BOOK REVIEW: Maybe This Time by Jill Mansell

Mimi isn't looking for love when she spends a weekend in Goosebrook, the Cotswolds village her dad has moved to. And her first encounter with Cal, who lives there too, is nothing like a scene in a romantic movie- although she cannot help noticing how charismatic he is. But Cal's in no position to be any more than a friend, and Mimi heads back to her busy London life.
When they meet again four years later, it's still not to be. Cal is focusing on his family, and Mimi on her career. The Cal dives into a potentially perfect new romance whilst Mimi's busy fixing other people's relationships. It seems as if something, or someone else always gets in their way. Will it ever be the right time for both of them?

Publisher: Headline

Pages: 424

I knew that I was in for a treat with Jill Mansell's latest book, Maybe This Time. Mimi goes to visit her dad and his partner Marcus in the beautiful Cotswold village of Goosebrook. On her first visit she meets Cal who she instantly likes but she quickly becomes aware that he is not available. When Mimi returns from London four years later, Cal is still there and still very attractive but he has just begun a new relationship and Mimi's career is keeping her busy and taking her on a different path. Mimi and Cal have great chemistry but there always seems to be obstacles between them. Once all of the distractions have disappeared, will Cal and Mimi finally get their act together or are they just not meant to be?
Mimi is a fantastic creation, she fits effortlessly into life at Goosebrook and it is clear to see that she is one of life's good people. I loved the interaction between her and Cal, the dialogue they share is natural and I was so hopeful that they would get together.
The setting of Goosebrook is a great feature of the book. It is your typical, slightly eccentric English country village. Its inhabitants are very close to each other and it was lovely to see Mimi being taken under their wing and quickly becoming a valued member of their tight-knit community.
My favourite character in the book is CJ, he is the highly successful author Mimi works for at one point. He says it like it is and is a bit of a drama queen. I thoroughly enjoyed this part of the book as it contained such a lot of humour but also because you see Mimi realise how capable she is and her confidence is given a well needed boost.
I think Jill Mansell has a great knack of creating highly memorable romantic moments in her books. She slowly builds up the chemistry between the characters and then it suddenly hits you.
Maybe This Time is warm and witty. It has a fabulous romantic feel and I can highly recommend this highly entertaining book.

BOOK REVIEW: The Coffin Path by Katherine Clements

Maybe you've heard the tales about Scarcross Hall, the house on the old coffin path that winds from village to moor top. They say there's something up there, something evil.
Mercy Booth isn't frightened. The moors and Scarcross are her home and her life blood. But, beneath her certainty, small things are beginning to trouble her.
Three ancient coins missing from her father's study, the shadowy figure out by the gatepost, an unshakeable sense that someone is watching.
When a stranger appears seeking work, Mercy reluctantly takes him in. As their stories entwine, this man will change everything. She just can't see it yet.

Publisher: Headline

Pages: 372

The Coffin Path by Katherine Clements is an eerie read, perfect for curling up with on a dark Winter night. Set in the seventeenth century, the book follows Mercy and her father Bartram Booth who live in the isolated Scarcross Hall. They live a very solitary life on the moors tending to their sheep with some local shepherds to help. They don't get many visitors as there are many stories about Scarcross Hall. Many say the house is cursed after the previous family met a tragic end.
Mercy is already unsettled when Ellis Ferreby arrives at Scarcross Hall looking for work. He is a rather mysterious figure who seems drawn to Mercy. The two spend time together looking after the sheep and Mercy has someone to confide in about the strange events she has witnessed, mysterious animal deaths, her father's gold coins being taken and shadowy figures spotted lurking near the hall. Katherine Clements writes beautiful descriptions within this story, you quickly gain a sense of the isolation and desolation of Mercy's situation. I felt that in many ways she
was very sheltered living at Scarcross Hall yet she is particularly feisty and brave. Mercy is fully prepared to face whatever is coming her way- no matter how scared she is.
The Coffin Path is spooky and engaging, I felt as though the whole story was building towards a big reveal; I wanted Mercy to get to the truth and find out why Ellis was really at Scarcross Hall. If you like a good gothic tale then I would recommend The Coffin Path.

Many thanks to Headline for sending me a copy of this book to review, it is out now! 

BOOK REVIEW: Mad Girl by Bryony Gordon

Bryony Gordon has OCD. It's the snake in her brain that has told her ever since she was a teenager that her world is about to come crashing down. It's caused alopecia, bulimia and drug dependency. And Bryony is sick of it. Keeping silent about the illness has given it a cachet it simply does not deserve, so here she shares her story with warmth, humour and jaw-dropping honesty. 

