Return to the Little Cottage on the Hill- Emma Davis-

We return to the little cottage on the hill with Megan, Seth, Trixie, Liam, Maddie  and

Clara . A tv crew, a blacksmithing competition, paying guests and a house and garden

as well as food to prepare daily. What could possibly go wrong? A story of life with its

ups and downs, of friendships which also have their moments and of bonds that hold

the world together. A book that takes you into the heart of things from the word go.

This is the second in the series and to know the characters and background it is best

having read the first one. Why miss out on another wonderful read? As with the first

book this is an uplifting read to make you smile along the way.

A wonderful easy, holiday read.

For more reviews please see my blog http://nickibookblog.blogspot.co.uk/

or follow me on Twitter @nickijmurphy

Finding Eva- J.A Baker Women's Fiction/crime/psychological

Eva was given away as a baby, unwanted by her parents who were unable to cope

with a child at that time. Having had a successful career in finance in London she has

sold her flat and moved to Whitby where she believes her parents are living. Whilst

in London she had a relationship with Gareth- a turbulent one to say the least.

She found respite in  the bottom of a bottle and now wishes to put all of this behind

her although she does miss Gareth and finds herself calling him more than she feels

she should. This is a very descriptive read. Something I wouldn’t normally go for but

this is done somehow in a different way. The descriptions drew me in both to the

character and the situation- the mark of a good author in my humble opinion.

Chapters alternate between three main characters- Eva, Gareth and Celia. Celia is

Eva’s lifelong friend whom she was in foster care with. Celia has always had a

protective wing over Eva and when she moves without telling her just knows that

something is amiss and goes to find her. A book to savour if you enjoy detailed

characterisations. In some ways not a lot happens, other than in the minds of the

characters- their thoughts of the past and how they want to put things right or

confront a situation where they feel they have been wronged. A very clever

plot and and ending that made me smile and left me thinking.

A wonderful, different read.

For more reviews please see my blog http://nickibookblog.blogspot.co.uk/

or follow me on Twitter @nickijmurphy1

Finding Eva synopsis

Eva is desperate to find her birth parents after spending her childhood in foster care.
She leaves London and heads to Whitby in search of her mother and father, after
breaking up with her boyfriend, Gareth.

Gareth is furious with Eva. He loved her deeply and the disclosure she made when
she ended the relationship is eating away at him.

Celia, Eva’s friend, is concerned about Eva. She has stopped answering her calls and
when Celia goes to London to find her, she realises Eva has moved without telling
anyone. Celia makes the decision to follow Eva to Whitby, concerned that Eva is
unravelling. Both women have been damaged by their childhoods.

When Gareth also decides to go to Whitby, it is the start of a lethal situation. 

Who exactly is Eva and why is Celia so concerned?

Some relationships are toxic. Others are deadly.

Author Bio:

J. A. Baker is a writer and reader of psychological thrillers. She was born in the North
East of England too long ago to mention and has four children and a grandchild.

Her first book, Undercurrent, was published by Bloodhound Books in December 2017.
Two more books followed – Her Dark Retreat and The Other Mother, all of which made
it into the Amazon Kindle Top 100.

She still resides in the North East with her husband Richard and dog, Theo. She lives
in a village in County Durham. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, gardening and
meeting up with friends and family.

She is working on her fifth book which will be published in December this year.

Links:

Website -www.jabakerauthor.com

Facebook - www.facebook.com.thewriterjude/

Twitter - www.twitter.com/thewriterjude

Angelica Stone- Susi Osbourne contemporary womens fiction

Lola (not a showgirl) is back living with her loved up parents after being dumped
by Will literally at the altar. She has taken a checkout job, despite having a degree
“until she gets herself sorted out”- the words of her mother.  She lives a very
middle class, sheltered life and only realises this when she makes friends with
Angel. Angelina Stone didn’t have the best start in life and is still struggling and
Lola soon realises that she has little to grumble about and much to be thankful
for compared to Angel. However - behind closed doors maybe secrets we know
nothing about.  I loved reading this and didn’t want it to end.
Be warned- it is not the read you maybe were thinking of. There are some difficult
subject matters very well handled. Lola had a trait of “helping lame ducks”
something most of us can relate to. You don’t know how fortunate/lucky/happy
you are until you are not….. Brilliantly written the characters are engaging and
I could see this as a TV drama. A read that is good for the soul and makes you
think about your own life and all its privileges and what may lie beneath the surface.
I sincerely hope that there is a book two as I would love to read more about Lola
and Angel. A truly wonderful read.

