Blog Tour – Book Review – Finding Mr Perfectly Fine by Tasneem Abdur-Rashid

“My stomach churns as I type in ‘Muslim Marriage Websites’ on my laptop and I’m not sure if it’s out of excitement or shame.”

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Number of Pages: 480 pages

Date of Publication: 7 July 2022

Publisher: Zaffre

My Review Summary: A gripping rom com with an abrupt ending.

📖PLOT SUMMARY📖

Last week I turned 29. Along with the usual homemade Victoria sponge, helium balloon and Selfridges gift vouchers, my Mum’s birthday present to me was the threat that if I’m not engaged by my 30th birthday, she’s sending me off to the Motherland to find a fresh-from-the-Desh husband

When Zara’s Mum puts together the most archaic of arranged marriage resources (not exactly the romcom-worthy love story she had envisioned for herself), she is soon exhausted by her family’s failed attempts to set her up with every vaguely suitable Abdul, Ahmed and Farook that they can find. Zara decides to take matters into her own hands. How hard can it be to find a husband at twenty-nine?

With just a year to go, time is of the essence, so Zara joins a dating app and signs up for speed dating.

She meets Hamza, a kind British Egyptian who shares her values and would make a good husband. Zara knows that not all marriages are based on love (or lust) at first sight but struggles with the lack of spark. Particularly when she can’t stop thinking of someone else . . .

As her next birthday looms, and family pressure intensifies, Zara knows she must make a decision, but will she make the right one?

💭THOUGHTS💭

I was taken in by the cover and the blurb and was pleased to be accepted onto the Tour. I have read a few rom coms now so my expectations were in line with those. It actually exceeded my expectations until the unexpected ending. 

The writing was compelling. I just wanted to keep going. It was light and I really felt like I was there alongside the character. The style was chatty, revealing what the main character was thinking before she acted which I enjoyed. The fact that it was all from the main character’s point of view made it more tense as you didn’t know what the other parties were thinking. You could really appreciate the main character’s nerves and questions. 

The book was split into the four seasons with then fairly long chapters. I barely noticed the length of them though as I was so engrossed in the story. The story had a good pace to it helped by the splitting up into seasons. 

The characters were excellent. I loved the main character and her family members. It really gave me an insight into another culture. It highlighted the concerns that some people have and the pressure that families feel to get things just right. It was an emotional rollercoaster of a story and one that affected all the family members. Even though it was all from the main character’s point of view you could still feel the anguish and the pressure that the other family members were feeling. 

Lastly the settings. These were secondary to the narration and the characters. There was the trip to Dubai which was lightly described and some of the restaurants that they went to which was nice. All in all there was enough detail to give the story a grounding without taking anything away from what the character was thinking or feeling. 

Overall I loved this book. I just wish that it gave me more closure.

#bookstagram #instabook #bookphotography #igbooks #ilovereading #bookhaul #bookhoarder #bookaddiction #bookstoread #whattoread #fortheloveofbooks #bookblogging #bookpics #weekendreads #bookrecs #booknerdproblems #bookpictures #bookstagram #amreading #booksbooksbooks #instablog #booknerds #bookphotos #bibliophile #blogtour #bookreview #romance #romcom #summerread

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My Blog Tour Book Has Arrived! Double or Nothing by Kim Sherwood

Book Description From Goodreads:

“The start of a brand new trilogy following MI6’s agents with a licence to kill, that blows the world of James Bond wide open!James Bond is missing…007 has been captured, perhaps even killed, by a sinister private military company. His whereabouts are unknown.Meet the new generation of spies…Johanna Harwood, 003. Joseph Dryden, 004. Sid Bashir, 009. Together, they represent the very best and brightest of MI6. Skilled, determined and with a licence to kill, they will do anything to protect their country.The fate of the world rests in their hands…Tech billionaire Sir Bertram Paradise claims he can reverse the climate crisis and save the planet. But can he really? The new spies must uncover the truth, because the future of humanity hangs in the balance.Time is running out.”

I got very excited when I received this through the post! I love what I call book props!

I am on the Blog Tour for this book on 2 September so keep an eye out for my review on here, Amazon, Goodreads, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!