Publisher: Headline

Pages: 308

Mad Girl by Bryony Gordon is one of the best books about mental illness that I have ever read. She writes with such honesty; she is not dressing the situation up but merely presenting it as it is, which in this genre is a refreshing change.
A very successful journalist, Bryony has suffered with depression and OCD since she was a teenager. She talks about the fact that there was not one single traumatic event that led to it but that it was as if she suddenly woke up one morning as a different person. She then goes on to chronicle how her mental illness has affected her daily life. Mad Girl is fascinating, as someone who has suffered with depression, I found it so reassuring and could identify with a number of her experiences. I love how she points out the way in which mental illness is stigmatised and often questioned; something that would never happen if it was an illness which presented in a purely physical way.
Bryony Gordon presents the devastating effect that depression can have but she also offers a chink of light at the end of the tunnel. She shows herself as a woman who has learnt to live with her illness and has sought the right help whilst also maintaining a very successful career and family life.
I urge you to read this book, it will make you look at the subject of mental illness in a different light.

BOOK REVIEW: Mallory's Oracle by Carol O'Connell

Detective Kathy Mallory. New York's darkest.

You only underestimate her once.
The soul of a thief.
When NYPD Sergeant Kathy Mallory was an eleven year old street kid, she got caught stealing. The detective who found her was Louis Markowitz. He should have arrested her. Instead he raised her as his own, in the best tradition of New York's finest.
The mind of a cop.
Now Markowitz is dead, and Mallory, the first officer on the scene. She knows any criminal who could outsmart her father is no ordinary human. This is a ruthless serial killer , a freak from the night-side of the mind.
The courage of a hero with nothing to lose.
And one question troubles her more than any other: why did he go in there alone?

Publisher: Headline

Pages: 272  

I'm always on the look out for a new crime series and I think I may have found it, Mallory's Oracle is the first in the series of Mallory novels by Carol O'Connell.
Kathy Mallory is a New York detective but her talents lie in technology not out on the streets. She was taken in at the age of eleven by NYPD detective Louis Markowitz. Louis and his wife Helen raised Kathy and set her on the straight and narrow but Mallory still harbours some demons and is always prepared to bend the law if she feels it is the right thing to do.
When Louis Markowitz is murdered, Kathy is first on the scene. She has no idea why her father went after a suspect alone and how he was outwitted, he was the smartest man she knew. Mallory is given indefinite leave to get over her father's death but she has no plans to stay at home with her feet up. Instead she embarks on an investigation of her own to catch a ruthless serial killer.
Mallory's oracle was a really good read. Kathy Mallory is a well-crafted character, she is not necessarily likeable but she is damaged enough to be interesting to the reader. I feel like I have only scratched the surface of this character and I think we will find out more and more as the series develops.
This book requires you to pay attention, I felt a little bombarded by characters and suspects at the beginning but once I had a handle on it all I was really interested to find out how it all fitted together.
The New York setting is perfect; it provides a gritty and realistic backdrop to the story. In this book we meet characters from all types of backgrounds and it showed that murder doesn't just affect the down-trodden.
Mallory's Oracle is a great read, I am looking forward to the rest of the series.

Many thanks to Caitlin at Headline for sending me a review copy. 

Book Review: The Unquiet Grave by Steven Dunne

The Cold Case Unit of Derby Constabulary feels like a morgue to DI Damen Brook. But in disgrace and recently back from suspension, his boos thinks it's the safest place for him.
But Brook isn't going down without a fight and when he uncovers a pattern in a series of murders that date back to 1963, he is forced to dig deeper. Howe could a killer stay undetected for so long? Could it be luck or are more sinister forced at work?
Applying his instincts and razor-sharp intelligence, Brook delves deep into the past of both suspects and colleagues, unsure where the hunt will lead him. What he does know for sure is that a significant date is approaching fast and the killer may be about to strike again...

