Nicki's book blog

Me, You and Tiramisu- Charlotte Butterfield- Romcom Jayne and Rachel are twins of the non identical variety. When they meet up with a childhood friend inadvertently Jayne is more than happy as she had a crush on Billy as he then was. Now Will he runs an Italian deli and "cooks a bit"- an understatement. One thing leads to another and suddenly Will is the new internet sensation with all and sundry after him. From wondering how they will manage to red carpet overnight. But where does this leave Jayne? At best she is posted as "a Friend", at worst Will is posted as single as it improves his media standing. Is this all too good to be true. Chapters do jump a little in time so that it is not all the media glare and the couple do enjoy some normality- not every day is a media circus. This is a feelgood book. One that takes you to a happy place- albeit a realistic one- not everything is sparkles. The balance between stardom and reality and how it effects normal life c

No-One will Hear-  Joel Hames - The first thing that struck me about this book, from the very first words were how beautifully it is written. It is like delving into a classic(without all of the fancy archaic  wording) or a wonderfully wrapped surprise gift. You don’t know quite what’s inside but meanwhile you love the feel and beauty of the various layers until you get to the prize within. Elizabeth is dead. Murdered. Sam worked for her 10 years ago and has now been asked, as part of her will,a bequest,  to work with her daughter and another man- Brooks- Powell to put together something to remember her by. Elizabeth was a successful lawyer. Sam is also a lawyer but since leaving Elizabeth’s company under a cloud he has had little work. He has a nose however for investigations and has been a huge help to the police in the past. Why him and why now after all this time? A book of intrigue, a book of

The Little Cornish Kitchen- Jane Linfoot Clemmie has gone back to her childhood town to visit friends and sort a few things out whilst her boss is away and she is therefore on leave herself. One of the main things to sort out is the flat her paternal grandmother left her. She has known about this for quite a while but it had tenants in it. Now at last it is vacated and she can decide what to do with it- her first thought is to sell it as she now lives in Paris. Next door lives Charlie Hobson who Clemmie melts at the sight of. She soon realises, however, that he has other plans afoot and in the spirit of “keep your friends close and your enemies even closer” keeps an eye on him in the best way she can. When Clemmie realises that if she stays , she has to raise a large amount of money in order to repair the roof, plans have to be made and the little cornish kitchen is born.with the help of her grandmothers treasure chest of recipes.  This is a wonderful rea

Before I met him- John Nichol Rebecca (Becca) wants to get revenge. Revenge from a predator of the type that she suffered as a child. Her abuser was never prosecuted and she wants revenge. His actions have caused havoc both with her and her family. She has made her trap and his type are walking right into it just as she planned. One after another.  Meanwhile in Bermuda DI Gareth Gravel (Grav)  is taking a well earned albeit enforced break from work, visiting his son. A twisted mind and a clever plot. As with all of John’s novels this draws you in from the start. Chapters that keep the pace flowing and enough to tantalise your thoughts, to keep you turning the pages. A lead character that at times you have to smile at- or even want to shake, however his heart is in the right place and work is his life. His manner however leaves something to be desired. A brilliant book, a disturbing plot. Another wonderful read from John. I look forward to his next novel with baited breath.

No time to Die Andrew Barrett 5* Oh  my life- or Eddies to be more precise. From highs to lows this book has it all. Eddie has had enough. Enough of being treated badly and not being appreciated. He has lost his wife and his son and also his best friend. When he is called to a crime scene he instantly sees it for what it is, only to be called of it and a youngster take his place who has no experience.  He can’t leave things alone and walks. He returns to the crime scene to give the youngster a heads up, because, well, that’s Eddie. Meanwhile the gangs of West Yorkshire are up to their usual tricks and DCS Lisa wants to get rid of them once and for all. This is written in a wonderful way. Serious when required and a little humour in others “Detective Chief Inspector Lisa Westmoreland”- Eddies reply- “Do you often get writer’s cramp? Love it. Andrew has the gift of words and getting across scenarios to his readers without overdoing th

Her last Breath- Charlie Gallagher-  5* Henry Roberts  is serving life for the killing of several girls, two of whom have never been found. He trades for where their remains are. Detective George Elms has been asked to go out of his area to look at where the killings took place and meet with the murderer. He then discovers that Henry didn’t do these horrendous crimes on his own. When a woman goes missing who almost fits the descriptions of the previous victims the past has to be revisited. A book that grabs you from the start and one that deals with the past fist. Many crime books begin with the crime or murder, this one is slightly different. Not only visiting the past but giving us a background to the main characters and making them believable. A captivating read that made me want to read faster as I was reaching the conclusion . I liked George and Emma- they came to life on the pages and gave the book that extra “je ne sais quoi” . Characters with a l