#bookstagram #bibliophile #igreads #autumnreading #bookreview #instaread #lovetoread #booksarelife #readingisfundamental #whatimreading #bookreviewer #bookaddicts #bookpost #tbrpile #justread #bookishphotography #whattoreadnext #readallday #bookworms #booksofinstagram #bookwormproblems #bookaholic #bookpic #newreads #booknerd #thriller

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My Blog Tour Book Has Arrived! Daisy and the Dazzling Dachshunds by Janey Clarke

Book Description:

“The discovery of a murdered woman with a rescued dog and her puppies on Bodmin Moor, hurtles Daisy, a shy retired librarian and her oddball friends, into another dangerous, yet comical escapade.Daisy is on a mission to find the murdered woman’s killer, linking events to the puppy farm, and is suddenly thrust into a world of explosions, shootings and kidnappings! Furthermore, family secrets come to light and Daisy discovers an unexpected revelation that will change her life forever. This newfound knowledge is difficult for Daisy to cope with and somewhat hinders the situation that befalls herself and her friends. And if that isn’t enough, the return of her ex-husband poses even more problems.Daisy enlists the help of Cleo her cat, and Flora her puppy, both rescue animals, in her search for the puppy farm. However, the question remains, even with all the help she has, can Daisy manage to outwit the villains and save herself and the puppies from harm?”

I am on the Blog Tour for this book on 26 July so keep your eyes peeled for my review on here, Amazon, Goodreads, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!

#bookworm #bookish #bookblogger #amreading #bookgram #instareads #bookishlove #readmorebooks #bookstagrammers #bookcollector #readinglife #bookwormproblems #bookobsessed #bedtimereading #readerforlife #bookshark #bookpicture #bookishphoto #bookreviewer #booksaremagic #bookblog #goodreads #bookster #bookishproblems #bookstagram #dachshunds #mystery

“book”, “read”, “book blog”, “don’t miss out”, “fiction”, “mystery”, “entertaining”, “what should I read next”

Random Things Tours – Book Review – Lucie Yi Is Not A Romantic by Lauren Ho

“That Saturday, Lucie Yi headed to the pastel world of So Bebe, fully intending to purchase just a pair of lightweight summer booties and maybe a matching bobble hat for each of her best friend Weina Ling’s newly minted triplets.”

Genre: Rom Com

Number of Pages: 416

Date of Publication: 23 June 2022

Publisher: HarperCollins

Rated: 5/5

My Review Summary: An excellent read, full of ups and downs – an emotional rollercoaster!

📖PLOT SUMMARY📖

An ambitious career woman signs up for a co-parenting website only to find a match she never expected, in this unflinchingly funny and honest novel from the author of Last Tang Standing.

Management consultant Lucie Yi is done waiting for Mr. Right. After a harrowing breakup foiled her plans for children—and drove her to a meltdown in a Tribeca baby store—she’s ready to take matters into her own hands. She signs up for an elective co-parenting website to find a suitable partner with whom to procreate—as platonic as family planning can be.

Collin Read checks all of Lucie’s boxes; he shares a similar cultural background, he’s honest, and most important, he’s ready to become a father. When they match, it doesn’t take long for Lucie to take a leap of faith for her future. So what if her conservative family might not approve? When Lucie becomes pregnant, the pair return to Singapore and, sure enough, her parents refuse to look on the bright side. Even more complicated, Lucie’s ex-fiancé reappears, sparking unresolved feelings and compounding work pressures and the baffling ways her body is changing. Suddenly her straightforward arrangement is falling apart before her very eyes, and Lucie will have to decide how to juggle the demands of the people she loves while pursuing the life she really wants.

💭THOUGHTS💭

As you know I have been getting more into the romance genre and when I saw this book come up I had to go for it! I am so glad that I did. I was hooked from beginning to end!

The writing was light and humorous, with a dash of serious and emotional. It was well balanced and made for a compelling read. It was a very emotional journey and it wasn’t until the end that the final decision was made. I was content with how the story ended. Some of these types of stories can drag out, but I didn’t feel that at all with this book. It had just the right amount of will they/won’t they that made me feel invested and therefore I wanted to keep reading to see it through to the end. 

The chapters were a good mix of lengths and as a result gave just the right pace for this story. Nothing lingered, yet there was still the will they/ won’t they, but done in a way that kept the story moving forward. 