For more reviews please see my blog http://nickibookblog.blogspot.co.uk/

or follow me on Twitter @nickijmurphy1

------------------

Angelica Stone Following years of sexual abuse, Angelica is brought up in care. As a teenager she absconds,
living on the streets, before eventually being forced into prostitution to survive. She learns
to rely solely on herself and is reluctant to allow anyone to get close to her, until she forms
an unlikely bond with Lola. In contrast, Lola is from what appears to be a happy middle-class
background – but all is not what it seems... Slowly, as their friendship grows, cracks start to appear in Lola’s life, and a series of events
leave her on the verge of ruin. Can these women break the cycle of their lives? Or will they
succumb to the path laid out before them? Angelica Stone is an emotional roller coaster of
laughter and tears as the women embark on a journey of self-discovery, with the support
of one another. Purchase Links Angelica Stone - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Angelica-Stone-Susi-Osborne/dp/1911320947
/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8 Secrets, Lies & Butterflies - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Secrets-Lies-Butterflies-Susi-Osborne/
dp/1846248914/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8 Grace & Disgrace - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Grace-Disgrace-Susi-Osborne/dp/1846244633/r
ef=asap_bc?ie=UTF8 The Ripples of Life - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ripples-Life-Susi-Osborne/dp/1846241804/
ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

Author Bio – Susi Osborne is the author of The Ripples of Life, Grace & Disgrace, Secrets, Lies
& Butterflies and Angelica Stone. She lives in Cheshire with her Scottish husband, her actress
daughter and their two mischievous little dogs. Susi also has an adult son and a grandson
who live nearby. Amongst friends their house is known affectionately (she hopes!) as the
Osborne madhouse, for obvious reasons. Before she became a writer, Susi worked in libraries for many years. She also worked as a
classroom assistant in a junior school. In addition to her writing Susi organises Northwich
LitFest, which she has been running for the past seven years. Alongside the writing of her
latest book, Angelica Stone, Susi has been raising money for Centrepoint, the charity for
youth homelessness, and has set up a Just Giving Page for the charity in her name. Susi is a firm believer in the fact that it’s never too late to do anything. ‘You only have one
life – go out and grab it with both hands!’
Social Media Links – Facebook Susi Osborne – Author https://www.facebook.com/susiwritesbooks Twitter https://twitter.com/susiosborne Instagram https://www.instagram.com/susi.osborne/

Giveaway – One Winner will win all 4 of Susi Osborne’s Books (Open to UK Only)
(Please note this is NOT run by Nicki's book blog )
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for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception
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Murder at Midnight- Faith Martin-( First published as A Narrow Victory)

Hillary is back at her desk. This time the case she has been given to review is that of a

man murdered but not really any suspicious circumstances. The nearest to it is that he

was involved in a fatal RTA in which the other driver despite being over the speed limit

and over the alcohol limit blamed him for the death of his son. Otherwise the victim is

an unassuming person leading an everyday life. But this is Hillary and nothing is ever

what it first appears. One of her new team has a hidden agenda. Little does he realise

how astute our Hillary is. She doesn’t have a top reputation for solving crimes that others

have failed at for nothing. This was a slightly different read in the series as much was

about the past and the new team. To me it didn’t quite have that same edge as the other

books which made me want to find out “whodunnit”. This one just seemed to drop from

the pages. That said I still enjoyed it and look at it as setting up for the next one in the

series as the background story with the new team has only just begun. This is number

15 in the series. Others have said this stands alone- maybe due to the background given

but there is too much about Hillary in the other books that you wouldn't pick up from

this one read. It leaves us on a knife edge about Hillary’s personal life.

One I have to find out more about. If you enjoy a comfortable crime series then this

could just be your cup of tea.

For more reviews please see my blog http://nickibookblog.blogspot.co.uk/

or follow me on Twitter @nickijmurphy1

Dreaming about Daran - Jessica Redland

Clare has a past. One she tried to leave behind when she left Ireland 17 years ago, forced

away after “bringing disgrace to the family”. When a great aunt dies and leaves her a letter

she is blown away with the contents to say the very least. We think such things are in the

past but I am fairly certain they they still exist behind closed doors. .A girl of 16 rejected

by her catholic family for “bringing shame” on them. Today we struggle with how they

could put themselves first and not one of their own. Clare coped by blocking it out and

getting on with her life, telling no-one of her past. I think many of us have done the same

in one way or another until something, just maybe a very small something causes the

dam to break and we come to our senses. All of Jessica’s books have more to them than

“just” the story. They are written in a sensitive and caring way that makes you think

about life and your own situations- and maybe that of others. I felt for Clare in so many

ways just a short way into the book. The characters in the three books are the same

but each book tackles a different one. They do stand alone- but are so well written and

moving that why miss out on the others?”The only barriers in our way are the ones

you put up for yourself” Wise words which stopped me in my tracks. A book to make

you smile, a book to make you cry perhaps. Definitely a book to make you think.

