in true Christmas story style, bad weather cancels her flights.  Completely distraught, she lets out her frustration on the Captain Kol Vinter. Against his better judgement, he offers to drive Noelle to her destination, it's close to where he is going. What could go wrong? It has all the tropes as listed in the blurb of the book: Holiday, Forced Proximity, One Bed, Opposites Attract, Return to Small Hometown, Blizzard, Afraid to Commit, Not Who I Thought You Were, Pilot, Horse Girl, Possessive Man, Sassy Girl. Enjoyable, quick, read.  Christmas Cancellation by Evie James is currently scheduled to publish on 20 November 2024. 

As it says in the blurb from the publisher: " Hallmark with Snark " Two writers, who both hate Christmas, are set the challenge to spend a week in a Noelville, a dedicated Christmas resort and write a sappy, Christmas loving story. The winner gets a sought after promotion. What could go wrong? Well, it is the festive season and not even these two Grinches manage to stay unaffected by the magic. Lots of fab banter, some 'balanced' Christmas sap - all in all a sweet Christmas story with e HEA.  It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas by Julianna Keyes is available from 1 December 2024.  #ItsBeginningtoLookaLotLikeChristmas #NetGalley.

Intense. Heart wrenching. The intrigue was real, and often extremely well hidden.  "To the world, they were a scandal. To each other, an obsession." Kat lives for her figure skating. Heath Rocha was a way to get there - not her first love. Kat is determination. Heath is power, dark power.  The figure skating world is manipulative, where being best is closely linked to having money, and people in your hands. To always wanting more of everything. Quote from the book: "But what was the point if you had everything and enjoyed nothing?" I loved the layers of this story. It would be fab on the big screen! The Favourites by Layne Fargo is currently set to publish on 16 January 2025.  #TheFavourites #NetGalley

Psychological thriller - please check trigger warnings! Emotional family drama, favourite daughter who dies, father who's overstepping, pregnancy, living to get revenge - it all makes sense during the second part of the story, when things that have only been alluded to earlier are brought together.  I'm glad I continued reading, despite the slow beginning and the darker themes. The story comes together well in the end, but for me I'll return to more happy stories including the author's books set on Arran. As a side note, there is something seriously wrong with our justice system (quote from the ARC); ‘ I just know how much stress and heartache lies ahead for you. Especially if this goes to court. To trial. Your life will be ripped apart. Our lives will be ripped apart. Nothing will ever be the same. ’ Feelings of guilt and shame are flooding through me. ‘I’m sorry,’ I whisper. ‘But I can’t be the victim anymore. I need to speak out.’ Do check out Lorna Henderson's a...

I picked up this ARC late, but I am glad I did, as this was a fun and different type of story by Callaghan. I've thoroughly enjoyed her two Christmas stories, and her Ms Perfectly Fine - her writing is always spot on.   In Potions & Proposals we arrive to the mystical town of Foxford, where a new High Priest(ess) is going to be selected. Lucinda and Benedict have been pranking each other - and the whole village - since they were children and they still do to the dismay of everyone around them. Now they're pitched against each other for the lead roll, unless they agree to work together under a binding spell. The village is getting there revenge! The banter between the two of them drives the story forward, and they soon realise that it's better to work together to save their coven, the continue with their pranks and sabotaging for each other.  I am looking forward to the next book in the series as there is plenty of unfinished business. 

This is the third book in about Port Berry and I read it cold, without having read the previous two. As such it felt like I was missing some of the backstory, like I was a visitor looking in without knowing the history of the many characters that fleeted through the pages of the book. Will has returned to Port Berry to find his family and hopefully learn about his past. The warmth comes through the pages. He is also roped in by the local welcome committee and is quickly made to be part of the community.  Ginny runs the local cafe and also looks after her very unappreciative mother when she gets a chance; their relationship is pure toxicity. When Will and Ginny meet for the first time sparks fly. Different types of sparks fly later on, when Ginny finds out that Will is "stealing" her dream. With some adult level communication, much of the angst could have been avoided, and this would have been a pure, cosy, happy winter story. Winter Magic In Port Berry by K.T. Dady is releasi...

