Real Book Reviews

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Dark Cracks of Kemang – Another Mrs B book review

Author; Jeremy Roberts

Release date: 23rd September 2022

Blurb: That old childhood saying ‘pick what you want from the tree of life’ simply not working anymore? Becoming a foreigner in Indonesia might be as good a stab at something new and rewarding, as anything…”

Armed with a teaching contract, some poems, and a guitar-playing buddy, Roberts discovers a potentially life-changing experience in 2013. And so the Bajaj Boys make themselves at home.

Indonesia is revealed as a challenging but welcoming land of ‘instant millionaires’, ‘beautiful rubbish’, abundant romance, powerful religion, and unnerving history.

Nasi goreng, alcohol, cigarettes, bajajs, motorbikes, a gentlemen’s club, poetry gigs, wild animals, and electrical storms weave together, as the dark cracks of Kemang open.

My thoughts:  I loved this book.  From start to finish it has been a great dive into the adventures of Jeremy and his buddies.  There were even things I have learnt about Indonesia and the experience of the “Great kiwi OE” – maybe I’ll do one myself one day. The poetry included and translations of the local lingo really added to the pizzaz. A solid 5 star book.

Disclosure: I was given a paperback copy of this book by the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Where to buy:You can buy this book through amazon here, by contacting the author direct( through the facebook link on his name) or request it through your local bookstore.

The Shadow Man – Review

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Author: Helen Fields

Release Date: February 4, 2021

Book Blurb: Elspeth, Meggy and Xavier are locked in a flat. They don’t know where they are, and they don’t know why they’re there. They only know that the shadow man has taken them, and he won’t let them go.
 
Desperate to escape, the three of them must find a way out of their living hell, even if it means uncovering a very dark truth.
 
Because the shadow man isn’t a nightmare. He’s all too real.
 
And he’s watching.

My thoughts:

I LOVED this,  and was lucky enough to have the time to luxuriate in the enjoyment of it.  Does that sound weird luxuriating in the horror and thrills of a book? 

We meet the shadow man pretty early on,  and slowly throughout the book Elspeth, Meggy and Xavier are introduced.

There are 2 other supporting characters, which make up some crucial parts.

Over all this book is a great read,  the intensity builds well right to the end

A Solid 5 star book.

Disclosure: I received an advanced copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Where to Buy: You can pre-order this book through my affiliate link here .

Welcome to New York – Review

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Author: Luana Ferraz

Release Date: January 17, 2018

Book Blurb:

Harry has a secret.
He led a well-planned life and knew exactly what he wanted. Until…
Something chased him away from his hometown in England. He arrives in New York wishing to erase his past, eager for a fresh start. A new life. Everybody here was someone else before.

Alana has a secret.
She left her small town in the Midwest chasing a dream. She arrives in New York determined to see her name flashing in bright lights on Broadway billboards. Everybody here wanted something more.
She was in the right path, but then…

When Harry and Alana meet, they recognize each other’s scars. They bond over the things they don’t say. They find comfort in long silences. But as they learn how to deal with life’s plot twists, they find out the Big Apple has its own plans for them.
For how long can they hide? How long can they keep everyone else at a distance? How long until their past catches up with their present?
Their lives are about to get irreversibly intertwined. Do you want to know how?

My thoughts:

I loved the story, and the characters. I would like to know what happened to some of the other charachters in the book.

In England the shortened version of “Mother” is “Mum” not “Mom”

a great book and I will definitely look for more by this author.

Disclosure: I received an advanced reader copy of this book from Book Sirens in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Where to Buy: If you would like to purchase this book you can find it through my affiliate link here.

Who she is – Review

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Author: Diane Byington

Publisher: Red Adept Publishing

Release Date: March 20, 2018

Book Blurb:

In the fall of 1967, Faye Smith’s family moves to Florida to work in the orange groves, and she has to start a new school… again. She tries out for the track team, knowing her mother would never approve because of Faye’s epilepsy.

When Faye discovers she has a talent for distance running, she and her friend Francie decide to enter the Boston Marathon, even though women aren’t allowed to compete. Desperate to climb out of the rut of poverty, Faye is determined to take part and win a college scholarship.

