Coming To Find You by Jane Corry | Blog Tour Book Review

[ad/gifted - I received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.]

Coming To Find You by Jane Corry

My rating: 4/5

Publisher: Penguin

Publication date: 22nd June 2023

Blurb:

You can run away from your life.

But you can't run away from murder.

When her family tragedy is splashed across the newspapers, Nancy decides to disappear. Her grandmother's beautiful Regency house in a quiet seaside village seems like the safest place to hide. But the old house has its own secrets and a chilling wartime legacy...

Now someone knows the truth about the night Nancy's mother and stepfather were murdered. Someone knows where to find her. And they have nothing to lose...

So what really happened that night? And how far will she go to keep it hidden?

Review:

I absolutely love Jane Corry's books so I couldn't wait to get stuck into Coming To Find You.

This novel is told from the points of view of Nancy whose stepbrother Martin has just been imprisoned for murdering her mother and stepfather (Martin's father). Nancy decides to lay low after the trial to avoid the media circus and goes back to her family home in Devon, Tall Chimneys, which was previously a boarding house or B&B. 

We also flit back to the story of Nancy's grandmother Adeline and her best friend Elizabeth whose son was sent to the army when he was seventeen. Elizabeth previously owned Tall Chimneys and passed it to Adeline. The women then enlist into the 'secret army'. As I am not a historical fiction reader usually, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed these chapters.

There are a lot of secrets being kept in both stories and it all ties together beautifully. What I love about Corry's novels is the setting. I can always picture myself there, especially the beachy scenes in this one. I also love the slight peppering of information, urging you to keep reading because the truth is all about to come out. I definitely recommend Jane Corry's novels if you haven't already read any!

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A massive thank you to Penguin for having me on the blog tour. You can find information about the other bloggers taking part in the tour in the graphic below.

Sea Haven by J. M. Simpson | Blog Tour Book Review

[ad/gifted - I received an ebook copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.]

Sea Haven by J. M. Simpson

My rating: 4/5

Publication date: 22nd June 2023

Blurb:

One tragic death. Five people know the truth. Who is to blame?

Hollywood darling Cassie Warner is tragically killed three weeks before Christmas in a car crash on the outskirts of Castleby. Her daughter, Tabatha, narrowly survives the crash. Detective Steve Miller suspects foul play and discovers evidence confirming he is dealing with a murder enquiry.

Local crime mafiosi, Mickey and Pearl Camorra’s empire is at risk from rival gangs who plan to take over. Anxious to avoid a violent and bloody turf war Detective Miller reluctantly supports them to keep control.

Ex-soldier Foxy takes in a troubled loved one and does all he can to help, but the odds are stacked against him.

As Detective Miller investigates the crash, he discovers a broken family with a long history of neglect and abuse. Digging deeper, he is faced with five potential suspects, but who is really to blame?

Review:

This is the fourth book in the Castleby tetralogy and having read the previous three, I was excited to head back. I am not usually a series reader but there is something comforting in going back to characters that you already know and love. In saying that, you could read this as a standalone but I'd advise reading the others as they are so good and they give a deeper backstory to the characters. 

In Sea Haven, actress Cassie Warner is tragically killed in what appears to be a car accident with teenage daughter Tabatha needing a heart transplant. Following Tabatha's surgery and grieving his wife, Sebastian decides to stay at their Castleby home. Detective Steve Miller feels something isn't right with Cassie's death and delves deeper and as the story continues, we discover the truth. There are also side stories that weave in fantastically too.

Dare I say it? This may be my favourite of the four Castleby books. All of the characters are brought together beautifully and I felt so happy to know what they were doing now. It has just the right amount of intrigue and suspense. If you haven't read this series yet, you need to!

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A massive thank you to Literally PR for having me on the tour. You can find information about other bloggers on the tour in the graphics below.

Small Worlds by Caleb Azumah Nelson | Book Review

[ad/gifted - I received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links.]

Small Worlds by Caleb Azumah Nelson

My rating: 4/5

Publisher: Viking

Publication date: 11th May 2023

Blurb:

Dancing is the one thing that can solve Stephen's problems.

At Church with his family, the shimmer of Black hands raised in praise. With his band, making music speaking not just to their hardships, but their joys. Grooving with his best friend, so close their heads might touch. Dancing alone to his father's records, uncovering parts of a man he has never truly known. His youth, shame and sacrifice.

Stephen has only ever known himself in song. But what becomes of him when the music fades?

