Book Review: Little Secrets by Anna Snoekstra

 

Little Secrets by Anna Snoekstra

Publisher :Mira Books
Published: 17th October 2017
Pages: 332
Series: no
Source: Ebook from Netgalley

                                                          Blurb:

 What happens when ambition trumps the truth?

A town reeling in the wake of tragedy

An arsonist is on the loose in Colmstock, Australia, most recently burning down the town's courthouse and killing a young boy who was trapped inside..

An aspiring journalist desperate for a story

The clock is ticking for Rose Blakey. With nothing but rejections from newspapers piling up, her job pulling beers for cops at the local tavern isn't nearly enough to cover rent. Rose needs a story-a big one.

Little dolls full of secrets

In the weeks after the courthouse fire, precise porcelain replicas of Colmstock's daughters begin turning up on doorsteps, terrifying parents and testing the limits of the town's already fractured police force.

Rose may have finally found her story. But as her articles gain traction and the boundaries of her investigation blur, Colmstock is seized by a seething paranoia. Soon, no one is safe from suspicion. And when Rose's attention turns to the mysterious stranger living in the rooms behind the tavern, neighbor turns on neighbor and the darkest side of self-preservation is revealed.

                                                         My thoughts: 


Anna Snoekstra has written a complex and riveting novel with a clearly manipulative and unlikeable protagonist.
Straight up Rose starts to manipulate the reader. I initially felt sorry for her but the more I read the more I learned that she was selfish and unscrupulous.

Set in a small country town where unemployment is high and drug use is on the increase you could feel the oppression. Rose’s only ambition is to become a journalist and leave Colmstock behind.

As in “Only Daughter” Snoekstra has again given us a whole load of messed up characters and in “Little Secrets” has placed them in a small town where they can do nothing expect destroy each other.

Many plot lines run through the novel and in a town where everyone has a secret to keep I couldn’t possibly guess the outcome with any of them.

I hated most of the characters, they made me angry, sad and disgusted. All emotions I think the author was trying to evoke.

Little Secrets was a great read! Full of surprises!

Content- Frequent coarse language F –word C-word
Sex scene
Graphic violence

                                                  About the Author 

 
  Anna Snoekstra was born in Canberra, Australia in 1988. She studied Creative Writing and Cinema at Melbourne University, followed by Screenwriting at RMIT University.

Anna's short films and music videos have screened around the world. She has written an array of published and award winning short fiction. Her debut novel ONLY DAUGHTER was published in September 2016 (Mira). Her second novel LITTLE SECRETS will be published November 2017 (Mira).


My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Book Review: The Bridesmaid's Royal Bodyguard by Liz Fielding

 

The Bridesmaid's Royal Bodyguard by Liz Fielding

Series: The Royal Wedding Invitation Series Book 3

Published: 18^th October 2017

Publisher: Tule Publishing Group

Pages: 159

Source: own read eBook.

                                                              Blurb:

 After being sacked from her job on the gossip magazine Celebrity, Ally Parker is forced to return home to Combe St. Philip with her tail between her legs. She is given a fresh start when her childhood friend, Hope, asks her to work PR for Hope’s marriage to Prince Jonas of San Michele.

When Count Fredrik Jensson, head of security for the royal family, arrives to check out the village, he makes it clear that her past employment makes her unfit for the role. The fact that there’s a sizzle between them from the moment they meet only makes everything worse.

Forced together on a trip to San Michele for the official announcement of the wedding, Fredrik and Ally find themselves stranded overnight in his mountain retreat. Their sizzle flares into an inferno. However, their night of passion sours when he sees her with her ex-boss. Believing that Ally is about to buy back her job with wedding secrets, Fredrik turns back to ice. What will it take to see the person she truly is and a thaw to set in? 

