Category: Blog Tour

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Books on Tour (Review): The Forgotten Girls by Lizzie Page

As far as epic WWII stories go, this one ranks right up there. A lot of ground is covered as the story winds its way through the waning days of WWII, London, and contemporary Spain. Sound disparate? Don’t worry, it does all link together.

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Apple Books: https://buff.ly/35hyBPZ
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Google Play: https://buff.ly/35bO0kR

The 1944-ish London segments focus on Elaine, a typist who gets caught up in a whirlwind romance with the “it” photographer of the period, Robert Capa (a real-life person). The Spain segments deal with a family who may (or may not) be descendants of Elaine and Robert (or Pinky and Bobby as they refer to each other).

I thought that the WWII portions were exceptionally well-done. The author did a phenomenal job of portraying the hardship felt by many Londoners but also captured the excess and frivolity of the artistic/journalistic segment of society. This was a compelling juxtaposition of attitudes, even more so because Elaine straddled the line between the two.

I also liked how the author did the necessary research to weave real events from Capa’s life into the narrative – this added a dash of realism into the narrative and was very effective.

I found the Spain segments to be less exciting and read those faster to get back to the 1944 action.  I understand why the author used these segments, and the “mystery” of the family ties did link the two plot lines together. But I did not think that the Jenny/Paul problem, and Jenny’s contentious relationship with her mother, really did the story much justice.

Regardless, I did learn a lot about the clerical girls and found their jobs to be fascinating. I can only imagine how difficult their jobs would have been. In fact, I found myself thinking that the title referred more to them than to the two little girls on the cover.

That was definitely one thing that stood out about this book; the author took special care to highlight the unsung heroes and heroines of WWII London – those who had no choice but to “Keep Calm and Carry On” even in the face of the Blitz, Doodlebugs, and ongoing uncertainty.

And I thoroughly got caught up in Elaine and Robert Capa’s romance. I would recommend this book for that storyline alone.

Author Bio

Lizzie loves reading ALL the books and has always loved reading the adventures of women in the past so it seemed natural to her to write historical fiction.

She lives with her family by the sea in South East England. And with her dog. She enjoys traveling and lived in Japan for several years. Lizzie has had lots of different jobs from waitressing and teaching to admin and bingo-calling – but being a writer is her absolute favourite.

She’d love to hear what you think of her books – feel free to send her a message on twitter @LizziePagewrite or on FB or leave a review on amazon.

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Blog Tour w/ Review: Been There, Married That by Gigi Levangie

Straight to the point: this is the second book I have read in the past four days where the premise is interesting, but the main character is annoying and impossible to get behind.

I liked the setting and I did get a good hit of juicy “behind-the-scenes” insight to Hollywood lifestyles. The author’s real-life experiences feed a good portion of that, and these parts of the story rang true, as I used to read all of the celebrity gossip magazines. A lot of what was described in the book felt familiar.

In that regard, I think the characters were accurate as well. The narcissism, the lack of compassion, the groupthink…all hallmarks of a stereotypical Hollywood type of person. I didn’t dislike the characters for that reason – their nature was reflective of their environment.

I think that type of personality does not curry favor with me (one reason I no longer read the gossip mags) and that is part of what I didn’t like about Agnes. She was one of “those people,” even though she proclaimed she wasn’t, and that made it hard to root for her.

I could relate to her on a theoretical basis, as I would with any middle-aged character: trying to be a good wife (with “good” being relative), raising kids, keeping the husband happy, etc. That part of her I didn’t mind. It was the Hollywood part of her that made her unsympathetic to me.

I also struggled with the writing style. It jumped all over the place and switched directions quickly. The narrative did not flow at all. It made me feel twitchy and unsettled because there wasn’t a groove to it. To be fair, others may not have a problem with this style at all, but it was difficult for me.

Overall, it was an okay book with a decent backstory and is a sharp satire on that lifestyle, but ultimately, the writing style and annoying main character made it a not so fun read for me. I would still recommend it, however, because others may have a completely different experience with it.

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Blog Tour w/Review: Toxic Deception by K.C. Gillis

You probably could not pick a more timely subject than disease control and the reach of big pharma. With the coronavirus in the daily news and reports of the efforts to combat the spread of it, a medical thriller with those themes should be a no-brainer.

