“Quarter to Midnight is the first thrilling novel in a brand new series by Sunday Times bestselling author Karen Rose, set in New Orleans.
Rocky Hebert walks into his death at quarter to midnight one New Orleans night.
His son Gabe cannot accept the official verdict of suicide and enlists the help of the Burke Broussard Private Investigation Agency to discover the real cause of death.
PI Molly Sutton knows what it’s like to lose a father in tragic circumstances and will go to any lengths to crack the investigation, as she tries to fight off her growing feelings for Gabe.
They soon realise Rocky was working on an investigation of his own; one that threatened to expose the deep corruption going all the way to the top of the police department. And that the key to the puzzle lies with a young witness to a murder that happened years earlier: Xavier Morrow.
Just what did Rocky know? And who might have shut him up?
As they get closer and closer to the truth, they realise that the killer is not going to stop at Rocky. And that Xavier is in very real danger. Someone will go to any lengths to protect what he witnessed that night coming out…”
I am on the Blog Tour for this book on 23 August so keep your eyes peeled for my review on here, Goodreads, Amazon, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!
“book”, “read”, “book blog”,”recommended”, “easy read”, “don’t miss out”, “fiction”, “entertaining”, “what book should I read next”, “thriller”, “summer reading”
“Ever since we began our tradition of swapping notebooks, I’ve written with you in my mind.”
Genre:Literary Fiction
Number of Pages:304
Date of Publication: 9 June 2022
Publisher:Tinder Press
Rated:4.5/5
My Review Summary:A compelling read about the party lifestyle.
📖PLOT SUMMARY FROM GOODREADS📖
The party has to end sometime
It all starts on New Year’s Eve. A night that has to be a success, whatever the cost. For Joni and her friends, it’ll be a party that promises all the high stakes and glamour of any other, but by sunrise they’ll be dealing with something darker than the usual post-party comedown.
Not that they let this stand in their way. For this is their year to revel in all that the playground of London has to offer: sneaking into places they shouldn’t, breaking every rule, falling in love with the wrong people. All the while avoiding one undeniable truth: it’s not if the party ends, it’s how.
JUST FOR TODAY is a bittersweet evocation of the end of innocence, and an exhilarating celebration of having nothing to lose – until suddenly, you do.
💭THOUGHTS💭
I saw this come up on Random Things Tours and it intrigued me. It wasn’t something that I would usually read about, but it sounded interesting so I put my name down for it. I am glad that I did. It was an enjoyable book that just had something about it.
The writing was gripping in an interesting way. By that I mean that once I put it down it wasn’t an immediate ‘I must pick it back up again’, but once I did I was sucked in and I could just keep going.
The chapters were fairly long, but very descriptive and full of narration punctuated with chunks of conversation. It struck the right balance between narration and conversation, and I really felt like I was there with the characters. There was nothing that made you sit on the edge of your seat, however there was an undercurrent of something bad happening. The prologue at the beginning, plus a couple of phrases dotted around made you think that something was going to happen at some point near the end of the book.
The pace throughout was good and nothing seemed to drag. You were effortlessly taken through the life of the main character and her friends. It was all from the one main character’s point of view. I liked the main character’s reminiscing every so often as it added depth to the story.
It was an emotional rollercoaster and the main character experienced a lot of lows. I wondered how she managed to pick herself up, but she seemed to manage it. From that point of view you were constantly wondering what was going to happen next, but it came naturally and in an unsurprising manner.
The characters were excellent. It was nice to see the main character with her friends. She had a wonderful relationship with them that was a joy to read. The party life is a lifestyle that I know very little about so to see it written in this story was interesting. All the characters had their own lives, but they all met up on a regular basis. They had their professional lives and then their party lives.
Lastly the settings. I loved all the details about the characters and what they were doing. There were some lovely settings, Cornwall and the high end of London for example, but there was also the other side of London. The settings were lightly described which added depth to the characters conversations and actions.
Overall I really enjoyed this book and recommend that you give it a try if you want to read something a bit different.
I can’t believe that today is my 1 Year Anniversary! Where did that time go? I have had a brilliant first year and have met so many nice people. I appreciate all your support and here’s to another great year!
“book”, “read”, “book review”, “book blog”,”recommended”, “easy read”, “don’t miss out”, “fiction”, “entertaining”, “romance”, “mystery”, “what should I read next”, “what books do you recommend”, “which books are popular at the moment”, “what is everyone reading”
“To say that Ciaran Flynn ruins Lizzy’s first day in Cannes seems a little pathetic, and maybe hyperbolic, and certainly like it gives him a degree of power he does not deserve.”
