Saving Grace by Cristina Slough~Blog Tour

 Publisher: Bloodhound Books

Publication Date: 15th Febuary 2023

Genre: psychological thriller

Summary:

An ambitious reporter seeks a window into an obsessed killer’s mind—and is forced to take a hard look in the mirror, in this dark psychological thriller.

It starts when a Cornwall fisherman finds a body in the ocean. The blood of the victim has washed away, but the angry message etched deep into the victim’s back is crystal clear: Grace—Number 1.

It’s the kind of story that could make local reporter Jennifer Mack’s career—if she can keep her hypercompetitive colleague, Hayley, from undermining her at every turn.

When the next body turns up far away in London, another carved message makes the link unmistakable—a serial killer is on the loose.

Then, Jennifer receives a package from the killer. As she begins to communicate directly and publicly with a murderer-at-large, it appears she’s been chosen to write the headline story.

But as lines between right and wrong start to blur, Jennifer is forced to come face-to-face with her own inner darkness . . .

Review:
Firstly Thank you to Love Books Tours, Bloodhound Books and Cristina Slough for having me on this tour and sending me a copy of the book.
Now I've been reading quite a few thrillers of late, you'd think I'd get fed up with them but with the brilliant authors, I've had the pleasure of reading it's not been the case. This is another cleverly written thriller that kept me reading even when I should have been putting it down to sleep/cleaning/do some work. I know that some people don't like the switching between characters each chapter but I really liked that, it kept giving me little clues as to who the killer was without ever letting me get a vaguely correct guess. Jennifer isn't an overly likeable MC, she constantly acts like working at the home town newspaper is beneath her rather than being thankful she actually has a job in the career she wanted, it may not be in at a big-name paper but at least she's a journalist.
All the characters are really well-written and you defiantly connect with some really well and there are others that just remind you of people you've met (Hayley for one), it's just another indicator of a cleverly written book!
The cover (you know I'm a cover magpie) is pretty and intrigues you to pick the book up and see what's inside, it doesn't give a lot away. 
I have to say I haven't read anything by Cristina Slough before but I will definitely be picking up more of her books in the future.

Krystina xx

The Prosecco Pact by Kiltie Jackson~Blog Tour

 Publisher: Neilsen

Publication Date: 5th July 2023

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Summary:

Three Women, Three Promises, One Pact!

Lydia Beaumont married the boy of her dreams but he has since become the man of her nightmares.

She needs to find a new life.

Grace Mitchell has dedicated her life to her career, losing friends along the way to her ambition.

She needs to get a life.

Debbie Stanford has been engaged for a year but is no closer to setting her wedding date.

She just wants to become a wife.

On a cold, blustery January night, they each promise to change their lives and seal the deal over their glasses of Prosecco.

However, the best made pacts of mice and women have been known to go awry…

Review:
Firstly Thank you to ZooLoos Book Tours, Neilsen and Kiltie Jackson for having me on this tour and for sending me a copy of the book.
I've really enjoyed reading this book, after reading horror and crime for the past few weeks this was the perfect lift I needed. I really enjoyed getting to know the three ladies Lydia, Debbie and Grace, I loved their friendship and their weekly get-together. 
It's a really well-written book and I just had to keep reading, i absolutely hated Dave and Davie( that's how well they were written to be gits) and I'm so glad Lydia did away with them.
Watching the ladies follow through with their Pact and how it completely change their lives was brilliant to see.
I defiantly want to read more by Kiltie Jackson, I've enjoyed her writing style and they way shes created characters is just fabulous.

Krystina xx

13 Doors by G J Phelps~Blog Tour

Publisher: Book Guild Publishing Ltd

Publication Date: 27th June 2023

Genre: Contemporary Horror

Summary:

Thirteen doors, thirteen hauntings. News reporter Joe Baxter has a plan.

His idea is simple – to use his newsroom contacts across England to find thirteen haunted places to stay, and then record his experiences in a book. From an abandoned cinema to a dank pub cellar, from a World War Two airfield to a lonely, landlocked cruise liner, Joe is prepared to spend long nights in the cold and dark, but has no idea what he is about to unleash.

For, as he endures increasingly dangerous vigils, meeting a succession of gruesome, tragic and terrifying spectres, a terrible truth begins to emerge.

Something – or someone – is reaching out to Joe, awakening long-buried memories of his father’s death, a dark family secret and his teenage brush with madness. And then there is Wilko, the imaginary friend who haunted his childhood. After decades of silence, Wilko has found his voice again…

A spine-tingling supernatural mystery entwined with chilling ghost stories, 13 Doors places the reader at the dark heart of the moment, from gut-wrenching action to eerie vigils.

