The Storm by Amanda Jennings @MandaJJennings @HQstories #bookreview

Hello book friends,I hope that you are all doing well?

I was sent a copy of this book by another book friend, and once I had started , I couldn’t put it down!

My Review

Hannah and Nathan are married with a teenage son.

They have a beautiful house, Nathan is an established Lawyer and does a lot to help in the community, everyone loves Nathan.
Hannah is a Housewife.

From the outside, Hannah and Nathan have a perfect marriage, they are happy and loving life.

But behind closed doors, Nathan is a controlling Narcissistic Douchebag!

He controls everything that Hannah does, from what she wears, to what she spends her money on, or should I say *his* money, because Hannah has to produce receipts for every purchase that she makes, even counting the change, if it is wrong, then a swift punch will set her right!

He is manipulative and gaslights her at every opportunity to make her think that she is going crazy. Hannah knows what he is doing, but is helpless to do anything about it, as she is powerless in this relationship.

But this story isn’t just about Coercive Control, it also delves into the past, and you find out how a happy young Hannah, can eventually end up being a beaten down shell of what she used to be.

Because Hannah is living with the consequences of a night that she will never forget, and knows that she can never escape, and Nathan will make sure of this!

This book was a tough read, I have recently left a toxic marriage, and although it was nowhere as bad as what Hannah endured, I was still reminded of the manipulation, and gaslighting.
People need to realise that domestic abuse is not always a black eye, sometimes the bruises don’t show on the body, sometimes they are on your heart, and they take longer to heal.

A great read, but please take heed of the Trigger Warnings for Domestic Violence.

Enjoy
Vicci 📚💛✨

The Blurb

To the outside world Hannah married the perfect man. Behind the closed doors of their imposing home it’s a very different story. Nathan controls everything Hannah does. He chooses her clothes, checks her receipts, and keeps her passport locked away. But why does she let him?

Years before, in the midst of a relentless storm, the tragic events of one night changed everything. And Hannah has been living with the consequences ever since. Keeping Nathan happy. Doing as she’s told.

But the past is about to catch up with them.

Set against the unforgiving backdrop of a Cornish fishing port in the ‘90s, this is a devastating exploration of the power of coercive control in a marriage where nothing is quite as it seems…

UK Purchase Links

Berts Books

Waterstones

Amazon affiliate link

 

Not My Daughter by Suzy K. Quinn @SuzyKQuinn @HQstories @NetGalley #bookreview

Hello Book Friends,

I hope you are all doing well?

I am so happy to be one of the first on this blog tour for this fabulous page turner of a book.

My Review

Wow this one got me flipping pages so fast!!

Lorna had a bucket list when she was 16, she’d made this because she had been diagnosed with a terminal cancer which she managed to beat, so she was living her life to the fullest.

As is a lot of young teenage girls dreams, one of the items on her bucket list, was to meet & marry a rock star, not just any rock star though, it had to be Michael Reyji Ray!

So to be able to go to one of his concerts and to actually meet him, and to actually have him *choose* her and fall in love with her, well it was like a dream come true, except, it really wasn’t.

Fast forward 16 years and Lorna is a scared mother of Liberty, she doesn’t allow her to go out at night, or go out with friends, and she is fiercely protective over her, to the utter disgust of her daughter, who thinks she is just an ridiculously over protective mother.

But Lorna has high fences and security, and is over protective for a reason, a reason Liberty is not aware of, and thank goodness Liberty doesn’t know who her father is, otherwise everything she knows could change.

Except Liberty does find out, and she wants to meet her famous father and find out what he is really like, as her crazy mother has only told her bad things about what a monster he is, and she wants to find out for herself!

Told from the POV of Lorna and Liberty and with a sprinkling of the past from Lorna’s POV, Suzy K Quinn takes you on a heart stopping journey.

**Please be warned that this book deals with Domestic Abuse and has instances of sexual abuse, a LOT of Gaslighting and Manipulation.

It was very interesting to see how differently Michael acted in front of his friends and family, and then with Lorna and some others, the Red Flags were definitely waving, but unfortunately it is not always possible to see them while you think you are in love!

**Thank you to HQStories for asking me to be on this blogtour**

Enjoy
Vicci 📚💛✨

Synopsis

My child is missing. And it’s not safe out there…

After sixteen years of protecting my daughter from the dark secret of her past, I wake one morning to find her room empty, rucksack gone.

