Synopsis

A dead body. A hoard of forged banknotes. A gangster out for blood.

Newcastle, December 1955. Returning home after a weekend away, singer and amateur sleuth Rosie Robson discovers a man lying on a baggage trolley with his throat cut. After the police get involved, an attack on Rosie and her boss prompts Inspector Vic Walton to find a safe house for the pair. But the bad guys seem to be one step ahead of them and Rosie is forced to track down a possible witness to the murder in a bid to learn the truth. Can the canny crooner solve the mystery before a Newcastle gang boss catches up with her?  

Set on Tyneside, Blood on the Tyne: Red Snow is book #3 in the Rosie Robson Murder Mysteries series.

Guest Post – The Upstanding Writer

I’ve written elsewhere about my habit of standing up to write, but it’s always useful to reconsider ways of working to see if they’re still effective. For the last ten years my day job has been in occupational therapy, a role which involves a bit of driving and a bit of desk work. Long-standing back problems forced me to try a standing desk at work and noticing the difference, I bought one to use at home, too. 

Emulating authors such as Hemingway, Winston Churchill and Virginia Woolf, who all wrote standing up, there are plenty of health benefits to the practice. A decreasing amount of back pain and a sense of generally feeling better, is enough motivation for continuing to use the desk. 

Recently, I moved to a four-day week at work after a spell of illness. Diagnosed with sarcoidosis, a condition which has several detrimental effects, one of which is the inability to stay awake and active after eight o’clock at night, for several months I spent less time writing and more time doing those things which didn’t require me to stand up. As the symptomsbegan to diminish and I started to feel better, I found the extra day at home gave me more time to write. Unfortunately, one thing I haven’t quite got to grips with, is my ability to mimic my day job and work at it for the standard seven-and-a-half hours. Standing up to write can be tiring and it’s certainly a habit that takes a bit of getting used to, so I often find my writing day will include several breaks when I sit and read, sit and watch TV or sit and munch too many vegan biscuits.

My writing desk is the type that can be raised or lowered according to the height of the user, which means it can be used as a normal table if needed. However, having a standing desk doesn’t necessarily indicate a tidy desk. Getting on in years means that rememberingthose things that are important isn’t so easy, so I’ve got into the habit of decorating my workspace with post-it notes so I don’t forget dates and deadlines. Also, as someone who doesn’t like to throw anything away, I have plenty of clutter to rake through when I need to find that special pen or USB stick that surely was on the desk right in front of me only a few days ago.

I’ve heard some stand-up writers use one of those walking machines so they can go for a five-mile hike while banging out their latest missive. I’m not one of those people. Although walking is a great way to stay healthy, I find it impossible to do anything else at the same time (even talking can be an issue!)

So if you’re looking for a way to improve your health, keep your spine in its natural position and still create a masterpiece, get yourself a standing desk. You know it makes sense. 

(You could also try changing to a vegan diet, but I’m not sure that helps the creative process.)

Can someone open up again after being closed and alone for so long?

Synopsis

Sometimes facing up to the past is the only way to create a better future…

Since the tragic death of his father, Lowen Treneary has kept to himself in his pottery studio on the remote island of Bryher.

His quiet life is just the way he likes it.

Until Pippa comes along.

The local café owner plunges his peaceful existence into chaos and brightens his days while she’s at it.

Soon, he has an employee livening up his workplace with her determination to make his studio more profitable… and a growing attraction to Pippa which he’s trying hard to ignore.

Just as he starts to warm to the idea of letting people into his life again, a crisis hits the island, causing old memories to crash to the surface.

Can the events of the present help to heal wounds from the past? And will Pippa still accept Lowenwhen she learns the secrets he’s been keeping from everyone around him?

