Book Description:

An absolutely hilarious, laugh-‘til-you-cry, romantic comedy about how life never quite goes to plan…


Faye is in crisis. You wouldn’t know it, because of the big fat smile on her face, but inside, she’s one step away from nuclear meltdown. And she shouldn’t be. Dan is the man of her dreams. And he’s just asked her to marry him.

But Faye’s been down the marriage road before and it ended up with her having Ryan Gosling fantasies while her ex-husband obsessed about the plumbing. Faye and Dan, on the other hand, have been living their lives to the fullest, travelling around the world, having sex under the stars… They haven’t ever argued about unrolling socks before putting them in the laundry.

Besides, even if she wanted to say yes, how could she move to the other side of the world? Because marrying Dan would mean living in Australia. Beautiful, warm and a gazillion miles from Faye’s daughter, Emma, a single mum with her own crazy little girl who both need Faye every single day. Leaving them – even for someone who makes her as happy as Dan – simply isn’t an option.

Dan is offering Faye everything she ever wanted. So why does she feel like she’s about to lose it all?

The most screamingly-funny romantic comedy of the summer – about secrets, second chances and following your heart. Perfect for fans of Sophie Kinsella, Jill Mansell and Milly Johnson.

My Thoughts:

I am a huge fan of this authors books. Love, Lies and Lemon Cake being my absolute favourite. Have you ever loved a book so much though and wish the author would write another one featuring the same characters? Well Sue Watson has answered my prayers!

To be fair this book does read well as a stand alone but I beg you to read the first one as it is fabulous and you really don’t want to miss the beginning of Faye and Dan’s journey.

It was sooooo good to catch back up with Faye and Dan again. Sadly not everything is as rosy as we left it last time. Some big decisions need to be made and I was torn in two as to what should happen. The author seriously messed with my head as I really didn’t know which way Faye was going to turn and I couldn’t turn those pages fast enough to see how things were going to turn out for the pair.

This author always manages to write a story which soaks you up body and soul. As soon as I pick one of her books up I know I won’t be putting it back down until I finish it. I always get so invested in the story line that by the end I am an absolute emotional wreck and this time was no different. Don’t get me wrong I was grinning like a cheshire cat whilst sobbing my heart out as I was so happy but sad as I had come to the end.

Australia is somewhere now that I want to go to even more than ever before. The sights and life there sounded so idyllic and I wanted to hop on board the next plane and find a Dan of my own. Just don’t tell my husband ;).

Love, Lies and Wedding Cake is the perfect follow on from what was an already fabulous book. This one is just as fabulous and I now have two firm favourites. It is a book that picks you right up and smothers you with the most amazing emotions. It is the perfect read to feed your mind and soul and will remind you that happiness indeed starts with you!

My thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for an advanced readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.

Love, Lies and Wedding cake is available to purchase from Amazon. (Please note that link used is an affiliate link.)

Book Description:

Tell her all your secrets and she’ll tell you all her lies…

Everything in Lorna’s life runs like clockwork, from her 6 a.m. morning run to the strict 60-minute counselling sessions she gives. It’s the only way she can deal with the terrible secret she carries.

When a new client arrives for his first appointment, Lorna feels her perfect life unravel in a matter of seconds. It’s Andrew, the man she’s spent the last year desperately trying to forget. It seems he can’t forget her either… 

Against her better judgement she anonymously contacts him on a dating site. Messaging him could mean the end of her marriage and her career, but she needs to know if his motives are genuine.

When Andrew is found dead in his home, grief quickly turns to fear when messages from him continue to arrive on Lorna’s phone. Somebody knows her secret and wants to use it to destroy everything she has.

Will she risk her family and her sanity to keep her secret? Will she risk her life…?

My Thoughts:

Lorna is a seemingly happily married woman who has it all. A loving husband, a step son Jack and a daughter Freya. She also works as a therapist. Got to admit listening to peoples issues all day must take it’s toll but then Lorna is full of secrets herself.

Having pretty much the perfect lifestyle, I couldn’t understand why she would risk all that she has. At times I don’t think she knows herself. The chapters flick between certain characters but in the main Lorna. They certainly have you racing through the pages to see where the author is going to take us.

It’s hard to know what to put in my review as I don’t want to give to much away. I think the least you know before going into this story, the better. What I will say is that Tell Me A Secret is a tense and dramatic read that had me hooked. The pace picks up throughout and had me in a tizzy with how things start to unfold. With plenty of surprises in store, it certainly makes for an entertaining read.

My thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for an advanced readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.

Tell Me A Secret is available to purchase from Amazon. (Please note that link used is an affiliate link).

