Love & Other Mushy Stuff by Lyndsey Gallagher

 

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I received an advance review copy for free from Booksirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Abby Queenan gives advice on love to those who listen to her radio show. When it comes to her own love life, its different. After the devastation of being left at the alter by her childhood sweetheart, Abby has sworn off dating. 

When a competition that's too good to pass up is announced at the radio station she works for, Abby needs to find something that will give her an edge on her competitors. She needs someone famous, who will be able to provide a mans perspective on dating, to appear on her show. 

Callum Connolly, hot shot Irish rugby legend, is happy with the single life and is not looking to be tied down. But this changes when his team mate bet that he cant keep the same girlfriend for 3 months.

After a chance meeting, Abby and Callum make a deal that will be mutually beneficial. Will Abby take a chance and break her own rules?  Will Callum be able to stick it out or will he return to his old ways?

What I liked about this book

• Fake dating is undeniably one of my favourite romance tropes so I was immediately sucked in.
• The book is set in Ireland.
• There are some funny moments, but Love & Other Mushy Stuff also covers some difficult topics including suicide and degenerative illness. 
• The book is told from the perspective of both Abby and Callum. Callum's chapters were my favourite. I particularly enjoyed the dynamic between him and his team mates.

What I didn't like 

• The timeline is too short. Many big, life changing experiences happen within 6 months and it just takes away from the believability a bit. 

I would recommend this book to anyone who liked The Ex-talk or The Hating Game.

4 stars 

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10 Days by K.J. Holliday (release date 25th February 2021)

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I received an advance review copy for free from Booksirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Best selling author Alexander Jones is in the middle of writing his second novel and is struggling with writers block. In an attempt to help Alex to move past this, his best friend Luke and Luke's childhood friend Penny convince him to take a camping trip into the wilderness for 10 days.

An Urbanite at heart, Alex doesn't know anything about camping and quickly discovers that he is out of his depth. 

Though there is one good thing about this trip, Penny. This 10 day trip will bring Alex's feelings to the surface. Will Penny feel the same? How will they tell Luke if she does?

What I liked about this book 

• The camping theme was refreshing. I've read a lot of romance/rom-coms but 10 Day is the first that I've read with this theme.
• I enjoyed the wilderness survival information that is laced throughout the book it was informative and well researched. 
• Alex and Penny's romance was believable and relatable.
• 10 Days is told completely from Alex's perspective. I find that, when is comes romance books that feature non LGBT couples, the narrative is normally from the woman's perspective or both.

What I didn't like

• Some of the phrases used made me cringe and came across forced.

10 days is an entertaining read that would appeal to readers who enjoy contemporary romance novels. Readers should be aware that this book contains content which is unsuitable for those under 18.

3.75 stars 

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Book Tour: The Unravelling by Joanna Vander Vlugt

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Synopsis

Jade Thyme celebrates successfully defending Jules Cranbury on a murder charge. Her celebration is short-lived when she finds Jules murdered. Jade investigates and uncovers a secret justice society whose members hide behind white tabs and black robes while delivering their own vigilante justice. Jade locates a once prominent and respected lawyer, now known as Noxzema Man, homeless and panhandling in Fan Tan Alley. He warns Jade. Judges, lawyers and police make up the Society. Trust no one. The MotoCityDolls, her sister's all-female motorcycle gang, save Jade from a Society assassin. Forced to take a leave of absence, Jade packs up her office, but not before coming face-to-face with another assassin--Jules's murderer.

What I liked about this book

• This is an action packed and compelling story from start to finish.
• The Unravelling is well written, with perfectly set scenes and expertly crafted suspense.
• Jade is a strong character who faces her fears head on and steps up to all of the challenge she faces. 
• The use of legal terms and current laws (Canada) add a layer of authenticity. 
• The Unravelling has a diverse and inclusive character set.

What I didn't like about this book 

• There were a few spelling mistakes and minor inconsistencies which did not affect the main story.

When reading the Unravelling I found myself thoroughly immersed and could not put it down. 

4.5 stars

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Release Date - June 2019

Page Count - 285

Genre - Adult Thriller

Purchase link - Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/dp/1999068408

About The Author

Joanna Vander Vlugt is an author and illustrator. Under the pseudonym J.C. Szasz, her short mysteries Egyptian Queen and The Parrot and Wild Mushroom Stuffing were published in a Canadian mystery anthology. Her personal essay, No Beatles Reunion was published in the Dropped Threads 3: Beyond the Small Circle anthology. She originally wrote The Unravelling in 1999. Twenty years later in 2019, she dusted off the manuscript and updated it. The Unravelling was published in June 2019 and was a Canadian Book Club Awards finalist. Joanna has been commissioned to create motorcycle and car illustrations. Her art is collected by private collectors world-wide.

Contact Info

• https://www.instagram.com/jcvartstudio/

Tour Schedule Link

https://literaryboundtours.com/2021/02/01/tour-schedule-the-unravelling-by-joanna-vandervlugt/

synopsis provided by author

The Girl In The Red Coat by Gemma Owen-Kendall

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 Thank you to the author for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

After being accepted to college, grace moves into her grandmothers house nearby. On her first day Grace meets Daniel, and quickly strikes up a friendship. She also attracts the attention of the mysterious Ben. From this day her life takes a strange turn. 

Grace soon finds herself at the centre of of a love triangle. Meanwhile she is forced to re-evaluate her beliefs as she discovers that both werewolves and witches are real. 

What I liked about this book

• Gemma used the first chapter to give background information to the story, and continued to reference it throughout the book.
• The writing flows well. The story moves at a steady pace which was easy to follow
• I liked that the story takes place in a modern setting rather than the historical setting of the original Red Riding Hood.
• This is a short, quick read.

What I didn't like

• There were a few spelling mistakes which I found distracted me from the story 
• There are some scenes which I was not expecting to find in this book based on the description.  Some readers may find these scenes upsetting.

This is an interesting retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. I think that fans of the twilight saga would enjoy this book.

3.5 Stars

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The Mask of Mirrors by M.A. Carrick

 

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Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Ren has come to the city of Nadezra, along with her sister, with the intention of pulling off their biggest con yet. This con will set them up with money and security for the rest of their lives. 

After tricking her way into the noble House Traementis under the guise of a long lost relative, Ren will discover that she is not the only one wearing a mask.

Meanwhile, children are going missing from Nadezra's poorest streets. The search for these children will lead to a nightmare that lurks in the shadows, and to a past Ren has tried hard to forget.

What I liked about this book

• This is a well written book with separate story lines running simultaneously and interwoven. The story lines are full of twists but are pulled together well.
• M.A Carrick has created a magic system unlike anything I have read before. It is very complex and is used differently depending on where the character originates from.
• I enjoyed Ren's ability to adapt to the character she was portraying.
• The cover is beautiful.

What I didn't like

• There are a lot of characters and some of the names are quite similar. It was easy to get the characters mixed up. 
• Some of the terms which are used throughout the book are very unique. As such, it took me a while to get my head around what was meant. There is a list of terms and their descriptions at the back of the book which helped but as I was reading the e-book it was irritating to go back and forth to check the list.

The Mask of Mirrors has an interesting concept, good plot lines and some great characters. But for me it took a lot of effort to understand the terms being used in order to keep track of what was going on.

3.25 stars 

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