#Blogtour The Drownings by Hazel Barkworth

Celebrating the paperback release of The Drownings by Hazel Barkworth - publication date 10th April 2025, published by Headline Review | £10.99 | Paperback.

'From the critically acclaimed author of Heatstroke, The Drownings is a captivating and intoxicatingly atmospheric novel about competition, obsession and influence; about female rage, and how the darkness of the unconfronted past continues to haunt our present.'

About the Author

Hazel grew up in Stirlingshire and North Yorkshire before studying English at Oxford. She is a graduate of both the Oxford University MSt in Creative Writing and the Curtis Brown Creative Novel-Writing course. Hazel works as a cultural consultant, delving into the cultural topics and conversations with most pertinence. This fascination sparked the themes explored in both of her novels. Her debut novel Heatstroke was a Cosmopolitan Best Book of the Summer in 2020. The Drownings was written back in the streets of her own university days, where the ghosts of her student self were lurking around every corner. She now lives in York with her partner.

About the book

University wasn’t in the plan. But when a catastrophic knee injury destroys Serena’s future as an Olympic swimmer, the years of brutal training and spellbinding manifestation lead her to Leysham, a dark and gloomy university campus in the north. 

Walking home at night, Serena stumbles on a young woman floundering in the viscous and freezing waters that snake through the campus. Helped by a mysterious older woman, they drag the student from the water to safety.

Attending an enthralling lecture shortly after, Serena instantly recognises the woman speaking. It is Jane – the woman who helped Serena save a life. And as Jane speaks, Serena’s eyes are opened to the history of witch trials, misogyny and murder that lives in Leysham’s waters, and continues to infect the present day, with drink spiking and sexual assaults rife on campus.

Captivated by the older woman, Serena and her cousin Zara, a rising star of social media, launch a campaign to force the university to confront the misogyny and violence which haunts Leysham. But as protests flare across the campus, a simmering rivalry takes hold between the cousins. And when cracks start to appear in Jane’s motives, everything spirals out of control…

Review

I'm not even sure whether any screen version could do this the justice it deserves. It would take a simultaneous narration throughout to capture the way Serena interacts with her inner thoughts and self. The constant exploration of past, present and future, the way the doubtful introvert blossoms into the uncontrollable extrovert who is set alight by imagined transgressions.

However, the most powerful connection and conversation is the one Serena has with water. It's almost a compulsion and intrinsically linked to her failure, her success, her drive and power. The first chapters highlight this overwhelming obsession with bodies of water - no matter how large and in what setting. 

Alongside this larger than life character, who is for all intent and purposes, the wallflower and the quiet observer; is Zara. Zara is the complete opposite and also the cousin who wants to stand in the spotlight and be heralded as voice of change. 

Set to a background of a long line of past transgressions against women, which emboldens the present population of young men to view women in their vicinity as prey. The two young women become enmeshed in a rebellion of sorts, a fierce stand against misogyny and the patriarchal systems that protect the predators - always.

I really enjoyed this, perhaps because the author has the ability to write with a flair of lyrical prose then flip to social interactions and scenes that have a more abrupt and intense style. It makes the reader wonder whether Serena is on the precipice of something, a cliff or a realisation, then again it could simply be a discovery and regaining of self. Loved it! It's a brilliant read.

Buy The Drownings at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Headline Review - pub date 10th April 2025 | £10.99 | Paperback. Buy via Bookshop.org

#Blogtour Mary I: Queen of Sorrows by Alison Weir

It's a pleasure to take part in the Blogtour Mary I: Queen of Sorrows by Alison Weir. - Sunday Times bestselling novelist Alison Weir returns with the spellbinding story of Mary I.

About the Author

Alison Weir is a bestselling historical novelist of Tudor fiction, and the leading female historian in the United Kingdom. She has published more than thirty books, including many leading works of non-fiction, and has sold over three million copies worldwide.