After a tragic accident which claims the life of her daughter Amanda and son-in-law, Lily is left to care for Emma, her young granddaughter.   Lily is determined to give Emma the best possible life that she can. Part of this includes to fulfil the dream Amanda had of opening a quilt shop. She had already bought the house for the shop but it requires A LOT of work.  With the mantra of " Don’t think about the end. Just tackle one thing at a time " Lily is slowly achieving the dream with support of her quilting group and the community.   Through love, hard work, perseverance, and the therapeutic act of quilting, Lily and Emma gradually heal their wounds and find hope for the future.

Kitty's back!!! If you haven't yet read "How to kill men and get away with it", you really ought to do it before starting this book! My summary of "How to kill..." was:  "Kitty Collins. Influencer. Meat princesses. Killer."  There is less influencer and less meat processing, and she's done really well not killing off any men lately. But, then there's Blaze Bundy, an anonymous influencer spreading misogyny online (inspired perhaps by A. Tate?), and her urge to kill is back... As Cassie, Kitty's friend, said: ‘Men like that think “no” is a negotiation,’ [...] ‘And if that doesn’t work, they just take what they want anyway.’ Serious topics wrapped up on a hilariously entertaining package, a distant but unexpectedly helpful mum, wrong sounding right, and supporting violence to ensure calm and safety. It shouldn't feel this good to want the bad... Huge THANK YOU to NetGalley and HQ Digital for allowing me to review an eARC of this book. ...

Dark Secrets on Dressmakers' Alley is the latest instalment in the gritty, historical saga series set in London's East End in 1924.  It builds on the first book in the series "Dangerous Times on Dressmakers' Alley" with many of the characters returning and coming further to life.  The girls are enjoying their work at Miss Susie's, the dressmaker's run by a former maid. Recently there has been a series of women being attached and robbed, even in broad daylight.  The Police seem too busy (and somewhat incompetent) so the men of the Dressmakers' Alley create a rota to keep an eye on the area and to keep their wives, girlfriends and sisters safe. The story felt a bit darker than the previous one, and some of the novelty from the first book was now just part of the back story (a Lady designing dresses, a former maid running a business, the Women's Movement, etc).    Dark Secrets on Dressmakers Alley by Rosie Clarke is available on 29 October 2024.

Knock Out by Logan Ryles is the eight book with Mason Sharpe as the lead character.  Sharpe is finally enjoying some much needed down time but this all stops when he spots three men beating up a kid in an alleyway. Sharpe  sends the attackers on their way, and then patches up the kid, Spencer.  Spencer has set his target on earning some "quick" cash, by winning big money at an underground fight club. The fight club is run by a biker gang and Sharpe soon finds himself in a bit of a predicament.. Personally I wasn't keen on the fight club element, but it's Mason Sharpe so it is still a book well worth reading! Knock Out by Logan Ryles is available now.

Ben Lytle's second Potentialist book focuses on the pursuit of wisdom.  He shows that it is possible to exercise the muscle of wisdom to create a better quality of life and relationships, and help us reach our potential.  Similarly to the first book in the series, which focused on potential, he is encouraging us to be the best we can be. In his words: “I will do my best, to be my best, and leave the world and the people I meet a little better than I found them.” Lytle takes us through a thought-provoking exploration of the future and how we as individuals can prepare for the rapid changes ahead. The book offers a unique perspective on the intersection of technology, society, psychology and personal growth. Preparing for and living in The New Reality, our future will shaped by technological advancements and societal shifts. To thrive, we must learn how to adapt to this "new reality". Wisdom, as defined by Lytle, is the ability to apply knowledge and experience to make soun...

Madeline has fought poverty, worked her way up in life and is very close to having her 'dream life'. She has now been given the opportunity to move to the States and pursue her dream job. To do this, she needs to leave everything behind - something she's more than happy to do, until her family suddenly needs her.  Will she chose herself or her family? Her old life or a new?  Will we judge her? Most certainly. Will we want to be like her? Also, most certainly. Would we have chosen the same as her? Then? Now? The moral dilemmas posed in the story are astronomical - but perhaps would have been less so if Madelaine had been male? Thought provoking and increasingly emotional as more of the past is revealed.  Quotes from the ARC (so may not be in the final version): [...] how she had been the girl who wanted more, while he [...] only wanted enough ‘Don’t you want more?’ [...] ‘I think’ – he paused – ‘that I don’t want more necessarily. I only want enough, and I know that enough...