This is the first book I have read by Steven Dunne but I thought it was brilliant. It's the third Damen Brook book but I still enjoyed this one without having read the others.
The Unquiet Grave is set in Derby which made for a refreshing change as I find that most crime novels are set in a large, well-known city. I am from the Midlands myself so it was good to hear familiar names of towns and villages.
DI Damen Brook is an interesting main character, he is obsessed and consumed by his job and he is very aware as to how much his career has impacted on his personal life. I liked the very human aspect of him; he openly discusses the way his job has affected the way he feels towards people and the way in which he views the world.
Brook's work in the Cold Case Unit becomes tangled up in the current investigation of a local teenage boy who is missing. Steven Dunne weaves a highly intricate plot between the past and the present and I was very quickly immersed in the plot and its many characters.
I enjoyed the behind the scenes look at the police force. Dunne does not paint a rose-tinted picture. Brook as to fight against the force's hierarchical structure and the derision from lower ranked colleagues. The loyalty between police officers is also explored in great depth. Brook and his close colleagues look out for each other but it becomes clear that there are situations where this goes too far.
The Unquiet Grave is dark and intriguing. DI Damen Brook is a character you will want to invest your emotions and I'm really looking forward to reading more of this interesting and page-turning series.

Dot Scribbles Rating: 5/5

Pages: 448

Publisher: Headline

Book Review: Release Me by J. Kenner

He was the one man I couldn't avoid. And the one man I couldn't resist.
Damien Stark could have his way with any woman. He was sexy, confident and commanding: anything he wanted, he got. And what he wanted was me.
Our attraction was unmistakable, almost beyond control, but as much as I ached to be his, I feared the pressure of his demands. Submitting to Damien meant I had to bear the darkest truth about my past- and risk breaking us apart.

Release Me is about the relationship between Nikki and Damien. Nikki met Damien 6 years ago when she was competing in a beauty pageant and she has never forgotten him. They meet again when she moves to Los Angeles to pursue her career. Their attraction is instant but Nikki has some secrets from her past which she doesn't feel ready to share and Damien is clearly hiding something too.
I enjoyed Release Me and I was pleased to discover that it is the first in a trilogy. There are many comparisons to be made with Fifty Shades of Grey, if you enjoyed those then you will love this too.
Damien Stark is a very enigmatic character, he has some infuriating traits but it is easy to understand why Nikki is drawn to him. I found Nikki a little more complicated, she ha
s these secrets in her past and I felt that they were really built up even though we didn't learn that much about their cause. Maybe we will discover more about Nikki and Damien in the next book.
Release Me is a quick, sexy, escapist read. J. Kenner keeps the plot going and the reader wanting more.

Dot Scribbles Rating: 3.75/5

Pages: 352

Publisher: Headline Review

Many thanks to the lovely Veronique at Headline for sending me a copy of the book to review, Release Me is out now!

Book Review: Don't Want to Miss a Thing by Jill Mansell

Dexter Yates loves his fun, care-free London-life, but everything changes overnight when his sister dies, leaving him in charge of her eight-month-old daughter Delphi. How is he going to cope leaving his hedonistic life behind for a new start in the Cotswolds?
Comic strip artist Molly Hayes lives in Briarwood, the village that Dexter moves to. She's not had a great history with men even though there's a connection between them it looks as though this isn't going to change.
But lots of the village residents have secrets to discover and it soon becomes clear that Dexter sin't the only one who is going to have to adapt once these are revealed. 

I am a big Jill Mansell fan. I think Don't Want to Miss a Thing is her best book yet. Dexter Yates is a seriously likeable character; the book begins with tragedy when his beloved sister Laura dies, leaving him the sole guardian of her eight-month-old daughter Delphi. Dexter loves Delphi but he also loves his life, working crazy hours, drinking, staying out late and bringing home random women. At first, Dexter doesn't think he can give that up but ultimately he knows that he can't let Laura down and he would never abandon his beautiful niece.
To avoid any distractions, Dexter moves to a Cotswold village to begin his new life with Delphi. Molly is his new neighbour, he instantly likes her and she is very supportive of him and Delphi. Molly has been single for a while, she likes Dexter but as usual things don't go to plan and they begin doing everything they can to avoid each other.
Briarwood is full of interesting characters. Frankie runs the local cafe and has just learnt some terribly shocking news about her husband. Their daughter Amber has secrets of her own, secrets that could lead her to a lot of trouble. There is also Lois, the village barmaid who is a lot more conservative than she looks and her father Stefan who lives in a caravan. Stefan has never got over his first love from many years ago and he has no idea that the lady in question has thought about him every single day.
Don't Want to Miss a Thing is such an enjoyable read. I loved watching Dexter and Molly's relationship develop. He soon realises that he can't live without his niece; giving up his old life is actually the best thing that Dexter has ever done. Molly is a genuinely nice character too; she wants to help Dexter without any complications so why does she feel so jealous when he sees other women?
There was so much packed into this book but Jill Mansell ties it all together perfectly.
Don't Want to Miss a Thing is my favourite read of all Jill Mansell's books and I highly recommend it.

