📚’Extremely well written and the plot is tight’. @GeorgiaRoseBook Reviews #SuspenseThriller Hush, Delilah by @AngieGallion For Rosie’s #Bookreview Team #RBRT #BookTwitter

Today’s team review is from Georgia.

Georgia blogs here https://www.georgiarosebooks.com

Rosie’s Book Review Team

Georgia has been reading Hush, Deliah by Angie Gallion

No one ever truly knows what goes on inside a marriage, apart from those in it. So, while Chase and Delilah Reddick appear to the outside world to have it all there are deep cracks in their relationship that run right back to when they first got together.

Delilah is blessed with a best friend, Carmen, who patches her up and urges her to leave Chase. But Delilah won’t leave their fourteen year old son, Jackson, behind and knows Chase will hunt her down if she takes him. But then Jackson starts displaying some of his father’s behaviour and Delilah knows something has to change.

Just when Delilah appears to be trying to take control something truly horrific happens – no spoilers here – which surprises the reader and completely derails Delilah, for months. Meanwhile each day that passes is a day closer to when she knows Chase will eventually kill her.

Hush, Delilah is the first book by Angie Gallion that I have read, and I loved it. It’s extremely well written and the plot is tight. While I wondered how, or indeed if, (because given the previously mentioned truly horrific thing that happened I felt this writer could go in any direction) Delilah would manage to do what she needed to I thoroughly enjoyed how the story unfolded and I found the ending immensely satisfying.

Book description

On the surface, Delilah Reddick’s life looks perfect. Her husband is a pillar of the community, and with her as his quietly supportive wife, they appear to be the picture of success and happiness. But there are deep cracks in the foundation, dark secrets Delilah has never shared with anyone.

Delilah knows what her husband is capable of when the evil inside him finds its way to the surface, but running would only delay the inevitable. Chase would hunt her to the ends of the earth before allowing her to take his only son from him. Delilah would rather die than leave her fourteen-year-old behind, but when her son begins displaying his father’s violent tendencies, she knows she must act.

In her quest to save her son, Delilah sets off a chain of events that could rock the community and reveal the darkest secret of them all. After years of staying quiet, Delilah must find her voice before her husband silences her forever.

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📚The Perfect Husband? @GeorgiaRoseBook Reviews #Thriller Bethulia by @ThorneMoore, for Rosie’s #Bookreview Team #RBRT #BookTwitter

Today’s team review is from Georgia.

Georgia blogs here https://www.georgiarosebooks.com

Rosie’s Book Review Team

Georgia has been reading Bethulia by Thorne Moore.

Bethulia has at its heart the story of three women, Alison, Jude and Danny, and one man, Simon. The women are lifelong friends and until Simon came along and married Alison, inseparable. Alison dies, apparently by taking her own life, and Jude arrives at the airport to be greeted by a distraught Danny who confirms the news.

This bond between the women quickly breaks down when it is revealed that Danny had a brief fling with Simon while he was married to Alison. Jude is then quick to console the widower, getting close to him before Danny has any chance to rekindle their relationship.

In amongst all of these characters, and others, is DC Rosanna Quillan who, from experience and her own trauma, doesn’t believe that Alison killed herself. But how can she prove it?

This story is deceptive because it appears to be straightforward. Until it isn’t.

I don’t want to go into all the whys and wherefores as to what happens as that will spoil it for any future reader and you really do want to come into this book with fresh eyes. Suffice to say the writing is excellent, the characters totally believable and the planning and plotting terrific. The pages keep turning because you want to find out the truth and it will keep you guessing as to what the characters are up to. Highly recommended for everyone who enjoys exciting, pacey storytelling.