                                                    My Thoughts:

                                            

Liz Fielding’s The Bridesmaid’s Royal Bodyguard is book 3 in The Royal Wedding Invitation series which consists of four novels written by four different authors. Each book focuses on the romance of a different couple.
The Bridesmaid’s Royal Bodyguard gives us the romance between Ally and Fredrik. Ally is to be her bestfriend Hope’s bridesmaid. Hope is soon to be marrying Prince Jonas (but that’s another book). Ally will also be doing all the publicity for the wedding. Fredrik is head of Royal Security and must liaise with Ally concerning the wedding preparations.
Sparks fly between the pair as they have differences of opinion but neither can deny that there is also an attraction between them.

The Bridesmaid’s Royal Bodyguard is a feel good story about building trust and bonding, it’s about misunderstandings and opening your heart to love. Ally and Fredrik had a mistrust of each other fueled by misunderstandings and at times the actions of the residents of the village. Lovely descriptions of the village bring the story alive.
As the story is written in both Ally's and Fredrik's Point of view it was easy to become attached to both characters.
A startling revelation from Fredrik gives the reader a real insight into the reason for his aloofness.
The story was a little slow at times for me but this was only because of my impatience to have the characters connect with each other.

Ally is a great protagonist, honest and upfront, charming and outspoken – an ex gossip columnist- she knows how to charm people but when it comes to Fredrik she is at a loss to understand him.

This is a fun HEA romance read and stands alone well. However I am now eager to read the stories behind the other characters in this book.

Book 1 – The Prince’s Bride (Jonas & Hope) by Sophie Weston
Book 2 – The Baronet’s Wedding Engagement (Flora & Max) by Jessica Hart
Book 3 – The Bridesmaid’s Royal Bodyguard (Ally & Fredrik) by Liz Fielding
Book 4 – The Best man’s Bride (Jack & Celina) by Anne McCallister


Content: no coarse language – implied sex only.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

                                         About the Author:
 
 Best-selling author, Liz Fielding, has more than 15 million books in print. Nominated seven times for RWA's prestigious RITA award, she won with The Best Man & The Bridesmaid in 2001 and The Marriage Miracle in 2006. A Family of His Own won the RNA's Romance Prize, and was named Reviewers' Choice Best Harlequin Romance by Romantic Times BOOKreviews in 2005. She has also been given a Lifetime Achievement Award by Romantic Times.

For news and excerpts of her latest releases, visit Liz's Web site at http://www.lizfielding.com.

 

Book Review: Redemption by Tracie Griffith

 

Redemption by Tracie Griffith
Publisher: self published
Publication Date: 9th July 2017
Pages:307
Source: paperback from the Author



                                                   Blurb:

 'There were no waves; just a gentle lapping at the shoreline. He stared at the inert body of water curiously. The stillness and silence were eerie, as though this was somehow the calm before the storm - a warning, rather than a respite.'

After nearly two decades in prison, Mark Wilson is given a second chance when his estranged aunt offers him a home in the coastal township of Port Fairy and a job on a dairy farm. While the close-knit rural community struggles to accept the presence of a convicted killer, Mark discovers friendship, warmth and an unexpected feeling of belonging. When love strikes from out of nowhere, he can't believe his good fortune. Has he escaped both his reputation and his crimes? Or is he really a man that no one should love?

As Mark finally allows himself to believe in his capacity for renewal, he discovers the awful truth...

In a small town there's nowhere to hide

                                                  My Thoughts:

Redemption is the debut novel of Australian author Tracie Griffith.

Redemption centres on the life of Mark Wilson recently released from prison after 18 years. With the help of his elderly aunt, Margaret, he starts a new life in the quiet Victorian coastal town of Port Fairy.
Mark tries to build a new life as he fights against distractions and prejudice, occasionally going off the rails but always in the back of his mind is the hope that he will find love.

I love books with a distinct Australian feel and the setting of the small town of Port Fairy was perfectly painted by Griffith’s descriptions. The day to day life on a dairy farm and it’s demanding lifestyle was interesting reading and well depicted.

The pace of the story is slow and none of the characters are particularly endearing, besides Aunt Margaret, however Griffith does an excellent job of conveying her character’s introspection through much soul searching and angst which gives the reader real empathy for Mark.

As mark comes to grips with his freedom he is befriended by his new boss and his wife although nothing comes easily to an ex con as friendships are abused and the local police try every trick to run him out of town.

