📖 Book Review ~ The Honeymoon by Gemma Rogers

Boldwood
October 2024

Thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to read this book 

 

In a split second, your whole world crashes around you…

My wedding was the perfect whirlwind of a day. The happiest I’d ever been. That was until I discovered my beloved husband, Ryan, tucked away in a compromising summer house clinch with Liza, his best friend’s wife.

Reeling with this ultimate betrayal, my world in freefall, with nowhere to turn, I flee my own wedding unable to face anyone, not even my family. I just want to escape this nightmare.

With our flight, to our luxury honeymoon leaving in a matter of hours, could ten blissful days of Cretan Island life, minus my cheating husband help me figure out my future? It couldn’t be this easy, could it?

After a few blissful days of sunshine, my peace is shattered with the arrival of my husband, denying everything.

It seems he’s got secrets. Big secrets. More than I could ever have imagined.

With my marriage all but dead I just need to get through the honeymoon and then it'll all be over... won't it?

📖 My Review..

When newlywed Kelly finds her husband in a compromising clinch with his best friend’s wife she is distraught and abandons her wedding reception and leaves for her honeymoon, alone.  With her marriage over before it’s begun, Kelly decides to use the honeymoon to decide what to do next but is horrified when her cheating husband arrives along with two other surprise guests.

This is definitely one of those stories which is better off read in one sitting or at least within a few days because once started you can’t stop but wonder what on earth is going to happen next to Kelly. Even her idyllic honeymoon retreat is filled with one crisis after another, it was hard to imagine how so much misfortune could befall someone in the space of just a few days. Cleverly written, with twists and turns galore The Honeymoon is really a story of two halves, one of the honeymoon period in Crete and the other when Kelly and her cheating husband, Ryan, arrive back home, that’s when the story takes a decidedly sinister turn which had me on the edge of my seat.

The Honeymoon is fast paced domestic thriller which kept me entertained from start to finish.

About the Author

Gemma Rogers was inspired to write gritty thrillers by a traumatic event in her own life nearly twenty years ago. Her debut novel Stalker was published in September 2019 and marked the beginning of a new writing career. Gemma lives in West Sussex with her husband and two daughters.

X @GemmaRogers79

X@BoldwoodBooks

📖 Book Review ~ Bitter Greens by Kate Forsyth

Allison and Busby
20 March 2025

Thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to read this book 

Three women bound together by the strands of fate

Charlotte-Rose de la Force, exiled from the court of the Sun King Louis XIV, has always been a great teller of tales.

Selena Leonelli, once the exquisite muse of the great Venetian artist Titian, is terrified of time.

Margherita, sold by her parents for a handful of bitter greens, is trapped in a doorless tower and burdened by tangles of her red-gold hair. She must find a way to escape.

Bitter Greens is a dark, beautifully written retelling of the Rapunzel tale, interwoven with the story of one of the tale’s first tellers. 

📖 My Review

I’ve always loved fairy tales, from my very first, and now rather battered copy of Grimm’s Fairy Tales, to this sumptuous retelling of the story of Rapunzel. The author shares with us the gift of her imagination as she vividly brings to life Charlotte-Rose de Caumont de la Force who had been exiled to a nunnery by the Sun King, Louis XIV. Charlotte was a real person, a teller of tales and it is her 1698 story, Persinette, which inspired the Grimm’s version of Rapunzel.

The story gets off to a bit of slow start but once the main threads of the story come together then it becomes a clever mixture of history, fantasy and fairy tale. It’s always difficult to recreate an old story which has been previously well told but the author does a good job of breathing new life into an old tale. I enjoyed Charlotte-Rose’s story, she’s a fascinating character and a strong woman when women were not treated very well. As a lover of fairy tales I was equally enthralled with Marguerite and Selina both of whom bring everything together in a fascinating way. 

It’s been well worth a re-read as Bitter Greens was previously published in 2013. Its bright and attractive new cover art will certainly help to bring the book to a new audience.

X @KateForsyth

X @allisonandbusby

📖 Book Review ~ Ten Poems about Babies from Candlestick Press

Candlestick Press
2025

My thanks to the publisher for the copy of this pamphlet 

 

These ten poems have been chosen to help welcome a new baby into the world. They capture the joy of the new arrival, relishing the many ways in which life will be transformed and enriched. In the opening poem, the family home becomes a place of softness and calm:

“We brought you lambs’ wool with a memory

of snow, the softest corduroy, felt, muslin,

papooses and clockwork. Our flat filled up

with a flock of cards…”

from ‘Newborn’ by Jenny Pagdin

Not surprisingly, sleep and interrupted sleep are recurring motifs, and there’s tender humour in trying to keep the house quiet. Who would have thought washing flapping on the line could be too loud? These irresistible poems are a reminder that with a new baby comes a whole new world.