My review

Since the death of his father, Lowen Trenear has preferred to isolate him on the island of Bryher. He only visits his family when strictly necessary and even with his brothers the contact is very limited.
He just wants to be left alone while working on his pottery. But when Pippa, the local café owner and seller of his creations, become a greater presence in his life, it’s the start of a complete change in his life.
Because not only does he now have an employee in Mia, Pippa’s niece, with great ideas to make the studio more profitable, but with Mia and thus also Pippa more around, his attraction towards Pippa only increases.
However, while Pippa brightens Lowen’s day more and more, her own future isn’t as bright, as her café is not in great papers and she has to decide where her future lays.
And on top of that, when a crisis arises, Lowen has to face the dark demons that are still haunting him for years…

Reading a story of the Scilly Series feels for me like taking a holiday in a wonderful, warm place.
However, when I started this next chapter in a marvellous series, I wasn’t 100% certain that this story could live up to its predecessors. Because from what I have read previously, Lowen wasn’t very high on my list of people I like. But I knew that I just have faith in the author and that she would be perfectly able to make me change my mind about Lowen!

I thought I knew why Lowen was keeping his distance, but I didn’t know how deep his hurt went and for how long he has been hurting. Getting to know all about Lowen, and especially the reason of his behaviour, broke my heart. And I could finally comprehend, although not agree completely, why he acted the way he did.

While I understood him a lot better now, I also have to admit I had several laughs reading his inability to try to have any kind of control the force of nature that Mia was! He only has Mia working in his studio as a favour to Pippa, but it’s easy to see that Mia’s presence and thus also Pippa’s is exactly what he needs in his life.

And now that I have mentioned Pippa… that is for sure one woman to admire! Her courage to start a business on her own, even in a place that wasn’t her home, but quickly became home. Yes, things aren’t going easy for her, and I would absolutely think twice before tasting one of her cakes, but her determination is admirable. She wants to prove that she make it on be own.

If things would go smoothly between Pippa and Lowen, this book would lose a lot of its charm. Both lovely characters are facing their own problems and demons. And they allow their own fears to hold them back, they allow their fears to not see their full potential. All while we as a reader can see it all so clearly.

The bit that really got me, was the confrontation between the brothers. Their emotions were just so palpable and strong, I could truly feel everything myself. But that difficult confrontation was also something that needed to happen, to heal a familybond that has fallen into pieces.

I found this a wonderful story, about not only two great characters falling in love and trying to figure out which path to follow. But this is, even more than the other books, a story about family. The wonderful kind of family, where even the most broken bits can be fixed into an amazing whole piece again, by the force and importance of forgiveness. And also the kind of family that would do anything for a member in need…

Reading this instalment made me fall in love even more with the place and its inhabitants, and now it’s the excruciating bit waiting for the next part to be released!

Can one night in the present make up for a broken past?

Synopsis

Her forbidden love is back to claim her!

Once Lady Rebekah shared a life changing night with stable hand Raeden but he disappeared the morning after. Now she’s consort to a cruel Saxon Lord, and when Northmen lay siege to Ryestone Keep, Rebekah’s shocked to see Raeden leading the charge! This Viking warrior is not the man she remembers, yet she finds herself drawn to him again. Taken as his hostage, Rebekah must decide: can she trust him with her life…and her dangerous secret?

My review

When Lady Rebekah was only ten, she found herself being an orphan and literally burned after an attack of the Danes. Luckily she found a new home with her uncle at Ryestone Keep.
However, her life has changed dramatically and instead of being married out of love with stable boy Raedan, she is now at the mercy of Atol, her uncle’s son. He abuses and uses her however he want, having totally no intention of ever marrying her.
When one night the Danes raid  Ryestone Keep, Rebekah in order to save her people agrees to be taken hostage by the brutes.
But she cannot be more shocked when she realizes that her captivator Halfdan is the boy she loved with all her heart years ago and believed to be dead.
But Raedan is not looking for his lost love, all he wants is take revenge, even revenge on Rebekah. However, with feelings once so strong between them, is revenge the final score? Or can their love reignite, even with secrets? 

It’s no secrets that I always enjoy reading stories involving Vikings. I think there are many women all around the world dreaming of finding their own goodhearted warrior Viking, fighting for her heart (which we would easily give to the Right Viking of course!).
Combine it with a story of second chances, and I know that I will be in for a treat! 

