#honestbookreviewer

[bibliobethblog]

The Drowned Woods was a book I had heard nothing about before receiving it in my monthly @illumicrate subscription box. This however, only added to my curiosity and I looked forward to a magical tale set in the beautiful Wales. ⁣ ⁣ Described as “part heist novel, part dark fairy tale and rich with Welsh legends,” this book should have been right up my street. Sadly, I didn’t become as immersed or connected to the world or characters as I had hoped and as a result, it left me wanting more. ⁣ ⁣ This is the story of a Wales divided into kingdoms, rife with magic and conflict. Our female lead Mererid (or Mer) is the last living water diviner and has the unique ability of controlling bodies of water, no matter how small. This makes her a valuable commodity for those with nefarious deeds in mind and it isn’t long before Mer finds herself on the run with companions from her past and complete strangers - none of whom she knows for certain is completely trustworthy. Can she evade capture? Or will she stand and fight? ⁣ ⁣ The magic system in this novel is certainly interesting, especially in using the element of water, the manipulation of which led to quite a few shocking consequences for the characters that we follow. I also really appreciated the creatures our group encounters, inspired by Welsh legends which added an extra excitement to the narrative. ⁣ ⁣ To be really honest, I don’t think I’m the targeted audience for this novel and perhaps that’s why I didn’t love it as much as another person would. There were a lot of positives as I’ve mentioned, but I just didn’t get that extra “something” that would make me shout about it from the rooftops. However, I do recommend it if you enjoy YA fantasy novels. ⁣ ⁣ Three stars 🌟 🌟 🌟 ⁣ #bookstagramuk #scottishbookstagrammer #realbookreviews #yafantasynovels #novelssetinwales #mythsandlegendsofbritain #honestbookreviewer #youngadultfantasyauthors #booksandplants🌵📖 https://www.instagram.com/p/Cnz3F8nL2mY/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[honestbookopinionsbyme]

Ranger's Apprentice: Arazan's wolves (2022)

God this was a FUN book. It's quick in pace, does not dwell on things that do not matter and there is NO WEIRD SEXUAL ADVANCED ON THE GIRL.

In short the story is about this old "hunter" and his apprentice who is also secretly the princess of the kingdom (i know, i know, but it honest to god does nothing to the story and the story also ignores it). She is exceptional with a bow and arrow but can always become better. She is no Mary Sue and has character flaws that a r e n t a n n o y i n g t o t h e r e a d e r.

There is no weird stuff about her being a girl out in the woods and the mountains and it being dangerous. It is about "that's just a dangerous place sir and young woman. Because there are WOLVES". Really fun writing, grounded in reality and one of the better portrayals of a girl written by a man.

It's a low fantasy setting and honestly reads like how it feels to play in a larp. Very pragmatic, there is a goal and one has to get the thing and kill the beast type of story. No dead moment without feeling rushed.

I bought this on a train station for a reduced price because the cover was a bit fucked (i could not find the fucked part but a reduction is a reduction bby) and honestly if i knew it was going to be this fun of a read i would have paid full price. If i read the rest of the series (this is like book nr 14 in the series adn there are over 20 i believe) I will probably resort to reading pdf's to limit spending.

Was also able to sell the book really fast online for the same price as to which I bought it leaving me with a net loss of zero and a net profit of a good time and a potential new fun book franchise to read.

All in all good book, recommend it as a substitute for weird horny fantasy YA books. Cleanse thyn palatte with wholesomeness which is not dependent on the relationship of father to daughter.

Amen (let it be known this cover is NOT the cover I have. I would probably not have bought it with this one...)