Genre:Romantic Comedy
Number of Pages:400
Date of Publication: 28 April 2022
Publisher:HarperCollins
Rated: 4/5
My Review Summary:A lovely read with likable characters.
📖PLOT SUMMARY📖
They haven’t spoken for 12 years.
Can they fall in love in 12 days?
Lizzy Munro is working at the Cannes Film Festival, in a job that involves a lot more admin than red-carpet glamour.
There, Ciaran Flynn is the man everyone is talking about: heartthrob of the moment and director of the most romantic movie of the year.
What nobody knows is that twelve years ago, they were best friends . . . and they haven’t spoken since.
But when Ciaran’s film runs into trouble, there’s only one person he can turn to.
Is twelve days enough to save not only Ciaran’s film, but also the spark he and Lizzy once shared?
💭THOUGHTS💭
I am always on the lookout for chick lit/rom coms to break up my usual go to genre, Thriller (although recently I have been reading more and more rom coms!) and this one seemed to fit the bill. It was also set in May, so a very seasonal read!
The writing was light and started off with an outside narration that lured you into the story. The narration then went onto the main character Lizzy’s thoughts and points of view and then as we got to know her, we then switched to Ciaran’s point of view. The story is mainly from Lizzy’s point of view though with Ciaran’s point of view appearing every so often. I like that we are mainly seeing the story from one character and when we do get to see Ciaran’s side it gives us a more rounded view and an insight into how else the same situation can be read.
There were some deep issues touched upon and worked through in a sensitive manner which was nice to read about. It added an extra layer to the characters and consequently the story.
The chapters were fairly long and as mentioned above, mainly from Lizzy’s point of view. Each chapter was dedicated to a time period, sometimes two consecutive chapters were based on that time period. It was cleverly done and I always knew when and where I was reading about. It had a good flow and built up the story well. It kept you in suspense, travelling from one time period to another. Once you knew the whole backstory the chapters stayed in the present time and it once again became focussed on Lizzy’s point of view.
I enjoyed the Epilogue at the end. That gave me good closure.
Whilst I enjoyed the gradual unravelling of the story and the miscommunications, I do feel that the story could have wrapped up sooner. I felt that some bits went on for longer than necessary.
The characters were great and really likable. It was interesting to see how they each reacted differently to the same situation. It was easy to see how things could have been misinterpreted and it was sad to see that they had wasted so much of their time on a miscommunication. It was an interesting journey to go on and I liked the mix of thoughts and conversation to tell the story.
Lastly the settings. I loved being in Cannes and going to a couple of parties. It is a world that I know nothing about and I am glad that this book took me there! There wasn’t a lot of setting details though as most of it was based on the characters thoughts and feelings, however there was enough to give you a good grounding and to feel like you were there.
Overall an enjoyable book with great character journeys.
“She thought she’d found her lost past, but did she uncover all the secrets?
Melodie returns to her mother’s house in Corfu for the first time since inheriting it. Only, she discovers it isn’t empty. She finds someone has been living there; a girl who claims the property is hers.
Dismissing the claim, Melodie tries to enjoy her new life in the beauty of Corfu. The girl soon resurfaces and it becomes impossible to ignore her any longer.”
I am on the Blog Tour for this book on 6 May so keep your eyes peeled for my review on here, Goodreads, Amazon, Instgram, Facebook and Twitter!
Today we drove out to a different Library. It is half term so we are trying to get out and about as a family! My son gets very excited about going to a library (as do I!) and we took home these gems:
Owl Babies by Martin Waddell and Patrick Benson
Oi dog by Kes and Claire Gray and Jim Field
Cave Baby by Julia Donaldson and Emily Gravett
We shall see if any of these become new favourites!
Welcome to my Friday Musings Post! This is where every week I will scour the Blogosphere and find past meme questions and incorporate them into a current post (linking back to the blog who set the meme).
As you can see I have a habit for buying books from favourite authors and then never getting a chance to read them! I wanted to start the new series of Shadow Hunters by Cassandra Clare and Down by Glenn Cooper after I enjoyed reading their previous books. The Chemist I saw by accident when I was looking to see what else Stephenie Meyer had written. I loved the Twilight series and also enjoyed her standalone The Host.
I am hoping to get some of these read this year…
What are some of the books on your TBR pile that you just had to buy?
