#Blogtour Bad Moon Rising by Berni Stevens

It's a pleasure to take part in the Blogtour Bad Moon Rising by Berni Stevens, it's the third book in the Immortals of London series. Thank you to Rachels Random Tours for organising the tour. Immortals of London: Dance Until Dawn, Revenge is Sweet and Bad Moon Rising.

About the Author

Berni Stevens lives in an ancient cottage in Hertfordshire, which sounds like it's in the depths of the countryside, but really isn't (because the green bits keep getting built on!) 

Berni spent four years at art college in Sussex before starting her first job in publishing as a book cover and promotions designer and then solely as a book cover designer for many of the big London publishers. She's now freelance, and designs for both publishers and many self-published authors. Although she still makes sure to leave time for her writing, and various hobbies. Berni was a finalist for the RNA Cover Designer of the Year Award both in 2021 and 2023.

Berni's first full-length novel was a paranormal romance, called Fledgling, which was first published in the US in 2011, and retitled Dance Until Dawn, made its UK debut three years later, followed by the sequel, Revenge is Sweet and so beginning the Immortals of London series. 

Veering away from the paranormal for a while, Berni's first festive RomCom, One Magical Christmas, took some people by surprise - including herself. So much so, that she wrote three more! 

With the re-appearance of the Romantasy genre ... a new paranormal romance has finally broken free – Bad Moon Rising – the third book in the Immortals of London series.

Berni can be found on Facebook, X @Berni_Stevens1, Linkedin, Instagram @berni.stevens.5/ and Threads @berni.stevens.5 come and say hello!

About the book

Rock and roll relationships are complicated. They’re even worse when one of you is a werewolf.

Stevie Vane, nightclub manager of Dusk, prefers London’s nightlife to life in the pack — fewer claws, fewer challengers, far less bloodshed.

But when tragedy strikes, Stevie is forced back into a world where dominance of the pack is won by strength… and every weakness is punished. Some new members begin a brutal contest for control, and they soon discover his greatest weakness is Kat Matthews.

Kat’s band has just landed the best gig of their career at Dusk. And the instant chemistry between her and the charismatic manager is undeniable — but so are the secrets he’s keeping. Secrets that come with sharp teeth.

As the rival wolves close in and old grudges resurface, Stevie realises it isn’t just his pack at risk. It’s the woman he loves.

Witty, romantic, and gripping, Bad Moon Rising is the third book in The Immortals of London series– where feelings run wild and loyalty can cost you everything.

Review

This series reminds me of the good old days when urban fantasy was what we now know as romantasy. When the magical and mythical added spice and took readers from the bonkbusters and the historical romances to places they had never been before.

This is the third book in the Immortals of London series - it absolutely can be read as a standalone novel, but reading the previous books gives an insight into the other couples and characters in the series.

Kat is a singer in a band who catches the attention of nightclub manager Stevie. It's fair to say that there is an instant spark, a mutual attraction, and almost fated meeting of souls. The attraction and connection is probably the reason Kat is a little blind to the oddities that come hand-in-hand with life at the nightclub Dusk. The occasional vampire or two, rogue werewolves and falling for someone who is more than just a man, sounds like life is about the get exciting and perhaps a little too dangerous.

It's a series that tugs at the heart, keeps the action going steadily in the background and has the potential to deliver a series with longevity. It's cosy with a spoonful of sugar and pinch of spice.

Buy Bad Moon Rising at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher : Independently published; Publication date : ‎26 Feb. 2026. Buy at Amazom com.

#Blogtour Sister Olive Wouldn't Hurt a Fly by Gill Calvin Thomas

It's a pleasure to take part in the Blogtour Sister Olive Wouldn't Hurt a Fly by Gill Calvin Thomas.

About the Author

Gill Calvin Thomas has retired from academic life and lives with her husband in Swanage, Dorset. She finds inspiration while walking in the Isle of Purbeck. Here, she is able to escape into a world of her own making, getting to know her characters, whilst she plans the next twist and turn of the plot. 

As writing has become a major part of Gill’s life, she has withdrawn from taking a leading role in many community volunteer activities, although she has retained her interest in local and national politics. A lifelong feminist, Gill likes nothing better than a spirited debate on the issues of the day with family and friends. As her writing career develops, she hopes to explore those issues in her stories. Visit gillthomas.co.uk

About the book

If this whole saga was a fight between good and evil, then who had won? As far as Miriam could work out, neither good nor evil had triumphed yet. Now she was having to confront the grim consequences of Will’s behaviour, and she was mortally afraid. Maybe he and his darkness would win after all. 