Rebekah’s story is one that broke my heart a little bit. She already lost her family as a child, and when she finds love, it’s brutally taken away from her, believing Raedan has died and she is left with no prospect of a happy future.
I cannot imagine how terrible it must be to live like that, being literally at service of a horrible, brutal, uncaring and abusing man.
And seeing how quickly she has been disregarded, almost thrown away at the threat of the Danes, made my blood turn cold… 

However, she is a strong woman too. She wants to protect her people and more, even at her own expense. So she does not hesitate to ‘volunteer as a tribute’ (sorry I had a strong Hunger Games vibe while reading that bit 😊).
And when we get to learn the extra reason for her protectiveness, my admiration for her strength only grew. 

And her strength becomes more and more apparent went she tries to stand tall against the Danes, even against Raedan, the man she once loved. I liked it how she didn’t just change her mind because the ‘bad guy’ was someone she knew and once loved, she didn’t let the past feelings write off her current thoughts.
But she is also a woman capable of realizing that there’s two sides to every story. And when she learns what happened to Raedan, and that not all Danes are all the same, she starts to see the real truth, and not her truth. 

When we get to know what happened to Raedan, it wasn’t only Rebekah’s heart that boke, but I felt so sorry for him too. Not only did Raedan got beaten, he also got sold and found out that the love of his life apparently was quick on forgetting him. No wonder he was out for revenge, and eager to take Rebekah as a captive.
It’s obvious that Raedan is a great warrior, and a loved one too. that all thank to one man who believed in him, even if Raedan wasn’t one of them.
I could see very easily how agile and fierce Raedan was, and it for sure was swoon worthy material! But it was his kindness and gentleness, especially towards Gytha that made me love him. Also his protectiveness towards Rebekah when he learns about her past and how he wants to save her, was just making me feel lightheaded! 

Yes, I knew before I even started how this story would end. But between the start and the end of a book, there is so much that can happen. And with these kind of characters, I didn’t mind one bit that I knew how it was going to end, because in life, but also in books, the journey is more important than the final result. Because in that journey we get to know not only ourselves, but we also find courage to even overcome our greatest fears, strength and most important of all, love…

Better a good neighbour than a distant friend, but what if the neighbour isn’t a good one?

Synopsis

Love thy neighbour or fear thy neighbour?

For myself and Lauren, my 10-year-old daughter No3 Beech Close was to be our refuge after two years of hell nursing my sick mother.

In need of a fresh start and wanting to distance ourselves from the bad memories of my mother’s house we moved to Beech Close, a small cul-de-sac of six houses situated around a picture-perfect green.

It seemed perfect but I had underestimated the secrets that this tightknit community shared.

Within hours of moving in my next-door neighbour Valerie made it abundantly clear we were not welcome.

I soon discovered that Valerie hadn’t welcomed the previous occupant either and she’d since disappeared without a trace.

Had I put myself and my daughter in danger moving to Beech Close?

Which neighbours, if any could I trust?

And how far would they go to keep their secret?

My review

Shelly and her 10 – year – old daughter Lauren need a fresh start after Shelly has been taking care for two years for her sick mother.
That need and the desire to get as far as possible from the bad memories, brings Shelly and Lauren to Beech Close, a small cul-de-sac of six houses wonderfully surrounded by the green.
But what Shelly didn’t expect is to find herself in a very close and tightknit community, filled with secrets and deception.
Her neighbour Valerie has made it more than obvious that they are not welcome in Beech Close. And when Shelly learns that the previous resident of her home didn’t get along with Valerie and now has actually disappears, Shelly wonders how far the community goes to keep each other’s secrets…

I have not moved myself a lot of times, but the times I did, I did wonder what kind of neighbours I would have. And I can say that I count myself lucky as I got along very well with each of them. Obviously, there are sometimes a few issues, but nothing terrible.
So reading a book where the main character moves in a neighbourhood with all suspicious characters in their own way, made my skin crawl…

I cannot say that I liked any of the new neighbours, they all acted in a way that made me very wary of each and every one of them.
And it made me feel sad seeing that the fresh start Shelly needed so much slowly turned into a real nightmare.