Love it 5*

For more reviews please see my blog http://nickibookblog.blogspot.co.uk/

or follow me on Twitter @nickijmurphy1

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 Links – Twitter: @JessicaRedland Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JessicaRedlandWriter/ Website and blog: www.jessicaredland.com

Over my shoulder- Patricia Dixon- 5**

Stunning, Gripping, Captivating.! OMG!!! What a read! The story of a young woman enamoured by a "flamboyant and wealthy" boyfriend who turns out to be more- so very much more in a way that she could never envisage. Freya starts to realise Kane's power and that his reach is far beyond anything she thought possible. How is she ever going to break free from his grasp?

This is a brilliantly written book, the latter section especially (I won't give anything away) which made me turn faster and faster to find out what happens, so taken was I by the story and the very strong determined lead character. A story of hope, of positivity against all odds, of fighting for yourself in every way possible, and that domestic abuse doesn't have to be the end. A truly magnificent read.

I only award 5** to the books that make me think, have memorable characters and have a good ending. This has all of them in spades. I read 250+ books a year. Last year only 14 made the shortlist. This is most definitely one of them.

Book Description:

Girl meets boy. They fall in love. Sounds simple? It isn’t.

When Freya falls for the manipulative Kane, her life changes beyond her wildest imagination. When the luxurious life she craves gradually becomes intolerable she realises escape is out of reach. Her life has changed and so has she.

She knows that when she least expects it, he will return and make good his promise to exact revenge and ensure she pays the price he fell he is owed.

Can Freya ever be free?

Whoever knew love could be so dangerous.

Following Freya from her carefree twenties up to the present day, Over My Shoulder is an intricate tale of blinkered love and obsession.

Author Bio:

Patricia Dixon was born in Manchester where she still lives with her husband. They have two grown up children and one grandson, plus the company of a lazy bulldog. 

Ignoring her high school reports and possibly sound advice from teachers, Patricia shunned the world of academia and instead, stubbornly pursued a career in fashion. Once the sparkle of London life wore off she returned north and embarked on a new adventure, that of motherhood. 

Now, almost thirty years later she has acquiesced to the wise words of her elders and turned her hand to writing. Patricia has written five novels set in the Loire and then, in complete contrast, a much darker story of psychological suspense.

She is currently writing her next book, a murderous tale set in the sixties and if she’s not at her desk Patricia loves to read historical fiction or attempts recipes that look great on television but not necessarily her plate. And when the penny jar is full she cashes in her coins and heads to France, the lure of red wine and escapism equalled only by the pursuance of her dream job, writing for a living.

Links:

Author Page

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Patricia-Dixon/e/B00I1YV2RM/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0

Twitter 

@pbadixon

Email - dixon.patricia@icloud.com. 

Facebook Links

Author Page

https://www.facebook.com/pbadixon/?ref=bookmarks

Profile Page

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009000921564

The Other Victim- Helen Durrant

An estate agent is found dead in a house when he should be showing prospective
buyers around. An unassuming man who lived very frugally despite doing well in business
in the past. Why him? When a man is found burned in a car dumped in the canal the team
suddenly have their hands full. A young girl is missing who is also a mother. She has taken
herself off before but this time it doesn’t somehow ring true.. Could any of these be linked
or is there a visitor in town causing chaos? Helen as ever gives us a wonderful read which
you lose yourself in very easily. DI Matt Brindle and team are new on the pages and by half
way through I felt not only comfortable with them but that I was getting to “know” them as I
always enjoy in a crime read. Some background to the main players which always makes
for a more interesting book and a good plot mean I can disappear easily within the pages
without even thinking about it. Twists and turns along the way to keep your grey matter
alive without having to think too much but enough to keep you wondering.
A very enjoyable read.

For more reviews please see my blog http://nickibookblog.blogspot.co.uk/

or follow me on Twitter @nickijmurphy1