Review:

 Firstly, thank you to Random Things Book Tours, Book Guild Publishing and G.J Phelps for having me on this tour and sending me a copy to review.
Now I haven't read much horror, which is surprising because I do love watching classic horror, so this was a fairly new genre for me to dip my toe into. I have to say the cover caught my eye, and the blurb just intrigued me, so I had to read it.
The first chapter gave me chills it was so well written, and I had to actually do a little Google translating to find out what the heck was said in Cornish. It kept me hooked and just the right side of on edge to keep reading. Joe was very intriguing, I loved how he developed his method for the vigils with each new one he went to. The Vigils themselves were brilliantly written chapters, and I enjoyed the fact that they took Joe( and us) all over the country and the different experiences Joe had that often made him question his sanity was fantastic. One of my favourites of the vigils was The Queen and The Princess, I absolutely adored his experience with Mimms and the interactions they had.
I did enjoy the in-between chapters with Joe, Gus, Helena etc I loved the references from Gus to Scooby-Doo and the X-files but I have to say the vigils were my favourite, I could barely stop reading to drink my cup of tea(not super sweet like Joes but mostly cold due to being engrossed reading).
This was a brilliant debut and I really hope to read more by G.J. Phelps in the future, but he's set the bar high for himself with this one.

Krystina xx

Ailene by Annabel Den Dekker~ Blog Tour

 Publisher: Bells' Books and Writings

Publication Date: 3rd April 2023

Genre: LGBTQ+ Romance

Summary:

Hayden Navarro has only one concern: protecting the ones he loves.

At nineteen, he learns the world is in danger. An anonymous terrorist organization has attacked several countries all across the planet. When his parents suspect there might be a mole in the Council of Ailene, they ask Hayden to go undercover as an intern.

Once in Ailene, he quickly becomes overwhelmed by everything and everyone around him. He struggles to keep his best friend, Lowell, safe while fending off the ever-present voices inside his head telling him that one day he’s going to lose everything, and he’ll be the one responsible for it all.

He’s close to falling apart altogether when he crosses paths with Alexander Collins, a funny and handsome Council member who makes him feel happy and understood. His days suddenly become a little bit brighter—but nothing in Hayden’s life is ever easy. There’s a strict rule against workplace romances, forcing them to stay just friends, yet as they grow closer, Hayden and Lowell find themselves steadily growing apart.

Can Hayden find a way to keep his head above water while hunting down the mole, struggling with his growing feelings for Alexander, fixing his relationship with Lowell, and trying to save everyone he cares about—all at the same time?

Review:
Firstly thank you to Pride Book Tours, Annabel Den Dekker and Bells' Books and Writings for having me on this tour and for sending me a copy of the book to review. Now I'm a little late with my review, there's been a few things that delayed me this weekend and I apologise for that.
That said I really enjoyed this book, I thought Hayden was intriguing, to begin with, and the further in the story we got the more I liked him. I enjoyed the development of his power and how he learnt to control it, and that he's one of few rather than everyone having this ability.
To begin with I thought he and Lowell might end up in a relationship and I'm really glad that they didn't, I so loved the brotherly relationship they had and how it developed over the course of the book. But what I was disappointed with was I had hoped that maybe Dev, Hayden and Alex might end up in a triad relationship, so I was a little disappointed when that didn't happen. That said I did love Alex and Hayden together.
It was a well-written book and loved the world-building, it kind of feels like we might come back to this world in another book. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we might and maybe we see how Lowell is doing.

Krystina xx

Lilly and Myles The Torch by Jon Roberts and Hannah Rounding~Blog Tour

 Publisher: Graffeg Limited

Publication Date: 13th July 2023

Genre: Childrens Autism

Summary:

Accompanied by Myles, her assistance dog, Lilly sets off from Gran ny’s house to explore. First she walks through the garden, then she visits the seashore. But when she comes to the big cave at the end of the beach her acute hearing means she is scared of the loud noise when she drops her torch. And what’s that creature she can hear coming towards her?...

Review:
Firstly thank you to Love Books Tours, Graffeg Limited, Jon Roberts and Hannah Rounding for having me on this tour and for sending me a copy of the book to review.

I absolutely loved this book! I read it a couple of times with my small one and it was so engaging, it had them asking questions "Mummy why does she have her hands over her ears"  which then meant I could explain about the noise being an issue with her being sensitive to the loud noise " like me with hand dryers" was the response, so I really loved that it encouraged that. I think it explains autism really well to a young child and the relationship between Lilly and Myles and why she needs him. It's got beautiful illustrations, I think it's such a sweet book and well-written too. It sounds like this is the beginning of a series and i look forward to reading the rest with my small one.
I loved it so much that I recommended it to my small ones' preschool because I think it's a good one to have in their library.