The tragic suicide of a young student starts a shocking chain of events for William Marshall, his wife Miriam and their son, Ollie. As Will descends into madness, a ghostly presence appears in their old house to protect Ollie. However, when two strangers threaten Miriam and an attempt is made to snatch Ollie, mother and son are forced to flee. 

Amidst ever-present danger, they shake off pursuers to seek sanctuary in Rock House in Dorset, where they meet Caitlin and her friends. Twenty years have passed since Charlie Bond helped Caitlin solve the mystery of her mother’s death. Now, it is the turn of Charlie’s sidekick, Sam Haskell, to investigate a mysterious cult and unmask a killer.

Review

I think it's fair to say that Miriam doesn't quite grasp the seriousness of the situation at first. Doesn't really comprehend how severe the differences are between her and Will. The damage his obsession with his new friends has done to their relationship and their family. That he has become a danger to them, especially to his young son.

Ollie feels as if he is being watched over by good forces, perhaps because evil is trying to gain a foothold in his life. He can feel the darkness creeping towards him, and yet simultaneously also the good trying to keep him safe.

What they are both unaware of is the fact Will is in over his head and other people have their own agenda, which may put him in danger and probably not because he is a dangerous pseudo leader of a cult.

The story could do with a once over with an eye on clarity, plot threads and better dialogue. Aside from that it's a story that has potential for more in the series. It would be better if the core aspect becomes more centric to the tale, and also deciding which thread is going to take centre stage. Is it Will, is it Olive or is it evil?

Buy Sister Olive Wouldn't Hurt a Fly at Amazon UK or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher:  Blossom Spring Publishing; pub date 18 November 2025. Buy via Amazon com.

#Blogtour I Am You by Victoria Redel

It's a pleasure to take part in the Blogtour I Am You by Victoria Redel. Published by Firefinch Books, pub date 26th of March 2026. Tour courtesy of Random Things Tours.

About the Author

Victoria Redel is a first-generation American poet and novelist. Her work has been widely anthologized, awarded, and translated in ten languages. Her debut novel, Loverboy (2001) was adapted for feature film directed by Kevin Bacon. 

Redel’s short stories, poetry and essays have appeared in Granta, The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, Bomb, One Story, Salmagundi, O and NOON. She has received fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, The National Endowment for the Arts and the Fine Arts Work Center. Victoria is a professor in the graduate and undergraduate Creative Writing programs at Sarah Lawrence College. Visit  www.victoriaredel.com

About the book

A mesmerising historical novel, I Am You is a meditation on gender, an ode to artistic creation, and an unforgettable love story that reimagines the life of renowned painter Maria van Oosterwijck during the Dutch Golden Age. 

At eight years old, Gerta Pieters is forced to disguise herself as a boy and sent to work for a genteel family. When their daughter Maria sees through Gerta’s ruse, she insists Gerta accompany her to Amsterdam and help her enter the elite, male dominated art world. 

While Maria rises in the ranks of society as a painting prodigy, Gerta makes herself invaluable in every way: confidante, muse, lover. But as Gerta steps into her own talents, their relationship fractures into a complex web of obsession and rivalry, until the secrets they keep threaten to unravel everything.

Review

I think Maria is intrigued by Pieter because her instincts tell her what she sees, experiences and draws are not exactly the same. Captivated by the young boy, the shape, the story within the story. The forbidden enabling the exploration of her talents. 

Gender, societal class structures and the imbalance of power throughout the aforementioned is one of the core drivers of the story. The other would be art and the skill, science and exploration of it. The way Pieter becomes skilled at the creation of paint, which Gerta then develops to a fine art. Simultaneously it is also about Gerta realising that by being the constant companion and support network there has been a budding artist inside the entire time.

This discovery inches its way slowly into the relationship between Maria and Gerta, and whilst at first happy to accept the accolades for creating an apprentice from a mere servant, a sense of competitiveness slowly seeps in.

It's a fascinating door to the artistry and history of both Maria von Oosterwijck and Geertje Pieters Wyntges. A smooth melding of societal pressures and oppression, and the determined path forged to make a mark and explore with impunity the freedoms others grasp with such ease. However, life always requests payment in some way or the other, often a painful one.

It's a well written intriguing read.