Because it’s not only Valerie and her very obvious dislike of Shelly and Lauren, but also the whispers of all the others making feel the two more out of place and made them feel even more of not belonging to the neighbour.

Taking in account what Shelly and Lauren already had to endure in the past, and with even more dark secrets revealed from Shelly, made me wish that they could finally start a new, beautiful chapter in a neighbourhood that would seem to tick all the boxes.
And thanks to those secrets being revealed, I could understand Shelly’s behaviour much better. At moments I couldn’t match Shelly’s character with her actions. But with patience I started to understand Shelly better and I could see the complete picture.

Shelly is a wonderful mother, she does whatever she can on her own in raising Lauren, even if it isn’t always as easy. And just in the grand finale we see how far that love and protectiveness goes.
And Shelly is also a lucky woman with having such a great best friend in Josh. He is always there for Shelly, and Lauren too, on a deeper level of just friendship. I felt that they were more a family than just best friends.

The author manages perfectly to create so many cobweb all interlinked but also creating such a chaos that just like Shelly, I didn’t know who was trustworthy and who wasn’t. Every moment that I thought I had figured it all out, something else was being revealed, making me throw my theory away.
There are several creepy moments, making me watch my back myself, or even looking suspiciously at my own neighbours. This is for sure not a book to read if you are a little bit paranoid. But it’s also a good book to show you that trusting your instincts is never the wrong thing to do.

Can a courtship like in Jane Austen’s book work in modern times?

Synopsis

Can old-fashioned courtship survive in today’s dating world?

When Emma Love’s mother retires, it is time for her to take the reins of the family dating agency and build on its success. And she has a fresh new idea: to host a Jane Austen-style Regency Season of glamourous events where potential lovers can actually take the time to get to know each other in person, with no apps in between.

Emma has no intention of becoming romantically involved herself, of course; she is a matchmaker on the hunt for the perfect partner for ladies like Annie (who thought she had missed her chance at love a long time ago), Jane (recently divorced and nervously stepping into her new life) and wild child Lydia (more interested in hooking up than finding Mr Darcy).

As the Season unfolds, there is only one fly in Emma’s ointment – the irritating Mr Knight, with his casual attitude and gentle cynicism. Why is she allowing him to ruffle her calm, ordered life and why can’t she stop thinking about him? She is far too sensible to take a chance on love – isn’t she?

Jane Austen meets Sophie Kinsella in this laugh-out-loud, captivating romantic comedy.

My review

Now that her mother has retired, it’s up to Emma Love to run the dating agency and keep it a successful business.
But how can her agency stand out between all the online dating apps? So Emma has a brand new idea, by hosting a Jane Austen-style Regency Season events, where the wannabe lovers have the opportunity to actual get to know each other.
just like the three best friends Annie, Jane and Lydia. Annie, who couldn’t be more romantic, but believes that she lost her chance at love a while ago, Jane who just got recently divorced but doesn’t know how her love life will look like, and Lydia who is more interested in casual hook-ups than finding actual love.
And even for Emma, this season may turn out to something unexpected, in the shape of Mr. Knight, who despite his name turns out to irritate Emma, yet she somehow cannot stop thinking about him?

If someone would ask me which author is my favourite of all the Classics, my answer would be obviously Jane Austen.
So having a story, in the present time, with a main character trying to re-enact the courting in that era, well, I just had to read it!

Being single myself, and not a fan of all those dating apps, I was for sure interested in how Emma would run her dating agency, especially as she has big shoes to fill.
I found her ideas refreshing, as she just went back to the true purpose, using a faraway past as inspiration. Because she wants her customers to find true love, and not just someone for one night.

While I was reading, I felt that each character, Emma, Annie, Jane and Lydia could have had their own book, as it seemed that sometimes things were a bit too hasted. I would have loved to read more about their past, and more in detail how they became the women they are now.
But that doesn’t take away my enjoyment from reading this story!