I loved the characters and the relationships that they had. The love and support of the main character’s friends balanced nicely with the negative relationship she had with her family and her co parent balanced her ex fiancé well. I also enjoyed the texts between the characters. It was a nice way to break the story up a bit as well as giving it a real life feel. 

Lastly the settings. They were secondary to what was going on with the characters. Whilst they were based in Singapore, they could have been anywhere really. It didn’t matter to me where they were as their storylines were far too interesting! 

Overall I loved this book and couldn’t give it any less than 5 stars. It was an emotional journey, but the characters got there in the end and I wasn’t disappointed. 

⭐Rated 5/5⭐

📖THE AUTHOR📖

#bookstagram #instabook #bookphotography #igbooks #ilovereading #bookhaul #bookhoarder #bookaddiction #bookstoread #whattoread #fortheloveofbooks #bookblogging #bookpics #weekendreads #bookrecs #booknerdproblems #bookpictures #bookstagram #amreading #booksbooksbooks #instablog #booknerds #bookphotos #bibliophile #blogtour #bookreview #randomthingstours #romcom

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Random Things Tours – Book Review – It Only Takes A Minute by Sasha Lane

“I stare at the back of the closed front door for what could be five seconds, five minutes or five hours; I have no idea.”

Genre: Romantic Comedy 

Number of Pages: 159

Date of Publication: 27 May 2022

Publisher: Published by the Author

Rated: 5/5

My Review Summary: An enjoyable novella that kept me hooked until the end!

📖PLOT SUMMARY FROM GOODREADS📖

What if you could live in a different country for four weeks?

What if you could live a different life for four weeks?

That’s what this was supposed to be. Four weeks of sun, sea, and cocktails.

I wasn’t supposed to fall in love.

Do I go back to my old life, or risk starting a brand new one?

Does that really happen in real life, or just in the movies?

Life can change in an instant though. After all, it only takes a minute…

💭THOUGHTS💭  

I saw this come up and had to go for it. I rarely read novellas and as I like to read the odd rom com it was the perfect combination! I was quite excited to get started on it and I was right to be. 

The writing was light, enjoyable and had me hooked from the beginning. I particularly liked the details of the little things, for example how the main character was packing her suitcase and what she was eating. It really brought the story to life without feeling like it was extra padding. It was cleverly done in that a lot of information was given, yet it didn’t drag. The style also made you feel involved in the story with the way that it was written i.e the characters thoughts were presented to you in such a way that it made you think about what she said.

The story also had an excellent pace to it.  The small details helped to slow it down and gave you a more rounded picture of what was happening specifically to the character at the time. Nothing felt rushed and there was good closure at the end. Sometimes I find that shorter stories aren’t able to fit in everything that is needed and end in an unsatisfactory manner, however this one was perfectly balanced. 

The chapters were mainly short with a couple of longer ones thrown in to make you want to keep on reading. I sometimes thought that there would be a new chapter then it carried on, which I didn’t mind (sometimes it can be annoying when you were just getting in to something and it moves away and on to something else!). 

The main character was likable and I enjoyed being on her journey of discovery. The story had a chatty style that focussed mainly on her thoughts (and her arguing with herself!) with the small details and conversations as secondary. I enjoyed this writing style as I didn’t have to think too much and I could just enjoy it for what it was. 

Lastly the settings. I loved being in Portugal and I enjoyed the way that the places and the food that the main character was eating was described. It was done in a neat manner that added to the story, rather than diverted your attention.

Overall I really enjoyed this story and wouldn’t mind reading more rom com novellas. I highly recommend it if you just want a light read.

⭐Rated 5/5⭐

📖THE AUTHOR📖

 I live in South Yorkshire and work full time in the finance industry but write in my spare time allowing my imagination to have a whole lot of freedom as I write Chick lit/Romantic Comedy novels with a bit of added depth. They’re everyday women, dealing with trying to balance family, friends, careers and relationships, that hopefully readers can associate with. There’s plenty of humour added in there too.

I grew up in a small village and my writing came from always daydreaming about living somewhere exciting and doing something different. When I was about thirteen my friend and I used to write stories on her computer (which was really old and basic back then!). We wrote about boys and being grown up. It was probably just overactive teenage imagination but I was hooked on story telling from then on!

I didn’t dare believe that people from where I came from could ever achieve anything as exciting as writing a book. I’m glad that I proved myself wrong.