Review: 

"How could I forget?"

Whenever I read anything by Caleb Azumah Nelson, I feel like I am floating on a cloud. The writing style is so beautiful and I am instantly transported into the surroundings of the book.

Small Worlds is essentially a coming of age story following our main character Stephen. Stephen was born in London to Ghanian parents. Poetic and heartfelt, the story pieces together these  "small worlds" that he and his family and friends create or live in. Stephen leaving school, finding love, going to university, loneliness, finding his place in the world, racism, familial relationships, are all topics weaved into this novel. I absolutely adored the development of Stephen and his father's relationship.

All the characters are tied together through their love of music and dancing. The musical element that flows throughout the book is gorgeous and it is just such a lovely read. Stunning.

The Maid by Nita Prose | Book Review

[ad/gifted - I received a copy of this book in order to take part in a readalong with Tandem Collective. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links.]

The Maid by Nita Prose

My rating: 4/5

Publisher: HarperCollins 

Publication date: 27th April 2023

Blurb:

It begins like any other day for Molly Gray, silently dusting her way through the luxury rooms at the Regency Grand Hotel.

But when she enters suite 401 and discovers an infamous guest dead in his bed, a very messy mystery begins to unfold. And Molly’s at the heart of it – because if anyone can uncover the secrets beneath the surface, the fingerprints amongst the filth – it’s the maid...

Review: 

I didn't really know what to expect going into this book but I was intrigued by the synopsis. I expected it to be more like a thriller but it has a gorgeous theme of friendship and found family too as well as intrigue.

Our main character, Molly, is a maid at the Regency Grand Hotel. Her grandmother, who raised her, has recently passed away. She was also a maid and taught Molly everything she knows. Molly is very rigid and meticulous and people tend to think she is strange.

When businessman Charles Black is found dead by Molly in his suite, Molly finds herself embroiled in the case. The fact that she is a bit unusual does not bode well for her and her naiveté and innocence goes against her.

I absolutely loved the character of Molly. If you liked Eleanor Oliphant (Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine) and Sally Diamond (Strange Sally Diamond) you will love Molly too. The Maid is like a perfect little package. Everything is tied up and the plot and pace made me not want to put it down.

Naked In Mayfair by The Secret Socialite | Blog Tour Book Review

[ad/gifted - I received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.]

Naked In Mayfair by The Secret Socialite

My rating: 4/5

Publisher: Whitefox Publishing 

Publication date: 15th June 2023

Blurb:

Meet Ava, a blonde bombshell and newly divorced banker who leads a glamorous life in Mayfair and is looking for love again. She is passionate and strong, a woman who has it all and wants more, but her professional success and fearlessness are a foil to her vulnerability and inner demons. Outwardly Ava is confident and successful, yet she feels alone in the world. Naked in Mayfair follows Ava's uninhibited sexual odyssey as she is courted by many fascinating men. She loves sex, and her intense sexuality is her expression of a desire to find true love and connection. But whilst Ava has an amusing and pleasurable life, she is damaged inside, and the deep love she yearns for eludes her until finally, she finds purpose and peace in the most unexpected way. Sometimes shocking, often hilarious, always thought-provoking, Naked in Mayfair gives us an illuminating glimpse behind closed doors, in the back of a Bentley and at 30,000 feet. This is a glittering world of privilege and wealth, with extravagant holidays, fine dining and mega yachts. It gives us a unique insight into the secret life of a 21st-century woman's unwavering search for love, meaning, inner peace – and ultimately, self-acceptance.

Review:

"If you don’t love yourself first, you’re going to spend all your time running after men who don’t love you either."

I didn't really know what I was going into before starting this but I was so intrigued by the glitz and glamour of the Mayfair setting and the secrecy surrounding the author.

The story follows divorced mum-of-two Ava who works in the finance sector and her quest to find the love of her life. At the beginning, I was worried because I didn't really gel with Ava. Yes, she was beautiful, loved her kids and I did feel for her regarding her relationship with her ex-husband but when it came to few things that she did, especially within her relationships, I didn't agree with her morals.

As we continue to read, learning more about Ava's psyche and what happened to her whilst on holiday as a teen, everything started to make sense. There was a huge character development and I was really rooting for her the more I read.

I will say that there are a lot of sex scenes which I don't mind as long as there is plot and this book definitely has that.

I laughed at parts, I enjoyed the overall story and it is just a fun read but with a deeper story underneath.