Poems by Niall Campbell, Sarala Estruch, Matthew Holly’s, Jackie Kay, D H Lawrence, Sarojini Naidu, Jenny Pagdin, Christina Rossetti, Maggie Smith and Algernon James Swinburne.

Cover illustration by Sara Boccaccini Meadows 

📖 My Review 

This lovely collection of ten poems about babies celebrates all that is special about new life and the way in which lives are changed by the addition of a baby into the family. Having had two babies and now two grand babies I’m aware of just how wonderful this time can be and these ten talented poets have expressed all the joys, surprises and wonderment that newborns bring with them.

I loved the delicate beauty of Cradle Song by Sarojini Naidu:

“ Dear eyes, good-night

In golden light

The stars around you gleam

On you I press

With soft caress

A little lovely dream…”

I also enjoyed seeing two of my favourite poets included in the collection from Christina Rossetti comes the very lovely I Know A Baby, Such a Baby and from D H Lawrence comes the tender Baby Running Barefoot.

A lovely finish to the collection comes in Us by Sarala Estruch which reminded me so much of the overwhelming feeling a new baby brings:

“ Eating, sleeping, washing, loving -

this is all we do for days and months 

No speaking - we develop a new language

Of facial expressions, sound , touch …”

Beautifully presented with a gorgeous cover, Ten Poems about Babies would be a delightful gift instead of a card for any new parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles. I loved it.

About the Publisher 

Candlestick Press is a small, independent press publishing sumptuously produced poetry pamphlets that serve as a wonderful alternative to a greetings card, with matching envelopes and bookmarks left blank for your message. Their subjects include Mountains, Clouds, Walking, Birds, Wine and Happiness. Candlestick Press pamphlets are stocked by chain and independent bookshops, galleries and garden centres nationwide and available to order online.

Twitter/X @poetrycandle

Blue Sky @candlestickpress.bsky.social

Website

📖 Book Review ~ The Devil’s Eye by Ox Devere

January 2024

Thanks to the publisher for the copy of the book

Can a CIA operative discover a hidden ancient secret?

The Devil’s Eye by Ox Devere is a gripping blend of thriller, mystery, and espionage, perfect for readers who crave high-stakes action, historical intrigue, and shadowy conspiracies.

The novel weaves together two the dark, mystical corridors of Elizabethan England and the pulse-pounding investigations of a modern-day CIA black-ops team.

Set in 1582 London, the brilliant but enigmatic John Dee, astrologer to Queen Elizabeth I, uncovers a mysterious artifact known as the Devil’s Eye—a crystal so powerful that even the angels warn him it is not meant for human hands. Fearing its potential, Dee buries it and leaves behind a cryptic trail leading to its location.

Centuries later, Ridley Samaras, a former Navy SEAL candidate-turned-intelligence operative, learns of an item sold at a Sotheby’s auction—where Dee’s long-lost notebook has resurfaced.

What should have been a routine mission quickly spirals into a race against a ruthless billionaire, and forces beyond human understanding. As Ridley and her team follow Dee’s hidden clues across Europe, they realize the Devil’s Eye may be far more than just a relic—it could be a key to power no one is ready to unleash.

📖 My Review..

The story opens in the late sixteenth century and introduces us to Queen Elizabeth I’s astrologer, John Dee and the discovery of the Devil’s Eye, a mysterious crystal, which allegedly had such incredible power that John Dee was so frightened of it that he had to hide it away. Centuries later at an auction at Sotheby’s, John Dee's mysterious lost notebook resurfaces with unexpected consequences and when the book falls into the wrong hands, it becomes a frantic race to follow the clues set down by John Dee in order to discover the whereabouts of the mysterious Devil’s Eye.

Ridley Samaras and Booker Douglas are CIA operatives who have the difficult task of deciphering John's Dee's original notes in order to track down the the Devil's Eye before the new owner of the notebook, billionaire financier Marc Pearson discovers the artefact for his own purposes. Ridley and Booker's thrilling quest takes them right across the globe and into moments of grave danger as they realise the true potential of the Devil's Eye.