Most runaways return within 72 hours, but I’m not so sure. I think my daughter has gone to find her real father – the man I fled from years ago.

No one knows better than me that beneath his charm lies a monster.

I escaped him once. But will she see him for what he really is?

After all, blood is thicker than water…

Purchase Links

Amazon Affiliate link

Waterstones

 

The Assistant by Marni Mann @MarniMann #BookReview #TheAssistant

Hello book friends,

While the world is going mad, to us introverts it’s business as usual, self isolation is a regular thing for me Lol

Wherever you are, stay safe, and read.

My Review

Who likes a Romance thriller with a little twist??

And when I say twist, I mean TWISTTTTTTTTTTYYYYYYYYYYYY *insert gasp face here*

I am so excited for you guys that haven’t read this one yet and might pick it up, go in blind, don’t go reading loads of reviews (except this one obviously) otherwise you are probably going to stumble into a spoiler and that will ruin the whole effect.

This story, jumps from ‘before’ to ‘after’ but your job is trying to guess what went on in the middle part.

Jesse is a CEO of a very successful company, she is married to Emery and they have two beautiful children. After a family tragedy Jess decides to become a Stay at home Mom, and Emery hits the big time in his career, so much so, that he needs to hire an assistant.

And so along comes Charlotte!!!

That’s it folks, that’s all I’m going to give you Mwahahahaha

🎧🎧

If you can get your hands on the audiobook I would highly recommend it, narrated by Therese Plummer, Erin Mallon & Jacob Morgan, you will be chewing your nails and reaching for a Kleenex all at the same time!!

Enjoy
Vicci 📚💛✨

Synopsis

From USA Today best-selling author, Marni Mann, comes a haunting new psychological thriller.

At 42, I’m married to my best friend, and we have two beautiful children. Everything about my life is perfect until my father gets sick.

Before: I owned and operated a massively successful women’s shapewear company. After: I stay home with my family because I’ve learned the importance of time.

Before: My husband could rely on me to take care of everything. After: I hire him the perfect assistant.

My entire life can be summed up in before and afters, but something happens in the middle.
A meeting.
And it changes the course of everyone’s lives forever.

Purchase Links:
*Affiliate Link

Amazon*

The Other Mrs by Mary Kubica @MaryKubica @HQstories #TheOtherMrs #BookReview

Hello book friends,

Sorry for being MIA for a while, I’ve had a few things happening IRL, and in the middle of that I’ve also moved house, and been ill, so it’s been a stressful few weeks lol

Anyhoo, I thought I’d come back with a bang to give you my review of this fabulous read.

I was lucky enough to be invited to take part in the blog tour for this book, and as soon as I saw the author, I jumped at the chance to read it!

My Review

Prepare yourself for a roller coaster ride of a book, Mary Kubica has done it again!

Sadie and Will Foust and their kids have recently moved from the big bustling city of Chicago, to a sleepy coastal town in Maine, to a house that they have recently inherited.

To get to their new jobs, and also to the kids to school, they have to catch a ferry off of the island where they are living, they have also now have custody of Will’s Niece Imogen after his sister died unexpectedly, so there is plenty of stress around, and she is not the most welcoming person toward them all.

After only being there a few days, the family get a huge shock when one of their neighbours is murdered, and knowing that it must have happened in the night and that there isn’t a ferry off of the island until early in the morning, Sadie is aware that the murderer is/was still on the island, which triggers her anxiety.
Especially when it seems that the police seem to have the ridiculous notion that she had something to do with the murder, even though she’d never even met that neighbour, and that they are new to the town!

Sadie and the rest of the family were really hoping to have a fresh start, and thought that this would be it, they really needed it.

While we are watching the Faust family come apart thread by thread, we also get 2 other characters thrown in to the loop, Camille, Sadie’s former roommate and Mouse, a little girl who is being abused by her step mother.

How do they all fit together? And who the hell is the murderer?

Mary Kubica is the queen of twisty books, and this one was no different, it was creepy, very atmospheric, and I had no idea where it was going most of the time.

Grab this one as soon as you can and settle down for some serious page turning!