[magical-book-lush]

Happy Monday, People. I just finished The Nightmare Asylum and Other Stories by Sonia Kilvington. I got this book from the Book Sirens website for free in exchange for an honest review. So here it is: Synopsis: Nightmare Asylum – Despised by day, tortured by night. A midwifery student’s life disintegrates into a terrifying nightmare, after a disturbing encounter with the notorious child killer, Evelyn Green. Dark secrets from Lydia’s past unleash a truth that conjures her fears into unspeakable horror. Other Deadly Delights – Tales from the psychotically unsound and deadly deluded. A stalker turns serial killer; a cleaning lady is imprisoned in the basement, there’s a prophetic warning for a woman in peril, and an android with love addiction, plus many more… a deliciously dangerous collection of short stories, ranging from psychological horror to paranormal, sci-fi and noir. Dare you enter the nightmare Asylum? Now that you have the synopsis it's time for my review. My ratings: 🌟3/5 Stars🌟 My review: The book was really nice. I loved some of the stories but I wasn't so happy as they weren't very creepy. I loved the writing skills, the writing was so clean and nice. The wordplay was awesome. The stories were unique but I didn't like some stories as they were very normal and I didn't find any uniqueness in those stories but overall they were okay. I hope you liked the review. I couldn't find any photos of the book so I had to use this photo. Dm for credit. QOTD: Have you read this book??? Do you like it??? #readinghorror #horrorstories #suspense #thriller #shortstories #honestbookreview #reviewer #bookblogger #bookreview #readersofinstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagram #booksirensreview #booksirens #bookreader #blogger #bookadict (at India) https://www.instagram.com/p/CEQDDnSH349/?igshid=h24phsfjsxtq

[zillennialgrandma]

**BOOK REVIEW** A Very English Murder by Verity Bright ⭐⭐ 2/5 stars e-Arc received from @netgalley in exchange for an honest review. • Lady Eleanor Swift witnesses a murder during a storm. When she goes to investigate, there's no body and all the evidence is gone so naturally the police do not believe her. So she decides to take matters into her own hands by solving the murder with her butler. Nothing happened in the first 22 chapters except Ellie, who just inherited her late uncle's estate, giving social commentary on male attitudes towards women in the 1920s. Once the social scene is set in this regard it serves no purpose and becomes annoying. We could have jumped straight from chapter 2 to 22 and the novel wouldn't have suffered. Despite clearly being made out to be a forward thinking woman for her era, Bright then ensures Ellie feeds into all the irritating stereotypes of 1920s female characters. She feels all dizzy and faint when an attractive male character strays near her and lines of dialogue include "ouch my head" and other stupid phrases women don't say. (Tones of Reece Witherspoon's TedTalk). I found the plot incredibly easy to guess. Whilst the list of suspects made no sense and were seemingly plucked from thin air, once those characters actually started participating in the plot I guessed the murderer very quickly. The best part of the book for me was the last 7 chapters as Bright excels at building tension and creating intrigue by only giving parts of information and withholding things in an attempt to keep the reader guessing. However the narrative voice felt wrong. 3rd person but it read as bad fanfiction and Ellie kept vocalising thoughts to her dog...I personally think 1st person would have worked much better... • I thought I was going to adore this book from the blurb. 1920s murder mystery with a female sleuth kicking stereotypes. Serious Miss Fisher's Murder Mystery vibes. Unfortunately this just didn't hit the mark for me. It's a solid 'meh'... • #bookblog #bookblogger #bookrecs #bookreview #whattoread #tbr #bookreviewer #earc #netgalleyreview #ebook #honestbookreview #readmore #advancedcopy #booksbooksbooks #crimefic (at London, United Kingdom) https://www.instagram.com/p/B_ihFlvgVb4/?igshid=7jih9xbme2sy

[favbookshelf]

#HonestBookReview

Title: Looking For Alaska

Author: John Green

Genre: Young adult fiction, Romance

Publisher: Dutton Juvenile

Type: Standalone

Pages: 297

Goodreads rating: 4 / 5

Recommendation: Absolutely try it!

Detailed Review👇

[justabelfastgirl]

Book Review: Anna by Patricia Dixon

Apologies

I've had a bit of an insane two weeks with personal matters that I am unable to talk about, even on my own blog as they pertain to friends of mine and not myself. I'm so behind on publishing my review, so I'd like to say a big sorry to Bloodhound Books and the authors of the books where reviews are due.