Dot Scribbles Rating: 5/5

Many thanks to Headline for sending me a review copy, Don't Want to Miss a Thing is out now!

Book Review: Stranded by Emily Barr

It was meant to be a trip to Paradise...
Bruised from the breakdown of her marriage, Esther Lomax needs to get away and hopes Malaysia's unspoilt shores will provide the space and time alone she seeks.
But a day's boat trip takes a desperate turn when Esther, along with six other holiday makers, is deposited on an uninhabited island, their guide promising to pick them up in an hour's time.
Only, he doesn't come back: not an hour later, not two, not even the next day. Before long, the dreadful reality of the situation hits the group: they have no way of getting back to the mainland and they know nothing about each other. As tensions erupt, secrets emerge and time begins to run out, Esther must ask herself the ultimate question, will she leave the island alive?

I love Emily Barr's last novel, The First Wife so I had high expectations of Stranded. I am pleased to report that my expectations were met, I couldn't put Stranded down and my romantic notion of a deserted island has been blown apart!
In Emily Barr's books, nothing is ever as it seems, characters are often hiding something and the plot has you guessing what will happen next.
Esther Lomax goes to Malaysia to get her head together after her divorce. She leaves her daughter Daisy at home and she is the sole reason that she wants to return in one piece; she wants to be able to prove to Daisy that she can be the mother that she deserves. A day trip to a deserted island turns into Esther's worst nightmare when the guide does not return to pick up her and the other travellers. However idyllic looking the island is, the reality is horrendous, they have to pull together in order to survive, their hope of being rescued, fading every day.
I don't want to give the story away but Emily Barr delivers a beautifully sinister plot, the ending took me completely by surprise, I loved that it wasn't predictable in any way.
Stranded is an excellent read, Emily Barr has a writing style that draws you in, her characters are flawed and believable and you quickly become engrossed in the story she is telling. Highly recommended.

Dot Scribbles Rating: 5/5

Many thanks to the lovely people at Headline for sending me a copy of the book to review, Stranded is out now.

Book Review: The Angel at No.33 by Polly Williams

'Am I dead? I don't feel dead...'
Sophie cannot leave the people she loves. Her husband, Ollie- a man who once watered a house plant for a year before realising it was plastic- is lost without her. Their son Freddie is so little. And her friend Jenny? There's something she desperately needs to know before it's too late.

I took this book on holiday and my sister borrowed it first, she loved it and couldn't put it down. I really enjoyed it but I found it a tiny bit slow in places. Just goes to show how a book can easily get different reactions.
Sophie is dead when we first meet her, there is no long drawn out illness so it is as much of a shock to her as it is to those around her. Now she can see everything that is going on  without others being able to see her. Sophie has to watch her husband and son struggle with their loss. She has to watch her best friend Jen try to get on with her life and worst of all she has to watch other women try to take her place.
Polly Williams is a very witty writer but The Angel at No. 33 is also extremely poignant. I know it is terribly cliched but this book makes you take a step back and be grateful for what you have in life.
As I said, I did find this book a little slow in places but I still think it is a worthwhile read. It never hurts to be reminded of the bigger picture.

Dot Scribbles Rating 4/5

Many thanks to Headline for sending me a copy of this book to review, it is out now.

Book Review: Heart Shaped Bruise by Tanya Byrne

When Archway Young Offenders Institution is closed down, a notebook is found in one of the rooms.
'I have to start by saying that this isn't an apology. I'm not sorry. I'm not.'
This is that notebook.
'They say I'm evil and everyone believes it. Including you. But you don't know.'
It's pages reveal the dark and troubled mind of Emily Koll, Archway's most notorious inmate.
'Sometimes I wonder if I'll ever shake off my mistakes or if I'll just carry them round with me forever like a bunch of red balloons.'

This book is extraordinary, I have not been able to stop thinking about it since I finished it.
The book is effectively diary excerpts, so we get everything from Emily's perspective and she does not hold back at any point. Tanya Byrne uses Emily's character to explore revenge, its limits and its consequences. I felt extremely confused as I read the book as I seriously liked Emily but I felt as though I shouldn't. I think you feel as though you should sympathise with the victim but in this book I felt more empathy for the villain.
Heart Shaped Bruise is one of the most tense books that I have ever read. It is so clever, the reader knows that Emily has done something awful; we know she has been imprisoned for it but we do not find out right until the very end, exactly what it is. I made several guesses as the story unravelled but I honestly was not prepared for the ending.
Heart Shaped Bruise is a complex psychological thriller that will easily cross over from YA to adult fiction. I cannot recommend this book enough, Tanya Byrne is fantastic and I can't wait to see what she does next.