Krystina xx

Miracle Number Four by Paul Marriner~Blog Tour

 Publisher: Bluescale Publishing

Publication Date: 13th July 2022

Genre:Contemporary fiction

Summary:

A song of the suburbs: a story of family, friends, first love, tragedy, hope and rock and roll

It's 1976 and with dreams of a career in rock, a crush on the prettiest girl in town, and a mother in remission from cancer, Mike’s future looks bright.

Music brings excitement and a chance to shine, but life off-stage is complicated.

Together with family, friends and band-mates, Mike finds joy, sadness and loss. Troubling secrets surface while a new friend brings both fresh perspectives and a cruel reality. The radios and pubs blast rock into the suburban nights and the band prepare for their big break. Is Mike ready?

Review:
Firstly thank you to Love Books Tours, Bluescale Publishing and Paul Marriner for having me on this tour and sending me a copy of the book to review.
I have to admit I've struggled to get into this book, I've actually put it down and picked it back up a few times. I mean the book is very well written and it's not difficult to read I just don't think I'm connecting well with the characters.
I do like that the chapters each have a song at the top and I am very tempted to create a playlist from them, and I think it'd be good to maybe read the book to it
The character cast so far in what I've read is small but well-described, so you can easily have a picture in your head of what they look like and for most of them, you can picture their reactions to what's occurring. 
As I said I've not read far into it because I've just not managed to connect and get into the book, but I will keep going and ill come back to edit my review when I do.

Krystina xx

Three Meant To Be By MN Bennet~Blog Tour

 Publisher: MN Bennet LLC

Publication Date: 10th July 2023

Genre:Fantasy

Summary:

Telepathic high school teacher Dorian prepares teen witches for professional casting because going in unprepared is what killed one of his partners. But new state mandates on magical proficiency make it nearly impossible, and Dorian worries he can’t give his students the education they really need. Seeking a distraction from work, Dorian kisses his still-living on-again off-again clairvoyant boyfriend, Milo. Instead of a distraction, Dorian glimpses Milo’s vague vision involving the murder of Caleb—one of Dorian’s new students.

Already devastated by the loss of his partner, Dorian refuses to stand aside and let Caleb die. He searches for clues by delving into Caleb’s mind. Rooting through Caleb’s memories alongside teaching classes leads Dorian to two more students: Caleb’s ex-best friend turned rival and the prodigy with connections to dangerous warlocks. However, each step further into his students’ minds forces Dorian to confront his deteriorating relationship with Milo.

After discovering a link involving illegal casting, Dorian resolves to work with Milo to prevent the impending vision. To succeed, Dorian will have to explore the potential of a future with Milo and find closure on their third partner, whose loss looms between them. But meddling with fate to save Caleb inadvertently draws the warlocks near, putting all his students in danger. Dorian will have to risk his life and gamble his second chance with Milo to keep his students alive.

Review:
Firstly thank you to Love Books Tours and MN Bennet for having me on this tour and for sending me a copy of the book to review.
I've struggled writing this review because I keep trying to start writing it while I'm still reading the book because there's so much I want to say about it and I keep ending up reading more instead of writing. Hence why this review is so late in the day because I just couldn't put the book down.
I absolutely love Dorian and Milo, them individually and together as a couple(sort of) they bounce off each other so well and I can see how Finn so easily slotted into that dynamic.
It's a really well-written book and really enjoyed how magic played a part in this world. It's interesting to see the dynamics of the different magic branches and how the different levels of magic people have effects how their treated( Branchless being teased often for it). I found it clever that we find out about the branches and what their capable of through Dorian's lesson/ pupil notes, it's a brilliant way of feeding us the information without a chunk of info at the beginning telling us what we need to know about this world.
I love how grumpy Dorian is, yet you can clearly see that he cares so much and that's his way of trying to make sure he doesn't get hurt because he pushes away any kind of relationship, and it's been fun to read how Milo pushes back against that.
As I've said I found this so hard to put down, it just kept drawing me in! It's a very engaging story that's very well written. And I was disappointed to see we didn't have the next book yet(I really wanted to just keep reading) but I am very eagerly awaiting it because this is a series I can't wait to see develop.