Imaginatively written, with thrills and spills galore, this five hundred year old treasure hunt is a fast action thriller and whilst gritty and graphic in places it certainly keeps you on the edge of your seat as it combines history with a thrilling modern day cat and mouse thriller.

About the Author

 OX DEVERE is Parker Jamison. Her father grew up in Egypt, so when she was young, Parker’s home in Boston, Massachusetts was always filled with artwork, relics, and stories of its ancient culture.

After film school she worked in production and as a screenwriter in Hollywood for many years before returning to the Boston area to write thrillers. Her previous book, Rage of the Jinn was the first to feature Ridley Samaras.

Parker also trains in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, serves with a non-profit foundation in Haiti, rides horses, and is a fanatic follower of international and Premier League football.

📖 Extract Review ~ Boudicca’s Daughter by Elodie Harper

Head of Zeus
28 August 2025

Boudicca. Infamous warrior, queen of the British Iceni tribe and mastermind of one of history’s greatest revolts. Her defeat spelled ruin for her people, yet still her name is enough to strike fear into Roman hearts.

But what of the woman who grew up in her shadow?

The woman who has her mother’s looks and cunning but a spirit all of her own?

The woman whose desperate bid for survival will take her from Britain’s sacred marshlands to the glittering façades of Nero’s Roman Empire…

Born to a legend. Forced to fight. Determined to succeed.

Meet Solina.

Boudicca’s Daughter.

📖 My Review..

Having read, and enjoyed, this author’s previous books which were set in Pompeii and Ancient Rome I was thrilled to be given the opportunity to read an extract from Boudicca’s Daughter which is expected to be published in August 2025.  There’s a definite fascination to be had in learning more about the woman who was able to call Boudicca mother and this short extract from chapter thirteen of the book introduces us to Boudicca’s daughter, Solina.

I liked what I read, it’s descriptive, atmospheric and I’m sure if the rest of the story is as good then Elodie Harper will have another best selling historical novel to her credit. This is definitely a book to look forward to reading over summer.

About the author

Elodie Harper is the award-winning author of the bestselling Wolf Den trilogy, set in ancient Pompeii. The first book in the series, The Wolf Den, was a Waterstones Book of the Month, and the second, The House with the Golden Door, was a Sunday Times bestseller. Her next novel, Boudicca’s Daughter,is out in August 2025. Alongside her career as a writer, Elodie has worked as a reporter at ITV News and producer at Channel 4.

📖 Blog Tour ~ The Crime Writer by Diane Jeffrey (Giveway)

HQ / Harper Collins 
13 March 2025

Thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book
and to Rachel's Random Resources for the invitation to the blog tour

2019. Leona Walsh, a 34-year-old wife and mother vanishes on a bitterly cold afternoon while out jogging on the edge of Exmoor. It’s a mystery which captures public interest and ignites wild speculation. The police have a prime suspect: Leona’s husband, Matthew, a renowned crime writer. He can plot the perfect crime. But is he capable of committing the perfect murder?

Despite extensive searches, the police find no trace of Leona and her disappearance remains shrouded in mystery. As public interest dwindles, Matthew returns to raising their two daughters, aware the cloud of suspicion is never far away.

2024. Some human bones are discovered in a garden. Could they be Leona’s remains? And if so, is there enough evidence to find out what really happened five years ago?

Journalist Gabriela Conti covered the news story back in 2019. The police may have stopped watching Matthew, but Gabriella hasn’t forgotten him. And she is determined this case will define her career… even if that means getting close to a murderer.

📖 My Review..

The story opens with the mysterious disappearance of thirty-four year old Leona Walsh and the start of an investigation which will see her family placed under intense scrutiny not just by the police but also by people on social media. The finger of blame points at Leona’s husband, Matthew, whose success as a writer of crime fiction places him in the spotlight, however, with time passing and no real evidence linking him with Leona’s disappearance the case pretty much comes to a dead end.  Five years after Leona’s went missing, new evidence comes to light and once again Matthew Walsh finds that the past never really goes away.

I’ve really enjoyed this intricately plotted crime novel, especially the added inclusion of local journalist Gabriela Conti, who befriends Matthew, and whose True Crime podcast helps to put snippets of the plot together with some interesting character vignettes. There are lots of clues and hidden twists which I enjoyed working out, and the flip between time frames is done with precision and fine attention to detail. The conclusion to this complex story is done really well, with a twist I didn’t see coming, making The Crime Writer such an intriguing read that I’m still pondering about the ending.

