Heartless by Elsie Silver | Book Review

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Title & Author: Heartless by Elsie Silver 

My rating: 5/5

Publisher: Piatkus

Publication date: 6th April 2023

Blurb:

Working as a nanny for the world's grumpiest single dad should have been simple.

Except I can't keep my eyes off him. And he can't keep his hands off of me.

Cade Eaton is thirteen years older than me and barely looks my way. Until I get him in the hot tub one night for a game of truth or dare. Then all bets are off - and so are our clothes.

He's gruff, a little rough around the edges, and it turns out broad-shouldered ranchers with filthy mouths are this city girl's kryptonite. So who am I to resist?

But in our quiet moments together, he softens, and I start to realise his hardened exterior is just a façade. Someone once convinced him that his best wasn't good enough. Yet I've never felt more cherished than I do in his arms.

My contract may say this arrangement is only for two months.

But my heart says this is forever.

Review:

As soon as I finished Flawless, I went straight into Heartless because I was so excited to read Cade's book. And oh my goodness, "Daddy Cade" Eaton is the one.

Willa, Summer's best friend, really made me laugh during her text exchanges in Flawless so I was well prepared for the humour in Heartless.

This book follows Rhett's older brother Cade who owns a ranch in Chestnut Springs. He is a single dad since his ex-wife Talia left them both when son Luke was two-years-old. With his current babysitter getting older, he is hiring a nanny. But Cade is the grumpiest man alive and hates everyone that the family interviews. Summer has the best solution - her friend Willa.

Willa is hilarious right from the start and this is definitely for the age gap (Willa is 25) and grumpy x sunshine fans. It also has a trope that I hate (that I will not share because of spoilers) but I still gave this book five stars.

Willa's feelings towards Cade and his son Luke were handled beautifully, with Willa being the type of person Cade needed. Someone to help put himself first for once. Oh and the spice is top notch.

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

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

Title & Author: Sea Rift by J. M. Simpson 

My rating: 5/5

Publication date: 18th April 2024

Blurb:

Old wounds run deep. Revenge has deadly consequences.

A dead body is found hanging in local woods. It contains a sinister message for Mickey Camorra. It seems his dark past is catching up with him. As Detective Steve Miller finds another body, he ties both deaths to the Tao crime family. An old contact betrays them and the Camorra’s face their deadliest threat yet.

Mike Young is pleased to see an old flame return to Castleby. He’s hopeful they might rekindle their romance, but he soon discovers she is not all she seems.

Ex-soldier Foxy tries to move on after the death of his ex-wife. As he explores an unexpected new liaison, a rift with a close friend troubles him deeply, and he wonders about his future happiness.

Former hostage negotiator Nate Bennett moves back to Castleby, hoping the town will help heal his sick wife. When a baby is kidnapped from a cafe and the search intensifies, Nate finds himself face to face with the crazed kidnapper, as he desperately tries to save a baby’s life.

Review: 

Sea Rift in the fifth novel in the Castleby series and if you haven't read any of these books yet, you are missing out. I've read the other four books over the past couple of years and going back into this one felt like going home. 

This series is set in the fictional seaside town of Castleby and is perfect for fans of small towns, found family, the RNLI and organised crime thrillers.

Sea Rift introduces hostage negotiator Nate Bennett who has just moved back to Castleby. He lived there as a child but after his daughter was stillborn and Nate having made the tough choice to have his wife Viv sectioned due to her mental health following the birth, he thinks the town will be perfect for a fresh start for them both.

At the same time, crime boss Mickey Camorra is sent a message in the form of a dead body and all the signs point to another crime organisation, the Taos.

There are lots of POVs from multiple characters but Simpson writes in a way that leaves no confusion, each paragraph leaves you wanting more until you find that it's hard to put the book down! It is meticulously planned and super fast paced. I was dying to know how everything tied together.

I loved getting back to the lives of my old favourites; Doug, Foxy, Steve, Maggie, etc. It felt like a hug! 

I would say there are big trigger warnings for baby loss in this book but, wow! I feel like I want to go back and read them all again! 

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Thank you so much to Literally PR for having me on the blog tour. You can find information about the other bloggers taking part in the tour in the graphic below.