Disclaimer

This book was gifted to me by Bloodhound Books for the sole purpose of an honest review on the book. This post is not sponsored by Bloodhound Books, nor is it sponsored by the author, Patricia Dixon. All comments on this review are my own. This post will also contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a very small portion of the sale of the book if you choose to purchase it using my link.

Book Synposis

Photo Credit: Bloodhound Books A moving story of betrayal and loss. Against the odds, can you learn to trust and love again? Set on the coast of Portsmouth and the beautiful Loire Valley, this is the story of Anna. A married mother of three, the unremarkable rock of her family is content with her life until she discovers that Matthew, her husband of 22 years, is having an affair. Consumed by hurt and tainted memories, Anna’s life is turned upside down by first betrayal and then loss. Her confidence totally destroyed, she is tormented by the spectre of Matthew’s unknown lover. Whilst keeping the secret of his affair from her family, Anna must find her way through the pain alone. With one son on the other side of the world, another about to enter a war zone and her daughter off to university, Anna’s life gradually begins to crumble until someone from her past appears. Can Anna find peace and learn to love again?  

About the Author

Photo Credit: Amazon.co.uk Patricia Dixon was born in Manchester where she still lives with her husband. They have two grown up children and one grandson.  Ignoring her high school reports and possibly sound advice from teachers, Patricia shunned the world of academia and instead, stubbornly pursued a career in fashion. Once the sparkle of London life wore off she returned north and embarked on a new adventure, that of motherhood.  Now, almost thirty years later she has acquiesced to the wise words of her elders and turned her hand to writing. Patricia has written a total of eight novels, the latest is due for release in March 2019.

Author's Social Media & Amazon Page

Amazon Author Page Twitter  Official Facebook Page Goodreads  

My Thoughts

  Photo Credit: Amazon.co.uk   This is the first book I have read by Patricia Dixon so I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I liked the blurb so decided to give it a bash. As you can tell from the blurb Anna is the lead character in the story, she is struggling with what happened to her husband and wondering if she'll ever find peace, again. What she doesn't know is that her husband wasn't exactly truthful to her whilst they had been together and married. This throws a spanner in the works and between her grief, dealing with the day to day loss and betrayal she's now also on the look out for the other characters that have come to light since she found out about her husband's sorid secret. Worst still, there are children (albeit grown children) involved so while dealing with her own feelings, she has to help her children grieve, shield them from the betrayal and the secrets that come tumbling out seemingly one by one. I took to Anna immediately for her resilience and sassiness, she reminds me a bit of me. In my personal opinion, a good book has characters that give you the ability to identify yourself in them or someone else you know. 

What's the Score?

4 out of 5 stars It's definitely an emotional read and one that has you forgetting your tea because you are too busy reading to remember it's sitting right beside you. 4 out of 5! I have added Patricia's other books to my book wishlist for future reading. 

Where can you Purchase the Book?

Amazon Bombshell Books Publishing

Special Thank You

I’d like to say a special thank you to Bloodhound Books/Bombshell Book Publishing and the author Alex Sinclair for gifting me this book. It was such a good read and I was sucked in from beginning to finish.

Twitter Website Facebook Instagram If you haven’t read my previous review on the amazingly talented Alex Sinclair’s new psychological thriller, He's At Your Door, you can find it, here.

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[lovebooksgroup]

#BookReview - The Cover Wife by Dan Fesperman -@MidasPR @DanFesperman @HoZ_Books #TheCoverWife

#BookReview - The Cover Wife by Dan Fesperman -@MidasPR @DanFesperman @HoZ_Books #TheCoverWife - review by Kelly Lacey for the #booktour #Topread #Fivestars #Mustread #Honestbookreviews #Spythriller #BookTwitter #Bookcommunity #Bookblogger

@MidasPR blog tour for #TheCoverWife by @DanFesperman@HoZ_Books Thank you so much to the team at Midas PR and Head of Zeus for my gifted limited edition proof. I was asked to give my free honest review of The Cover Wife for the book tour campaign. All my reviews are emotional based and I love to share how the book made me feel and what my takeaway was from the read. The Cover Wife Book Review…

[savvyreadsandrecipes]

Had a ton of fun doing the drunk book tag. Thanks to Chealseadolling Reads and Pages and Pens for creating this bomb tag!

