Blog Tour - Sorry Not Sorry - Sophie Ranald

Sorry Not Sorry is a genuinely feel good book that will brighten up any day and one that I enjoyed reading.

Charlotte shares a house with her two friends, Maddy and Henry, but when they hook up, get engaged and move out to get their own place together, Charlotte realises that she's stuck in a serious rut. With the prospect of two new flatmates on the horizon, she soon reaches the conclusion that she needs more in her life than just work and Netflix. So when she stumbles upon a podcast called 'Sorry Not Sorry' that challenges women to embrace their inner bad girl, she decides to embrace the challenge and potentially spice up her life a bit.

I tend to read quite a lot of psychological and crime thrillers so I always relish diving into a humorous romance and Sorry Not Sorry didn't let me down.

Charlotte was a very relatable character and she could have been me or any one of my friends. Watching her trying to complete the challenges from the podcast was sometimes funny and other times cringe worthy, but I think we've all been there, it's just whether or not we admit to it! I thought that this made her and her interactions with her friends really believable. Her new flatmates Tansy and Adam were interesting and I was intrigued to see how they would be Incorporated into Charlotte's world and there were a few things that I wasn't expecting so that kept me on my toes.

This was my first outing with author Sophie Ranald and I thoroughly enjoyed her writing style which was littered with witty humour and although it didn't have me 'laughing out loud' there were a good few chuckle worthy moments. I'd definitely read more from her.

I would recommend this book for anyone who is looking for something fun and light-hearted to read and it would be the perfect accompaniment for a poolside lounger and a cocktail!



                                                     Author bio

Photo courtesy of Sophie Ranald

Sophie Ranald is the youngest of five sisters. She was born in Zimbabwe and lived in South Africa until an acute case of itchy feet brought her to London in her mid-20s. As an editor for a customer publishing agency, Sophie developed her fiction-writing skills describing holidays to places she'd never visited. In 2011, she decided to disregard all the good advice given to aspiring novelists and attempt to write full-time. After one false start, It Would Be Wrong to Steal My Sister's Boyfriend (Wouldn't It?) seemed to write itself. Her second, third and fourth novels followed, and The Truth About Gemma Grey was released in summer 2017. Sophie also writes for magazines and online about food, fashion, finance and running. She lives in south-east London with her amazing partner Hopi and Purrs, their adorable little cat. 



You can find out more about Sophie, her books and connect with her using the links below:

Website
Twitter
Facebook
Amazon

Check out the rest of the blog tour with these great blogs:

With kind thanks to publishers Bookouture and NetGalley for the review copy.

Blog Tour - Inborn - Thomas Enger

I'm thrilled to be one of today's stop on the blog tour for Inborn by Thomas Enger. This was a new author to me and one that I'll definitely be seeking out again in the future.

When the bodies of two students are discovered at a local high school in a small, close-knit Norwegian village, the finger of suspicion is quickly pointed in the direction of  seventeen-year-old Even, as one of the victims was his ex-girlfriend,Mari.

The story is told in alternating 'Now' and 'Then' chapters as we follow Even as he's being questioned in court and thinking back over the months leading up to the trial. I loved this way of discovering things and it was almost like peeling an onion, as layer after layer of the story was revealed.

Inborn is a tale packed full of secrets and lies, Even may well be a link between the victims but is he responsible for their deaths?

I really enjoyed the clever way that Enger wove the two time frames seamlessly together and I almost felt like I was a juror in the courtroom. I also enjoyed the short chapters, usually ending with a gripping hook that just compelled me to read 'just one more chapter' which meant that I raced through this book in next to no time. Although Inborn was originally written as a crime novel for the young adult audience, it has been re-written for the older market and I think that it works fabulously. Another thing to mention is that if you're a little wary of translated novels (I think we've all experienced one that's felt like wading through treacle at some point, or maybe that's just me!) you have nothing to fear with this one as if it wasn't for the fact that I saw online that it was a translated version I genuinely wouldn't have known.

If you're a fan of crime, courtroom drama and murder mystery then I would highly recommend you get yourself a copy.

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                                                       Author bio

Thomas Enger is a former journalist. He made his debut with the crime novel Burned (Skinndød) in 2010, which became an international sensation before publication. Burned is the first in a series of five books about the journalist Henning Juul, which delves into the depths of Oslo’s underbelly, skewering the corridors of dirty politics and nailing the fast-moving world of 24-hour news. Rights to the series have been sold to 28 countries to date. In 2013 Enger published his first book for young adults, a dark fantasy thriller called The Evil Legacy, for which he won the U-prize (best book Young Adult). Killer Instinct, another Young Adult suspense novel, was published in Norway in 2017. Rights have been sold to Germany and Iceland. Enger also composes music, and he lives in Oslo.

You can find out more about Thomas Enger, his books and connect with him using the links below:

Website
Twitter
Amazon
Facebook


Be sure to check out the rest of the blog tour with these fabulous blogs:

With kind thanks to Anne Cater at Random Things Tours and Orenda Books for the review copy.

Blog Tour - You Belong To Me - Mark Tilbury

I always get excited when I hear that Mark Tilbury has a new book coming out as I know that I'm in for a treat and You Belong To Me is no exception.