Dot Scribbles Rating: 5/5

Many thanks to Headline for sending me a copy of this book to review, Heart Shaped Bruise is out now!

Book Review: The Fall by Claire McGowan

What would you do if the man you love was accused of murder?
Bad things never happen to Charlotte. She's living the life she's always wanted and about to marry wealthy banker, Dan. But Dan's hiding a secret, and after he's arrested for the viscous killing of a nightclub owner, Charlotte's future is shattered.
Then she opens her door to Keisha,  an angry and frustrated stranger with a story to tell. But what Keisha knows threatens everyone she loves and puts her own life in danger.
DC Matthew Hegarty is finding it difficult to ignore his growing doubts as well as the beautiful and vulnerable Charlotte. Can he really risk it all for what's right?
Three stories. One truth. They all need to brace themselves for the fall.

I'm just beginning to get into crime books and The Fall by Claire McGowan is a great example of the genre. The book isn't overly long at 374 pages but I really took my time reading it as I enjoyed McGowan's story so much. Claire McGowan's writing style is extremely absorbing and vivid, it felt as though I was watching a gritty drama each time I picked the book up.
Charlotte is the central character, it is her fiance who is accused of murder and she is is the one left picking up the pieces. She is almost broken from the very beginning; over night she loses everything she has ever valued or known. However, as the book progresses, Charlotte has to find the strength in order to sort everything out. Nobody seems to want to fight for anything, including her fiance, so she quickly comes to the realisation that she is on her own.
Keisha, in many ways is the complete opposite to Charlotte; streetwise, uneducated and poor but the murder unexpectedly brings these two women together. I thought it was really interesting that both women are in the position they are because of the men they are with yet both know that only they can sort out the consequences.
The Fall is a dark and powerful book. Claire McGowan is not afraid to show the gritty and uncomfortable side of crime and the knock-on effects it has on peoples lives. It can take a long time to achieve something in life but it takes no time at all to fall to rock bottom.
This is Claire McGowan's debut book but I think she has a real talent an she will be an author to look out for in the future.

Dot Scribbles Rating: 5/5

Many thanks to Headline for sending me a copy of the book to review, The Fall is out now.

Book Review: Goodbye For Now by Laurie Frankel

Imagine a world in which you never have to say goodbye.
A world in which you can talk to your loved ones after they've gone-
About the trivial things you used to share. About the things you wish you'd said while you still had the chance. About how hard it is to adjust to life without them.
When Sam Elling invents a computer programme that enables his girlfriend Meredith to do just this, nothing can prepare them for the success and the complications that follow. For every person who wants to say goodbye, there is someone else who can't let go. And when tragedy strikes, they have to find out whether goodbye has to be forever. Or whether love can take on a life of its own...

This book has been compared to One Day by David Nicholls and I can completely understand why. Laurie Frankel gives us two brilliant characters in Sam and Meredith and we get to be part of their relationship from the very beginning.
Laurie Frankel has quite a snappy style of writing, it almost feels like a stream of consciousness at certain points which gives a real feeling of intimacy with the characters.
Goodbye For Now obviously deals a lot with death and this gives rise to many questions. Would you want to keep in touch with your loved ones, what would you say, would you keep things from them and would there ever be a time when you could say goodbye forever?
I think what I liked most about this book is that it was entirely believable . We use the Internet so much to communicate that I didn't find the idea of Sam creating this programme to be far fetched at all. It did make me think about communicating in this way though. Is it a good thing that we can email and video call people who are far away or does it make us lazy in that we feel less urgency to go and visit them in person?
I highly recommend Goodbye For Now, it's such an interesting idea and I loved how many questions it left me with.

Dot Scribbles Rating: 4/5

Many thanks to Headline for sending me a copy of the book to review, Goodbye For Now is out now!

Book Review: Because You Are Mine, Part One: Because You Tempt Me by Beth Kery

Francesca Arno has been commissioned to create a grand centrepiece painting for the lobby of Ian Noble's new sky scraper. It's at a cocktail party in her honour that she first meets him- and the attraction is immediate and bewildering. Enigmatic, darkly intense, with a commanding presence, Ian completely unnerves her. And she likes it.