Buy I Am You at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Firefinch Books, pub date 26 Mar. 2026 - Hardback: 26th March 2026 Price: £16.99. Buy at Amazon com. Bookshop org. Buy via Firefinch.

#Blogtour Son by Johana Gustawsson & Thomas Enger

It's a pleasure to take part in the Blogtour Son by Johana Gustawsson & Thomas Enger, a Kari Voss Mystery. Tour courtesy of Random Things Tours. 

Johana Gustawsson & Thomas Enger - Two international bestselling crime writers from two different countries, writing in two different languages join forces to write a captivating new Nordic Noir series.

About the Author/s

Known as the Queen of French Noir, Johana Gustawsson is one of France's most highly regarded, award-winning crime writers, recipient of the prestigious Cultura Ligue de l`Imaginaire Award for her gothic mystery Yule Island. Number-one bestselling books include Block 46, Keeper, Blood Song and her historical thriller, The Bleeding. Johana lives in Sweden with her family. A former journalist, Thomas Enger is the number-one bestselling author of the Henning Juul series and, with co-author Jørn Lier Horst, the international bestselling Blix & Ramm series, and one of the biggest proponents of the Nordic Noir genre. He lives in Oslo.

Rights to Johana and Thomas’ books have been sold to a combined fifty countries and, for the first time, two crime writers, from two different countries, writing in two different languages, have joined forces to create an original series together. Find out more about Johana Gustawsson at HOME | JOHANA GUSTAWSSON and Thomas Enger

About the book

Expert on body language and memory, and consultant to the Oslo Police, psychologist Kari Voss sleepwalks through her days, and, by night, continues the devastating search for her young son, who disappeared on his birthday, seven years earlier.

Still grieving for her dead husband, and trying to pull together the pieces of her life, she is thrust into a shocking local investigation, when two teenage girls are violently murdered in a family summer home in the nearby village of Son.

When a friend of the victims is charged with the barbaric killings, it seems the case is closed, but Kari is not convinced. Using her skills and working on instinct, she conducts her own enquiries, leading her to multiple suspects, including people who knew the dead girls well...

With the help of Chief Constable Ramona Norum, she discovers that no one – including the victims – are what they seem. And that there is a dark secret at the heart of Son village that could have implications not just for her own son’s disappearance, but Kari's own life, too...

Review

Unsurprisingly Kari is driven, albeit often subconsciously, by her grief and the disappearance of her young son. It does a multitude of things, it interferes with her physical health, her decision-making and her instincts. All the aforementioned can be positive and/or negative. It can and does make the people around her doubt her instincts, training and professional experience.

When a teenage boy is suspected of a brutal murder his confession rings alarm bells for Kari. She feels as if the police have not asked the right questions and are too eager to accept the perfect solution for the hideous crime. Kari expands the net of suspects, timelines and possible motives, which puts her in direct opposition to the police and the traumatised families.

It's an intriguing well-paced read with the distinct flow of two different voices that weave a perfectly captivating story. It's not an easy feat to fit multiple creative voices into one space without one unintentionally sounding stronger than the other. This collaboration is smooth, respectful and memorable. It also leaves the reader not on a cliff-hanger per se, but rather takes us back to previous crossroads in the story, which results in a possible path to travel going forward. That means we will definitely be hearing from Kari Voss again.

Buy Son at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Orenda Books, Publication date 26th March 2026 - Paperback | £9.99 | ORENDA BOOKS. Buy at Amazon com. Bookshop org. Buy via Orenda Books.

#Blogtour Saoirse by Charleen Hurtubise

It's a pleasure to take part in the Blogtour Saoirse by Charleen Hurtubise, courtesy of #RandomThingsTours. Publishing 26th February 2026 - HB | Eriu | £16.99 - Available in Audio & eBook.

About the Author

Charleen Hurtubise has lived in Dublin, Ireland for over 25 years, having moved from Michigan, USA. She is a teacher and artist as well as a writer, and her short fiction, essays and poetry have appeared in various publications. She holds an MFA Creative Writing from University College Dublin (UCD) where she has also facilitated creative writing modules.

About the book

Can a great love survive a great deception?

In the wilds of Donegal, Ireland, 1999, Saoirse is an artist living an outwardly idyllic life. Her tender husband Daithí and two beloved daughters are regular subjects for her work, and in them she has found the safe home that she has always longed for. She tends not to talk about her past, and those that love her have learned to accept that the full story is too painful for her to disclose.

