Review: Sistersong by Lucy Holland

 So, I'd been hearing about this book for a while and was lucky enough to get a physcial ARC (and what a beautiful orange ARC it is), but unfortunately a slump hit and I couldn't pick it up for a while.

But, I picked it up this month and just breezed through because I loved it so much! I will definitely be putting this on my top reads of 2021.

Here it is:

535 AD. In the ancient kingdom of Dumnonia, King Cador's children inherit a fragmented land abandoned by the Romans.

Riva, scarred in a terrible fire, fears she will never heal.

Keyne battles to be seen as the king's son, when born a daughter.

And Sinne, the spoiled youngest girl, yearns for romance.

All three fear a life of confinement within the walls of the hold – a last bastion of strength against the invading Saxons. But change comes on the day ash falls from the sky, bringing Myrddhin, meddler and magician, and Tristan, a warrior whose secrets will tear the siblings apart. Riva, Keyne and Sinne must take fate into their own hands, or risk being tangled in a story they could never have imagined; one of treachery, love and ultimately, murder. It's a story that will shape the destiny of Britain.

I have always loved historical fiction inbetween my fantasy fix, and this mixes the two beautifully - it's set in a Britain that is slowly losing it's magic, and shows the journey of 3 sisters learning just how they can try and continue to use this magic for themselves. This was also based on an old English ballad called The Twa Sisters, which I found intriguing, so I decided to look it up and see what exactly the book was based on - and I suggest you do too if you read it as it's so interesting to read about and see the similarities.

I do like that this book had the POV of all the sisters, though I do admit sometimes I got so frustrated with a couple of them - that may be because I'm quite good at figuring out what may happen in a book though. However, I think the character of Keyne was amazing - they were so well written and their storyline was absolute perfection. They were born a daughter, but throughout the whole book are fighting to be seen as a son - and I don't think that Keyne's character could have been written better. You really saw their struggle throughout and their strength to push through all the problems.

To me it did seem a bit slow at first, but after a while you see why, you really need to learn about the three sisters and see what part they will play in the storyline, and you soon get hooked into it and begin to connect with the characters and see all the different points coming together.

However, I do have to say the best part of the book in my opinion was the ending - it was mind blowing. I was absolutely entranced by the storyline at the end, and I couldn't believe how beautiful it was I got so emotional just reading it and finally seeing the link to the ballad it was based on. On top of that there was even an epilogue that just closed everything together wonderfully, and for me it helped to make the story. I do love a good epilogue.

I could say so much more on this book, but I won't ramble too much and instead I will just say go and buy a copy, you will not be disappointed at all. Overall, I give this 5 cats!

Have you read this book yet? Do you like retellings and have any favourites to recommend? Comment below I'd love to hear opinions!

Review: The Red Ribbon by Lucy Adlington

So, I've been meaning to read this book since I won it in a competition, but have only just got round to it, and I am so so soooo annoyed with myself for not reading it before as it's such a spectacular book. I know for sure that its one that will be going on my top 10, and one that I'll definitely be re-reading in the future.

Here it is:

Rose, Ella, Marta and Carla. In another life we might have all been friends together. But this was Birchwood. 

As fourteen-year-old Ella begins her first day at work she steps into a world of silks, seams, scissors, pins, hems and trimmings. She is a dressmaker, but this is no ordinary sewing workshop. Hers are no ordinary clients. Ella has joined the seamstresses of Birkenau-Auschwitz. 

Every dress she makes could be the difference between life and death. And this place is all about survival. 

Ella seeks refuge from this reality, and from haunting memories, in her work and in the world of fashion and fabrics. She is faced with painful decisions about how far she is prepared to go to survive. 

Is her love of clothes and creativity nothing more than collaboration with her captors, or is it a means of staying alive?

Will she fight for herself alone, or will she trust the importance of an ever-deepening friendship with Rose?

One thing weaves through the colours of couture gowns and camp mud - a red ribbon, given to Ella as a symbol of hope.

Sometimes, you read a book, and you just know that it is one that will stick with you, and be something you'll remember. This was one of them books for me, it was beautifully written, both heartbreaking and uplifting at the right points, and I know that if you read it you'll probably say the same.