If you are unaware of the Fifty Shades phenomenon then you must have been living in a hole for the past few months. I, like many others became addicted the the Fifty Shades trilogy so I was very interested to receive an email from Headline explaining that Christian Grey could move over because Ian Noble was in town!
I like Headline's approach to their latest acquisition, Because You Are Mine will be published in eight e-books over 8 weeks. This is a very clever idea, I have only read the first instalment but I already want more. Part One is entitled Because You Tempt Me and we are introduced to Francesca Arno and Ian Noble. Francesca has won the commission to paint the centrepiece in Noble's newest skyscraper. When they meet at a cocktail party there is instant attraction. Both battle against it but what will happen when Francesca spends time at Noble's penthouse home creating her painting?
There are of course going to be comparisons with Fifty Shades of Grey. The obvious ones being that Ian Noble is an extremely wealthy businessman and dominant. Francesca is pretty innocent but I already feel as though she has a little bit more about her than Anastasia Steele. I am a big fan of Fifty Shades of Grey but I do think that Beth Kery's writing style is better. I felt as though she avoided some of the cliches that she could have fallen into and was less repetitive.
I am very excited to read the next instalment which will be available from August 7th. The instalments of Because You Are Mine are only available in e-book format and are priced at £1.49 each, bargain!

Dot Scribbles Rating 5/5

Many thanks to Headline for allowing me to review Part One which is available to download now! If you would like to follow the author on Twitter then search for @bethkery

Book Review: Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness PLUS WIN A SIGNED COPY!!

Shortly after Diana Bishop and Matthew Clairmont timewalk to London, 1590, they discover that the past may not provide a safe haven after all. Reclaiming his former identity as poet and spy Matthew Roydibm the vampire falls back into step with a group of radicals known as the School of Night who share dangerous ideas about God, science and man. Many of his friends are unruly daemons- the creative minds of the age who walk the fine line between genius and madness- including playwright Christopher Marlowe and mathematician Thomas Harriot. Matthew himself is expected to continue to spy for Queen Elizabeth, which puts him in close contact with London's cut-throat underworld.
Together, Matthew and Diana scour the bookstalls and alchemical laboratories of London where they follow the elusive trail of Ashmole 782- and search for the witch who will teach Diana to control her powers.

Shadow of Night is the second book in the All Souls trilogy by Deborah Harkness. I read the first, A Discovery of Witches last year and really enjoyed it so I was looking forward to seeing what Deborah Harkness would do with the story next.
Shadow of Night begins exactly where A Discovery of Witches left off. I would highly recommend reading the books in order so you can get a full grasp of events so far.
Matthew and Diana have travelled back to Elizabethan England, the year 1590 to be precise. Here Matthew is Matthew Roydon, a spy for Queen Elizabeth and a member of the School of Night. Other members and friends include Christopher Marlowe, Thomas Harriet and Sir Walter Raleigh. I found this aspect of the book completely fascinating. Deborah Harkness brought these famous historical characters to life on the page; her background as a historian is evident and her attention to detail cannot be criticised in any way.
Matthew and Diana are in danger from the very beginning. There are only so many people that they can be completely honest with so it is vital that Diana can pass as an Elizabethan woman of the time or suspicions will be raised . Matthew and Diana have two main problems to solve during this book. They must find the text Ashmole 782 which is how their story began and they must also find another witch who can teach Diana how to harness her magical powers.
Shadow of Night is lengthy at 768 pages but I found that I flew through it. Deborah Harkness creates a fantastic pace, her descriptions are extremely vivid and she reveals a lot more about Matthew's past. I felt myself turning more and more pages as I wanted to know what was going to happen next and whether Diana and Matthew would get what they came for.
These books are wholly fantastical but I love the story that Deborah Harkness has created. She has added paranormal edge to historical fiction and in doing so has created an enchanting trilogy that will appeal to a wide variety of readers.

Dot Scribbles Rating 5/5

Many thanks to Headline for sending me a copy of Shadow of Night to review, it is published on 10th July.  Here is a video that Deborah recorded for bloggers and she gives a little teaser about some of her new characters.

The lovely and very generous people at Headline have offered me two signed copies to give away to the lovely readers of Dot Scribbles. All you have to do is leave me a comment by midnight on Thursday 12th July and I shall pick two names out of the hat. This competition is open to UK residents only. Good luck! 

Book Review: The Other Half of Me by Morgan McCarthy

Jonathan and Theo's childhood is one in which money is abundant but nurture is scarce. With a father who died when they were very young and a mother who starts drinking at lunchtime, the brother and sister are largely left to roam around their sprawling estate in rural Wales, looking only after themselves and each other.
Until, that is, their grandmother, Eve returns to the family home. Eve is a figure who is as enchanting as she is forbidding, and she takes the children under her wing, answering their questions about their family history that have always been ignored. Yet as they grow older, they discover that much of what they've been told is a fiction and that something very sinister lies in their past.