Mark finds he cannot escape his past and the road to redemption is never easy.

Some readers may not like the ending but I felt it was very realistic.

I received a copy from the author through Goodreads giveaways.

 My rating: 4 of 5 stars

                                            About the author:

Debut author with a paperback and ebook to sell. Etc, etc, etc.

Paperback available from my website within Australia (price includes GST and postage).
Ebook currently available from Amazon/Kindle.
   

Product Review: Vatea Skin Care Range

We as consumers are becoming to understand that the chemicals and additives in beauty products that claim to make us more beautiful and youthful are in fact destroying our skin.

A new age has dawned where we, and beauty companies, have come to learn that we need to care for our skin and our planet in a natural way leaving our bodies with a natural healthy glow and importantly leaving our planet unscarred by chemical waste.

Over the years I have tried every new product claiming to reverse the signs of aging, repair years of damage caused by sun exposure and make me look ten years younger. All this exposure to different additives has resulted in my skin becoming extremely sensitive and developing dermatitis. So it was back to basics; soap free cleansers and QV moisturisers.

Vatea have produced an all natural sulphate and paraben free, vegan friendly product with no animal testing. But do these products deliver the goods?

I was very happy to receive a small range of products to review.

Vatea kind shampoo – firstly the product had a beautiful tee tree smell. I poured a 20 cent piece size into my palm (this is how much I use with my normal shampoo). The lather was very good and had me thinking I could have used less product for the same result.

Vatea nurturing conditioner – my hair is very dry so I use a lot of conditioner. Two 20 cent piece size in my palm. This amount worked well. The real test is the next morning. My hair is dry and I wake up with it sticking out everywhere and then apply masses of leave-in conditioner. I was pretty impressed with the next morning look and still used a small amount of leave-in conditioner.

Vatea nourishing body wash – this product also smelt great and after using a soap free wash for months it was heaven to have a product that lathers.

Vatea pure body oil – this is by far my favourite product. A soft luxuriant oil that soaks into the skin but leaves a lovely sheen. I could dress straight after using it and it didn’t leave any greasy residue on my hands. A real winner!!!!

I would like to thank Vatea and Beauty and Lace for the products to sample.

This review first appeared on the Beauty and lace website 

Book Review: Dunkirk by Lt Col Ewan Butler

 

Dunkirk by Lieutenant Colonel Ewan Butler
Publisher: Sapere Books
Publication date: 9th July 2017
Pages: 211
Source: ERC from publisher

Blurb:

 “We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender” – Winston Churchill

In the last days of May and early June 1940 the British Expeditionary Force was saved from annihilation on the beaches of Dunkirk and brought home to fight another day.

The victories won by British arms in the years which followed that great deliverance have made men forget those soldiers – the first of the many – upon whom it fell to withstand the shock of Hitler’s great attack.

It is now fitting that these men and their Commander-in-Chief, Lord Gort, should be worthily remembered, and their story fully told, from those first landings in France, in the autumn of 1939, until the climax of Dunkirk.

The authors, both professional writers, themselves served as officers with the B.E.F., and have recaptured the gallantry and comradeship of that little force. The result is a moving story of courage and devotion in the face of odds which no other British Force has ever been called upon to face.

It is chivalrous to admire a gallant enemy, and of that chivalry we have lately seen much. Justice demands that the courage and devotion of our own fighting men be no less clearly recognised. There were no medals for the B.E.F., hardly even today the laurels of memory. They were soldiers, doing a soldier’s job against odds which no British Force had ever been called upon to face, and which, it is to be hoped, no British Force will ever face again.

What were they then, the men of that small Expeditionary Force, a mere army in one of the groups of French armies? How did they spend the months of what has been called the “twilight war”, and how, when the shock of battle came at last, did they withstand the blow?

Dunkirk tells the true story of those brave men who fought to save the lives of so many. With the 2017 movie release of Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk now is the time to remember the real history of the battle in the words of those who experienced it. 