5 stars

Book description

Alison, Danny, Jude: three girls bound closer than sisters. Nothing can ever divide them.
Until Alison falls for Simon Delaney. He’s handsome, successful and ambitious. What woman wouldn’t want him? He’s surely her perfect husband. Any woman’s perfect husband. But in that case, why does she commit suicide?
If it really is suicide. With no evidence to the contrary, the police are ready to say yes. All except for the driven DC Rosanna Quillan. She says no, but she can only watch as Jude and Danny fight for the prize – the widower. How far would either of them go to have him?
And how bitter is the fruit of success?

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📚101 Stories 101 Words Each. @GeorgiaRoseBook Reviews Fast Fiction by @ScottyCornfield for Rosie’s #Bookreview Team #RBRT #BookTwitter

Today’s team review is from Georgia.

Georgia blogs here https://www.georgiarosebooks.com

Rosie’s Book Review Team

Georgia has been reading Fast Fiction by Scotty Cornfield

It takes a certain dedication, and discipline, to commit to writing a 101-word story every day for several years but this is exactly what Scotty Cornfield has done. He works from a prompt, which in this book he puts at the end of each story.

As I’ve attempted to write flash fiction, I know how difficult it can be so I am in admiration of Cornfield’s output and his ability to come up with as many and varied stories as he does. Some of the prompts were straight-forward, some were words I’d never heard before.

These are interesting and entertaining tales for anyone but if you have concentration issues or little time to indulge in reading then they are ideal as you can read a complete story in a minute. You can then leave it there or if you’re like me be unable to stop turning the pages to see what comes next.

There were obviously some stories I preferred over others but on the whole, this is a solid collection of entertainment which I recommend to anyone who enjoys fast fiction.

What I also liked is that you can contact him with your own prompt and get a credit when he writes it. Nice touch.

Book description

In FAST FICTION, you’ll enter a cafe where the menu is loaded with nothing but literary appetizers, designed to be quickly consumed and easily digested. You’ll meet people with secrets and others who wished they knew how to keep them; characters looking to exact revenge and others getting their just desserts when karma calls. Fans of the combo platter will see it all here, from the dark to the darkly comical; the laugh-out-loud funny to the thought-provoking; offering more twists and turns than a pretzel—more ups and downs than a soufflé.
 
Like the world of improv, each tale has been inspired by a prompt (a single word or a phrase) provided by readers. From those simple suggestions, the stories evolve. You’ll meet people from all walks of life, but they’ll all have at least one thing in common: Your brief encounter with them will be over in less than a minute. Welcome to FAST FICTION,where you’ll find 101 stories of exactly 101 words each. How’s that for symmetry?

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📚#Poetry. @GeorgiaRoseBook Reviews A Mother’s Lament by @NikkiRodwell for Rosie’s #BookReview Team #RBRT #BookTwitter

Today’s team review is from Georgia.

Georgia blogs here https://www.georgiarosebooks.com

Rosie’s Book Review Team

Georgia has been reading A Mother’s Lament by Nikki Rodwell

Being a mother isn’t easy and in this collection of poetry Rodwell hopes mothers who have grieved in any way or who are struggling with their relationships with their children will be touched by her words.

The emotions and feelings around motherhood are complex for many and often all-consuming. It can be difficult as a mother to negotiate a way to successful adult relationships with their children and I firmly believe in the fact that a mother can only ever be as happy as her unhappiest child. It’s just the way it is.

In this book Rodwell bares her soul in her feelings around motherhood and it is clear how much she loves to be a mother but how heart-breaking she finds it too. The fractured bonds with her child/children are plain to see and you only hope that one day they will be restored. I can’t imagine how painful it must be to be separated from your child.

This is a short book of poetry with most of the poems short too. I enjoyed the read if one can say that about such an intense subject that mostly covers the bleaker side of motherhood. But I hope that others who read it will get something from Rodwell’s words that helps them in their situation too.

Book description

Making sense of pain is a complex and personal journey. In this collection of poems, Nikki bears her soul and reveals that the deeper the grief, the deeper the love. Although it’s easy to feel disempowered and lost within pain, she demonstrates how, by stepping into it, we can give ourselves permission to heal.