The Other Half of Me is Morgan McCarthy's debut novel and I think it is excellent. The majority of the book is set in Evendon, the family's sprawling Welsh estate. The house isn't described in huge detail but I imagined it to be sprawling and full of secrets. Although the book is set in 2008, I felt as though it had an older feel to it; as if the inhabitants of Evendon hadn't been touched by the modern world.
This book has echoes of The Great Gatsby and I Capture the Castle; there is a plot but you almost don't need anything to happen because the writing is so good.
I really liked the characters of Jonathan and Theo. Theo is central to the whole book; she is incredibly eccentric and innocent and I had a great sense of foreboding from the very beginning that something dreadful would happen to her.
The Other Half of Me is about secrets and their consequences. Should you always keep someone's secret and should you always be prepared to listen and believe when someone shares their secret?
I very much enjoyed Morgan McCarthy's writing and I hope she will treat us to more books in the future.

Many thanks to Headline for sending me a review copy, The Other Half of Me is out now.

Dot Scribbles Rating 4/5

Book Review: The First Wife by Emily Barr

After the death of her grandparents, Lily Button is left without a home or family in the quiet corner of Cornwall where she grew up. When she's offered some cleaning work for local celebrity couple the Summers she is thrilled when the glamorous pair take her under their wing.
With her stunning house and dazzling husband Harry, Sarah Summers appears to have the perfect life. So why, on holiday in Barcelona, does she slip away from her husband and throw herself into the sea?
After Sarah's death, Lily finds herself inextricably drawn to the grieving Harry. But as she falls deeper under his spell, she realises that nothing is really as it seems...

I have looked at Emily Barr's books in the past but for some reason I have always put them back. However, after reading The First Wife, it is clear to see that I have been missing out.
The cover for The First Wife is very striking and I think that is how I would describe the book as a whole. I felt as though Emily Barr lures you into the book with the character of Lily Button and once you have got to know her then the author introduces a really gripping plot that holds your attention to the very last page.
Lily is such an innocent character, you can see why she is lured in by the Summers but I was not prepared for the devastating consequences that she has to face.
The First Wife has drawn comparisons with Daphne Du Maurier and I think it is deserved. The writing is very subtle and you find yourselves in the thick of a psychological thriller that perhaps you didn't expect.
I haven't discussed the plot too much  as it would be too easy to spoil it but I'm very excited about how much I enjoyed this book. In the future I won't think twice about buying an Emily Barr novel and I am looking forward to catching up with her first two.

Many thanks to Headline for sending me a copy of the book to review, it is out on September 15th!

Dot Scribbles Rating 5/5

Book review: Destiny by Louise Bagshawe

Orphan Kate Fox is determined to make her mark in the world. Life hasn't been easy and when she attracts the attention of media mogul Marcus Broder- sophisticated, powerful and wealthy beyond measure- it seems as though all of Kate's dreams have come true.

But marriage to Marcus isn't everything she imagined. A closet filled with designer clothes, and nothing to do with her time but shop, lunch and be beautiful, does not bring happiness. Before long, Kate wants out of her marriage, a career of her own and a chance at love. But Marcus has other ideas, and he will stop at nothing in his attempts to destroy her. 

I am a little disappointed with myself for taking this long to read one of Louise Bagshawe's books as I thought it was really good. On the plus side I now have her whole back collection to catch up with!
Kate Fox is orphaned at a young age; her mother had always pushed her to better herself even if that meant marrying into money rather than earning it herself. So in the early part of the book, Kate is on a mission to bag a very rich man and secure her future. Marcus Broder is the ideal candidate and Kate pursues him all the way to the altar. Now she has all the money, clothes and luxury she could ever dream of but Kate is not happy. Being Mrs Broder is not as fulfilling as Kate had imagined it would be and she makes the huge decision to divorce Marcus. Marcus is usually the one doing the divorcing so he becomes hell  bent on destroying any future that his ex-wife is looking for.
Kate secures a job at her friend Emily's magazine and is enjoying earning her own money again. I really liked this side of Kate as she was so much happier and fulfilled making her own way in the world. Eventually Kate is left owning the magazine and when Marcus sets out to destroy it she doesn't know who to turn to. Help arrives in the form of business man David Abrams; he can see Kate's potential and offers her a deal. Kate wants to take his offer but she is massively attracted to this man and is aware that he feels the same way. She doesn't want to be seen as a gold-digger again but how else can she stop Marcus?
Destiny oozes glamour, power, sex and ruthlessness. Louise Bagshawe certainly knows how to inject sexual tension into a book and there is plenty with Kate and Marcus and then Kate and David. The plot is fast paced and I enjoyed the fact that we see two different sides to Kate as she learns that marrying for money will only make her unhappy.
I think that Destiny would be a perfect holiday book as it offers pure escapism. If you have read any of Louise Bagshawe's other books then let me know of any that you would recommend.