Enjoy
Vicci 📚💛✨

**Thank you to HQ Stories for my copy of this book**

About the Book

Propulsive and addictive, The Other Mrs. is the twisty new psychological thriller from Mary Kubica, the New York Times bestselling author of The Good Girl

She tried to run, but she can’t escape the other Mrs.

Sadie and Will Foust have only just moved their family from bustling Chicago to small-town Maine when their neighbor Morgan Baines is found dead in her home. The murder rocks their tiny coastal island, but no one is more shaken than Sadie.

But it’s not just Morgan’s death that has Sadie on edge. And as the eyes of suspicion turn toward the new family in town, Sadie is drawn deeper into the mystery of what really happened that dark and deadly night. But Sadie must be careful, for the more she discovers about Mrs. Baines, the more she begins to realize just how much she has to lose if the truth ever comes to light.

Purchase links:
*Affiliate link

Amazon*

Waterstones

Date Night By Samantha Hayes @samhayes @Bookouture #DateNight #SamanthaHayes #BookReview

Hello again Book Friends,

I’m so happy to bring you a review for this fabulous Audiobook, which has thrills, spills, and a few red herrings thrown in for good measure!

My Thoughts

🅴🆅🅴🆁🆈 🅿🅰🆁🅴🅽🆃🆂 🅽🅸🅶🅷🆃🅼🅰🆁🅴

You’ve got a lovely Date Night planned with your hubby, you’ve arranged the babysitter and everything is ready, except you, you need to get ready.

But you have this little knot of doubt in your stomach, ever since you saw that little slip of paper on your car, and when you read it, it made you doubt your husbands loyalty, because it said that your husband is having an affair!

You aim to talk about it later, so you get yourself ready, and let the babysitter in, make sure she’s comfortable and let her know that there is food made for her if she wants it, and to ‘help yourself to anything in the cupboards’ and off you go.

Except your date isn’t that great, you argue, and you bicker, so much so, that you leave early and go home!

But when you get there something is wrong, very wrong.

The door is open and the TV is on, there is a half eaten meal on the chair, but the babysitter has gone, she is nowhere in the house, and she has left your baby upstairs sleeping alone!

You are understandably very angry with her, so you try and call, but there is no answer, where the hell is she? And why would she just up-and-leave?

It is only when the police arrest you for her murder, that you start to realise that this is really, really bad!

Prepare yourself for twists and turns reading this one, it really is a great read.

🎧🎧

Narrated by Ellie Heydon, who did a cracking job, I thought that her narration was great, her character voices were fab, and her delivery was perfect.

Enjoy

Vicci 📚💛✨

About the Book

Amazon UK*

Amazon U.S

Returning early from a disastrous date night with my husband, I know something is wrong the moment the wheels crunch the gravel drive of our home. Inside, the TV is on and a half-eaten meal waits on the table. My heart stops when I find our little girl is alone in the house and our babysitter, Sasha, is missing…

Days later, when I’m arrested for Sasha’s murder and torn away from my perfect little family, I’ll wish I had told someone about the threatening note I received that morning.

I’ll hate myself for not finding out who the gift hidden inside my husband’s wardrobe was for.

I’ll scream from the rooftops that I’m innocent – but no one will listen.

I will realise I was completely wrong about everything that happened that night…

But will you believe me?

*Affiliate link

Lets Connect!

Goodreads

Twitter

Instagram

Vicci 📚💛✨

 

Dear Wife by Kimberly Belle @KimberlySBelle @HarlequinBooks @parkrowbooks #BookReview #DearWife #KimberlyBelle

Hello my lovely reading buddies,

I’m so excited to share my review for this super awesome, twisty little mind f*@K of a book.

My review is going to be short and sweet, and that’s because I want you to go in as blind as you can with this one, and I don’t want to be the cause of any spoilery shenanigans!

My Thoughts

🆂🆃🅾🅿 🆃🅷🅴 🅼🅴🆁🆁🆈 🅶🅾 🆁🅾🆄🅽🅳 🅸 🆆🅰🅽🆃 🆃🅾 🅶🅴🆃 🅾🅵🅵

This is going to be a tricky one to review without giving away any spoilers.

I would say, except for obviously reading this review, you should definitely think about going in blind with this one, otherwise it may spoil it for you.

Prepare for some twists and turns and 180 spins with this little cracker of a Thriller, you won’t know what’s gonna hit you!!