You were really able to connect with the main character, Ella with the way the book was written, and through her you soon ended up loving other characters - I adored Rose, you could really see that the friendship that bloomed between Ella and Rose helped to make the horror of Auschwitz that little bit better for them.

I loved that through the whole book Ella brought in bits of her past, to help her get through each day - it really helped you to show that she was a dreamer, and dreams of big things despite her current situation. It was so insightful to see what someone may have thought about during a time like that. I learnt little things that I never knew about the war and Auschwitz - its really made me want to start researching, and has bought out the history bug in me.

I just don't know how to do this book justice - it made you feel warm and tingly as well as made you want to cry at different points, and I very rarely feel so strongly about a book.

I give this book: 5 cats, and so many more if I could

Have you ever read this book? Comment below. If not, I highly suggest picking up a copy!

Blog Tour: House of Glass by Susan Fletcher

I got asked if I wanted to be a part of the blog tour for this book, and I jumped at the chance. It's been a while since I've done a non-YA tour and thought it would make a lovely change, and I was not disappointed by the book at all!

Even better is the book is out today, so go grab a copy! Here it is:

June 1914 and a young woman - Clara Waterfield - is summoned to a large stone house in Gloucestershire. Her task: to fill a greenhouse with exotic plants from Kew Gardens, to create a private paradise for the owner of Shadowbrook. Yet, on arrival, Clara hears rumours: something is wrong with this quiet, wisteria-covered house. Its gardens are filled with foxgloves, hydrangea and roses; it has lily-ponds, a croquet lawn - and the marvellous new glasshouse awaits her. But the house itself feels unloved. Its rooms are shuttered, or empty. The owner is mostly absent; the housekeeper and maids seem afraid. And soon, Clara understands their fear: for something - or someone - is walking through the house at night. In the height of summer, she finds herself drawn deeper into Shadowbrook's dark interior - and into the secrets that violently haunt this house. Nothing - not even the men who claim they wish to help her - is quite what it seems.

Reminiscent of Daphne du Maurier, this is a wonderful, atmospheric Gothic page-turner.

So, you might know by now that when I venture from YA it is usually to historical fiction - I can't help it, it's always so refreshing and I love that, sometimes I think I should have been born in another time with how much I love historical fiction books. But, this book is set just before the start of the first world war, so it's a bit different than my usual historical fiction read.

One of the things I loved about this book was that it touched on so many things - war, woman's rights, and even a touch of mystery in the form of hauntings. It was quite a dark Gothic book with the old house and the haunting side of things, with little bursts of light from the mentions of the glass house and the flowers and plants etc. - and I did really love the mention of plants throughout as it really reminded me of when I was younger and would hear my grandparents discussing plants and gardening, it was a nice little reminder.

It also kept me guessing what would happen until the very end with the mix of different genres, would it be a romance, a horror, or just a normal historical fiction? I liked the mystery of guessing and the conclusion of the book really had me gasping - so overall it's definitely a book that keeps you entertained until the very end.

I adored the MC Clara. She was a narrator that you could really connect with as she recounted her younger years and her journey to Shadowbrook - I really loved the way she was her own woman and she really shook up the small town when she went to work at the house and had different views on things to others - I loved that she was so opinionated and outspoken for the time the book was set.

Overall, I give this book: 5 cats.

A I said, this book is out today, I would definitely go buy a copy if you like historical fiction with a touch of mystery. If you've read the book comment below and tell me your thoughts!

Blog Tour: The Secret Legacy by Sara Alexander

So, today is my stop on the blog tour for this amazing book. I got a proof copy of this book at the HQ summer showcase, and I just flew through it. I was so glad to get a place on the blog tour.

Today, Sara is talking about her top 5 spots in Italy, as this book is set in the beautiful Positano, and I highly recommend buying a copy!



My Top Five Spots in Italy

Italy is my ancestral home and the one that has infused my identity with a passion for good food with a side of good yarn shared over a full table. I would like to boast that I have exhausted the country, delved into every mountainous crag, breath taking forest and turquoise bay it has to offer but I would be stretching the truth even further than a fiction writer. I have been lucky to visit a lot so far and my list of to-sees grows annually and with much pleasure – I haven’t told the family officially but I’ve day-dreamed my jaunt to Venice for the very near future.