Her novels include the Tudor Rose trilogy, which spans three generations of history’s most iconic family - the Tudors, and the highly acclaimed Six Tudor Queens series about the wives of Henry VIII, all of which were Sunday Times bestsellers.

Alison is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and an honorary life patron of Historic Royal Palaces. Follow @AlisonWeirBooks on X, Visit alisonweir.org.uk

About the book

A Destiny Rewritten. A Royal Heart Divided. - Adored only child of Henry VIII and his Queen, Katherine of Aragon, Princess Mary is raised in the golden splendour of her father’s court. But the King wants a son and heir.

With her parents’ marriage, and England, in crisis, Mary’s perfect world begins to fall apart. Exiled from the court and her beloved mother, she seeks solace in her faith, praying for her father to bring her home. But when the King does promise to restore her to favour, his love comes with a condition.

The choice Mary faces will haunt her for years to come – in her allegiances, her marriage and her own fight for the crown. Can she become the queen she was born to be?

Mary I. Her Story. - Alison Weir’s new Tudor novel is the tale, full of drama and tragedy, of how a princess with such promise, loved by all who knew her, became the infamous Bloody Mary.

Review

I think this book, and Weir in her accurate interpretation of Mary, reminds us of the fact that Henry VIII destroyed many lives and had a negative impact on the women around him in particular. Both Mary I and her sister Elizabeth I are direct products of their unstable childhood and a father who was a pure narcissist in his private life and choices. 

It's ironic, that any other action considered to be one of greatness and a sign of his rich education, intellectual ability and great mind, is outshone by his misogyny and cruel treatment of family, friends and often his own country. Also perhaps that Elizabeth became more of a king than he ever was, and simply denied him the legitimate direct descendancy he sought.

I do enjoy a good author's note, especially when it sheds such an informative light on inspiration, direction and illuminates a path often tethered in revisionary versions of history, and that most definitely includes the way Mary I is viewed and discussed.

I also lean towards the more factual and brutal version when it comes to Mary. A girl who saw her mother set aside and treated with disdain, a mother who was deeply ingrained in her faith - an element mirrored in her daughter. The breaking of marriage being intrinsically linked to breaking with Rome probably became one and the same for mother and daughter, which explains the vicious approach Bloody Mary had in response to alleged heresy. Her lack of diplomacy when picking a spouse is indicative of where her loyalties lay, and of course the people recognised that.

It's the ability to fill in the holes, the lack of information in historical record, and create a more accurate version of an historical character - a trademark Weir move. The result is a riveting read and much deeper insight into the years after Henry VIII, more specifically the years of rulership under his legitimate heirs that are often glossed over.

Buy Mary I: Queen of Sorrows at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Headline Review; pub date 9 may 2024 - Hardback, eBook, Audiobook | £25. Buy at Amazon com.

#Blogtour The Figurine by Victoria Hislop

 It's my turn on the Blogtour The Figurine by Victoria Hislop.

About the Author

Inspired by a visit to Spinalonga, the abandoned Greek leprosy colony, Victoria Hislop wrote The Island in 2005. It became an international bestseller, has sold more than 6 million copies and was turned into a 26-part Greek TV series. She was named Newcomer of the Year at the British Book Awards and is now an ambassador for Lepra.

Her affection for the Mediterranean then took her to Spain, and in the number one bestseller The Return she wrote about the painful secrets of its civil war. In The Thread, Victoria returned to Greece to tell the turbulent tale of Thessaloniki and its people across the twentieth century. Shortlisted for a British Book Award, it confirmed her reputation as an inspirational storyteller.

Her fourth novel, The Sunrise, about the Turkish invasion of Cyprus and the enduring ghost town of Famagusta, was a Sunday Times number one bestseller. Cartes Postales from Greece, fiction illustrated with photographs, was a Sunday Times bestseller in hardback and one of the biggest selling books of 2016.

The poignant and powerful Those Who Are Loved, was a Sunday Times number one hardback bestseller in 2019 and explores a tempestuous period of modern Greek history through the eyes of a complex and compelling heroine.