I was sucked into the storyline and couldn’t put the darn thing down, and the only little snippets of information that I’m going to give you my little lovelies is this……

1. An Abusive Husband
2. A Woman on the Run
3. Cat & Mouse

I know it’s a bit of a crappy review, but you’re intrigued now right?

🎧🎧

Narration was amazing, Vivienne Leheny, Chris Andrew Ciulla and Pete Simonelli did an incredible job at bringing this book to life, I was stunned many times throughout.

GRAB THIS ONE ASAP

You’re Welcome 😎

Enjoy

Vicci 📚💛✨

About The Book

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Beth Murphy is on the run….

For nearly a year, Beth has been planning for this day. A day some people might call any other Wednesday, but Beth prefers to see it as her new beginning – one with a new look, new name, and new city. Beth has given her plan significant thought, because one small slip and her violent husband will find her.

Sabine Hardison is missing….

A couple hundred miles away, Jeffrey returns home from a work trip to find his wife, Sabine, is missing. Wherever she is, she’s taken almost nothing with her. Her abandoned car is the only evidence the police have, and all signs point to foul play.

As the police search for leads, the case becomes more and more convoluted. Sabine’s carefully laid plans for her future indicate trouble at home and a husband who would be better off with her gone. The detective on the case will stop at nothing to find out what happened and bring this missing woman home. Where is Sabine? And who is Beth? The only thing that’s certain is that someone is lying, and the truth won’t stay buried for long.

Lets Connect!

Goodreads

Twitter

Instagram

Vicci 📚💛✨

The Women by S.E. Lynes @SELynesAuthor @bookouture @Netgalley #NewRelease #HappyPublicationDay

Hello book friends,

Super happy to bring you a review for this cracker of a thriller, I was completely blown away with this book.

Happy Publication Day to S.E. Lynes!

Why did you pick it up Vicci?

After reading the blurb on Netgalley I was crossing my fingers hoping that I would be accepted for this one, it just sounded like I would love it, and I wasn’t wrong!

My Thoughts 

Wow, what a crazy ride that was!

After meeting both Samantha and Peter on their no-so-happy honeymoon, we then get flashed back in time to when they met.

Samantha is a normal student, she likes to go out drinking and having fun with her friends.

When the handsome lecturer Peter sidles up behind her and starts to show her some attention, she is of course flattered, he is after all, the sexy man that all of the girls have their eyes on.

He is a very well-knowledged man, and although he didn’t actually call her stupid, she feels it, and he definitely didn’t imply it…did he?

The attraction between them is palpable, and a very quick relationship is formed, so much so, that Samantha is moving in with Peter within a week of meeting him!

She soon learns that living together is very difficult, I mean she’s never lived with anyone before, so it is only right that he tells her when she is doing something wrong, like eating at the wrong times, or taking too long in the shower.

Only someone that really loves you would make sure that you are reading the correct literary fiction instead of that “propagandist tosh” in her women’s magazines.

He is a very clever man, and appreciates things like a glass of red wine every night (that he has chosen), with the dinner (that he has cooked), and after the meal they have (he has) a strict 10 o’clock bed time (after sex of course) routine.

And she really is happy…….right?

After starting her new job as a Creative writing teacher (that Peter kindly got for her), she starts to receive poems that make her very uncomfortable, are they from one of her students? they could be I suppose, but then, that would mean that the person writing them knows about her life, how can someone else know what is going through her own head?

I was totally gripped by this book, I could clearly see the red flags, they were there for all to see, except Samantha didn’t, and unfortunately (myself included) unless you have been in this situation, the flags do not show until you are at rock bottom.

A fantastic read, grab it ASAP!!

**Many thanks to The author, Bookouture, and Netgalley for my copy of the book**

About the book

The Women
by S.E. Lynes
The night she moves in with Peter, she’s so happy, so exhilarated, so in love. Later, she will remember a much smaller feeling, a tiny one percent in her gut. And she will remember pushing that feeling aside…

Samantha Frayn doesn’t know why Peter Bridges picks her – a nobody with bitten fingernails and a troubled childhood behind her – but she falls quickly. He’s older, charming, likes fine wine and French films, and his beautiful home has real art on its walls.