Till then, here are some of the top places I have spent time in and would urge anyone to make plans to travel to.

1. Sardinia

I’m biased of course, because my mother is from this island and I feel like I’m very much descendant from that tribe of diffident cooks and storytellers that it’s famed for. Sardinia is a land of mystery and tumultuous history, it is jagged mountain silhouettes and breath taking turquoise sea coves with some of the freshest seafood you might ever have. Don’t stay hogging the beach though, there are fantastic archaeological sites dotted around the island as well as the spectacular Gennargentu national park at its centre.

2. Rome

This city seduced me a few years ago and we are still in the first throws of romance, where you struggle - or care little to - spy the fault lines in one another. I love the verve of this city, the swagger, the chaos, the unexpected surprises of antiquity as you walk through it. I adore the food, and how readily available it is. I love getting lost there, following my nose to the next nook or market. I’ve dodged the tourist crowds and let my wanderings take me further afield, and that’s something I would urge any traveller to do. I’m currently working on the second draft of a book set here so am indulging my imagination in retracing those steps with pleasure.

3. Positano

It is easy to fall in love with this cliffside town, especially if you catch it before half the world descends, just at the precipice of late spring. Take shoes that are made for walking not prancing because everywhere you go you’ll need to climb hundreds of steps. It makes digesting the twice-daily injections of gelato easier to digest. I love to escape uphill and walk the Path of the Gods, a fantastic hike that winds around the cliff edge for spell binding views of the Amalfi coast. I visited Pompei the last time I went to Positano and like the thousands of people who did so before me, left captivated by its spell. On my first visit to Positano in 2005, the idea of The Secret Legacy sprang into existence and gnawed at me to be written ever since.

4. Sicily

I was lucky to work on a film on location in Sicily and found it an intoxicating place. Perhaps it was the whole experience of being on set that added to the glamour of my memories there, but I loved the earthiness of the culture, the spice of its history, the clashing tones of the Sicilian dialect so different in rhythm from those on the mainland. I’d urge a traveller to make time to lose themselves along the coast around Noto, visiting the tiny towns that dot the east coast, fishing villages that are made up of one main street and small restaurant huts on stilts with narrow jetties that lead from the shore toward them where you can eat the freshest sea food in Italy. Take a plate and dive into their sea food antipasti buffets, squeeze one of their fresh lemons into a glass of cold sparkling water with a side of hearty red and you will have my version of heaven.

5. Cinque Terre

This is the area close to Genoa that is a cluster of picturesque villages with buildings painted dainty hues against the craggy dark blue coast. It is a ritzy part of the Ligurian world (I’m a lover of simple pleasures but pair it with regular dips in luxury), one where the hip Genoans take their swanky shoes on a well-heeled Sunday parade. This is the land of pesto so know that you will have a beautiful experience of that glorious garlic basil marriage. Make time to eat it with trofie, the traditional handmade pasta twists that are the perfect pairing to the sauce, catching every nuance of that lustrous olive oil, rich pine nut, tangy parmesan, fragrant locally grown basil and punchy garlic in one mouthful.

Buon Viaggio!

June Wrap-Up!

Yet another wrap-up for a busy travel-reads month! Some great things have been read and reviewed, and these are just a few of them with some mini-reviews attached.

Ruins (Sentinel #2) by Joshua Winning

I loved the first book in this series, but with so much to do it took me a while to get round to reading this which was a shame as it was even more action packed than the last book was, and kept me hooked when I had time to read.

I loved meeting all the new characters - my favourite being Nale with his faithful dog Zeus - and it was definitely interesting to see a few new POVs too - specifically Rae and Dawn (though Dawn's POV didn't last too long). I always think it's nice to get some back stories - and this book done that perfectly, which really helped me to connect to the characters a bit more. Though, I admit I still would have loved to see more of Malika's backstory!

Plus, I think this book was left in the most enticing way possible - it made me want to read the next one ASAP - but I'll be saving it for a little while longer. I give this book 5 cats!



Ariadnis By Josh Martin

I got this book when I went to Drink YA in one of the goodybags, and it looked so interesting that I picked it up relatively quickly considering my TBR pile is getting larger and larger. I loved the premise, and the plot kept me hooked wondering just where this would turn out.