Toxic Deception has the premise locked in, and the parts of the novel that deal specifically with the spread of infectious diseases and the control that pharmaceutical companies exert are well-done. There is a lot of detail to be found from both the medical and business points of view, and this is where the novel is at its most interesting.

However, when the story follows the reporter who is investigating the latest possible subterfuge (due to an obituary taped on her door by an anonymous person), it becomes less exciting and more tedious.  

I did not think that Jordan was a likable character, and that’s tough when the main character turns a reader off. I felt that every time the narrative came from her point of view, it became about her. I would have preferred that there was more focus on her investigation.

I know that part of this stems from early in the book when Jordan opines that “the current presidential administration” releases a “constant stream of lies and misdirection….” The author tries to explain it away by also having Jordan hate all politicians, but the intent of the specifics are pretty clear.

I have said several times that commentary like this turns me off. If it is of no benefit to the plot or character development, it has no place in a fictional story. That being said, Jordan’s attitude is pretty crappy about a lot of things. She has obvious disdain for anyone who doesn’t help her, she apparently does not like anyone over 50 in the workforce, and all in all, she seemed way out of her league with this investigation. She was not a character I could get behind and root for success.

And that’s a shame because, as I mentioned at the top, the basic plot is timely and real. As I have written this review, there have been no fewer than six news reports covering different aspects of the coronavirus contagion. Coupled with the conspiracy theories regarding whether or not it is a bioweapon that was accidentally released, the time is ripe for this book. Too bad the main character wrecked it for me.

AUTHOR BIO

K.C. (Kevin) Gillis is the author of the Jordan Reed mystery series. Despite being a lifelong lover of stories and books, writing took a distant back seat as his professional career travelled through the Canadian Air Force, a decade as a chemist, followed by a long and continuing run in corporate America. With writing no longer in the back seat (but not quite yet in the front seat), Kevin has the initial novels (plus one novella) in the Jordan Reed series well under way. His personal interests focus on endurance and water sports, and obviously a lot of reading!. Having grown up in the Canadian Maritimes, he now lives in the US northeast.

He can be found online at www.kcgillis.com. You can connect with Kevin on Twitter at @kcgilliswriter, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/kcgilliswriter and you can email him directly at kevin@kcgillis.com.

Information on all of his books can be found at kcgillis.com.

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Blog Tour w/Review: Going Rogue by Neil Lancaster

Holy heck, what an action-packed page-turner this one was!

From the opening scene, I could tell that this was a book that was going to pull no punches both in terms of subject matter and general action, and I was right. It did not let up from beginning to end.

I liked how the author wove different plotlines into a cohesive story. Every event fed into the greater narrative and made sense. The story seemed entirely plausible, especially in today’s world of political turmoil and shifting alliances.

I thought that the characters were well-developed also. I had a difficult time keeping everyone straight at first because there were a lot of players. Novak is a hero to get behind, even as he skirts the limits of legal and moral boundaries. I found that to be one of his most realistic traits because real life (especially in the situation he found himself in) sometimes requires ambiguity for survival.

The descriptions of post-event analysis, risk assessments, and other law-enforcement/military actions were accurate and well-described. I appreciate it when an author shows knowledge in an area beyond the “oh, this would be interesting, I’ll do a Google search” mentions. It was clear to me that this author knows his stuff and knows it well.

The timeliness of subject matter may be touchy for some people, and I did feel that there were a few times that the author veered into more opinionated territory that was not warranted by the plot (case in point: Muslims are not a race, they belong to a religion, so while starting a “race war” with Muslims is a prevalent talking point in some countries real life, it is not factual). Fortunately, moments like this were few and far between.

Going Rogue is the second in the Tom Novak series. While it is not necessary to have read the first one to understand and enjoy this one, there are a few returning characters and references to events from the previous book. I would recommend picking up Going Dark first if only to get in on Novak’s story from the very beginning.

About Neil Lancaster:

Neil was born in Liverpool in the 1960s. He recently left the Metropolitan Police where he served for over twenty-five years, predominantly as a detective, leading and conducting investigations into some of the most serious criminals across the UK and beyond.