Peter transforms Samantha’s life in an instant. He sees the better version of herself – the one she’s always wanted to be. It’s only normal that there’s a little friction, when she moves in, over domestic matters like where things are kept, or the proper times to eat, sleep and shower. She’s lucky to be with someone who can help her find a new job, move on from childish friends, and speak with greater sophistication.

But as Samantha notices, more and more, Peter’s temper, she starts to wonder if there might be consequences to breaking the rules of the world he has so quickly built around her.

And then she receives an anonymous note that makes her ask: is she the first woman to feel trapped by Peter? Is she being paranoid, manipulated, or could she be in danger?

You can tell the truth about your life, but someone needs to be listening. Someone needs to trust you. And someone needs to save you from the man you thought you loved.

Lets Connect!

Goodreads

Twitter

Instagram

Come and join our Facebook Group

Vicci 📚💛✨

The liar’s Child by Carla Buckley @CarlaBuckley @randomhouse #bookreview #theliarschild #valentinebooks

Happy Tuesday book lovers!

Excited to share with you today my review for this intense domestic thriller that comes out today!🌷

My Thoughts

a vividly told domestic thriller packed with characters you won’t soon forget!

Carla Buckley is a master storyteller, this is my second book by her and they both have completely captivated me. This is a compelling domestic thriller with characters that just leap off the pages. The story is mesmerizing and taught with tension and emotion. You won’t be able to turn the pages fast enough, and you won’t want it to end.

Sarah reluctantly enters witness protection and finds herself on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. In an apartment building named Paradise that is anything but. She spends her time working as a house cleaner and observing her neighbors. Soon she finds herself crossing paths with the two kids that live next-door to her, 12-year-old Cassie and five-year-old Boone. Sarah recognizes that Paradise is certainly no paradise for these kids. The walls are thin and she hears constant fighting between their parents. She also hears other rumors of the family’s recent tragedy. When a devastating hurricane hits and Sarah realizes the kids are on their own she makes a split second decision that will alter the course of all three of their lives.

The story is told from multiple perspectives allowing you to see the entire picture. The characters are extremely well fleshed out and the kids are perfectly portrayed for the ages they were. Cassie was surly, antagonistic, and had a huge chip on her shoulder. Boone was sweet, adorable, and utterly charming. He definitely pulled at my heartstrings as well as Sarah’s. Sarah was strong, complex, and a little mysterious. The three of them made quite the team, and I truly cherished every minute I got to spend with them. I read another review that said this was an unconventional love story and I’d have to say that is a perfect way to describe this book. Three unlikely people who found the best in one another in the midst of tragedy. And can I just say the ending to this book was simple perfection!

A beautifully told story that is simultaneously heartbreaking and uplifting. A domestic thriller with a splash of mystery. Absolutely recommend!

*** A huge thank you to Random House Valentine for my copy of this book ***

About the Book

In this intense and intimate family portrait that moves at a thriller’s pace, a troubled woman faces a gripping moral dilemma after rescuing two abandoned children from a hurricane. 
On the outskirts of North Carolina’s Outer Banks sits the Paradise, an apartment complex where renters never stay long enough to call the place “home” – and neighbors are seldom neighborly. It’s ideal for Sara Lennox, who moved there to escape a complicated past – and even her name – and rebuild a new life for herself under the radar. But Sara cannot help but notice the family next door, especially 12-year-old Cassie and five-year-old Boon. She hears rumors and whispers of a recent tragedy slowly tearing them apart. 
When a raging storm threatens then slams the coastal community, Sara makes a quick, bold decision: Rescue Cassie and Boon from the storm and their broken home – without telling a soul. But this seemingly noble act is not without consequences. Some lethal. 
Carla Buckley crafts a richly rewarding psychological portrait, combining a heart-wrenching family drama with high-stakes suspense, as the lives of three characters intertwine in an unforgettable story of fury, fate – and redemption. 
“You should read The Liar’s Child by Carla Buckley because it’s a lovely and evocative story, and because it raises all kinds of questions about parents and children, secrets and safety. But be careful: This is a writer who knows how to break your heart.” (Carolyn Parkhurst, New York Times best-selling author of The Dogs of Babel and Lost and Found) 

Let’s Connect

Instagram|

Goodreads|

Twitter|

Have a brilliant day!🍀

Berit☀️✨

While my Eyes Were Closed by Linda Green @LindaGreenisms @audibleuk #Thriller #Mystery #Fiction #AudiobookReview

I am so pleased to bring you my review of this heart-stopping read, I was so sucked into this story, that I don’t think that I took a breath.