Many thanks to Headline for sending me a copy of this book to review, it is out now!

Dot Scribbles Rating 4/5

Book Review: Stand By Me by Sheila O'Flanagan

Dominique Brady is working as a waitress in a burger restaurant when she falls for Brendan Delahaye and his charming family. Dominique soon becomes Mrs Delahaye, and, in time, glamorous wife to an incredibly successful businessman. Through thick and thin the Dazzling Delahayes stand by each other, but when Dominique's carefully constructed world suddenly falls apart, she is faced with problems, no-one can solve, especially not the family she has come to think of as her own. It's time for Dominique to take control of her own destiny...

Stand By Me is a big read at 600 pages but it's a good one. The reader gets to know Dominique very well as we follow her from a teenager to the present day. I thought she was a little naive at times but overall I found her very likable, believable and particularly brave when her whole world falls apart. I don't want to give away the nightmare that Dominique goes though as I think it would spoil the story. It becomes clear though that Brendan completely underestimated the woman he married. I think this was one of the main reasons that I disliked him as a character. I found him cocky and arrogant and pretty selfish when it came to the feelings of his wife and family.
Sheila O'Flanagan is a brilliant story teller, the book has a fair few story lines and characters but she weaves them together effortlessly.
I thought that Stand By Me was a very engrossing read, it only took me two days to read and was the perfect start to my holiday. When it ended I felt like I wanted there to be more and I would love for there to be a sequel so that I could find out what Dominique did next.

Stand By Me is out now, many thanks to Headline for sending me a copy of the book to review.

GIVEAWAY!! Getting Away With It by Julie Cohen

I read the hardback copy of Getting Away With it by Julie Cohen last year and it is published in paperback by Headline today. If you click here then it will take you to my review but here's a little bit about the book:

'Wherever there's trouble, there's Liza Haven...' That's what the villagers of Stoneguard used to say. But when your identical twin sister's the local golden girl, sometimes it's more fun to be the bad twin. 

Now working in LA as a stuntwoman, Liza can be as wild as she wants. But when she loses her job, and almost her life, she's forced to return home. 

Only, things have changed in Stonegaurd and her sister Lee has gone, deserting their difficult mother, a flagging family business and a dangerously attractive boyfriend. What's more the whole village thinks that Liza is Lee.

Can Liza get away with pretending to be the good twin? Or is it finally time to discover who she really is?

I have a paperback copy of Getting Away With It it to give away within the UK. All you have to do is leave your email address in the comment section and tell me what your dream flavour of ice-cream would be (it will make sense once you've read the book!). This competition will close at midnight on Thursday 24th March and I shall pick a winner! Good luck!

Book Review: When God Was a Rabbit by Sarah Winman

This is a book about a brother and a sister. It's a book about childhood and growing up, friendships and families, triumphs and tragedy and everything in between. More than anything, it's a book about love in all its forms.

This book felt very different from anything I have ever read, in a good way, it felt completely original.

When God Was a Rabbit revolves around Elly as she grows up at the end of the 1970s. She has a brother Joe and they have a very normal like with their parents. There is nothing extraordinary about the family but we follow them as world events occasionally come knocking at their door. We all have those conversations, telling each other where we were when we heard that Princess Diana had died and when the first plane hit the twin towers on 9/11. Sarah Winman describes how these events and many others affected Elly and her family.

The book explores relationships, those within a family and those special people that we take in and make part of the family, even though they weren't there from the beginning. The relationship between Elly and her brother Joe is just lovely. I think that Sarah Winman shows that what other people know about us and the memories they have are often just as important as our own. You sometimes need someone to have shared something otherwise it doesn't always feel real.

There is a plot to this book in that there are several pivotal moments but the characters are the key. I didn't need exciting things to be happening around them to enjoy the characters; I think this is what makes the book so special.

I know that When God Was a Rabbit will stay with me for a long time and I think it will appeal to many different readers so I highly recommend giving it a go.

Many thanks to Headline for sending me a copy of this book to review.