Krystina xx

Heal Your Body and Mind with Yin Yoga By Miranda Mattig Kumar ~Blog Tour

 Publisher: Quadrant Books

Publication Date: 1st March 2023

Genre: Mind-Body Medicine

Summary:

This new book by Yin Yoga expert Miranda Kumar helps achieve deep relaxation in an overstimulated world through the power of Yin Yoga. This simple, well-designed, and fully colour illustrated guidebook is a detailed handbook to practising Yin Yoga relaxation techniques with ease, and its many benefits are provided by comprehensive Yin Yoga illustrations, diagrams and additional interactive online exercise sessions available via our YouTube channel, which can be easily accessed by QR codes through your mobile phone. Stress, pain, anxiety is all a result of our fast-paced and sometimes impersonal and unforgiving society. If you add a lack of physical activity, recurring ailments like back, hip, or shoulder pain may affect your quality of life. It is important to understand how essential it is to adopt regular movement and activity that helps to reintegrate the mind-body connection. You will then begin to experience the benefit of that integration in your daily life through better sleep and enhanced mood. That is why Yin, a Yoga discipline, can be beneficial to young and old, male, and female alike and is easily accessible to everyone. Practising Yin Yoga postures which are maintained for several minutes allows the mind to calm and reconnect. You will also discover a particular meditation or creative visualization that works well for you to integrate your mind, body, and spirit. See more at www.yin-yoga.pro

Review:

Firstly thank you to Random Things Book Tours, Quadrant Books and Miranda Mattig Kumar for having me on this tour and for sending me a copy of the book to review.
Now I have to admit that I love the idea of doing yoga but I'm so bad at keeping up with a yoga practice! So I do love a book that I can use to try and keep one going. But I do have to say this was a little more than that, it's got a really thorough explanation of what yoga is, to begin with, and before we even get to any yoga poses she explains all about human anatomy and physiology. And it's a nicely-thought-out explanation, we get very medical textbook-like images combined with easy-to-follow explanations, and seemingly very minimal medical jargon which makes it a much easier read. Each section is really well written, you can tell she knows her subject very well, and I haven't yet but I will use the QR code to watch some of her video tutorials. That said I loved how detailed the description of each of the poses were and that it had Alterations and modifications for each one so you could fit your own abilities.
Its a book I defiantly look forward to trying yoga from, and I might even manage to stick with it this time!

Krystina xx

Lessons by Ian McEwan~Blog Tour

 Publisher: Vintage; 1st edition

Publication Date: 22nd June 2023

Genre: Political Fiction

Summary:

When the world is still counting the cost of the Second World War and the Iron Curtain has descended, young Roland Baines's life is turned upside down. Stranded at boarding school, his vulnerability attracts his piano teacher, Miriam Cornell, leaving scars as well as a memory of love that will never fade.

Twenty-five years later Roland's wife mysteriously vanishes, and he is left alone with their baby son. Her disappearance sparks of journey of discovery that will continue for decades, as Roland confronts the reality of his rootless existence and attempts to embrace the uncertainty - and freedom - of his future.

Review:
Firstly thank you to Random Things Book Tours, Vintage and Ian McEwan for having me on this tour and for sending me a copy of the book to review.
I've never actually read an Ian McEwan book before so I was really excited to get stuck into this one and it's very cleverly written. 
I initially found it a difficult book to get into, it seemed to skip around in time without explanation, I realise it's flashbacks to Roland's life but it threw me, to begin with.
The abuse from the piano teacher was odd to read, I didn't really like those passages, and then they jump quickly to his wife's disappearance from it, like I said I didn't really get on with the timeline jumps.
I have struggled with the book, purely I think because of the jumbled timelines, it's a well-written book and I think it covers some interesting topics, I've enjoyed hearing the thoughts from Roland about fatherhood.
Currently, I haven't finished the book but I will keep reading it but I'm not sure much I'm enjoying it as a whole.

Krystina xx

All The Worlds a Stage by Guy Hale~ Blog Tour

 Publisher: Whitefox Publishing Ltd

Publication Date: 25th May 2023

Genre: Humorous Parody

Summary:

In the final instalment of The Comeback Trial trilogy, Jimmy Wayne has set off on his major tour of Europe, selling out the likes of the Royal Albert Hall and Zenith, Paris. While Jimmy's fame is reaching dizzying heights, behind-the-scenes crime bosses, Jack Lantern and George Digbeth, are scheming ways to bring him crashing back down to earth. But it's not just these two he should be worried about. Jimmy's adventures in Europe have drawn the attention of crime families across London, Paris, southern Italy and Madrid and everyone is battling for a piece of the action. From recovering valuable stolen artwork to his mother's romantic escapades, will Jimmy survive the mayhem of this whirlwind tour or will the dubious, murderous circumstances to which he owes all his success, be exposed, for once and for all...?