Following on from "All Our Tomorrows" which was released earlier this year, "The Forgotten One" takes off where that story ended.  Chase and Alex have succeeded in finding their half brother - Max, but even if he believed them, which he doesn't, he is not really interested in a public life. So far the tabloids have not got wind of the story, but it looks like someone has been talking to one of them... Sarah is working for one of the gossip rags and she's asked by her boss to find the story or lose her job. Problem is that Sarah refuses to make things up. She's hoping for a serious career and don't want to write any stories which may stop her from getting a job with one of the proper papers.  Max and Sarah literally bump into each other and after a bit of lies and tension, they work together to control the story, carefully working their way through the many obstacles set in their path.  I liked how Chase, Alex and Max work together, how Max finds his ...

Family Affairs at Orchard Cottage Hospital by Lizzie Lane, is the second instalment in the Orchard Cottage Hospital historical saga series. It is set in rural Somerset, England, in 1931. I had not read the previous book, and despite some gaps in the back story it was a very enjoyable and captivating read.  Doctor Frances Brakespeare continues to settle into her new life, but continues to face both professional and personal challenges. Not everyone is happy with her "progressive" outlook on medicine and giving women a choice when it comes to their bodies. Her relationship with Reverend Gregory Sampson is going from strength to strength with hime providing comfort and support when everything piles up, including her past. As Frances unravels her family's past, she confronts the consequences of hidden truths and the importance of forgiveness. Family Affairs at Orchard Cottage Hospital is an engaging story that explores themes of love, loss, and the enduring power of human con...

Cosy, feel good Christmas story with the right amount of family, seasonal festivities, romance and a naughty goat. Rose is working extra in a Christmas shop in London to earn some badly needed cash. It's definitely not her definition of fun, neither is dressing up which apparently was part of the job description. Alistair is in London trying to avoid preparing for Christmas, a season he loathes after his wife walked out on him and his daughter on Christmas Eve. As fates will have it, he enters the shop where Rose works and offers her to organise his Christmas, up in Scotland. To ensure we get the Hallmark story, Rose accepts. Rose goes all in and sets about organising the best Christmas ever for Alistair, his daughter and his extended family.  Slowly, the Christmas magic is spreading to all involved and Alistair is finding that he once again enjoys the celebrations - all made easier by Rose and her warm heart.    A Scottish Christmas by Emma Bennet will be released on 16 ...

Pre-game rituals must be taken seriously, even when they seem completely outrageous - and indecent!  Hilariously believable.  Hockey trope. Brother's best friend. Playing to win. Pub Date: 18 Feb 2025 Part of Maple Creek series #ThePuckingProposal #NetGalley

We're back in Yule! Tis the season for secrets , is the sequel to The naughty or nice Clause , which I labelled as one of the best Christmas stories I've read in quite a while.  Callaghan has created another feel good story about love and Christmas, without it being over the top sweet. Just like the first book,  Tis the season for secrets , is highly entertaining, with lots of romance and some magic. Perfect for creating Christmas spirits and feel-good.  Preorder now for delivery on 24 November 2024: link to Amazon UK . #TisTheSeasonForSecrets #NetGalley

Henderson goes from strength to strength. Providing just the right mixture of cozy atmosphere and romance in this heart warming second-chance story set at Christmas on the lovely Arran.  Beth and Callum haven't seen each other since they worked together one summer on the island a VERY long time. After Beth accepts a new job on the island, they meet again and rediscover that their feelings for each other are still strong. Both Beth and Callum has undergone changes whilst apart. Beth is working on rediscovering herself, and figuring out where she fist in.Callum has also grown whilst he has confronted his past mistakes.  The story has a festive feel with family, friends and the island all rallying together.  The paperback of "A Christmas Wish on Arran" by Ellie Henderson will be released on 15 October, with the eBook releasing a week later.  Books by Henderson set on Arran; A summer wedding on Arran - my review A Christmas escape to Arran - my review A summer house on A...