When Danny Sheppard hears that a young girl called Cassie has gone missing on her way home from school he reaches out to friends that he hasn't seen for years. He's worried that he knows what's happened to her as the circumstances surrounding her disappearance are eerily similar to that of another girl called Ellie who disappeared ten years previously and was never found.

All of the friends that Danny reaches out to are troubled in their own way and this can be traced back to their childhood and an events that links them to a time that they would all rather forget so Danny doesn't know if they will agree to confront their demons and help him.


I'm a huge fan of Mark Tilbury's books - I would call myself his number one fan but I don't want to be compared with Annie Wilkes in Stephen King's Misery - but I was a little bit worried when I heard that You Belong To Me was going to be missing the supernatural element that I've come to know and love in his books. Well let me tell you, there was absolutely nothing lacking at all, it was just as dark, sick, twisted and disturbing - so I loved every single page. With the story being told in the past and the present, it was great way to give an insight into the characters of Danny, Rob, Kieran and Josh when they were young and to show how they have all been affected by the events of ten years ago. Mark's books always have that one character that makes my skin crawl and manages to sneak into my dreams and in You Belong To Me that character was Danny's brother Calum. It got to the point where I was dreading seeing his character appear, he was THAT despicable! it's often said that authors base their characters on people that they know and if that's true in Calum's case than Mark needs to seriously consider getting some new friends!

You Belong To Me is a triumph of a book and his reputation for writing some of the best twisted thrillers I've ever read is definitely intact!

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                                                     Author bio

Photo courtesy of Mark Tilbury

Mark lives in a small village in the lovely county of Cumbria, although his books are set in Oxfordshire where he was born and raised.

After serving in the Royal Navy and raising his two daughters after being widowed, Mark finally took the plunge and self-published two books on Amazon, The Revelation Room and The Eyes of the Accused.

He's always had a keen interest in writing, and is extremely proud to have had six novels published by Bloodhound Books, including his most recent release, You Belong To Me.

When he's not writing, Mark can be found trying and failing to master blues guitar, and taking walks around the beautiful county of Cumbria.

You can find out more about Mark, his books and connect with him using the links below:

Website
Twitter
Facebook
Amazon


Check out the rest of the blog tour with these fantastic blogs:

With kind thanks to Bloodhound Books and author Mark Tilbury for the review copy.

Blog Tour promo & giveaway - The Forgotten Children - Isabella Muir

Today I'm helping out with some promo for the blog tour for The Forgotten Children by Isabella Muir which kicked off on the 27th January. I have had quite a lot on over the last few weeks and I wasn't able to read this book but you can rest assured that I'll be adding it to my TBR as it sounds like just the kind of book I'd love as it's based on a true story. So let's start with telling you about it.

A woman’s search to find her son uncovers the shocking truth about one of Britain’s darkest periods.

Struggling with the demons of her past, Emily is a children’s author with a dark secret, and a guilt that threatens to consume her.  For twenty years she has lived in Brighton, England, trying to forget the day they took her baby from her, just hours after he was born.  But now, in the summer of 1987, she decides to begin the search for her son.

Emily takes refuge in a small town on the Isle of Anglesey to plan the search, where she meets Walter, a gentle stranger, who helps her with his words of wisdom and kindness.  But it is when she decides to return home to Hastings, that she really has to face her demons.

Estranged from her parents when she was just sixteen, Emily is shocked by what her mother has to tell her about events that occurred before Emily was even born.

Beside her, throughout her search, is Emily’s beautiful Irish friend, Geraldine, recovering from her own sad experiences.  Together they uncover a truth that shocks them all.

The Forgotten Children draws the reader into lives affected by narrow-minded beliefs and blinkered thinking at the highest level. Children who weren’t allowed to be born, children who were abandoned, and children who were taken, forced to lead a life thousands of miles away from everyone and everything they knew – leaving scars that may never heal.

At its heart, The Forgotten Children is a story of survival, but the journey that Emily has to take is painful.  Even more so because she knows it was allowed to happen by individuals, religions and governments, who should have known better.

                                                       Author bio

Photo courtesy of Isabella Muir

Isabella Muir has been surrounded by books her whole life and – after working for twenty years as a technical editor and having successfully completed her MA in Professional Writing - she was inspired to focus on fiction writing.

As well as her newest title, The Forgotten Children, Isabella is the author of the Sussex Crime Mystery series.  These Agatha Christie style stories are set in the sixties and seventies and feature a young librarian and amateur sleuth, Janie Juke, who has a passion for Agatha Christie. All that Janie has learned from her hero, Hercule Poirot, she is able to put into action as she sets off to solve a series of crimes and mysteries.

Aside from books, Isabella has a love of all things caravan-like. She has spent many winters caravanning in Europe and now, together with her husband, she runs a small caravan site in Sussex. They are ably assisted by their much-loved Scottie, Hamish.

 

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If you love the sound of The Forgotten Children as much as I do then you'll be pleased to know that it's available to buy now.

Amazon UK
Amazon US

If you're feeling lucky why not enter the giveaway and you could be the proud owner of a signed paperback copy. The giveaway is open to UK residents only and terms and conditions apply*

Enter the giveaway here!


If you have some spare time then please do check out the stops on the blog tour and see what these brilliant bloggers thought of The Forgotten Children.

You can find out more about Isabella Muir and connect with her using the links below:

Website
Twitter
Facebook

*Terms and Conditions –UK entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter link in the above post. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.