[blamechocolate]

Hero at the Fall: Why Do Trilogies Always Disappoint Me in the End?

Hero at the Fall: Why Do Trilogies Always Disappoint Me in the End? #bookblogger #honestbookreview #trilogies #bookishthoughts

Thank you so much to Faber & Faber for kindly providing me with a review copy of Hero at the Fall.

This is a spoiler-free review and all opinions are my own.

Title: Hero at the Fall (Rebel of the Sands #3) Author: Alwyn Hamilton Publisher: Faber & Faber Publication Date: 15 February 2018 Length: 528 pages In the final battle for the throne, Amani must fight for everything she believes in,…

[bibliobethblog]

Hide or Nowhere To Hide as it is also known looked like the perfect wintry thriller to curl up with at this time of the year in the UK with the #bitcrackbookclub The synopsis proved to be intriguing - a group of seven friends meet on a nature reserve which has been opened specifically for their group to enjoy the wonders of the natural world. One of their group is killed by one of the six remaining bird lovers. Additionally, all seven have a secret which they are desperately hoping will not be revealed meaning all seven have a motive for murder. ⁣ ⁣ Who is the killer? Why did they kill? I’m still not quite sure how I can talk about this novel without being brutally honest as it wasn’t for me. As a nature/bird lover myself, I was quite excited to read about characters of the same ilk. Also, I have to say that the setting for this mystery was inspired and incredibly atmospheric. I could feel the isolation and the terror that our characters were going through as they traipsed through the secluded reserve, trying to avoid a maniacal killer with very little knowledge over who it could be or who they could trust. ⁣ ⁣ Coupled with the cold, icy weather and the blanket of snow covering the reserve, this story had all the promise of being a satisfyingly eerie read. Unfortunately, although all the bones were in place in terms of the structure, there wasn’t enough filling to give me much of what I was anticipating. In terms of characters, there was certainly representation from the Deaf and Black community which was nice to see but I didn’t really feel as if any characters stood out in the way of individuality. In fact, a few of them seemed to blend into one and more than once, I lost the thread of who they were and what their story was. Furthermore, I was hoping that the secrets held by the group would be a lot juicier - sadly, the reveals just left me rather cold (not a pun! 🤣). It’s a shame as there was certainly potential for a great story in terms of the setting. ⁣ ⁣ Two stars 🌟 🌟 #scottishbookstagrammer #readingandreviewtime #reviewingbooksonthegram #britishthrillerbook #bookstoreadinwinter #readingonmykindle #buddyreadswithfriends #honestbookreviewer https://www.instagram.com/p/CnUsZhur9so/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[honestbookopinionsbyme]

Girl in the spiders web

I am really happy I found this in a small free library on the street because I would not have paid to read this book. Was it bad? No. Was it great? Not GREAT but fine. For a free book this was fine and engaging enough to keep reading. A lot of the computer talk was realistic (a lot wasn't regarding the savant stuff).

I felt human in its actions but also very book-ish at points. Very much police-drama logic of realizing exactly at the right time that something is wrong, highjacking a car to get to the place and either juuuuust getting it or missing it by 5 seconds. Suspend your disbelieve and you will believe that old writers for a magazine are still "hot and sexsymbols". In no way related to the fact that this is written by a writer who finds these people and himself "hot and sexsymbols" of course....

Good enough read, written by a man, going back to the little library for the next victim.

[bibliobethblog]