When her Dublin exhibition unexpectedly wins a prestigious award that invites a swarm of publicity, Saoirse is left panic stricken. The unanticipated recognition threatens to expose a decade's worth of buried memories and past crimes. Because what her family and friends don't know is that Saoirse has been on the run since she was seventeen, she has stolen an identity to survive, and whilst Ireland might now be her home, it wasn't her first - and now her past life is poised to reclaim her. Follow @charleen_hurtubise on Instagram

Review

If this author isn't already on your radar, then she should be and I am happy to see her get more of the recognition she deserves for her excellent writing and exemplary storytelling. Although this has less of a literary fiction feel than her Polite Act of Drowning, it is equally as gripping and memorable.

The exploration of emotional layers built like a pyramid brick by brick gives the story an imperceptible instability within the outside appearance of control and an almost nonchalant-like stability. Saoirse is a product and victim of her childhood, which also accounts for the majority of her choices. Risk taking, ignoring gut instincts and succumbing to her fate, even when that leads her on paths that are filled with fear, oppression and violence.

I enjoyed the way the last few chapters gave a more non-fictional view of attitudes and opinions about Sarah, instead of bending to a more frivolous fictional ending. It's also quite timely given the current dismissive attitude towards crimes against children at the moment. Internalised misogyny, victim-blaming, the blind support of men who rule the world and treat women with violence and cruelty. There is no such thing as an underage woman (or man), they are called children. Sarah the child. Saoirse the woman who is still Sarah the child.

Saoirse makes decisions in the moment, often with the best interest of others in mind. To an outsider it may appear calculated, but there is a tendency to save others before self. She is hypervigilant and vulnerable in equal measures, ergo recognising why Paul is a threat and falling prey to his abusive nature, despite it seeming to be a contradiction. Not unusual for a personality and instinct forged in fear, survival and emotional turmoil.

I really enjoyed the read. It has the making of a story told on-screen, the type of book and story that stays with you.

Buy Saoirse at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Published by Eriu - Bonnier Books Uk, pub date 26th February 2026. Buy at Amazon com. Buy via Bookshop org.

#Blogtour One Little Mistake by Miranda Rijks

It's a pleasure to take part in the Blogtour One Little Mistake by Miranda Rijks. Published 9th November 2025 by Inkubator Books.

About the Author

Miranda Rijks is a writer of fast-paced, twisty psychological thrillers many of which have been Amazon bestsellers. She has an eclectic background ranging from law to running a garden centre. 

After surviving bone cancer, Miranda turned to writing and is now living the dream, writing suspense novels full time. 

She lives in West Sussex, England with her Dutch husband and two black Labradors and spends as much time as she can in the Swiss Alps. Follow @MirandaRijks on X, @mirandarijksauthor on Instagram, Visit mirandarijks.com

About the book

They were best friends forever. Then Kate made one little mistake…

Kate thought the spreadsheet was harmless—a private ranking of her four best friends detailing their various strengths and weaknesses. But when it leaks online and goes viral, her carefully curated life implodes.

Social invitations vanish, her business crumbles, even her marriage starts to fall apart. It’s as if the silken thread that has been holding everything together has been pulled and now it’s all unravelling.

And it gets worse. Someone on the list seems to be out for revenge, determined to destroy whatever is left of Kate’s perfect life. As anonymous threats multiply and her son falls mysteriously ill, Kate doesn’t know where to turn or who to trust.

Then, as the fallout from the list turns deadly, she finally understands that her one little mistake could cost her everything – including her life.

Review

Just me, am I the only person who found the entire plot swam in the morally grey waters of humanity? I found Kate terribly privileged, conceited, hypocritical and frankly nobody I would care to call friend.

It's a worrying Kodak snapshot of society with an emphasis on female friendship groups. The judgemental nature between both groups and individuals, the invasive and destructive weaponry of social media. Which invisible rule dictates that we must be part of a group of female friends, have best friends or be tied together for a lifetime? Deluding ourselves into thinking that a childhood companion will also be the right fit in adulthood or indeed that the rules of friendship should be applied with a rigor akin to legal instruction embedded in law.

When you pick it apart the story is a fascinating reflection of societal norms and expectations in friendships, but perhaps more importantly the often vicious and toxic relationships between women. In fact, aside from the biggest threat to women in general - we all know the answer to that - the second biggest threat to women are other women. Sad state of affairs.