I think the one downside I could find was the short chapters, switching between the two MCs did confuse me a bit at first because I got a bit confused as to who was who and trying to figure out the two different cities, but I got over that and then I got sucked in.

I think one of the cutest things were the illustrations of the MCs on the back inside cover, they really helped me to imagine everything, that and the illustration of the two cities before the book started. Overall, definitely an interesting read, and I saw there was another book in the series which I will definitely be picking up! I give this book 4 cats!

Ascension by Victor Dixon

So, I got this on Netgalley, and then won a finished copy in a competition on twitter, but I was a bit late to read it. Which is such a shame because it was amazing.

I've not read many space books, but it seems to be something that's coming back, and I kinda love it because there are so many takes on space to go for, and this was just one amazing take on space travel. Speed dating has always interested me - how can you possibly meet someone and decide so quickly on if you like them or not? - and add in a bit of space this made this such an interesting read!

I already want the next book, even though this has just come out, and I can't wait to see what will happen to everyone after the crazy conclusion! I give this: 5 cats!



Under a Sardinian Sky by Sara Alexander

I got invited to a HQ event, where they showed off some upcoming books. A lot of them weren't my usual (AKA they were adult fiction not YA) but I picked up lots of new books including this one.

I adored it. That's all that I can say really. It was such a nice refreshing read, just what I needed when I was in a bit of a YA slump, and it made me really just want to go to Sardinia to see if it's as beautiful as the author described it.

I think what I liked most about this book was the fact that it was a mix of historical and modern day, which is something I do love in books, and it also had a tiny bit of mystery so I was left guessing what would have happened to the MC throughout. Plus, it was so nice to go back to a romance read, I used to read them a lot more a few years ago, but got into Fantasy after a while instead.

Overall, I give this 5 cats! I'll definitely be reading more like it (and I picked up the authors next book so that will be interesting!)

May Wrap-Up!

So, I've been super busy this month starting a new job, but I get loads of travel reading time, so I guess my wrap-ups are becoming a regular thing now!

As before, these aren't all the books I've read this month, some get a full review but will be posted whenever I get around to it.

Mini review time!

The Beasts Heart by Leife Shallcross

I got this book as an ARC from Netgalley, but finished it so close to the release date that I thought I'd just do a mini review in my wrap up instead. As you should know, I adore re-tellings - of any form usually, all the writers differences in plot always fascinate me, and this was definitely an interesting take on Beauty and the Beast!

I loved seeing a book telling us of the Beasts POV. I've only seen one other take on it, and both are so different that it was great. I loved the history of the Beast - the backstory was filled out nicely and it was one of my favourite bits. I also liked the way the mirror was used in this book - to only see Isabeau's family, and only when the magic allowed it. In fact - the magic of this story was what drew me in the most - it was so intriguing!

4.5 Cats to this book (only because it took me so long to get into it)

The Extinction Trials by S. M. Wilson

I got this in a bookbox a while ago, and only just got round to reading it. There's been a big hype about this book, and it left me wondering if it could live up to it - it could and it did. This was my first dinosaur based book, as I've never really been a big fan of dinosaur based things, but this changed my way of thinking and I'll definitely be reading more in the future.

I admit, I always take a long look at maps before, so I saw Blaine's shack on the map and wondered about him - and where he might come in, so I wasn't as shocked as I probably should have been when he was introduced, but it did have me trying to guess about his origins which was fun.

Overall, I give this 5 cats, and I can't wait to see where it goes in the next book after everything that happened.

Carnivore by Jonathan Lyon

I got this book from the publisher, because I saw the cover and thought it was beautiful, and then the description had me intrigued. It's not often that I go out of my zone and read adult fiction, but sometimes I do and so far it's all been good.

This book was quite hard to read - not in a bad way, but because it was so intense and you had no idea where it would go. I've never read something as intense as this - and I warn you this is definitely not a book for those faint of heart and it has quite a lot of trigger warnings. But it was beautifully written - the descriptions in this were amazing, even if it was hard to keep up with the main character at times.


I give this book 3.5/4 cats. It was enthralling but totally not what I expected, and maybe a bit more intense than I thought. If I knew what I was going in to, I probably would have rated it much higher.