Do No Harm by Jack Jordan seemed to be everywhere for a little while. Yes, there were those GORGEOUS sprayed edges in the Waterstones special edition but also, there was a buzz in the air about how thrilling this book was. Like many others, I’m certainly a bit of a slave to the hype monster and when @buddyreadbooknook hosted a buddy read, I was quick to sign myself up. ⁣ ⁣ As per your usual thriller, you really want to go in knowing as little as possible but how’s this for a synopsis? A successful surgeon’s life is changed forever when her young son is kidnapped. She is told that to get him back she must kill a particular person on her operating table. Going against the oath she swore as a medical professional and putting everything on the line, Anna must figure out what to do. And the pressure is on. ⁣ ⁣ I was caught - hook, line and sinker and luckily the majority of the novel kept up an intriguing, shocking and chilling narrative that makes you question everything. I loved the side stories with two other characters, Margot and Rachel the former of whom works in the operating theatre with Anna and the second is a police detective. Both become embroiled in her life in ways in which you’d never expect and it certainly kept me on the edge of my seat. ⁣ ⁣ There was only one tiny little snag that made me rate this story a little lower than I might otherwise have done. I have to admit I struggled a little bit with the believability of some parts. Having worked in a hospital environment for just over twenty years, I’m familiar with how they work and I sadly couldn’t suspend my disbelief enough. If you don’t care about that and can just go with the flow, this is an exciting and brilliant read. I’ll be checking out everything I can from Jack Jordan. ⁣ ⁣ Four solid stars 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 ⁣ #bookstagram #scottishbookstagrammer #bookreview #honestbookreviewer #donoharm #jackjordan #waterstonesexclusiveedition #bestthrillernovel #bestthrillerwriter #recommendedreading📚 #readthisthriller #memorablereads https://www.instagram.com/p/Ci0e0msLxIC/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[bibliobethblog]

This review is going to be one of the toughest I have ever had to write as I have so many conflicted feelings about this book! Shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2022, I was excited to read my first book by Louise Erdrich despite having another two of her books on my shelves! The result ended up being something I wasn’t expecting - a real mishmash of thoughts that I’m still collecting and processing. ⁣ ⁣ This story takes place over a year (2020-21) and primarily follows Tookie who works in a bookshop (owned by Louise Erdrich, how meta!) and haunted by a mischievous ghost, Flora who simply refuses to leave. Tookie is trying to help Flora move on, understand why she more than the others who work in the shop seems to be experiencing Flora’s visits and deal with everything else going on in Minneapolis, her personal life (and the world) during this unprecedented time in history. ⁣ ⁣ There were definitely moments in this novel that I really enjoyed and appreciated. I’ve discovered that I’m really loving books recently that discuss such recent world events like the COVID pandemic and the death of George Floyd. I also enjoy being educated and challenged and was fascinated about the parts regarding Native American customs and the experiences had by indigenous people.⁣ ⁣ I feel part of the reason I feel confused about this book is that I perhaps didn’t dedicate my full attention to it. It was certainly written beautifully and as I mentioned, had a lot to recommend it. Sadly though, I did feel at points that I was forcing myself to read it and wasn’t compelled to pick it up again when i did take a break. I can understand why it was shortlisted for the Women’s Prize but unfortunately I didn’t get that connection I was hoping for. ⁣ ⁣ Three stars 🌟 🌟 🌟 ⁣ #bookstagram #scottishbookstagrammer #readingthewomensprize #womensprizeshortlist2022 #honestbookreviews #honestbookstagram #bookswithghosts #booksthatdidntdoitforme #itsnotthebookitsme https://www.instagram.com/p/CiF7A4QLTpO/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[favbookshelf]

#HonestBookReview

Title: Norwegian Wood

Author: Haruki Murakami

Translated by: Jay Rubin

Genre: Cultural, Romance, Contemporary, Adult

Publisher: Vintage Books

Type: Standalone

Pages: 296

Goodreads rating: 4/5

Recommendation: Would recommend it, but it might not be for everyone. Be careful with the trigger warnings.

Detailed Review👇

[favbookshelf]

#HonestBookReview

Title: Red, White & Royal Blue

Author: Casey McQuiston

Genre: YA, Romance, LGBT

Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin

Type: Standalone

Pages: 421

Goodreads Rating: 4.2 / 5

Recommendation: Obviously yes!!!!! ! It is a cute and fun romance story.

Detailed Review👇

[favbookshelf]

#HonestBookReview

Title: How to Win Friends and Influence People

Author: Dale Carnegie

Genre: Self-help

Publisher: Golden Minds Publishing House

Pages: 256

Recommendation: Must-Read!

Detailed Review 👇