Although the main character is completely fictional, she does bare some of the characteristics that I do, but that’s also part of my writing style – I can laugh at myself, and this helps me to add humour to the story.

I have previously written a four book Rom Com series, and ‘It Only Takes A Minute’ is my first stand alone Novella.

#bookstagram #instabook #bookphotography #igbooks #ilovereading #bookhaul #bookhoarder #bookaddiction #bookstoread #whattoread #fortheloveofbooks #bookblogging #bookpics #weekendreads #bookrecs #booknerdproblems #bookpictures #bookstagram #amreading #booksbooksbooks #instablog #booknerds #bookphotos #bibliophile #blogtour #bookreview #randomthingstours #romance #ItOnlyTakesAMinute #holidayread #chicklit

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Random Things Tours – Book Review – A Most Private Bank by Andreas Clenow

“Ms Rosenbaum is in the meeting room,” she said. “Been waiting half an hour.”

Genre: Crime / Thriller / Mystery

Number of Pages: 339

Date of Publication: January 2022

Publisher as stated on Goodreads: Equilateral Capital Management GmbH

Rated: 4.5/5

My Review Summary: A gripping read.

📖PLOT SUMMARY FROM GOODREADS📖

“In this world, you either become a shark, or you become lunch.”

– Jim Dixon

A decade after Jim Dixon’s fall from grace, after the events that burnt his career on Wall Street, his past is catching up to him. Zurich had been the perfect place for a fresh start, a place where he could be a big fish in a small pond. The secretive world of Swiss high finance, a world of deception, greed, and excess, where everyone lies for one or another reason, provided the perfect cover. Until she showed up.

Meeting the socialite daughter of his former client was just a courtesy, nothing more. Another spoiled princess looking for VIP tickets to the opera, or a private shopping session at Louis Vuitton. So he thought. But Christina Rosenbaum was not the typical second generation heiress. This was the meeting that would set it all in motion.

Caught between unscrupulous bankers, hedge fund managers, organized crime, state actors, and law enforcement, Jim is left with no choice. One way or another, it will be over before the end of the week. This week would see careers destroyed, lives lost, and fortunes made.

💭THOUGHTS💭   

I hadn’t read a Thriller in a while and when this one came up it sounded interesting, plus it had a great cover! I am pleased to say that the blurb and the cover lived up to (and actually exceeded) my expectations. 

The writing was excellent and gripped me from the beginning. It was chatty and descriptive without being overbearing. It had an excellent flow to it and kept my interest throughout. 

The book was split into days, with the whole thing taking place over one week. The chapters were then headed rather than numbered. No chapter was hugely long so everything came together fairly neatly and quickly. Everything was neatly explained, however I still got a bit confused as I am not overly familiar with the banking world and the terminology that is used. At times the chapters would focus on what was happening and at others it would focus on a character whose turn it was to take centre stage and for their part in the whole transaction to be set out. 

The characters were excellent. I loved the main character and in particular his attention to detail. I loved being told about the watches that people wore. It was something that added interest to the character as well as something else to add to the story. Whilst it drew your attention away from what was currently happening it was an interesting interlude. So much of this book could have caused my attention to wander but it didn’t. It was very cleverly done.

Lastly the settings. There were some nice details about where the story took place, but it was mainly focussed on the characters and the transaction. There were a number of different settings that were lightly described, but they were merely as an addition to what was going on. 

Overall I really enjoyed this book and it was only my personal lack of understanding of this world that resulted in me giving it a 4.5 rather than a 5.  

⭐Rated 4.5/5⭐

📖THE AUTHOR📖

#bookstagram #instabook #bookphotography #igbooks #ilovereading #bookhaul #bookhoarder #bookaddiction #bookstoread #whattoread #fortheloveofbooks #bookblogging #bookpics #weekendreads #bookrecs #booknerdproblems #bookpictures #bookstagram #amreading #booksbooksbooks #instablog #booknerds #bookphotos #bibliophile #blogtour #bookreview #randomthingstours #crime #mystery #thriller

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Random Things Blog Tour – Book Review – The Rabbit Factor by Antti Tuomainen – #thriller #crime #mystery

“I’m looking the rabbit in the eye when the lights suddenly go out.”

Genre: Mystery/Crime/Thriller

Number of Pages: 300

Date of Publication: 28 October 2021 (Hardback)

Publisher: Orenda Books

Rated: 4.5/5

My Review Summary: An entertaining book that had me gripped from the beginning.