The combination of all different kind of love was wonderful, and the author shows us that love truly does come in actual different shapes and forms.
But it’s not only about finding someone to love, but also to love yourself. Because several characters have been through an emotional rollercoaster and have to find the courage to move on, and accept their internal changes to have a happy future.

Each character has an own struggle, from trying to live to high expectations, a great loss, a negative self-image or even mourning about a lost chance at love.
But what stood out the most, was the inner circle these people could always rely on. No matter what their issues were, it was sweet to see how those issues were just accepted. You can always count on your real friends to stand by your side no matter what…

I have to admit, this book as promoted as a ‘laugh – out – loud romcom’, but while I agree with the romcom, heart – warming bits, I didn’t actually laugh out loud… I did have fun yes, but I didn’t see this as a light story.
I found it entertaining, but on a more serious level than I expected. There were light and unsurprising bits, yet after finishing the book, it were the more serious parts that kept wandering in my mind.

I found this a lovely, heart – warming yet also refreshing story, about people trying to find love in a new way, but also fitting for their own specific needs. And no matter what your needs or ‘requirements’ are, those who love you, will stand by your side every step of the course!

Participating in a reality show like no other may be just what is needed

Synopsis

Isabel, Izzy to her friends, has got nothing left to lose when she makes the bravest decision of her life. 

A month living under canvas on the Yorkshire Moors with five strangers wouldn’t normally be her idea of a good time, even if there is prize money to be won at the end of it, but she’s all out of options.

Joining her in this wild goose chase, being filmed for a TV show, are farmer Seb, whose marriage is creaking but who is desperate not to lose his family. Sheltered Ruth who needs an opportunity to show she can make her own decisions. Glamorous socialite Kanga, who has been living a lie. American Junior who has his own secret that has led him there. And last but not least, mysterious and brooding Mac, who Izzy can’t help but be drawn to.

As the fickleness of nature tests them all to their limits, this disparate group come together to face the challenge. But when Izzy finally tells them the truth that has brought her out on the Moors, will that be the end of their adventure, or the beginning of her future? Because what Izzy really needs is a place to call home, and someone to share it with could be even better…

My review

In normal circumstances, Izzy would never participate in a reality show, especially when it involves living a month on the Yorkshire Moors, with five complete strangers, trying to find proof that big cats live on the Moors.
But the prize money at the end of the show may be the only solution as all her other options have run out…
With nature testing and taunting the team to their limits, slowly truths are being revealed and nothing is as it seems. And Izzy’s own truth can maybe be the end of the whole adventure, or the beginning of a bright new future? A future with a place she can finally call home?

I have read several book from this author with the greatest pleasure. I know how well she can captivate her audience, thus I was also physically prepared for a marathon reading session.
However, this turned out to be a different story than expected, and also with a different focus.

Don’t understand me wrongly, different does not equal bad. It just took me a little bit of extra time to adjust myself to this tale that turned out to be with a much bigger and important message than imagined.

It’s hard to imagine in a western world how someone who was doing rather okay would find herself in the particular situation Izzy finds herself in.
But it only shows how volatile comfort and wealth is… But Izzy also shows how resilient she is, by doing whatever she can to turn the tide.

For me personally, making the choice Izzy made would be double horror. First of all, I am not the camping/ nature kind of girl. Sleeping on the outside, in a tent with limited hygienic and other facilities would be the worst punishment for me.
And participating in a reality show, well for no money in the world I would ever do that, even if this show would appear to be different from the shows we know.

Even in this slightly innovative show the clichés of the participants seem to be confirmed. But what I liked about spending all this time with the participants, is that nothing is what it seems, for any of them…
It’s easy to create an opinion of somebody without knowing the real person behind the façade. But how often do we realize afterwards that our opinion wasn’t correct and that the truth couldn’t be more different from what we see and think.
And that is something we should always keep in mind, that what you see, isn’t always the truth…

Once I pushed the reset – button in my mind and kept not comparing this stories with Jane’s previous books, I truly started to enjoy this book. I was afraid with every mysterious noise, was suspicious with the behaviour of each character but I was also feeling relieved for the characters when their secret came out in the open as they could be their real selves again.