Review:
Firstly thank you to Random Things Book Tours, Guy Hale and Whitefox Publishing for having me on this tour and for sending me a copy of the book to review.
I mean I've said it twice already but ill say it again, this is a brilliantly written series. I spent the first four chapters laughing like a loon at what I was reading (I even disturbed the dog I laughed that hard at one point), it's full of joyously dark humour and I can't get enough of it. It's a shame it's only a trilogy because id happily read more.
Ma Lantern is a complete nut job but I actually really liked all the wedding planning bits with her and the off-the-wall ideas she had for it. Jimmy's dreams were weird but so well written, I love that Wendy and John get random costumes!
I've loved reading this series and I have a feeling ill be reading it again soon because that dark humour was just the right level for me and gave me so many moments where I couldn't stop myself from laughing out loud that I know ill be going back to it again.
This is defiantly a series that I highly recommend picking up, and now I'm off to go find Jimmy Wayne's album ( there's a QR Code in the book to it ) and sing some dark and mildly depressing songs.

Krystina xx

Blood on The Tracks by Guy Hale~Blog Tour

 Publisher: Whitefox Publishing Ltd

Publication Date: 17th November 2022

Genre: Humorous Parody

Summary:

Jimmy Wayne is headed for LA to make the new album that will hopefully make him a star. In a quiet, deserted canyon a few miles outside Blackjack lie the bodies of his victims who inspired each song - all his secrets are buried in that dry and arid ground. Can he leave his past behind or will the ghosts of his past come back to haunt him?

Review:
Firstly thank you again to Random Book Tours, Whitefox Publishing and Guy Hale for having me on this tour and for sending me a copy of the book to review.
So I jumped straight from Killing Me Softly to Blood on the Tracks, I couldn't wait to dive in. And this is just as good as book one, if not better! We get to meet some new characters as well as the same group from book one (yes Wendy is still about!) and I love all the new ones. Aksel has to be one of my favourites, I just love his complex background and his gold mining operation him and Kid are defiantly people id love to hear the backstories of!
I found I loved the fact that Jimmy started to find his songwriting groove without having to commit murder, it's very interesting and so is John R Real. 
Ma Lantern is so scary! I actually found myself feeling sorry for Jack and how he was brought up, the poor guy never stood a chance!
Once again the writing is beautiful and full of dark humour, I've really enjoyed reading this series. 

Krystina xx

Killing Me Softly by Guy Hale ~Blog Tour

 Publisher: Whitefox Publishing

Publication Date: 26th May 2022

Genre: Horror Parody

Summary:

In the town of Blackjack, Nevada, washed-up singer Jimmy Wayne is down on his luck, playing covers to a limited and uninterested audience in a third-rate casino. One morning he awakens to find that everything has changed. Not only has he accidentally murdered Wendy, his girlfriend, but he’s also written the best song he’s ever produced. Is it the act of killing that helps him create his finest work? And if it is, should he go for a full album? Wrestling with his desire for success, his grasp of morality and haunted by his past mistakes, Jimmy starts searching for the most terrible people he has ever known.

Review:

Firstly thank you to Random Things Book Tours, Whitefox Publishing and Guy Hale for having me on this tour and for sending me a copy of the book to review.
Now this is the first part in the trilogy and I actually have the whole trilogy to review today so this is the first of three posts you'll get to read about Jimmy and his Comeback.
I have to say the first chapter had me in giggles and I'm not sure I stopped giggling much throughout the book. It's a really funny book and there are so many humourous lines sprinkled throughout, a lot of them coming from Wendy. Yep, Wendy comes back as a ghost and I love the sarcasm that comes with her! She dips in and out of the book and I actually think she is my favourite character in it. I love how she effectively guides Jimmy along his newfound path to songwriting and stardom, and all the while Jimmy isn't 100% sure she is not just a figment of his guilty conscious.

It's a really easy-to-read writing style and I often planned to just read one more chapter and found myself an hour later many more chapters in and hooked on the plot and wanting to just see what Jimmy would write next. It's so wonderfully well written and I couldn't wait to keep the story going.
I have to say my favourite bits to read were the Jimmy/Wendy conversations, their back and forth was so snappy at times and her digs at his lack of knowledge were well done.
It was just the book I needed to break my run of thrillers and I highly recommend reading it as a nice funny read I guarantee you'll be hurriedly getting the second book because you don't want to stop reading.


Krystina xx

Good Girls Die Last by Natali Simmonds ~ Blog Tour

Publisher: Headline

Publication Date: 22nd June 2023
Genre: Psychological Thriller

Summary:

Today, nothing is going right for Em. And it's about to get much worse.

Heartbroken by a recent split, with her 30th birthday looming, she loses her job and her home in the same morning because of two swaggering, dishonest men - the boss who sexually harassed her and the flatmate sleeping with her behind his fiancée's back. But all Em can think about is catching a flight to attend her sister's wedding and see her dying mother.

With a record-breaking heatwave, and a serial killer making the streets unsafe, London is completely gridlocked. Em's life has always been full of men getting their own way, and today the scorched city teems with them standing between her and home. As Em's troubled past returns to haunt her, she refuses to let them win. Her defiance leads to shocking consequences that soon spiral wildly out of control.