Brokenness can travel through generations. Her biggest wish in life, is for dysfunctional cycles to be broken. For her own children to be happy and find peace. For generational trauma to break free.

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📚Festive #ShortStories. @GeorgiaRoseBook Reviews A Christmas Wish by @rogersonsm, for Rosie’s #Bookreview Team #RBRT

Today’s team review is from Georgia.

Georgia blogs here https://www.georgiarosebooks.com

Rosie’s Book Review Team

Georgia has been reading A Christmas Wish by Suzanne Rogerson.

For probably the first time ever I actually managed to read Christmas stories at Christmas and these turned out to be a great choice. They are billed on Amazon as being a collection of heart-warming and festive short stories and this is a perfect description.

I enjoyed all the stories but my favourites were Santa Paws Delivery, Chance Encounters (although it did concern me for a good part of it) and One Good Deed. If you are looking for some well-written, feel-good fiction then I recommend this short read.

Book description

A heart-warming collection of feel-good stories showing snippets of family life and friendship during the festive period.

Santa Paws Delivery
Blaze delivers Christmas cheer to a care home.

Christmas Wish – Part One
During the office Christmas party Cassie is forced to re-evaluate her life priorities.

For the Holidays
A stepdaughter’s not just for Christmas.

Chance Encounters
Two brothers must unite to do the right thing when faced with a life-threatening choice.

Christmas Wish – Part Two
As Lynn contemplates another lonely Christmas, can Harry provide a welcome distraction?

The Icing on the Cake
Preparing for a big family Christmas, will the day go as Jess plans?

Not Just For Christmas (extended version)
The Shelton family welcome a new addition to the family, but could it spell disaster for Christmas?

One Good Deed
Struggling with life after University, Sam is stuck in a rut until he meets a homeless man with an unexpected gift.

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📚With ‘a dual timeline between 1939/1940 and 1964’. Georgia reviews novella Stolen Summers by @Annecdotist for Rosie’s #Bookreview Team #RBRT

Today’s team review is from Georgia.

Georgia blogs here https://www.georgiarosebooks.com

Rosie’s Book Review Team

Georgia has been reading Stolen Summers by Anne Goodwin

Stolen Summers by Anne Goodwin

This novella is a prequel to Matilda Windsor is Coming Home, which I have not read, yet. It is told as a dual timeline between 1939/1940 and 1964.

Matilda is a victim of a particularly shameful period of history when unwed mothers had their babies taken away and could be locked away in a mental hospital, such as the one in this book, Ghyllside, accused of being morally defective.

This story is told from Matilda’s point of view and at the beginning she appears perfectly well balanced, despite having gone through the trauma of having her baby taken from her. She is optimistic and expects to be home and back with her adored brother within a week. Yet she is betrayed by those who should have looked after her. It is tragic to see her years later, as Matty, having become completely institutionalised but still with dreams of escape.

The thought of losing a quarter of a century to such a brutal regime seems utterly unbelievable and yet it happened and not that long ago in our history. This book is beautifully written and can be read as a standalone although I can see many readers wanting to read on to see what happens next for Matilda.

Book description

All she has left is her sanity. Will the asylum take that from her too?

In 1939, Matilda is admitted to Ghyllside hospital, cut off from family and friends. Not quite twenty, and forced to give up her baby for adoption, she feels battered by the cruel regime. Yet she finds a surprising ally in rough-edged Doris, who risks harsh punishments to help her reach out to the brother she left behind.

Twenty-five years later, the rules have relaxed, and the women are free to leave. How will they cope in a world transformed in their absence? Do greater dangers await them outside?

The poignant prequel to Matilda Windsor Is Coming Home is a tragic yet tender story of a woman robbed of her future who summons the strength to survive.

AmazonUK | AmazonUS

📚#HistoricalRomance. Georgia reviews Sisters At The Edge Of The World by @AilishSinclair for Rosie’s #Bookreview Team #RBRT

Today’s team review is from Georgia.