After the school bully tries to run her down with his car, a strange memory surfaces—a scene Faye doesn’t recognize. Her parents insist that it’s a symptom of her epilepsy, but Faye thinks they might be lying, especially when it keeps happening. To get her life on the right path, she’ll need to figure out what her parents are hiding and never lose sight of the finish line.

My thoughts: I was pleasantly surprised by this book. The story of Faye, her past and the events of the time had me interested to the end.

Disclosure: I received an advanced reader copy of this book from Book Sirens in exchange for an honest review

Where to Buy: If you would like to buy this book you can via my affiliate link here.

Another Mrs B Book Review – Musical Chairs

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Author: Amy Poeppel

Publisher: Atria/Emily Bestler Books

Release Date: July 21st 2020

Book Blurb:

Bridget and Will have the kind of relationship that people envy: they’re loving, compatible, and completely devoted to each other. The fact that they’re strictly friends seems to get lost on nearly everyone; after all, they’re as good as married in (almost) every way. For three decades, they’ve nurtured their baby, the Forsyth Trio—a chamber group they created as students with their Juilliard classmate Gavin Glantz. In the intervening years, Gavin has gone on to become one of the classical music world’s reigning stars, while Bridget and Will have learned to embrace the warm reviews and smaller venues that accompany modest success.

Bridget has been dreaming of spending the summer at her well-worn Connecticut country home with her boyfriend Sterling. But her plans are upended when Sterling, dutifully following his ex-wife’s advice, breaks up with her over email and her twin twenty-somethings arrive unannounced, filling her empty nest with their big dogs, dirty laundry, and respective crises.

My thoughts: There are a LOT of characters to keep track of in this book. From Bridgets extended family, her  best friend Will, her adult children and a man from her past who she thought she would never see again. All in all it is an enjoyable story and the characters are all well written.

Disclosure: I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Where to Buy: If you would like to buy the book you can purchase it here through my affiliate link.

Review – Felicity Carrol and the Murderous Menace

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Author: Patricia Marcantonio

Publisher: Crooked Lane Books

Release Date: February 11 2020

Book Blurb: Heiress and amateur detective Felicity Carrol makes a perilous journey to apprehend a notorious murderer who has terrorized England–and now continues his vicious killing spree across the pond.

Felicity Carrol would rather be doing just about anything other than attending balls or seeking a husband. What she really wants to do is continue her work using the latest forensic methods and her photographic memory to help London police bring murderers to justice, so when her friend, Scotland Yard Inspector Jackson Davies, weak from injury, discovers a murder in a wild mining town in Montana that echoes the terrible crimes in England, Felicity decides to go herself.

In Placer, Montana, her first obstacle is handsome lawman Thomas Pike, who uses his intuition as much as his Colt in keeping law and order in this unruly town. When the murderer strikes again, Felicity begins to suspect Davies is correct: Jack the Ripper has come to America. Felicity sets out to find the killer in a town chock full of secrets, shadows, and suspects, but as the body count rises, this intrepid sleuth faces her most dangerous adversary yet–and discovers that not all killers are as they seem.

What do I reckon: I really enjoyed this book. Murder, mystery and a bit of romance.  What’s not to like?  The author wove a wonderful story that takes us from the middle of London to the American west.  All with the purpose of catching a killer.    Some of the dialogue does not really work for a book set in the 1800’s but in the long run it doesn’t really matter.

Felicity Carrol our leading lady is an interesting character.  Her mother died when Felicity was small, and her unaffectionate father left Felicity in the care of the household servants.    As an adult she has a medical degree and a thirst for knowledge.  Instead of joining “society” she spends her time helping an inspector friend to solve crimes at Scotland Yard.

After a series of brutal unsolved murders in London, Felicity and her friend believe the killer may have re-surfaced in America.  Felicity volunteers to go to America and investigate the case.

Disclosure: I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Where to buy: If you would like to buy this book you can get it from my affiliate link here.

Another Mrs B Book review – The Body in the Garden

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Author: Katharine Schellman

Publisher: Crooked Lane Books

Release Date: April 7 2020

Book Blurb: London 1815. Though newly-widowed Lily Adler is returning to a society that frowns on independent women, she is determined to create a meaningful life for herself even without a husband. She’s no stranger to the glittering world of London’s upper crust. At a ball thrown by her oldest friend, Lady Walter, she expects the scandal, gossip, and secrets. What she doesn’t expect is the dead body in Lady Walter’s garden.