Neil acted as a surveillance and covert policing specialist, using all types of techniques to arrest and prosecute drug dealers, human traffickers, fraudsters, and murderers. During his career, he successfully prosecuted several wealthy and corrupt members of the legal profession who were involved in organised immigration crime. These prosecutions led to jail sentences, multi-million pound asset confiscations and disbarments.

Since retiring from the Metropolitan Police, Neil has relocated to the Scottish Highlands with his wife and son, where he mixes freelance investigations with writing.

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Books On Tour (Review): The Orphan’s Daughter by Sandy Taylor

A beautifully written story that packs an emotional punch, The Orphan’s Daughter just rocketed to the top of my favorites list. Set in 1920s rural Ireland, it is filled with rich detail and memorable characters. The author made everything (down to inanimate objects) come alive (more on that in a bit).

Amazon: http://bit.ly/2RTpHo1
Kobo: http://bit.ly/36YeVS1
Apple Books: https://apple.co/2vLhycR
Google Play: http://bit.ly/2tstj7e

One of the strengths of this book was the way the author circled back around to moments or thoughts. For example, the book starts with Nora and her friend Kitty grading a funeral. Their doing so illustrates the innocence of youth. Later in the book, when there is a personal loss, Nora realizes how much they did not consider the feelings of the mourners. The book is filled with moments like this, which showed real character growth.

Nora is a character one can naturally root for because she is just a good person. I enjoyed Nora’s interactions with people. I especially liked the exchanges with Kitty when Nora used a big word (“Grandad Doyle?” “The very man.”) That was a little detail, but it illustrated the closeness of the girls and the respect that Nora had for her grandfather (which arguably set her at least partially on her path mid-way through the book).

As to those inanimate objects coming to life? Seemingly innocuous items (a wall, a chair, a dress) have an impact on Nora’s life as much as a person might. While the objects can’t show emotion, they can undoubtedly evoke it. This is another aspect that I thought the author did very well. In a like manner, the town of Ballybun was a character in its own right. The author did a phenomenal job of describing rural Ireland so that the reader got a full picture of the town and its people.

There is real emotion throughout the book as well, and the author does a spectacular job of conveying the highs and lows as Nora experiences them. Her joy and sadness, her sense of wonder at finding something amazing, and her confusion when she can’t sort out her emotions are all detailed and completely natural within Nora’s personality.

Ultimately, the story is about love, loss, and the sacrifices that one makes. The tag line calls it “heartbreaking and unforgettable,” and both are true. I cried more than a few times (which rarely happens to me), and there were moments of beauty that will stay with me for quite a while. Do yourself a favor and pick this one up today.

Author Bio

Sandy Taylor grew up on a council estate near Brighton. There were no books in the house, so Sandy’s love of the written word was nurtured in the little local library. Leaving school at fifteen, Sandy worked in a series of factories before landing a job at Butlins in Minehead. This career change led her to becoming a singer, a stand up comic and eventually a playwright and novelist. 

@SandyTaylorAuth
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Blog Tour w/Review: The Southern Belles by Katie Simpkins

Based on the description, I thought this book had an interesting concept. Not to mention that I have read a lot of crime and psych thrillers lately, so a novel about three sisters whose fates change and who have to figure out new lives sounded appealing.

While the premise remained interesting, the book as a whole did not live up to my expectations. I liked the set-up (a sick girl asks her grandmother to read her a story). It reminded me of The Princess Bride (one of my all-time favorites).

I also liked how each of the sisters had a distinct personality as well, with Livvy as the dreamer, Georgie as the fighter, and Evey as the practical one. These fit the stereotypes of where kids often fall in age-order (youngest to oldest). I thought the author did an admirable job of creating events in each girl’s life that illustrated their character traits.

In addition, I appreciated how each of the girls found their path in life and how each path differed, but how they all realized that money wasn’t everything. That was a good lesson that was well-illustrated.

However, there were times when I felt like the author did not know where to go with the story. The action flipped back and forth between each of the girls multiple times, making it sometimes challenging to keep up with who the focus was on at the time.

Some extra characters and events seemed to have no purpose other than to stretch the story. I understand that there had to be conflict along the way, but some things muddied the plot and were unnecessary to the general development.

The other thing that struck me right from the beginning was poor grammar in a few parts. It almost seemed as if an editor missed parts of the manuscript. For example, there was one section at the beginning written in the past perfect tense, which led to multiple uses of the word “had.” It was awkward and clunky…and the English teacher in me was dying inside.