Georgia blogs here https://www.georgiarosebooks.com

Rosie’s Book Review Team

Georgia has been reading Sisters At The Edge Of The World by Ailish Sinclair

Sisters At The Edge Of The World by Ailish Sinclair

I chose to read this book as a member of Rosie’s Book Review Team and because it was recommended by another member of that team. The author sent me a copy but that does not affect my review in any way.

Morragh and Onnagh are not birth sisters but Morragh was saved by Onnagh as a child and they have been together ever since. Morragh is mute until a particular incident causes her to speak. Blessed with second sight she foresees the coming battle between her Caledonian tribe and the Roman Sons of Mars, the bloodshed that will entail and the fates of those around her.

This book was very well written and the story compelling which kept the pages turning and while it is not my usual choice of book, I’m glad it was recommended as I enjoyed the storyline and the links to the history of northern Scotland.

Book description

When Morragh speaks to another person for the very first time, she has no idea that he is an invader in her land.

What she does next constitutes a huge betrayal of her people, threatening her closest relationships and even her way of life itself.

As the conflict between the Caledonian tribes and the Roman Sons of Mars intensifies, can she use her high status in the community to lessen the coming death toll or even prevent outright war?

Set in 1st century Northern Scotland, SISTERS AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD is a story of chosen sisters, fierce warriors, divided loyalties and, ultimately, love.

AmazonUK | AmazonUS

📚’Well-Told Short Stories’. @GeorgiaRoseBook Reviews Love, Loss and Life in Between by @rogersonsm for Rosie’s #Bookreview Team #RBRT

Today’s team review is from Georgia.

Georgia blogs here https://www.georgiarosebooks.com

Rosie’s Book Review Team

Georgia has been reading Love, Loss and Life in Between Suzanne Rogerson

Love, Loss And In Between by Suzanne Rogerson

Love, Loss and Life in Between is a short book made up of around ten short stories. I read it over one day.

Spirit Song is thoughtful with a lovely ending. Goodbye Forever a suspenseful telling of a woman and her son trying to escape an abusive partner. Garden Therapy tells the story of a woman trying to work her way through her guilt and has a nice twist in it. Starting Over shows us a woman revisiting the past and an opportunity missed. A Cat-Shaped Hole is a super story of a lonely woman finding a new friend. The Phone Call was a bit creepy. First a reluctant meeting with a medium, then they phone calls… Knocked Off Her Feet shows how fate can change everything. And Catalyst has such an intriguing opening and a terrifically brutal outcome. Not Just for Christmas a heart-warming tale for all dog lovers out there. A Mermaid’s Tail is a sad read and offers a glimpse into past events that have shaped characters’ lives in The Mermaid Hotel Romance Series. The last piece is an excerpt of a fantasy short story – The Guardian – and is continued in a fantasy short story collection.

Rogerson writes very well and these tales are concise yet descriptive. I liked the fact they were a mix of genre so interesting and each one very different.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and highly recommend to everyone who enjoys well-told short stories.

Book description

This collection of short stories gives a glimpse into life, love, loss, and the inexplicable in between.

Including themes of grief, finding hope and second chances, facing the consequences of your actions and getting help from the unlikeliest of places.

• As Cecilia helps the dying, she questions what happens to their spirits. But is she ready to find out?
• Can a mother’s race through the New Forest save her son?
• Will visiting a medium bring Christina the closure she needs to move on?
• Can an intruder help an old lady with her loneliness?
• Will the start of another wet and miserable Monday morning end with Maeve’s happy ever after?

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🪑Ideal For Armchair Travel. Georgia Reviews Tales From The Hamlet by Cassandra Campbell-Kemp for Rosie’s #Bookreview Team #RBRT

Today’s team review is from Georgia.