In a world where men don't listen, and girls have no voice, one woman can change everything.

Today, no one will be staying silent.

Review:

 Firstly thank you to Random Things Book Tours, Headline and Natali Simmonds for having me on the tour and sending me a copy of the book to review.
It's a beautiful hardback and I love the image on the front, definatly gives you thriller vibes, and the blurb really makes you feel for poor Em.
Now maybe it's because I've read a lot of crime/thriller books lately but I didn't really enjoy this book. Don't get me wrong it's brilliantly written and you can really feel for the main character and get drawn into the horiffic days she's having, and i really loved characters like Rose, but i felt like i was just reading it for the tour and the review.
I wasnt surprised by the ending, earlier on in the book Em said something that sort of gave it away to me. I really disliked Matt and Paul, as your meant too, but i wished we had more of Moby and Dante, they were really lovely guys and i felt like they were just there to show how bad the bad guys were.
Like i said its a well written book, and it was easy to read i managed to read it in a day, but it just wasnt for me.

Krystina xx

The Golden Bell by Robert L Stone ~Blog Tour

 Publisher: Stony Mere Ltd

Publication Date: 8th September 2022

Genre: Historical Fiction

Summary:

Arriving in Córdoba as a young man in 1088 to learn medicine, Yehuda Halevi is enchanted by a world in which Muslim, Jewish and Christian courtiers share poetry and philosophy in their elegant gardens. Here he falls in love with Deborah, the spirited daughter of his host. In this turbulent world, however, Yehuda also encounters invasions and pirates, book burnings and bandits.

Driven by conflict to move from city to city, Yehuda and Deborah are often parted – but always in the hope that they will one day return together to Córdoba. As Yehuda’s fame grows as a poet and as a philosopher, his writings become increasingly mystical but also increasingly restless, for he yearns to travel to the holy city of Jerusalem. In 1140, as an old man, he must finally decide whether to stay with his family or begin the perilous voyage towards Egypt and Crusader Jerusalem…

In this beautifully evocative story, Robert L. Stone transports the reader to twelfth-century Andalucía as he traces the extraordinary life of a man determined to devote himself – and his exceptional talent – to a greater truth.

Review:
Firstly thank you to Random Things Book Tours and Robert L Stone for having me on this tour and for sending me a copy of the book to review.
As I've said before I do love historical fiction, especially well-researched historical fiction that's rooted in fact. This book has that in spades, it's quite clearly very well-researched and that shows. I loved the fact that we had the story of Yehuda Halevi and his life and love of Deborah and then behind it, we had all the changing political and religious environment that occurred in that time around what is now part of Spain. I know very little about that area of the world, especially in this time period (that which I know is sporadic and from the Not Just The Tudors podcast) so I really enjoyed learning about this time period through this book, and the descriptions were so vivid it was beautiful to read.
Now spattered throughout this book we have sections of poetry by Yehuda Halevi and they were really lovely to read, quite beautiful prose and I liked how they broke up the story a little. It was a really easy book to read and once I started I found I quite easily read big chunks in one go, it was nice to sit and devour it with a cuppa.
Now magpie that I am, obviously the look of the front cover is one of the things that drew me to this book along with its tagline. The cover has a really pretty tile-like pattern to it, I can imagine it as a floor in one of the buildings in  Andalucia. The tagline "A poet finds love and fame in medieval Andalucia" well it just sounded like my cup of tea.

Krystina xx

Learn to Let Go by John Purkiss~Blog Tour

 Publisher: Aster

Publication Date: 6th April 2023

Genre: Self Help

Summary:

If you learn to let go, your life will take off.

How is negative thinking affecting your success? Are you holding on to a story about your life? Are you allowing judgement and pain to weigh you down?

Learn to let go and turn your dreams into reality with this beautifully illustrated, guided journal from the bestselling author of The Power of Letting Go. Learn how to stay present, let go of the thoughts that keep you stuck, and tune into something far more intelligent than your brain using the creative exercises, writing prompts and techniques in this journal - and start living a life of freedom and success.