So while this story was not what I expected, it proofed me that, like we say in Belgium, a change in food makes you eat (literally translation 😊), meaning that a change isn’t always bad but can turn out to be a very pleasant surprise!

Can kindred spirits find each other despite society’s standards?

Synopsis

There’s a new Laird in town

Will he leave with a wife?

Angus MacDonald has just arrived in London to reclaim his land when he rescues Lady Isabella Wood from a cattle stampede! Their instant attraction is undeniable, but Isabella must wed this Season and Angus isn’t looking for a bride. His wild Hebridean home is a world away from London Society, so Isabella is completely out-of-bounds. Even if their connection is unlike anything he’s felt before.

My review

Isabella may be a Lady in name, but she has her own opinion over Society’s rules. She enjoys more a walk in the park, feeling free and talking to whomever she wants than attending balls and acting all posh.
Even when her own brother tells Isabella that she must marry before the end of the Season, she hopes that even if she really doesn’t want to marry, she can marry out of love.
But the eligible candidates don’t make her heart beat faster… there is only one man who has that effect on her, and of course he is off limits, as Angus MacDonald is a Scottish Highlander trying to reclaim his land, owned by Isabella’s brother…
And Angus is absolutely not looking for a wife, and for sure not in London!
Isabella’s and Angus’ worlds couldn’t be more apart, but since Angus rescued Isabella from a cattle stampede, their attraction and connection couldn’t be any more stronger.

I like it when there is a new chapter in a series I loved. And I can appreciate the efforts the author makes with linking the previous book with her new one, but also allowing ‘new’ readers to enjoy this book even without having read the previous book.
And this was for sure the case in this book! There are a few references to ‘A Laird For The Governess’, but you can perfectly read this story as a standalone.

It’s no secret that even if a little bit predictable, I truly enjoy reading these kind of books. And when in a case like this one, there are so lovable characters, my enjoyment was even bigger!

Living in the 21st century myself, I can only try to imagine how difficult life was for women in the Regency era. We all know that women weren’t as entitled as we are now, and that they had to follow whatever the male members of the family requested.
And things aren’t that different for Isabella, as she has to do as her brother Freddy tells her to.
But I liked it how Isabella wasn’t a sheep following the herd. She has a mind of her own, and doesn’t just accept the rules Society has. She sees people for who they are, and not what their lineage is.

Despite her status, I kept seeing Isabella as a normal young woman, that yes, has her own opinion over several things, but in the end just wants the same as us: to be happy, marry for love and to do what *she* wants to do and not because it’s expected from her.

And I saw the same in Angus. Yes, he is a Highlander also with a certain status. But his greatest wish is not a selfish one, but one for ‘his people’.
It’s obvious from every page that he cares about the people at home. But he is also protective, not only towards his sister Eilidh, but when he sees a danger he isn’t afraid to put himself in its line to protect someone else.

But Angus is also a very perceptive man. He knows how the Londoners see him, unjustified as someone ‘lesser’ than them. And while it would have been easier for him to react to this injustice, he ignores it, and at moments even better, he uses their prejudice in his own advantage!

Obviously there are some leery characters, of which some are more easily to forgive than others, and even put in place by someone unexpected, which made me laugh.

Even if the focus in this book is on Isabella and Angus, there is one (potential?) couple that piqued my interest.
And that is because both Max and Eilidh (Isabella’s brother and Angus’ sister respectively) are also so easy to like. The most I  liked it how Max learned to take his own life in hands, and not living with the thought of ‘just being a spare’.
But their presence in this book made me long to read their own story in more detail!

I just loved how two different people have yet so much in common. And obviously I found it great to read how despite their efforts to stay clear from each other, they keep on being drawn to each other, it’s just stronger then themselves!

And that fact is something that we all should keep in mind, in Regency era or the 21st century… Because no matter how different someone may seem, they may surprise us with what we do have in common, more than expected.
And those similarities are what matters, because the common ground can be the start where deeper feelings can grow…
And that takes away the predictability of the story, and turns it into something more heartfelt…