My thoughts:

First published in 1950, only 10 years after the battle of Dunkirk, this story is told through fresh memories unchanged by the passage of time. The authors, Lt. Col. Ewan Butler and Major J. Selby Bradford served in France during late 1939 and early 1940 as junior officers.
This story of Dunkirk was the original motivation behind the epic film of 1958.

The forward by Lord Vansittart is fitting and still relevant today.
“This is not a heartening book, but the gallantry which it portrays is so immensely moving, so well told, as to be almost heartening’ – Lord Vansittart.
“If rulers and ruled alike will not learn from this book the lesson which it implants, we may as will give up teaching history” – Lord Vansittart.

The story of Dunkirk follows the day to day workings of the B.E.F. (British Expeditionary Force). It doesn’t concentrate on certain soldiers or officers but the force as a whole. A factual account that isn’t over dramatised. Stark and concise.
The authors tell of how underequipped the B.E.F. were; the murder of civilians by German soldiers; the harrowing conditions – underfed and underarmed; the acts of heroism by both servicemen and civilians; the discovery of spies amongst the French civilians and also amongst their counterparts in Belgium.

Keep the Memory Green was the original title of Dunkirk. It was retitled after the 1958 film release, Dunkirk, which was based on this book.
Sapere Books has rereleased Dunkirk in digital form.

There are so many quotes which I loved from this book but I will just leave you with a couple of my favourites.

“They were soldiers, doing a soldier’s job against odds which no British Force had ever been called upon to face, and which, it is to be hoped, no British Force will ever face again.’

“The fact remains that the troops who landed in France were but ill-provided with the tools of modern war. Save for a few tanks, most of them already semi-obsolete, we had no armour, nor many guns, with which to stop the sadly-plentiful armour of the enemy.”

I received an ERC from Sapere Books.
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

About the authors: 
 Lt. Colonel Ewan Butler and Major J. Selby Bradford M.B.E., M.C. served in France as young officers during the last months of 1939 and the first five of 1940 with that small British Expeditionary force commanded by Lord Gort, which first faced the full might of Nazi Germany.

Book Review: Ella's Ice-cream Summer by Sue Watson

 

Ella's Ice-Cream Summer by Sue Watson
Series: The Ice-cream Cafe #1
Publisher: Bookouture
Publication Date: 11th may 2017
Pages: 334
Source: ERC from publisher

Blurb:
 Ella’s life just hit rock-bottom, but can a summer by the sea mend her broken heart? When life gives you lemons… make ice-cream!

Life hasn’t always been easy for single mum Ella, but she has just hit an all-time low; she’s jobless, loveless, very nearly homeless and, to make matters worse, now the owner of a pocket-sized pooch with a better wardrobe than her.

Packing her bags (and a bigger one for the dog), Ella sets off for the seaside town of Appledore in Devon to re-live the magical summers of her youth and claim her portion of the family ice-cream business: a clapped-out ice-cream van and a complicated mess of secrets.

There she meets gorgeous and free-spirited solicitor, Ben, who sees things differently: with a little bit of TLC he has a plan to get the van – and Ella – back up and running in no time.

Ella’s Ice-Cream Summer is a heart-warming and hilarious romance that will scoop you off your feet and prove it’s never too late for a fresh start. The ideal holiday read for fans of Lucy Diamond, Abby Clements and Debbie Johnson. 

My thoughts: 
 
Warning: To be read with lashings of ice-cream. I read this during an Australian winter and I still craved ice-cream.

Ella is feeling despondent about her life. Her teenage children are ready to leave the nest. Her husband has run off with his younger, perkier, richer boss and all her Facebook friends seem to be having endless holidays and perfect lives. Her mother’s social life is busier than hers.

If you can relate to any of this you will love this RomCom with a hint of mystery, lashings of ice-cream and a touch of romance.

Ella runs away, “Just for one summer” she says, to sell home-made ice-cream in a van on the beach of the little seaside town that she loved as a child.

Sweet, funny, romantic and heart-warming.

This story is about running away to a fresh start and finding yourself. But it’s also about bringing families together and working for a common goal.