Victoria's most recent novel, One August Night, returned to Crete in the long-anticipated sequel to The Island. It spent twelve weeks in the Top 10 hardback fiction charts.

Her books have been translated into forty languages and Victoria was executive producer on the adaptations of three of her novels for Greek television.

Victoria divides her time between England and Greece and in 2020, was granted honorary citizenship by the President of Greece. She was recently appointed patron of Knossos 2025, which is raising funds for a new research centre at one of Greece's most significant archaeological sites. She is also on the British Committee for the Reunification of the Parthenon Marbles.

Victoria was recently granted an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Sheffield. Follow @VicHislop on X (the artist formerly known as Twitter)

About the book

In her irresistible new novel, Sunday Times No 1 bestselling author Victoria Hislop shines a light on the questionable acquisition of cultural treasures and the price people - and countries - will pay to cling on to them.

Of all the ancient art that captures the imagination, none is more appealing than the Cycladic figurine. An air of mystery swirls around these statuettes from the Bronze Age and they are highly sought after by collectors - and looters - alike.

When Helena inherits her grandparents' apartment in Athens, she is overwhelmed with memories of the summers she spent there as a child, when Greece was under a brutal military dictatorship. Her remote, cruel grandfather was one of the regime's generals and as she sifts through the dusty rooms, Helena discovers an array of valuable objects and antiquities. How did her grandfather amass such a trove? What human price was paid for them?

Helena's desire to find answers about her heritage dovetails with a growing curiosity for archaeology, ignited by a summer spent with volunteers on a dig on an Aegean island. Their finds fuel her determination to protect the precious fragments recovered from the baked earth - and to understand the origins of her grandfather's collection. Helena's attempt to make amends for some of her grandfather's actions sees her wrestle with the meaning of 'home', both in relation to looted objects of antiquity...and herself.

Review

The story opens up a dialogue on a contentious issue, the acquisition of culturally significant treasures from foreign countries. Taken during the occupations, the colonisation and in the name of research and history, they fill our museums and in some cases the homes of the private collectors.

However many of the origin countries want their antiquities back, due to their historical importance and perhaps to restore collections to their entirety. Britain isn't interested in doing so, and they argue for instance that the objects are safer with them than somewhere they could be damaged or destroyed. A little bit like scolding the naughty child who doesn't understand the importance of the item. I digress.

Helena visits her grandparents in Greece every year from a certain age, and although she eventually understands the tension between her grandparents and that her grandfather is quite unpleasant at times, but what she is unable to fully comprehend is the complexity of the political and historical tensions in her mother's country of origin.

It's very much a story about inhabiting a small cosmos in a family dynamic and being unable to fully understand that both parents and their parents before them have lived lives and perhaps been pivotal figures in the lives of others, and not in a positive way. How does one reconcile cruelty in blood relations, especially when they are the cause of despair in others? Then equally it's about the desecration and plundering of antiquities.

Buy The Figurine at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher ‏: ‎ Review, pub date 28 Sept. 2023. Buy Amazon com.

#Blogtour Henry VIII: The Heart and The Crown by Alison Weir

 It's a pleasure to take part in the Blogtour Henry VIII: The Heart & The Crown by Alison Weir.

Six Wives. One King. This is the story you've been waiting for. You know their stories. Now it's time to hear his.

About the Author

Alison Weir is a bestselling historical novelist of Tudor fiction, and the leading female historian in the United Kingdom. She has published more than thirty books, including many leading works of non-fiction, and has sold over three million copies worldwide. 

Her novels include the Tudor Rose trilogy, which spans three generations of history’s most iconic family – the Tudors, and the highly acclaimed Six Tudor Queens series about the wives of Henry VIII, all of which were Sunday Times bestsellers. Alison is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and an honorary life patron of Historic Royal Palaces. Follow @AlisonWeirBooks on Twitter, Visit alisonweir.org.uk

About the book

Alison Weir, No. 1 Sunday Times bestselling author of the Six Tudor Queens series, returns with the second in a captivating new trio of novels spanning three generations of history's most iconic family, the Tudors.

