Let's talk No Regrets by Tabitha Webb

* I was sent an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you HQ for this opportunity.*

 

 

Hey lovelies, welcome back!

They say that you’ll be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did, and for lifelong friends, Stella, Anna and Dixie this couldn’t be more true. They’ve all lived fulfilling lives – Stella had a dream career as a magazine editor and is now married with two children, Dixie married young and now lives the glamorous life of a bachelorette since her divorce, and Anna has spent her life finding the optimal partner, who she’s found in Rex, and is now trying for a baby. All three should be happy right? Wrong! Each feels that something is missing from their lives and when a series of opportunities present themselves the girls decide that it’s time for no more regrets…

No Regrets by Tabitha Webb is raunchy, comical and real, making it an upbeat read!

I enjoyed this far more than I thought I would, what with my go-to genre’s being YA Fiction or Fantasy, but I received an ARC at the Harper Collins Showcase in February and when they released the call for the blog tour I thought why not! 

This is such an easy read and I found myself speeding through. It's the perfect book to pick up for a holiday (admittedly non-existent holiday thanks to Covid-19).

Comprised of alternative chapters from all three pov’s, we experience everyone's story from the third person narrative which creates an omniscient feeling. Webb uses the varied pov to drive the plot forward, which captures your intrigue and keeps you turning the page. While I preferred some story-arc’s over others, each was entertaining and charming and were woven together effortlessly.

What I admired most was that the characters are flawed and do make mistakes, just as humans do, which makes them easier to connect with. They all emanate a warmth that instantly makes them loveable. Personally, Stella was my favourite - she is headstrong, independent and utterly hilarious!

The ending felt a little unstable as we had all the story-arc's wrapped up in one chapter which left me feeling a little dizzy. While this is an obvious choice for the ending, I'd have preferred to title the ending chapters as "Bitches" rather than a specific character to make it clear all three are merging together. Nevertheless, the ending is beautiful and leaves you feeling content.

If you're looking for a hot, sassy read then look no further!

       

Let's talk The Path to the Sea by Liz Fenwick

* I was sent an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you HQ for this opportunity.*

Hey lovelies, welcome back!

Overlooking St Austell bay is Boskenna. With it’s white-washed walls, flourishing gardens and breath-taking views it is a picturesque image of Cornwall. But inside there are secrets long hidden. As Joan, Diana and Lottie reunite there one last time those secrets are bursting to be discovered and could change their lives forever. 

I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Liz for a while now and within the first few pages my heart filled with pride as I thought “my friend wrote this”. That alone would have been reason enough to carry on reading, but the effortless writing, dynamic characters and captivating plot made this book un-put-downable. 

Written from the perspective of three women, a mother, daughter and granddaughter, The Path to the Sea by Liz Fenwick is a beautiful summer story that tells the tale of a family still reeling from the events of one fateful summers evening fifty-six years ago. Consisting of alternate flashback chapters nestled between present day we see the incident form from both angels which makes for an enthralling read.

As someone who’s visited Cornwall many times, and currently lives on the wrong side of the bridge, the setting was easy to visualise and made the plot all the more enchanting. Her variant weather conditions in the novel rang true and made it clear Liz is accustomed to the county. Anyone who’s visited Cornwall will know how irregular the forecast is!  

With the sun shining one day and torrential rain the next, I felt like I was holidaying in Cornwall while reading this, making it the perfect summer read. The beautiful writing and unexpected plot twists reignited a love for the duchy I didn’t realise I had lost.

     

Let's talk She Was the Quiet One by Michele Campbell

* I was sent an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you HQ for this opportunity.*

She was covered in her sister’s blood, carrying a bloody knife and led them right to her sister’s body. Who else could it be?

She Was the Quiet One tells the story of Rose and Bel Enright, twin sisters who are sent to Odell boarding school following their mothers death. Orphaned and starting at a new school should bring them closer together, but instead they grow further and further apart. And when one of them is murdered and the other turns up holding the murder weapon it’s only natural to assume she is the killer, isn’t it?

What I loved most about this book is how it’s not clear which sister has been murdered and which is the suspected killer until the end of part one. The book opens with one sister locked away after the incident but doesn’t state who. It then continues with a mixture of flashbacks of their time at Odell leading up to the murder and police interviews afterwards about their relationship and motive. Campbell’s excellent writing never gives a hint of who was murdered which makes for an exhilarating read.

The plot itself, although predictable, is gripping. Every time a chapter ended I just wanted to carry on reading and learn more about what happened and the alternative chapters only added to that.

The characters are complex and interesting and all have good and bad traits. Although I never felt particularly drawn to any of them, I think that was intentional and worked well for this book and fit perfectly with the plot. For me it only added to the mystery and made for a more page-turning read.

Technically classed as Adult Crime, I feel this book fills a gap in the YA market and would definitely recommend it to anyone 15+ due to some adult themes.

Let's talk Turn A Blind Eye by Vicky Newham

*I was sent an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you HQ for this opportunity.*

Today's review comes as part of a blog tour to celebrate the release of Vicky Newham's brand new novel, Turn A Blind Eye. This is my first blog tour and I couldn't have chosen a better book to start with! DI Maya Rahman is about to return from compassionate leave when the headmistress of her old school is murdered on the first day of term. Eager to jump right back into work, Maya leads the investigation and soon discovers that the schools she put on such a high pedestal might not be all it seems...

I'd like to start off by saying how easy this book was to read. Made up of just under 400 pages, it was the short chapters that made it such a breeze. Perfect for reading during lunch breaks, while commuting or during those 5 minutes you get to yourself once the kids have gone to bed.

As you will know I am fairly new to the crime/thriller genre, so I am fairly inexperienced with the usual detective stereotype, but immediately found an Indian female detective refreshing! Maya brought a sense of realism to the book, what with gender equality being such a big political topic in today's news, it definitely made the story relatable and one everyone should read. 

Set in Tower Hamlets, East London, Newham tackles a multitude of sensitive topics in this book, religion, race and sexism being just some of them. For many authors this would be a stumbling block however Vicky handles them with a delicate, perceptive and honest touch which adds an air of finesse to her writing. It is very clear that she has an understanding of the area and community she is writing about which makes her writing even more pragmatic.

For me personally the pace of the book was very slow and anti-climatic. This was probably intentional as we are following a detective as she attempts to crack the case, so with that in mind it sits perfectly with the plot. However I would have liked a little more suspense to get me on the edge of my seat screaming “WHO IS THE KILLER?!”. I will give it to Vicky though, when it finally emerged who the culprit was… WOW! I had a variety of suspects going through my head as I was reading but never in a million years would I have guessed them…

As a bookseller I can definitely see a gap in the crime/thriller market for this book, especially as a way to attract female readers to an otherwise male dominant genre. Don’t read it for nail-biting suspense, read it because it is a new brand of detective novels that openly talks about diverse culture and “taboo” topics.