Georgia blogs here https://www.georgiarosebooks.com

Rosie’s Book Review Team

Georgia has been reading Tales From The Hamlet by Cassandra Campbell-Kemp

Tales From The Hamlet by Cassandra Campbell-Kemp

After taking up a job which required this author to pack up and move to Italy, she was then made redundant 15 months later. Naturally this was terribly unsettling and left her unable to return home due to a lack of funds and the fact her own home was rented out. However, Campbell-Kemp is a gregarious character and although her dream of a new life appeared to be over and her belongings and aged Siamese cat had nowhere to go, a friend kindly offered them a home in his tiny converted barn in his family’s ‘Borgo’. This is a cluster of rustic properties around a late-Medieval manor house and this one is situated in the beautiful Apennines in northern Italy.

This book tells in detail the tale of the move to this new home, and the many explorations, both by car and culinary, undertaken by the author during her stay. She makes more friends and becomes well-known in the area being something of an oddity; a British woman with no husband, who drives too fast, apparently, in a right-hand car and who can speak Italian, as well as several other languages.

Campbell-Kemp writes well and honestly recounts the worries and issues she faced with her health, her lack of funds and the Italian bureaucracy. However, being a resourceful, intelligent woman, she once again finds her fortunes turning as another opportunity presents itself. Although even as this door opens the realisation that her living arrangements cannot continue as they are hits and things are about to change once more.

This memoir is richly descriptive and gives the reader a lot of information about the area, its history, culture, people and of course, mouth-wateringly delicious food. Recommended for all who like to experience different parts of the world from their armchair.

Book description

At the age of 61, Cassandra, a single and peripatetic Brit, was asked to pack up her house and move to Italy to take up the offer of a much-needed job. 15 months later she was made redundant, leaving her unnerved, broke and unable to return home. Her dream of a new life was rapidly turning into a nightmare and, saddled with all her belongings, her antique furniture, over 800 books and her aged Siamese cat she had nowhere to go.

A kind friend offered them sanctuary in a tiny converted former barn in his family’s ‘Borgo’, a cluster of rustic properties grouped around a late-Medieval manor House in the mountains; the beautiful and mysterious Emilian Appenines of northern Italy. There she was befriended and watched over by the owner; an eccentric octogenarian, his household ghosts and 14 semi feral cats.

The experience proved to be challenging yet deeply transformative as she struggled to recover her equilibrium and rebuild her life.

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📚#Mystery The Forever House by @LindaAcaster Reviewed by @GeorgiaRoseBook for Rosie’s #Bookreview Team #RBRT

Today’s team review is from Georgia.

Georgia blogs here https://www.georgiarosebooks.com

Rosie’s Book Review Team

Georgia has been reading The Forever House by Linda Acaster

The Forever House by Linda Acaster

Carrie and her husband, Jason, renovate houses that other people make into homes. But this property Carrie wanted to make into their forever home rather than sell it on. Sadly, Jason died early on in the renovations but rather than sell up Carrie carries on doing all the work herself.

The opening of this book is rather taken up with the task of removing wallpaper which is made more interesting by what is revealed underneath. It is this that becomes an obsession for Carrie. One she is determined to see right through to the bitter end.

I enjoyed the characters in this book, particularly Louise, Carrie’s sister-in-law, who has her own issues, and I thought the relationships were well done. I found Carrie’s leaps to certain conclusions sometimes rather quick but otherwise thought the plot came together well and I did like the outcome. The story was also very well-written and flowed throughout. Recommended for those who like a well-told tale.

Book description

A chilling discovery. A sense of foreboding. They say I’m obsessing. I’m not.

Resisting family pressure to sell the too-big house Carrie and her late husband began to renovate, she is determined to carry through their shared project to prove she can manage alone.

And she can, until a discovery beneath old wallpaper chills her to the bone.

As her need to know more becomes all-consuming, Carrie’s family fears she’s tipping into irretrievable obsession. Can she be dissuaded, or must she take that final step?

How far is too far to right a wrong?

AmazonUK | AmazonUS