📖PLOT SUMMARY FROM GOODREADS📖

An insurance mathematician’s carefully ordered life is turned on its head when he unexpectedly loses his job and inherits an adventure park … with a whole host of problems. A quirky, tense and warmly funny thriller from award-winning Finnish author Antti Tuomainen.

What makes life perfect? Insurance mathematician Henri Koskinen knows the answer because he calculates everything down to the very last decimal.

And then, for the first time, Henri is faced with the incalculable. After suddenly losing his job, Henri inherits an adventure park from his brother – its peculiar employees and troubling financial problems included. The worst of the financial issues appear to originate from big loans taken from criminal quarters … and some dangerous men are very keen to get their money back.

But what Henri really can’t compute is love. In the adventure park, Henri crosses paths with Laura, an artist with a chequered past, and a joie de vivre and erratic lifestyle that bewilders him. As the criminals go to extreme lengths to collect their debts and as Henri’s relationship with Laura deepens, he finds himself faced with situations and emotions that simply cannot be pinned down on his spreadsheets…

Warmly funny, rich with quirky characters and absurd situations, The Rabbit Factor is a triumph of a dark thriller, its tension matched only by its ability to make us rejoice in the beauty and random nature of life.

💭THOUGHTS💭  

I was immediately attracted to the bold front cover, and, together with the description, resulted in me signing up for the Tour. 

I am pleased to say that the story lived up to the cover and description, and I really enjoyed it. The writing was engaging in an interesting way, it was quite to the point and intellectual. The main character himself was very black and white and used intellectual language, but it was done in a fairly clear, and at times, amusing way. 

The writing was descriptive and was narrated from the main character’s point of view. Due to the uniqueness of his personality this made for an interesting read. I loved seeing how he viewed the world and how things just seemed to keep happening to him, despite his best efforts to keep his life plain and simple. The story had a great flow to it and was cleverly controlled by the length of the chapters and the subject matter. When the story needed to slow down there were little bits added to prolong what was going to happen. They didn’t feel forced and actually gave a more rounded picture of what was ultimately going on. It was all cleverly brought together and I felt like I had closure. 

The chapters were all fairly long and, as I said above, the length and subject matter was used effectively to control the pace of the story. Lots of little details and questions were woven in and cleverly all came together at the end. The longer chapters were split with a little bunny which I thought was interesting. 

The only downside to the writing was that as the character was so exact and worked in a mathematical and then later, financial world, it took me a little while to follow exactly what it was that he was doing to save the park. Even now I’m not 100% sure I understood all of it. I did however, understand enough that it didn’t stop me from enjoying the book, it just took me time which I wouldn’t normally spend on trying to understand what was going on in a book. This is why I gave it a 4.5 rating instead of 5.

The characters were excellent. The main character who narrated the story was very exact in everything that he did. I enjoyed learning a bit about his family history which resulted in him ending up the way that he was. I also enjoyed all the other staff members at the park, the criminals and the Police Officer. You didn’t know who to trust and little hints were dropped that made you question the characters. The Police Officer was a kind character who I think knew more than he let on. 

There wasn’t one character who let the story down. Altogether they created an excellent story that was well thought out and, at times, humorous.

Lastly the settings. I loved the adventure park setting. It was something I hadn’t read before and it allowed for all sorts of things to happen naturally. The descriptions were excellent and really made you feel like you were there. Whilst there was a lot of detail, it never felt overbearing, it contributed well to the storyline. 

Overall I really enjoyed reading this book. It was funny, entertaining, dark in places and had a bit of romance thrown in too. 

I recommend it to mystery/thriller fans. 