Follow your dreams no matter how crazy they seem!

 My rating: 4 of 5 stars

About the author: (courtesy of Goodreads)

Sue Watson was a TV Producer with the BBC who combined motherhood and family life with a busy career. However, one day it dawned on Sue that Cosmo magazine may have been telling porkies about 'having it all,' and her life had become a slightly crazed juggling act.

So after much soul searching (and comfort eating) Sue abandoned her TV career, bought a pink laptop and wrote a novel. 'Fat Girls and Fairy Cakes,' tells the story of Stella Weston, whose life is a constant struggle with a nasty boss at work, the weighing scales and being a mum, wife and daughter.

Originally from Manchester, Sue now lives with her husband and teenage daughter in Worcestershire. When she's not toiling over her latest novel, Sue bakes (and eats) cake and enjoys very large tubs of Caramel Chew Chew ice cream all to herself while watching 'The Biggest Loser USA.'

Sue's second book, 'Younger, Thinner, Blonder' was released in October (2013) and her third book 'Love, Lies and Lemon Cake' is released on June 27th 2014.

https://www.facebook.com/suewatsonbooks

Follow Sue on Twitter @suewatsonwriter

Book Review: Fortune's Son by Jennifer Scoullar

 

Fortune's Son by Jennifer Scoullar
Publisher: Penguin Books Australia
Publication Date: 29th May 2017
Pages: 432
Source: own copy

Blurb:

 An Australian historical saga that will appeal to readers of Bryce Courtenay and Judy Nunn

Can one man’s revenge become his redemption?

Young Luke Tyler has everything going for him: brains, looks and a larrikin charm that turns heads. The future appears bright, until he defends his sister from the powerful Sir Henry Abbot. His reward is fifteen years hard labour on a prison farm in Tasmania’s remote highlands.

Luke escapes, finding sanctuary with a local philanthropist, Daniel Campbell, and starts a forbidden relationship with Daniel's daughter, Belle. But when Luke is betrayed, he must flee or be hanged.

With all seeming lost, Luke sails to South Africa to start afresh. Yet he remains haunted by the past, and by Belle, the woman he can’t forget. When he returns to seek revenge and reclaim his life, his actions will have shattering consequences – for the innocent as well as the guilty.

Set against a backdrop of wild Tasmania, Australian gold and African diamonds, Fortune’s Son is an epic story of betrayal, love and one man’s struggle to triumph over adversity and find his way home.

My Thoughts:
 
Set in Tasmania in the late 1800’s the first chapter throws the reader straight into the inequality and injustices of class during that time.

The story follows Luke Tyler from the age of 14 when he is thrown in prison after defending his sister’s honour, then his subsequent escape and, for a time, living off the land until he is taken in by his former teacher, Daniel Campbell.

This story held me captivated as it delivers everything the blurb promises, From the beautiful descriptions of the untamed Tasmanian countryside to the inclusion of the now extinct Thylacine (Tasmanian Tiger).

Told in multiple POV’s the reader is given an overall feel for each character in this emotionally charged saga which will take you from the remoteness of Tasmania to the diamond mines of South Africa, highlighting the fact that the fight for conservation of both the land and animals is the same in any country.

A powerful story of prejudice, ambition, duty and undying love.

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

About the Author: (courtesy of Goodreads)

Jennifer has always harboured a deep appreciation and respect for the natural world. Her house is on a hill-top, overlooking valleys of messmate and mountain ash. A pair of old eagles live there too. Black-shouldered wallabies graze by the creek. Eastern Spinebills hover among the callistemon. Jennifer lives with her family on a beautiful property in the mountains, that was left to her by her father. Horses have always been her passion. She grew up on the books of Elyne Mitchell, and all her life she’s ridden and bred horses, in particular Australian Stock Horses. She has five published novels. Wasp Season (Sid Harta 2008) Brumby’s Run (Penguin 2012)Currawong Creek (Penguin 2013) Billabong Bend (Penguin 2014)Turtle Reef (Penguin 2015) and Journey's End (Penguin 2016)