Author Bio:

Samantha Hayes grew up in Warwickshire, left school at sixteen, avoided university and took jobs ranging from private detective to barmaid to fruit picker and factory worker. She lived on a kibbutz, and spent time living in Australia and the USA, before finally becoming a crime-writer.

Her writing career began when she won a short story competition in 2003 and her ninth novel, THE REUNION, was published in February 2018. Her novels are family-based psychological thrillers, with the emphasis being on ‘real life fiction’. She focuses on current issues and sets out to make her readers ask, ‘What if this happened to me or my family?’

Tell Me A Secret is out now!

To find out more, visit her website www.samanthahayes.co.uk
Or connect with Samantha on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/SamanthaHayesAuthor
And she’s on Twitter @samhayes

Book Description:

ADDICTIVE, GRIPPING and EMOTIONALLY POWERFUL, this is the perfect read for your summer holiday escape.

Everything you’ve built your life on is a lie

Willow’s memories of her parents are sun-drenched and full of smiles, love and laughter. But a mysterious invitation to a photographic exhibition exposes a secret that’s been buried since a tragic accident years ago.

Willow is forced to question everything she knew about Charity, her late mother, and Hope, the aunt she’s lived with since she was a child.

How was the enigmatic photographer connected to Willow’s parents? Why will Hope not break her silence?

Willow cannot move forward in her life without answers. But who can she really trust? Because no one has been telling the truth for a very long time.

My Thoughts:

My Sister’s Secret is told through Charity and her daughter Willow. Charity’s chapters are in the past where as Willow’s are in present day.

Willow lost her parents at a young age and had been brought up by her aunt Hope. I couldn’t imagine losing one parent at such a young age, never mind losing both. Even though she has had a relatively happy childhood she does seem to have some resentment to her aunt who seems to be reluctant to talk about Charity and her past.

The majority of chapters to do with Charity are prior to her having Willow and gives us more insight into her relationship and her relationship with two men who are play very big parts in her life.

This is very much a story that needs to be inhaled slowly. Even though there are shocks and surprises in store, it is told at a gentle pace which draws you in and consumes you. I was desperate for answers like Willow but I savoured every minute until the author was ready to share them with us.

My Sister’s Secret is very much one of family secrets and searching for the truth. It held me captive throughout and I really enjoyed this slower paced thriller. Definitely well worth the read.

My Sister’s Secret is available to purchase from Amazon. (Please note that link used is an affiliate link).

Book Description:

His perfect woman will be his forever.

As an overworked NHS psychiatrist, Dr Clancy Mclean is used to dealing with mental illness.  But she is stressed –  trying to balance her career and the needs of her only child, Rowan.  And she has her work cut out trying to keep her patients well. She knows two of them are psychotic, and becoming overwhelmed by their voices. If they act on them it could prove disastrous.

 Rowan is troubled. Her boyfriend is abusive but she doesn’t want to end the relationship – she’s too scared of being lonely. Can she find someone else to keep her company?

 And, as if Clancy doesn’t have enough to worry about, another of her patients is paranoid and convinced she is being stalked. Is it just a symptom of her mental illness?

 Because there is a stalker on the prowl and he is getting closer to his victim with each passing day.

My Thoughts:

Lead Me Home is the authors debut novel. As debut novel’s go, it’s pretty impressive. You don’t get many books that centre round the mental health services so was good to actually have a main character who works in it.

The story flicks between four characters. Clancy and her daughter Rowan, Beth one of Clancy’s patients and an unknown character. Clancy is a hard working single mum trying to do her best and make ends meet. I really didn’t envy her job at all. She certainly seems to be snowed under with things looking like they are going to get even more complex.

Rowan is your typical teenager. At times I wanted to slap her and give her a good shake and had to remember what it was like to be that age again. It really isn’t an easy age and through her we get to see some of the issues surrounding social media.

Beth I really liked. She’s troubled but someone I took to straight away. She just wants to be save and loved and I think readers will certainly relate to her.

The story did leave some unanswered questions for me but as this is the first book in a new series, it has left me looking forward to more.

Lead Me Home is a really intriguing read. I love that it is very different to other crime thrillers as it isn’t a detective series making it a stand out read in it’s genre. I was so caught up with what was going on in the characters lives that I read it in one afternoon. Whilst I had worked some of what was going on out, the author still made sure they held some surprises in store for me, making it a thrilling and engrossing read. Great debut.

My thanks to Bloodhound Books and NetGalley for an advanced readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.

Lead Me Home is available to purchase from Amazon. (Please note that link used is an affiliate link).