There was a unique twist at the end that I guessed early on. But there were a lot of uneven parts which made it difficult for me to get through smoothly. Better editing and some tightening of the plot would improve this story significantly. As a whole, the book was just okay.

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Blog Tour w/Review: Witness Protection Widow by Debra Webb

Excited to be a part of Harlequin’s February 2020 Blog Tours. Today I have a review of a book from Harlequin Intrigue.

After a long stretch of psychological thrillers and police procedurals, I was looking for a brain break. I found it in this book.

You can read the synopsis in the blurbs, and what you see is what you get. There is no in-depth character study, no hidden secrets, or mind-boggling twists. It’s a straightforward plot with action and romance.

I enjoyed the story, but I will say that this book is part of a series, and I got the distinct feeling that I would have enjoyed it even more if I had read the others first.

That’s not to say that it was unreadable as a standalone, because it certainly was. The plot was fully developed from beginning to end. But there were a lot of references to past events that obviously occurred in other books. So, I think reading those first would have led to a deeper understanding of the events in this book.

I did like the set-up, because really, who doesn’t love a damsel in distress/old flame as protector story? And I thought that the chemistry between Ali and Jax was tangible and realistic which made it easier to root for them. All in all, this was exactly what I needed when I needed it. It is a good book and a quick read. Just know that if you want to have a more in-depth read, find the first books in the series.

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Blog Tour w/Review: Truth Hurts by Rebecca Reid

If you read enough psychological thrillers, you get to a point where you can sometimes guess where a book is going. That’s no fault of an author – it’s just that you become able to catch some signs or hints of a character’s motivations.

That’s not the case with Truth Hurts by Rebecca Reid. While I was able to guess a few things, the overall plot kept me turning pages because I truly had no idea how everything was going to work out. And that’s just one of the things I enjoyed in this book.

The author laid the groundwork for Poppy’s character (with flaws and assets) right from the start which stayed the same throughout the book. That consistency added to the feeling of unease in later chapters. Poppy’s backstory is old in intermittent chapters simply labeled “Before.” I liked how there was no real timeframe given; the ambiguity added to later events as well.

As I have mentioned before, it is difficult to write reviews about psychological thrillers because I am not someone who gives away plot points, and in a well-written book (like this one) even the littlest mention of something could ruin it for another reader.

I will say, however, that I loved the author’s cleverness in having Poppy read Jane Eyre because that same vibe was prevalent for two-thirds of the book. There was a gothic feel (obviously intentional) which made Poppy’s suspicions seem more probable and kept me waiting for the proverbial shoe to drop.  

I did feel that there were some unanswered questions and a couple of loose ends that I would have liked to have seen resolved, but I did not see the end coming; it was a total jaw-dropper. Another psych thriller that you should take a look at, especially if you like claustrophobic, gothic novels.

AUTHOR BIO

Rebecca is the Digital Editor of Grazia. She has written for Marie Claire, the Guardian, the Saturday Telegraph, the Independent, Stylist, Glamour, the iPaper, the Guardian, Indy100, LOOK and the New Statesmen amongst others.

Rebecca is a regular contributor to Sky News and ITV’s This Morning as well as appearing on Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, LBC, BBC News 24 and the BBC World Service to discuss her work. 

She graduated from Royal Holloway’s Creative Writing MA in 2015 and Perfect Liars was her debut novel. 

Rebecca lives in North London with her husband.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RebeccaCNReid
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rebeccacnreid/
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Books On Tour (Review): The Leaving Party by Lesley Sanderson

I am a fan of claustrophobic movies (The Shining and Misery are two of my favorites). I have always found books a little bit more challenging to get into (the irony is not lost on me that the two movies above were books first). It is difficult to maintain interest when the action all has to take place in one location. The author needs to be very creative with the atmosphere.

I am happy to report that The Leaving Party does an excellent job of this. Not only is the claustrophobic feeling achieved (everything takes place in a house), but the author goes a step further and juxtaposes the tension of the story with a going-away party.