⭐Rated 4.5/5⭐

📖THE AUTHOR📖

#bookstagram #instabook #bookphotography #igbooks #ilovereading #bookhaul #bookhoarder #bookaddiction #bookstoread #whattoread #fortheloveofbooks #bookblogging #bookpics #weekendreads #bookrecs #booknerdproblems #bookpictures #bookstagram #amreading #booksbooksbooks #instablog #booknerds #bookphotos #bibliophile #randomthingsblogtour #bookreview #therabbitfactor #thriller #crime #mystery

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My Blog Tour Book Has Arrived! A Most Private Bank by Andreas F Clenow

Book Description From Goodreads:

““In this world, you either become a shark, or you become lunch.”- Jim Dixon

A decade after Jim Dixon’s fall from grace, after the events that burnt his career on Wall Street, his past is catching up to him. Zurich had been the perfect place for a fresh start, a place where he could be a big fish in a small pond. The secretive world of Swiss high finance, a world of deception, greed, and excess, where everyone lies for one or another reason, provided the perfect cover. Until she showed up.Meeting the socialite daughter of his former client was just a courtesy, nothing more. Another spoiled princess looking for VIP tickets to the opera, or a private shopping session at Louis Vuitton. So he thought. But Christina Rosenbaum was not the typical second generation heiress. This was the meeting that would set it all in motion.

Caught between unscrupulous bankers, hedge fund managers, organized crime, state actors, and law enforcement, Jim is left with no choice. One way or another, it will be over before the end of the week. This week would see careers destroyed, lives lost, and fortunes made.”

I am on the Blog Tour for this book on 30 May so keep your eyes peeled for my review on here, Amazon, Goodreads, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!

#bookstagram #instabook #bookphotography #igbooks #ilovereading #bookhaul #bookhoarder #bookaddiction #bookstoread #whattoread #fortheloveofbooks #bookblogging #bookpics #weekendreads #bookrecs #booknerdproblems #bookpictures #bookstagram #amreading #booksbooksbooks #instablog #booknerds #bookphotos #bibliophile #blogtour #amostprivatebank

“book”, “read”, “book review”, “book blog”, “don’t miss out”, “fiction”, “mystery”, “reading “entertaining”, “what should I read next”

Random Things Blog Tour – Book Review – Welcome To Your Life by Bethany Rutter

“Hiding out in a branch of Harvester on a roundabout, a huge glass of wine in one hand and one of those long ice-cream spoons in the other, is not how I thought I would be spending my wedding day.” 

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Number of Pages: 336

Date of Publication: 31 March 2022

Publisher: HarperCollins

Rated: 5/5

My Review Summary: An entertaining and uplifting read

📖PLOT SUMMARY FROM GOODREADS📖

Heart-warming, hilarious and unputdownable. You won’t want to miss this year’s stand out romantic comedy that’s perfect for fans of Mhairi McFarlane.

Serena Mills should be at her wedding.

Instead, she’s eating an ice cream sundae and drinking an obscenely large glass of wine in a Harvester off the M25.

Everyone thinks she’s gone mad. She’s jilted the man everyone told her she was ‘so lucky’ to find.

But Serena wants to find love. A love she deserves – not one she should just feel grateful for.

So, she escapes to the big city and sets herself a challenge:

52 weeks.

52 dates.

52 chances to find love.

Easy, right?

💭THOUGHTS💭  

I was excited to read this book when I saw the cover and the blurb. I am always on the lookout for light rom coms, especially as I am also a fan of Murder Mystery/Thriller and sometimes need to switch it up a bit! 

The writing was light and easy to read. I was completely taken in and loved being on the journey with the main character. The narration was chatty and made me feel involved. There was a lot of storytelling so you were able to see the characters thoughts and feelings. There was a good mix of conversation with the storytelling, which helped to give you a well rounded picture of the character and what was happening in the story. 

In terms of the conversations between the characters, they weren’t always spoken. Some of the conversations were texts. I enjoyed this style of writing and thought that it added an extra layer to the story. It brought it up to date and made the characters feel more real. 

I also liked the way that the record of the main character’s dates were set out. There was the number of the date, a place, a name and a funny nickname which summed up what the date was going to be like. It was very amusing and lightened the book.  

One thing that I wasn’t so keen on was the amount of swearing in it. I’m used to the odd swear word, but there was a lot at some points which I didn’t think was necessary. Having said that it didn’t stop me enjoying the story. 

The chapters weren’t overly long, but they were enough to get you engrossed in what was happening before moving on. The chapters were sometimes split, which made them a bit longer and allowed for more of the story at that particular time to be explored. The book had a good pace to it and kept my interest throughout. 

There were some big issues explored which I wasn’t expecting, but they were addressed in such a sensitive and supportive manner that I enjoyed reading about them through the eyes of this main character. With regards to the supportive manner, I loved the relationships between the main character and her two friends. The love and support for each other shone through and it was lovely to read about. 