Review:

Firstly thank you to Random Things Book Tours, Aster and John Purkiss for having me on this tour and for sending me a copy of the book to review.
Now I haven't read The Power of Letting Go, but after reading through this journal I think I might have to pick it up. Not because you can't read one without the other, this journal is defiantly something you can read and work through without having read The Power of Letting Go but because after going through the journal I think I might benefit from being able to use both together. It's a lovely-sized book and feels really nice in your hand because it fits so well, and the cover is kind of what you'd expect from a self-help book it's nice and calming. 
I've read through the whole book cover to cover but I do think its the kind of book you can dip in and out of, and as the author says you can come back to exercises if you don't feel you've gained anything from it when you've done it this time. And I really liked that about it, it has an easy flow to it. Now I'm not one for writing in books and that combined with the fact that these are exercises you can do multiple times means I just grabbed a notebook to keep with the journal to write in, and I think that its good to reflect back on the last time you did the exercise and see what's changed.
I've really enjoyed reading and working through this book(not that I'm done yet), it's a book you can work through at your own pace taking as long as you need and whilst I've read it all to be able to review it's now something that I'm going back over to work through at a slower pace. I think this is a really good book for the current climate, with all that's occurred over the past few years I think a lot of us are holding onto fears and worries and this book can help us shed them and move forward.


Krystina xx

The Chemical Code by Fiona Erskine~Blog Tour

 

Publisher: Point Blank

Publication Date: 29th June 2023

Genre:Crime/Thriller

Summary:

Amid the heat of Brazil, explosives expert Jaq Silver has one goal – vengeance. When her enemies take what she treasures most, she will do anything to make them pay. But a series of betrayals leave Jaq unsure of those she can trust, and she realises she’ll need to complete the mission solo. And as everyone hunts down the same mysterious box, Jaq becomes increasingly embroiled in a web of far-reaching consequences. It seems there’s a hidden agenda, but can Jaq be sure she is chasing down the right target? And who is pursuing her?

Review:

Firstly thank you to Random Things Book Tours, Point Blank and Fiona Erskine for having me on this tour and sending me a copy of the book to review.
I really love the cover of the book, it just catches the attention, which made me want to read the blurb and then that made me want to read the book. I didn't realise it was book 4 of a series until I picked it up, and I haven't read any of the others but I feel I may have benefitted from doing so. Whilst it is a stand-alone I think I missed out on some information that I would have gained from reading the rest, but that just gives me a good excuse to get the rest and read the whole series.
I really enjoyed Jaq as our MP, she's clearly a brilliant woman and watching how her brain works was so fun to do. It had a few technical things in it that got me intrigued so I actually did google occasionally to feed that need to know but it didn't stop the flow of the book for me. It was so fantastically written that I found myself getting drawn in and losing time because I just didn't notice it was ticking by as I was so lost in the book.
I definitely want to read more of this series so i will be looking into getting the first 3 and ill probably reread this once I've gone back to the first 3.


Krystina xx

 

The Book of Alys by Alan Gold~ Blog Tour

 Publisher: Romaunce Books

Publication Date: 31st May 2023

Genre:Historical Fiction

Summary:

King Henry II, exhausted from everlasting conflict with France and his sons rebelling against him finds love, solace, and passion after falling for the youthful beauty of Alys and makes her his mistress.

Henry II, now in his late 50s, exhausted from a lifetime of war remains one of the greatest Kings who ruled England. The founder of the ‘Devil’s Brood’, he and his advisors modernized England’s government and society and much more. But it was his jealous family life which caused his life to fall apart.

Alys was the timid 8-year-old daughter of the King of France when sent to England and ultimately forced into marriage with Henry’s violent son Prince Richard, but he ridiculed and rejected her. Within six years, Alys had developed into a ravishing beauty, who was suddenly appealing to the old King himself.

As they grew closer, Alys realised she could only save herself by becoming more powerful. She didn’t want to be a royal mistress like Rosamund, or a princess married to a violent and absent prince like Richard. No, her ambition was to become queen, to replace the formidable, feisty monarch, Eleanor of Aquitaine, one of the most beautiful powerful, and wealthy women in the world.

When a son, William, is born to old Henry and Alys, the young princess now has her life complete, but she needs desperately to succeed and protect him. England has become a maelstrom of baronial factions with Eleanor marshalling her sons, young Henry, Richard, Geoffrey, plus John who try overthrow their father and take possession of his empire. All want the right to rule their own lands, even before old Henry is dead.

Review:
Firstly thank you to Random Things Book Tours, Romaunce Books and Alan Gold for having me on this tour and sending me a copy of the book to review. 

I've had a spate of beautiful books to fill my shelves and this is another one of those, I really love the images used for the front and how Alys's name is nice and big on the front making it clear that she is the main focus of the book and the men are of a secondary nature in this retelling.
Now I love historical fiction, it's one of my favourite genres to read because I am a self-confessed history nerd! And oddly I have read a book recently with Alys featured in it so I did know about her and her place in English history. This book is clearly well-researched and I love the amount of detail he has woven into it, it's so cleverly written. It flows easily and I found the book so quick to read, mostly because I didn't want to put it down. Whilst we have had a lot of historical fiction from a female voice in recent years it's nice to hear one from further back in history. We usually get a lot from the Tudor and Stuart period so hearing from the Plantagents is a refreshing change, and also it's not a period that most people can name many female historical figures from, usually it's just Eleanor of Aquitaine because she was an unusual figure in history at this time.
Alys is an intriguing figure and her story is one I've enjoyed reading more about, and I love that this appears to be book one of a series so I can't wait to read what Alan Gold writes next.