Lily overheard the man just minutes before he was shot: young, desperate, and attempting blackmail. But she’s willing to leave the matter to the local constables–until Lord Walter bribes the investigating magistrate to drop the case. Stunned and confused, Lily realizes she’s the only one with the key to catching the killer.

Aided by a roguish navy captain and a mysterious heiress from the West Indies, Lily sets out to discover whether her friend’s husband is mixed up in blackmail and murder. The unlikely team tries to conceal their investigation behind the whirl of London’s social season, but the dead man knew secrets about people with power. Secrets that they would kill to keep hidden. Now, Lily will have to uncover the truth, before she becomes the murderer’s next target.

What do I reckon: This was a good read and not too long.  Sometimes I find that books set in the 1800’s end up being very long and a difficult read.     A dead body, a mystery a bit of love. What’s not to like?  I'll definitely be looking out for the next in the series.

Disclosure: I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Where to buy: If you would like to buy this book you can find it here . You can also find the second book in the series through that link but I haven’t read it yet so can’t vouch for its greatness. 😉

Book Review – The Little Bakery of Hopes and dreams

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Author: Kellie Hailes

Publisher: HQ Digital

Release Date: November 8th 2019

Book Blurb:

Josie Donnelly spends most years pretending that Christmas doesn’t even happen! So, she hopes that the sleepy village of Sunnycombe will be the perfect place to escape the festivities…

Or so she thought! Spending time with (far too handsome) bakery owner Callan Stewart and his young daughter, Mia, makes her long for the family Christmas she’s missed out on.

Could the little bakery on the hill be her own recipe for a happy ever after this year…?

What do I reckon & my rating

I love good love story and this one does not disappoint,

Josie and Callan are our main characters. Callan is recently widowed and finds himself looking running the bakery that belonged to his wife. As an accountant his skills do not transfer to baking! As another learning curve, Callan is now a solo father to his very beloved and very chatty daughter Mia.

Josie arrives in town and sees and advertisement in the bakery window for an assistant.

Callan gives Josie the job and the rest is history……. or is it? Understandably Callan has a lot of grief to work through. Josie also has a story of her own that unfolds throughout the book.

I have really loved all the books from this author and this one is as good as the others.

Disclosure: I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Where to buy: If you would like to buy this book you can get it here through my affiliate link.

Another Mrs B Book Review – The Vine Witch

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Author: Luanne G Smith

Publisher: 47North

Release Date: October 1st 2019

Book Blurb:

For centuries, the vineyards at Château Renard have depended on the talent of their vine witches, whose spells help create the world-renowned wine of the Chanceaux Valley. Then the skill of divining harvests fell into ruin when sorcière Elena Boureanu was blindsided by a curse. Now, after breaking the spell that confined her to the shallows of a marshland and weakened her magic, Elena is struggling to return to her former life. And the vineyard she was destined to inherit is now in the possession of a handsome stranger.

Vigneron Jean-Paul Martel naively favors science over superstition, and he certainly doesn’t endorse the locals’ belief in witches. But Elena knows a hex when she sees one, and the vineyard is covered in them. To stay on and help the vines recover, she’ll have to hide her true identity, along with her plans for revenge against whoever stole seven winters of her life. And she won’t rest until she can defy the evil powers that are still a threat to herself, Jean-Paul, and the ancient vine-witch legacy in the rolling hills of the Chanceaux Valley.

What do I reckon & my rating:

The concept of a Vine Witch is an interesting one, instead of a traditional winemaker this town has a series of vine witches who use their craft to coax the best wine from the grapes.

Each Vine Witch works for a winery.

The main character of this story is Elena. Recently released from a curse she finds her way back to her winery to find there have been some changes. She also wants revenge on the person that cursed her.

I really enjoyed this book and finding out more about the world that the vine witches live in. I wondered a few times what time period the book was set in.

There’s a great love story and themes of friendship and dastardly villains in the book and I recommend giving it a chance.

Disclosure: I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Where to buy: If you want to buy this book, click my affiliate code here