The attempted destruction of Kate, her reputation and her life, is the beginning of this tense story. An unravelling of her relationships and close scrutiny of her friendship group - ending with unexpected volatility. It's an uncomfortable read at times and a good one. Oh, and if you take anything away from at all, it should be don't make spreadsheets like this - ever. Tut, tut, Kate.

Buy One Little Mistake at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher ‏: ‎Inkubator Books, pub date 9th November 2025. Buy at Amazon com. 

#Blogtour Vengeful Women by Melanie Blake

It's a pleasure to take part in the Blogtour for the third book in the Falcon Bay series - Vengeful Women by Melanie Blake published 6th November 2025 by Piranha Publishing.

If you're following the tour you will have already seen the Q&A with Melanie Blake that is happening on each stop - question by question and some really intriguing answers to delight fans and readers. Here we go, let's see who Melanie would love to spend some time with:

If you could have dinner with 3 authors, dead or alive, who would they be and why?

1. Shirley Conran because she stands alone. There’s never been another Lace. I’d never run out of questions for her.

2. Jackie Collins because I’d just love her company. I’ve only met her once but I’ve followed her for years. She’d be the best guest – funny, sharp, proper old-school Hollywood. I also want to ask her how much sibling rivalry there was with Joan. I bet that was a saga in itself.

3. And Jacqueline Susann, because I’d want to know how she beat the system that was built to stop her - and how many bottles of Dom she ordered when she finally got her bestseller. Although I think Jacqueline and Jackie might get rivalrous around that table. People said that Jackie copied Jacqueline, and I’d love to see their faces when that came up…

About the Author

Melanie Blake has her own rags-to-riches story, just like her characters. At 15, she was told by her school career advisors that her decision to go work at a record shop proved she wouldn't go far in her career. They were wrong. By 21 she was working at the BBC's iconic Top of the Pops and by 27 she was one of the UK's leading music and entertainment managers. She then built an acting agency specialising in soap stars which become the most successful independent boutique agency in the UK. 

Melanie's first novel The Thunder Girls became a paperback bestseller in 2019 and her most recent novels Ruthless Women and Guilty Women were bot top ten Sunday Times bestsellers in hardback. She has sold over 300,000 copies of her books worldwide. Follow her on X @MelanieBlakeUK and Instagram @MelanieBlakeUK

About the book

From Sunday Times bestselling author Melanie Blake comes a gripping new chapter in the Falcon Bay series ― where showbiz glamour collides with dark secrets, and women who’ve lost everything are ready to fight back.

On a private island off the coast of England, five powerful women sit in jail, awaiting trial for manslaughter: a world-famous soap star, an ambitious talent agent, a ruthless producer, a brilliant screenwriter and a cougar casting director.

The man who put them there, their long-term nemesis Jake Monroe, is cashing in – turning the island they once ruled into a twisted theme park crowned by the world’s tallest skyscraper. While the women plot revenge, old secrets that could change everything begin to surface.

The glossy veneer of their showbiz world was shattered when they were incarcerated and the rot beneath the red carpets and studio lights is beginning to show… and meanwhile, a journalist chasing the truth behind an American serial killer is uncovering stories that could destroy everything – and everyone.

As the body count climbs and the women’s trial date looms, Jake’s empire teeters. Because one thing is certain. Hell has no fury… like vengeful women.

Review

It would be fair to say that Blake is carving out her own uncontested space that was previously ruled by the Grande dames of bonkbusters. Her books have the same flair for negligee swirling divas who like their men robust, their romps fulfilling and their drama hot, just like the tea they serve from page to page.

Farrah, Amanda, Catherine and Helen are behind bars awaiting their trial for manslaughter after the death of their co-worker, Madeline Kane. Do you remember that spectacular incident on live television? No, then you should absolutely read the first two books in the series. What ensues is a captivating game of vengeance and scores that need to be settled.

Be warned though, Jake is still a tosspot who deserves to be fed to hungry sharks, and the main characters - the women of course - are still ten shades of neither here nor there when it comes to morality, but then morality has always been overrated and a smidgen of immorality is always quite fun. Something wicked this way comes and all that jazz.

This is the third book in the Falcon Bay series and can I just say the twist is an homage, a small nod, to Conran - nicely done. At this point, especially after the bold move of bringing the world of Cooper to the small screen, it would be a hoot to see the same happen with this series. The casting would have to be on point though!

Buy Vengeful Women at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher ‏: ‎Piranha Publishing, pub date 6th November 2025. Buy at Amazon com. Via Waterstones. Via Bookshop.org.