Krystina xx

Shooters by Julia Boggio~Blog Tour

 Publisher: Home By Midnight Publishing

Publication Date: 6th March 2023

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Summary:

Stella Price is determined to become a successful wedding photographer, even if it means learning from Connor Knight, a wedding shooter with sexy rock star status and an ego to match.

Burned by an affair that ended her last career, Stella should know better than to get entangled with Connor during a residential course in a romantic French chateau. But while his arrogance turns her off, his talent turns her on.

Their clashes lead to a whirlwind of passion, but Stella struggles to frame a future with a man who’s come to distrust “happily ever afters” and hides a softer side behind his image. Can Stella learn from her past mistakes and teach Connor about real love before he disappears from the picture?

Review:
Firstly thank you to Love Books Tours and Julia Boggio for having me on this tour and sending me a copy of the book to review.
Now I have to talk about the packaging the book came in, it was beautifully wrapped and had some lovely images of people reading the book in different situations, clearly, the author is a brilliant photographer because the images were beautiful ( check out the little reel on my Instagram to see them) . It's a cute-looking little book, with a fun illustrated cover. So I read it fairly quickly, it's a nice easy-to-read book and it's well written. A lot of the characters I can sort of tag as people I've seen at various photography shows, which was quite amusing and gave me a few giggles as did some of Stella's antics. 
I didn't like how Connor just switched from being so dead set against marriage to suddenly happily getting married to Stella, whilst I get that happens in romance books it just felt wrong. But I think I just didn't connect with the characters, which I completely expected to do because before having my small human I was a photographer so I thought id absolutely love this series.
Whilst I did enjoy reading this because I really did, it's not a re-reader for me but I do think I might read the rest of the trilogy. 

Krystina xx

The Wedding Dress Repair Shop by Trisha Ashley~ Blog Tour

Publisher: Bantam

Publication Date: 22nd June 2023

Genre:Romance

Summary:

Can her heart be mended too?

After losing her fiancé and her dream job in the same week, Garland Fairford's life is turned upside down.

Having recently met a long-lost relative - Honey Fairford - through her work as a historical costumier, Garland is intrigued when Honey reveals she is opening a Wedding Dress museum in Lancashire. With nothing to lose, Garland accepts the offer of a job there.

What she doesn't expect is to come face-to-face with a ghost from her past - her old friend, Thom, who mysteriously disappeared years ago.

As Garland begins reading the stories behind each of the beautiful wedding dresses, and sets about repairing both them and her relationship with Thom, could this finally be the chance for her own happy-ever-after?

Review:

 Firstly thank you to Random Things Book Tours, Trisha Ashley and Bantam for sending me a beautiful proof copy of the book to review.
Now I have to start by saying that I don't think I've ever found a Trisha Ashley book that I haven't loved and has ever left my bookshelf, they even have their own shelf. So I may be a little biased in reviewing this, but you know I'm honest so if for some reason I hadn't loved it id have said that.
I really took to Garland from the first moment she appeared on the page, she has such a fascinating-sounding job and I just loved her as a character, that said Marco on the other hand was a complete arse and (as you are meant to) i disliked him from the off. He was far too up himself and self-centred for someone like Garland. Now Honey was brilliant, just the right side of eccentric I absolutely loved her and boy do I wish I knew someone like her because she sounds like a barrel of laughs to be around. I mean Trisha Ashley is fantastic at writing characters that you can instantly connect with in one way or another and this latest offering is no exception, aside from the three I mentioned we have a plethora of brilliant characters on two and four legs to follow the antics of. And we're in a reasonably familiar setting with mentions of places and people from other books (The Christmas Cracker Factory for one, if you haven't read A Christmas Cracker I highly recommend you do!), so as your reading, if you've read other Trisha Ashley books you're instantly reminded of those places and stories from before, which I loved but I do now need to go back and read some of those books again.
The idea of the Wedding dress museum is brilliant, but I am nosey and id love to go around and read all those funny/sad/happy stories connected with the dresses, so part of me wishes someone will take up the idea and make it a reality so I can be that nosey!
I don't want to spoil the ending for anyone so I won't talk about it, but I desperately want to talk about it(I kind of felt something like that had to have happened but id hoped I was wrong!) so if you've read this book feel free to DM me on Instagram to chat about it!
I adored this book as you can probably tell, and even though I got a beautiful proof I may just have to also buy it so I can see all the recipes that I'm sure will be at the end.

Krystina xx