An Almond for a Parrot by Wray Delaney

I picked this book up for it's beautiful cover, and was slightly intrigued by the thought of a biography-like historical fiction so I bought it. I wasn't sure how much I would like it, but as soon as I started reading I got sucked right in to Tully's story - I especially liked how it went from her time in prison to her recollection - or 'memoir' of her time before she was imprisoned. In fact, I got so sucked in I almost missed my train stop because I couldn't tear myself away one morning!

There is one thing I will admit though, I wasn't expecting it to go into as much detail on her sex life as it did, and I definitely had a laugh at the terms Tully used during the more intimate scenes (I don't know if that's what they were called back then but wow they were weird) but other than that I had no complaints.

I give this book 4 cats. It is an adult historical fiction though, so maybe not for everyone!

ARC Review: Jane Seymour - The Haunted Queen by Alison Weir

I received an e-copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, which will follow.

I've always had an interest for Historical Fiction books over the years, of course not as much of an interest as fantasy or YA but I do love it, so when I saw this book I had to request it.

Here it is:

THE WOMAN HAUNTED BY THE FATE OF HER PREDECESSOR.

Eleven days after the death of Anne Boleyn, Jane is dressing for her wedding to the King.

She has witnessed at first hand how courtly play can quickly turn to danger and knows she must bear a son . . . or face ruin.

This new Queen must therefore step out from the shadows cast by Katherine and Anne - in doing so, can she expose a gentler side to the brutal King?

JANE SEYMOUR

THE THIRD OF HENRY'S QUEENS

HER STORY

Acclaimed, bestselling historian Alison Weir draws on new research for her captivating novel, which paints a compelling portrait of Jane and casts fresh light on both traditional and modern perceptions of her. Jane was driven by the strength of her faith and a belief that she might do some good in a wicked world.

History tells us how she died.

This spellbinding novel explores the life she lived.

SIX TUDOR QUEENS. SIX NOVELS. SIX YEARS.

I have always loved Tudor history. We never learnt much of it while at school and I always hated that because it is one of my favourite parts of history. So, I got most of my information from TV shows (I  binge watch The Tudors quite regularly) and from books that my sister likes. So, when I saw this available to request on Netgalley I snapped at the chance even though I hadn't read Alison Weir's two previous books on the subject.

I was so keen to get into this book, because most fiction on this period of time focuses mostly on Anne Boleyn or Queen Elizabeth I. So, the idea of reading the thoughts of Jane Seymour, Henry VIII's only wife to bear him a son, was intriguing. And what a story Alison Weir has told. From the childhood wish of being a Nun, to serving Queen Katherine and Queen Anne Boleyn, to being Queen herself, Jane Seymour's life is told in a sweeping story that gets right into the time. It's amazing when a writer can transport you into the life of the main character, and when reading this I was transported to Tudor England.

I loved that at the end of the book you got a timeline of events so you could see when everything happened, and then there is a summary of how Alison Weir came up with the little points that were never a part of history before. It was fascinating to read her summary and it really shows that history can be interpreted in different ways if you just look at all the details.

Overall, I give this book 5 cats, and I'll definitely be reading the previous two books and any future books to come too!

Have you read any of Alison Weir's books? Comment below!

Review: Orphan Monster Spy by Matt Killeen

So, I got a proof of this book in a goodybag when I went to a Waterstone's event for the launch of It Only Happens in the Movies. I admit, it didn't really seem like my cup of tea (but that's because I was silly and didn't look up the proper blurb, and only saw the small proof blurb).

I finally picked it up again now because it's released on March 8th, and I wanted to see if I liked it enough to review it before it came out - I did. In fact, I loved it!

Here it is:

A Jewish girl-turned-spy must infiltrate an elite Nazi boarding school in this highly commercial, relentlessly nail-biting World War II drama!

After her mother is shot at a checkpoint, fifteen-year-old Sarah--blonde, blue-eyed, and Jewish--finds herself on the run from a government that wants to see every person like her dead. 

Then Sarah meets a mysterious man with an ambiguous accent, a suspiciously bare apartment, and a lockbox full of weapons. He's a spy, and he needs Sarah to become one, too, to pull off a mission he can't attempt on his own: infiltrate a boarding school attended by the daughters of top Nazi brass, befriend the daughter of a key scientist, and steal the blueprints to a bomb that could destroy the cities of Western Europe. 