Amazon: https://bit.ly/3aNeZXO
Kobo: https://bit.ly/2RuDpxD
Apple Books: https://apple.co/2O0iVdQ
Google Play: https://bit.ly/3aVn390

I liked how the author started with a murky prologue. Was it an event in the past, or something yet to come? How does it tie into the story? I had to go back and re-read the prologue a few times during the book to try to figure it out.

The story is told from alternating points of view between Ava and Lena, with the events of a past party interspersed. The action flows smoothly, and the switches are always natural; I never felt jolted out of the narrative.

I thought that the author’s exploration of friendship and the lengths people will go to for each other was especially fascinating. How can a person tell when a friendship crosses the line? Can friends always be trusted, even to the detriment of family relations?

What I appreciated most, however, was how the author threw in a few red herrings. I take notes when I read, and in looking over them to write this review, I noticed that I had at least four different solutions to a plot point affecting Ava. I changed my mind at least that many times depending on the details the author provided. I liked that I was kept off-balance.

I do think that there were a few things that could have used more depth, but overall it was a tightly written novel with tension and a few “that did NOT just happen” moments. I would certainly recommend it.

AUTHOR BIO

Lesley spends her days writing in coffee shops in Kings Cross where she lives and also works as a librarian in a multicultural school. She has lived and worked in Paris and speaks four languages. She attended the Curtis Brown Creative novel writing course in 2015/6, and in 2017 was shortlisted for the Lucy Cavendish fiction prize. Lesley discovered Patricia Highsmith as a teenager and has since been hooked on psychological thrillers. She is particularly interested in the psychology of female relationships.

www.lesleysanderson.com
https://www.facebook.com/lsandersonbooks/
https://www.instagram.com/lesleysandersonauthor/
https://twitter.com/lsandersonbooks
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Books On Tour (Review)-The Nowhere Girl by Nicole Trope

One of the most cleverly-crafted stories I have read in a while, The Nowhere Girl lives up to its tag line of a “gripping and emotional page-turner.”

Amazon: https://geni.us/B07ZRPQVS7Social
Apple Books: https://apple.co/36dNS5M
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2Wy1uV1
Googleplay: http://bit.ly/2N5oKa5

From the very first chapter, it is apparent that there are going to bad things that occur during the story, and this is undoubtedly the case. One of the strengths of this book is the author’s unflinching look at domestic abuse and its long-lasting effects.

(While the emotional impact is strong, and I felt that even as an observer, it should probably be mentioned that the descriptions of physical and child abuse are graphic and sometimes detailed. They may be extremely disturbing to some readers).

The author made a bold choice in being so descriptive, but the detail catalyzes the story. Some events can occur only because of the detailed memories that arise for both Alice and Molly.

I do not want to belabor this point, because I do not want to give anything away. The plot is tightly woven, and to mention anything more would lessen the impact of the story. The author deftly switches between Alice and Molly in the present and Margaret (their mother) in the past.

There are moments of heartbreaking sadness and deep-seated anger, despair, sacrifice, and hopefulness – honestly, the full gamut of emotions are touched upon throughout the plot. I thought that the author did an incredible job of accurately portraying the feelings of all of the characters.

I felt sympathy for all of the female characters at one point or another, although Molly’s attitude after she received certain news rubbed me the wrong way. I understand her feelings, but there were a few thoughts that I found to be troubling.

 I did think that the book ended a tad abruptly. The build-up and uncovering of the family secrets were done well, but it all seemed accelerated at the end and then it just…wrapped up. I would have liked it to be a little more even at the end, but I was still satisfied with it.

I would highly recommend this book, with a warning that the subject matter is disturbing, but treated with dignity and respect.

AUTHOR BIO

Nicole Trope went to university to study Law but realised the error of her ways when she did very badly on her first law essay because-as her professor pointed out- ‘It’s not meant to be a story.’ She studied teaching instead and used her holidays to work on her writing career and complete a Masters’ degree in Children’s Literature. After the birth of her first child she stayed home full time to write and raise children, renovate houses and build a business with her husband.


The idea for her first published novel, The Boy under the Table, was so scary that it took a year for her to find the courage to write the emotional story. Her second novel, Three Hours Late, was voted one of Fifty Books you can’t put down in 2013 and her third novel, The Secrets in Silence, was The Australian Woman’s Weekly Book of the month for June 2014.
She lives in Sydney with her husband and three children.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NicoleTrope/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/nicoletrope

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