About the Author

Diane Jeffrey is a USA Today bestselling and award-winning author. She grew up in North Devon and Northern Ireland. She now lives in Lyon, France, with her husband and their three children, Labrador and cat. Diane has written six psychological thrillers, all published by HQ / HarperCollins.

THE GUILTY MOTHER, Diane's third book, was a USA Today bestseller and her fourth novel, THE SILENT FRIEND, was a Karin Slaughter Killer Reads pick for ASDA. Her fifth psychological thriller, THE COUPLE AT CAUSEWAY COTTAGE, won the 2023 International Thriller Writers award for the best ebook original novel.

THE OBVIOUS SUSPECT is Diane's seventh psychological thriller.

Diane is an English teacher. When she's not working or writing, she likes swimming, running and reading. She loves chocolate, beer and holidays.

Author website: www.dianejeffrey.com

Readers can also follow Diane on Instagram and

Twitter @dianefjeffrey

or on Facebook.com/dianejeffreyauthor

**GIVEAWAY **

Giveaway to Win your choice of Diane Jeffery’s previous paperback releases (Open INT)

Prize choice is between The Other Couple, The Couple at Causeway Cottage, The Silent Friend, The Guilty Mother, He Will Find You or Those Who Lie

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome. 

 Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/33c69494608/

📖 Blog Tour ~The Shadow on the Bridge by Clare Marchant

Boldwood Books
11 March 2025

My thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book
And to Rachel’s Random Resources for the invitation to be part of the tour

You must forever watch your back,’ I spoke the words clearly, though he could not hear me. ‘Come what may, I shall avenge my brother’s death.’’

Now: When Sarah’s summoned by her godmother to remote Norfolk, she doesn’t want to go. Crossing the bridges where the two rivers meet, said to be haunted by the ghost of a little boy, a large Tudor house looms in front of her. And Sarah’s instantly reminded her of the summer when she last visited. The summer she would like to forget. Which left her unable to ever move forward… Can a person ever recover from the loss of a sibling?

1571: Anne Howard, newly-made countess of Arundel, has also lost a sibling. And been dragged from the relative safety of her home in remote Norfolk to London, by her overbearing, manipulative, new father-in-law Thomas Howard; the very person she suspects of killing her beloved only brother. The Howards have greater secrets than this though. Secrets that will lead Anne to a tragedy that will echo down the ages…

When Sarah finds a mysterious book of poems in a hidden chamber of her godmother’s house, she is drawn into Anne’s story. Perhaps the mystery will take her mind off her own loss? But – as the flood waters begin to rise under the bridges – is Sarah laying ghosts to rest, or bringing truths to the surface that should stay beneath?

📖My Review..

With her godmother’s health failing Sarah returns to Barnhamcross Hall in Norfolk where she spent part of her childhood. However, Sarah’s memories of the house are not happy ones and as we flit between the present day and 2004 we start to understand the sadness which she has carried within her for so long. Connnected by ancient memories we also learn the story of Anne Howard who also lived at Barnhamcross Hall in the 1500s and whose marriage, into the Howard family, is filled with sadness, intrigue and revenge.

There is a good sense of history and the author has obviously taken the time and care to make everything feel authentic especially as Anne Howard’s intriguing story is not a well known one. The dual time aspect is imaginatively done, with seamless transitions which bring both past and present to life. I enjoyed Sarah’s modern day story, her sadness is palpable, as is her need to put the trauma of the past behind her. Anne’s story is particularly intriguing especially her uneasy relationship with her father-in-law, and her need to seek vengeance for the death of her younger brother. Throughout it all, the house, with its mysterious shadows, very quickly, becomes another character in the story, especially as it gives up its secrets slowly.

The Shadow on the Bridge is a fascinating glimpse into the complex lives of two strong young women whose voices are very clearly heard throughout the whole of this intriguing dual time story.

 

About the Author

Clare Marchant is the author of dual timeline historical fiction. Her books have been translated into seven languages, and she is a USA Today bestseller. Clare spends her time writing and exploring local castles, or visiting the nearby coast.

Facebook: claremarchantauthor

Twitter: @claremarchant1

Instagram: @claremarchantauthor

@BoldwoodBooks #BoldwoodBloggers 

@rararesources