With years of training from her actress mother in the art of impersonation, Sarah thinks she's ready. But nothing prepares her for her cutthroat schoolmates, and soon she finds herself in a battle for survival unlike any she'd ever imagined.

So, like I said, I didn't look this book up properly until I started it, and now I am regretting this decision becuase it was an amazing book. So amazing that I sped through it in a few days. From the description on my proof copy, I didn't expect it to be set during the beginning of World War II, so when I opened it and got stuck in I was instantly sucked in.

I have always loved the Book Thief, it is one of my favourite books, and I definitely got Book Thief vibes when reading this book. But, not because it was the same kind of plot - no this is totally different. This book is about Sarah, a Jew with Aryan looks, who becomes a spy after meeting the Captain (a British spy currently working in Germany).

I loved Sarah as a character. She was strong for her age, and even with everything that happens to her she still manages to keep up with her mission throughout the book without getting caught. Throughout the book she has a voice in her head guiding her way - and helping her when things are likely to go wrong - and it really helps to up her spying game. Just overall she is definitely one of the more beautifully written characters I have come across in my many reads.

The thing I found most amusing was that she managed to play the part of a 'monster' (her words for the girls at the school) perfectly - and all with only a few papers that marked her as the perfect Aryan schoolgirl. The constant use of 'monster' in her head definitely tied in with the name of the book - something which I loved.

Overall, this book had me on the edge of my seat throughout, wondering just what would happen to both Sarah and the Captain, and the last part of the book especially had me wanting to turn to the end just so I could see (I managed to resist the urge), but it definitely was a very suspenseful ending - one that also left me with the hope to see more from Sarah in future books - but I'm not sure how likely that would be!

I give this book 5 cats!

If you are a fan of the book thief, I think you'll love this book. Are you planning on reading this, or have you read this yet? Comment below!

Review: Mr Rochester by Sarah Shoemaker

Okay, so I got this as an e-ARC from Netgalley in exchange for a review. It came out November 2017, but I didn't get around to reading it until now (oops).

However, I am so glad I did request this book. Jane Eyre is one of my all time favourite books, and my favourite classic book, so the idea of Mr Rochester's story being told intrigued me so much.

Here it is:

Uncover the secrets of Edward Fairfax Rochester, the beloved, enigmatic hero of Jane Eyre, as he tells his story for the first time in Mr Rochester, Sarah Shoemaker's gorgeous retelling of one of the most romantic stories in literature.

On his eighth birthday, Edward is banished from his beloved Thornfield Hall to learn his place in life. His journey eventually takes him to Jamaica where, as a young man, he becomes entangled with an enticing heiress and makes a choice that will haunt him. It is only when he finally returns home and encounters one stubborn, plain, young governess, that Edward can see any chance of redemption - and love.

Rich and vibrant, Edward's evolution from tender-hearted child to Charlotte Bronte's passionately tormented hero will completely, deliciously, and forever change how we read and remember Jane Eyre.

I had so many expectations going in to this book, and I was not disappointed. This book embodied Mr Rochester perfectly, and told the story of his life perfectly.

As I've said before, I've read Jane Eyre many times, because it is my favourite classic book, and I've always wondered about Mr Rochester, and what his life story was, and also what he was thinking when he met Jane in the original. This book takes my questions and answers them all, in detail I definitely didn't expect at all.

My favourite part of this book is the beginning, as we learn about Mr Rochester's life from a child, until he comes back to the UK, and it is my favourite because of all the new details you get: his schooling, his family, his life in Jamaica and marriage to Bertha etc. It made me love Mr Rochester even more than I did before (though I did question some of his actions when it gets to him meeting Jane).

I don't really know how I can describe this books greatness, I feel like I will never be able to do this story justice. So, all I can say is that this is an amazing re-telling and if you love Jane Eyre like me, then you'll love Mr Rochester too.

I give this book: 5 Cats!

Have you read this book before? Do you love Mr Rochester as much as I do? Comment below!

ARC Review: The Wicked Cometh by Laura Carlin

I was given an e-ARC of this book by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, and here it is!

I was mainly drawn into this book because of the cover, and then later because so many people were talking about it on my Twitter. It had such a small intriguing caption at first that I decided to request it, especially because I'd really been into Historical Fiction books at the time.