This weekend I would like to get some more of The Viscount Who Loved Me re read in readiness for Season 2 of Bridgerton. I would like to get it read before watching Bridgerton, but if it takes me too long then I will just end up watching it anyway!
Also on the go I have my library book, It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey. I am really enjoying it and would like to get more of it read!
“book”, “read”, “book review”, “book blog”, “recommended”, “easy read”, “don’t miss out”, “fiction”, “mystery”, “reading slump” “entertaining”, “what should I read next”, “popular books”, “what should I read this weekend”
Welcome to my Library Loot post hosted by The Captive Reader and Silly Little Mischief. This is quite an exciting post for me as this is the first time since the pandemic that my son and I have been into an actual library!
Here is my son’s library haul:
Poo Poo Bum Bum Wee Wee by Stephen Cowell, Erica Salcedo (Illustrations)
Book Description From Goodreads:
“Poo poo, bum bum, wee wee – I sing my toilet song. Poo poo, bum bum, wee wee – I sing it all day long!
Encourage toddlers and young children to use the toilet confidently with this hilarious rhyming picture book!
Featuring bright, friendly illustrations and a very catchy rhyme, this fun picture book has been written in consultation with parents to break down all the stages of using the toilet into easy steps, from how to wipe to handwashing.
This book will help take the stress and worry out of toilet training, as children can sing the song and learn to use the toilet without fear or fuss!”
Ruffles and the red, red coat by David Melling
Book Description From Goodreads:
“Join in with Ruffles as he faces all the trials and tribulations of toddler life in this brightly colored new picture book series from award-winning author and illustrator David Melling.
As Ruffles learns about the world around him, he discovers there are lots of things he likes . . . and some things he doesn’t! He loves scratching, digging, and chewing, but he does not like wearing his red coat on rainy days. No, no, no, no, NO! But when Ruffles wants to splash in puddles with his best friend, Ruby, he soon learns that sometimes wearing a raincoat is a very good idea after all.”
The Word Collector by Peter H. Reynolds
Book Description From Goodreads:
“Some people collect stamps. Some people collect coins. Some people collect art. And Jerome? Jerome collected words . . .
In this extraordinary new tale from Peter H. Reynolds, Jerome discovers the magic of the words all around him—short and sweet words, two-syllable treats, and multisyllable words that sound like little songs. Words that connect, transform, and empower.
From the creator of The Dot and Happy Dreamer comes a celebration of finding your own words—and the impact you can have when you share them with the world.”
My library book also became available yesterday on the Library App Libby:
It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey
Book Description From Goodreads:
“Piper Bellinger is fashionable, influential, and her reputation as a wild child means the paparazzi are constantly on her heels. When too much champagne and an out-of-control rooftop party lands Piper in the slammer, her stepfather decides enough is enough. So he cuts her off, and sends Piper and her sister to learn some responsibility running their late father’s dive bar… in Washington.
Piper hasn’t even been in Westport for five minutes when she meets big, bearded sea captain Brendan, who thinks she won’t last a week outside of Beverly Hills. So what if Piper can’t do math, and the idea of sleeping in a shabby apartment with bunk beds gives her hives. How bad could it really be? She’s determined to show her stepfather—and the hot, grumpy local—that she’s more than a pretty face.
Except it’s a small town and everywhere she turns, she bumps into Brendan. The fun-loving socialite and the gruff fisherman are polar opposites, but there’s an undeniable attraction simmering between them. Piper doesn’t want any distractions, especially feelings for a man who sails off into the sunset for weeks at a time. Yet as she reconnects with her past and begins to feel at home in Westport, Piper starts to wonder if the cold, glamorous life she knew is what she truly wants. LA is calling her name, but Brendan—and this town full of memories—may have already caught her heart.
Tessa Bailey is back with a Schitt’s Creek-inspired rom-com about a Hollywood “It Girl” who is cut off from her wealthy family and exiled to a small Pacific Northwest beach town… where she butts heads with a surly, sexy local who thinks she doesn’t belong.”
I have seen this book on Instagram quite a lot recently, and after a bit of wait for it, it is finally available! So far I am enjoying it.
There are many different ways of choosing your next book to read. I personally use a range of techniques from being dragged in by the cover, reading an enticing blurb, it is free on Kindle or it has been popular on social media. This post aims to help even further by using key words that I would use to describe the book.
If you like a profound, thought provoking read then you will like…
*Budget Tales Book Blog* 