Some of the characters weren’t so endearing, but that added something to the story. Without them you wouldn’t feel for the main character in the same way. I was really rooting for her to have a happy ending. 

Lastly the settings. I love a book set in London. It’s an hour’s train ride away from me, but there is still something magical about a book being set near (ish!) to where you live. The individual settings weren’t heavily described, but there was enough to give you a good idea of where the characters were. 

Overall I really enjoyed this book. I loved following the main character on her journey, watching her grow from a shy and unconfident person to someone who blossomed and glowed. I particularly enjoyed reading about the support from her friends and how they helped the main character discover herself. I highly recommend it to anyone wanting a light, uplifting read. 

⭐Rated 5/5⭐

📖THE AUTHOR📖

#bookstagram #instabook #bookphotography #igbooks #ilovereading #bookhaul #bookhoarder #bookaddiction #bookstoread #whattoread #fortheloveofbooks #bookblogging #bookpics #weekendreads #bookrecs #booknerdproblems #bookpictures #bookstagram #amreading #booksbooksbooks #instablog #booknerds #bookphotos #bibliophile #randomthingsblogtour #bookreview #welcometoyourlife

“book”, “read”, “book review”, “book blog”, “easy read”,”romantic comedy”, “entertaining”, “what should I read next”

Random Things Blog Tour – Book Review – Shadow Flicker by Gregory Bastianelli

“The dandelions almost killed the old man.”

Genre: Crime/Mystery/Thriller

Number of Pages: 304

Date of Publication: 29th March 2022

Publisher: Flame Tree Press

Rated: 5/5

My Review Summary: A gripping tale with a surprising twist.

📖PLOT SUMMARY📖

Investigator Oscar Basaran travels to Kidney Island off the coast of Maine to document the negative effects of shadow flicker from wind turbines on residents living near the windmills, but is unprepared for what he encounters from the islanders. 

Oscar’s research shows that sleep deprivation, light deficiency and ringing headaches brought on by the noise and constant strobe-like effect of the sun filtered through the spinning blades of the turbines brings on hallucinatory episodes for the closest neighbors to the machines. 

While it seems the shadow flicker effect has driven some of the island’s animals crazy, is it possible it’s caused an even worse mental breakdown among the human inhabitants? Or is something more nefarious at work on the island?

As Oscar’s investigation deepens, he discovers the turbines create an unexpected phenomena kept secret by a select group of people on Kidney Island who have made a scientific breakthrough and attempt to harness its dark power.

💭THOUGHTS💭 

The blurb for this book drew me in and I was excited to be part of the Blog Tour for it. I haven’t read anything like this before so I wasn’t sure what to expect. What it was, was thoroughly enjoyable and gripping.

The writing was interesting in that in most of the book you were going round each of the residents of the island and gradually building up a picture as to what was happening to them, then all of a sudden it was all based on Oscar, the investigator and his adventure with the turbines. I can honestly say that I wasn’t expecting the ending!

There were a lot of short chapters, which gave a good pace to the story. Even though you spent a long time (indeed most of the book) investigating what each of the residents problems were and gradually building up the story, my interest didn’t waiver. The storytelling changed as the story itself changed, which I thought was rather clever. What was also clever was the amount of detail that was crammed into the short chapters. So much seemed to happen in such a short space of time! It was this that kept my attention and made it easy to keep up with all the different storylines.

I also found there to be a good mixture of storytelling and conversation. As the reader you were able to explore the characters’ thoughts and feelings and were then able to really empathise with their situations throughout the story.

There was also a clever use of characters thinking about their past, which allowed you to see why they have ended up in the situations that they have.

The characters were excellent and I loved that they all had their own personal storylines that cleverly came together under the one investigation. There were some dark moments, but the characters seemed to work their way through them. From the blurb I was prepared for strange goings on so I wasn’t surprised at the additional darkness. I also particularly enjoyed how the turbines themselves were their own characters and I liked how they were described as alien and outsiders. 

Lastly the setting. I loved the remote island. I think that emphasised what was going on with the characters and added to the darkness. It was very isolating and certainly made you question what was real and what was not for the characters. 

Overall I really enjoyed this book and loved the twist at the end. I highly recommend it to sci fi/thriller fans.

⭐Rated 5/5⭐

📖THE AUTHOR📖

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