My Thoughts

Oh my goodness, this is every mothers nightmare!

Imagine you take your little girl to the park to play, she is only 4 years old, and her favourite thing to do while you are there is to play Hide-and-Seek.

You are the person hiding, and she soon finds you, but she wants “one more go” so that she gets to hide too.

“Just one more go Mummy, don’t forget to count to 100, and make sure you close your eyes!”

One…

Two….

….

…..

One Hundred………………………………..

Only… you can’t find her, even when you shout that she is the winner….

And all of your nightmares come true!

This book made me hold my breath for a lot of it as I know that feeling, you know that feeling when you turn around and they are not there, only to breathe out the big sigh of relief when they appear around the corner, but what happens when they don’t?

Switching between the mothers story, and the point of view of the abductor, this cleverly written story had me on the edge of my seat for the whole time.

🎧🎧 – Fabulously narrated by Emma Gregory, Maggie Mash and Gareth Bennett-Ryan who all did an excellent job. I got this in the Audible sale, but it is well worth spending a credit on.

Have a great week

Vicci

About The Book

One, two, three . . . 

Lisa Dale shuts her eyes and counts to one hundred during a game of hide-and-seek. When she opens them, her four-year-old daughter Ella is gone. Disappeared without a trace. The police, the media and Lisa’s family all think they know who snatched Ella. But what if the person who took her isn’t a stranger? What if they are convinced they are doing the right thing? And what if Lisa’s little girl is in danger of disappearing forever?

The Other Sister by Sarah Zettel @sarah_zettel #BookReview #PubDay

Happy Tuesday bookworms!

Delighted to share with you today my review for this dark domestic thriller with a bit of a fairytale vibe.🍎

The Other Sister by Sarah Zettel

My Thoughts

4 Slow Burming Stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Once upon a time… in a house made of roses… there lived a good sister named Marie, and a bad sister named Geraldine….

This was a dark, eerie, domestic thriller, with a fairytale vibe… not only was Geraldine’s PhD in the study of folklore and fairytales, but we also got little snippets and analysis of different fairytales throughout the book… I thought this was a very appropriate addition to the story, because there were so many similarities to fairytales…. and I’m not talking about Disney fairytales, but the true dark Grimm fairytales…. The story was dark… there was a definite battle between good and evil… the sisters had lost their mother and had a very ogre like father… their Aunt looked like a witch… not to mention they lived in a house called the rose house….

The story is told from the sister’s alternating points of view… from the beginning we are led to believe that Marie is the good sister and Geraldine is the bad… but as in all good stories things aren’t always as they seem…. The characters in this book were very well-developed, however they were not tremendously likable or relatable… this made it difficult for me to connect with the characters therefore I never completely engrossed myself in the story…. I felt like an onlooker rather than a participant…

The story unravels its self slowly…. and as the layers were peeled away more and more secrets were revealed and more and more lies were told… and just like the characters in the book I had no idea who to trust or who to believe… The ending to this book was satisfying, but not shocking….

Recommend if you enjoy a dark domestic thriller where the characters don’t necessarily live happily ever after…

*** many thanks to Grand Central for my copy of this book ***

About the Book

Two sisters. One murder plan.

Geraldine Monroe is the bad sister. Reckless and troubled, she ran away shortly after the mysterious death of their mother twenty years ago.

Marie, on the other hand, has always been the good sister. She is the obedient daughter and a loving mother to her son.

Now Geraldine has come home, for good it seems, and no one–not the aunts or uncles or cousins–really knows why. The most suspicious of all is Martin Monroe, the father who rules the extended family and their small town with a poisonous combination of money and coldheartedness. But even he doesn’t realize what the truth is: that the sisters have become allies in a plot to kill him.

Bound by blood and a need to right the past, Geraldine and Marie set their plan in motion. When old secrets and new fears clash, everyone is pushed to the breaking point . . . and the sisters will learn that they can’t trust anyone, not even each other.

GET A COPY

•Amazon

Have a beautiful day filled with wishes and words! Berit☀️✨