It turns out that it was both a Historical Fiction and a Mystery book, and I loved it. Here it is:

The year is 1831

Down the murky alleyways of London, acts of unspeakable wickedness are taking place and no one is willing to speak out on behalf of the city's vulnerable poor as they disappear from the streets.

Out of these shadows comes Hester White, a bright young woman who is desperate to escape the slums by any means possible.

When Hester is thrust into the world of the aristocratic Brock family, she leaps at the chance to improve her station in life under the tutelage of the fiercely intelligent and mysterious Rebekah Brock. But whispers from her past slowly begin to poison her new life and both she and Rebekah are lured into the most sinister of investigations.

Hester and Rebekah find themselves crossing every boundary they've ever known in pursuit of truth, redemption and passion. But their trust in each other will be tested as a web of deceit begins to unspool, dragging them into the blackest heart of a city where something more depraved than either of them could ever imagine is lurking . . .

Can I just say: my heart, my poor, poor heart.

This book had such a thrilling ending to it, and I was almost ready to leave my heart broken, until the giant twist at the end that left it a little less broken than it was before. (I wont spoil it and say why, but you will know what I'm talking about if you have read this before)

I admit, this was definitely not what I expected from the book when I first requested it - but I was happily surprised by it. The relationship that builds between Hester and Rebekah was something I definitely didn't expect, but it was such a slow build that you were constantly routing for them to get together throughout the story. 

And the fact that this book is based around a female,Victorian detective couple - definitely something I'd not read or heard of before.

If I was asked to describe this book? I'd say it had so many twists and turns that you can never think to keep up with, and a thrilling conclusion that you would never have guessed.

Definitely another great foray into Historical fiction, and a dip into Mystery, I loved it.

I give this book: 5 Cats!

This book comes out on the 1st February. If you fancy a Victorian mystery, with a slow-build relationship, this is the book for you. Have you read it yet? Or are you planning to? Comment below!

Review: The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell

So, I won a proof of this lovely book from a Goodreads competition a while back, and well, coming up to October and Halloween I thought, hey this will be a great time to read a spooky horror story! (Yes I know it's past Halloween now, but I did read it around then so it counts!)

I've never really read any horror books before, but I do love the odd Historical Fiction book, so I thought this would be a good place to start, and it was!

Here it is:

Newly married, newly widowed Elsie is sent to see out her pregnancy at her late husband's crumbling country estate, The Bridge.

With her new servants resentful and the local villagers actively hostile, Elsie only has her husband's awkward cousin for company. Or so she thinks. 

But inside her new home lies a locked room, and beyond that door lies a two-hundred-year-old diary and a deeply unsettling painted wooden figure – a Silent Companion – that bears a striking resemblance to Elsie herself...

I don't usually read Horror, or watch horror, or really go into the horror genre at all really, but when I do occasionally step into the world of Horror, I love it. Which is what happened to me with this book. In fact, I think this book has definitely been a good venture into the horror books genre, and I'll definitely be reading other books like this in the future.

One thing I loved about this book was that it went between Elsie's story, in both her past and present day, and the times of Anne Bainbridge (an ancestor of the family from 200 years ago). I liked that it went between these times, as it showed just how the Silent Companions came to the house, and why they may have acted the way they did, and also shows you what happened to Elsie. You first find out about them and their spooky ways because of the diary of Anne Bainbridge, and this is where the times begin to jump, which I think is a great way to write in the history of a book.

The actual story begins in a psychiatric hospital, where Elsie is recovering after a fire at the house. It details her story, as written by her and read by her Psychiatrist Dr Shepherd, and why she ended up in the hospital.I definitely like the way this was written, as it really helps you to connect with Elsie and the story, and it also keeps you guessing and wondering what happened to make Elsie end up in the hospital.

It did take me a while to get into this book, but when I did I was hooked, and wondering what was truth and what was the imaginations of Elsie herself, and the ending of this book just blew me away (I won't spoil it, but it's definitely a twist that I didn't expect at all). Definitely a book to read if you like horrors and slight mystery.

I give this book: 4 Cats!

Have you read this book before? Or do you have any spooky recommendations? Comment Below!