A young boy grows up dreaming of knights and chivalry. Harry is the second son. He is never meant to rule. But the death of his brother changes everything, and great destiny awaits this young prince. One day he will be the most infamous king in English history. - HENRY VIII. HIS STORY.

Review 

It's fascinating how a different perspective, added information and the ability to leave a very deeply embedded image of Henry VIII to the side, can result in meeting a completely new version of the infamous monarch.

I came away with a better understanding of the man he became and why and was able to feel empathy and sympathy for the boy, the man, and the king. It doesn't excuse his actions and choices, but the way the author has looked beyond the established narrative helps us to understand the possible motivation.

The glossing over of his years with Katherine and the deaths of their many infants -  it explains his obsession with an heir just a tad more, especially given the way he himself became the heir to the throne. The equally destructive obsession with faithfulness and that his wives be free of any suggestion of promiscuity, a point often driven home when it came to debating Katherine and her suitability as possible future wife to Henry.

I really enjoyed this, especially because it makes the seemingly erratic and often cruel decisions much clearer if seen through the lens of the spare who feels guilt for wanting to be king and then actually becoming the surviving heir. The child who loses the mother whose love, guidance and support could have raised a different man. The boy and young man who spends an entire lifetime subconsciously and consciously hearing and acting upon what his father taught him, a father who viewed him as a tool of power.

Weir takes the history we know by heart and makes it intriguing, but more importantly she makes us question well-known narratives and look for every voice in the story.

Buy Henry VIII: The Heart & the Crown at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher ‏: ‎Headline Review; pub date 11 May 2023 | Hardback, audio & e-book | £25.00. Buy at Amazon com. Buy via Headline.

#Paperback #Blogtour Isaac and the Egg by Bobby Palmer

It's a pleasure to take part in the Blogtour Isaac and the Egg by Bobby Palmer.

About the Author

Bobby Palmer is a freelance journalist who writes for publications including Time Out, GQ, Men's Health and Cosmopolitan. Isaac and the Egg is his debut novel. Follow @thebobpalmer on Twitter

About the book

Heartbreaking and heart-stealing, this bestselling modern-day fable is an unforgettable novel about sorrow, joy, friendship and love. When Isaac Addy walks into the woods on the worst day of his life and finds something extraordinary there, he already knows he's going to take it home.

A grieving Isaac and his curious new friend are unlikely companions. They don't even speak the same language. But their chance encounter will transform Isaac's life in ways he cannot yet imagine. And maybe he will finally be able to tell the truth.

Sometimes, to get out of the woods, you have to go into them. Isaac and the Egg is one of the most hopeful, honest and wildly imaginative novels you will ever read.

Review

The reader meets Isaac in the grip of heightened emotions, at his lowest and on a precipice. End the pain and the torment with death. Until something happens or rather something intervenes, which changes the course of his plans - at least for that moment in time. 

Interesting. It's literary fiction with an element of magical realism. I suppose it also depends on how to want to engage with and view Egg. Is Egg a reality? Or is Egg a fiction of his imagination, to be more precise is Egg his coping mechanism?

The manifestation of Egg begins at the peak of the grief, desperation and an inch before committing suicide. Isaac is in a physical and emotional tug-of-war. Nothing to feel on this side of choice - life. Certainly even less on the other side - jumping off a bridge. He hears what I can only refer to as a core primal scream. Core emotions vented.

Now, is that scream not only him, but experienced as external, ergo as Egg. Is it also his subconscious will to survive coming forward as a more vocal conscious state? Each action and expression by Egg is in fact Isaac, which is why the story ends the way it does. Well, that's my interpretation and I am sticking with it.

It's the kind of book or story that might be a bit of a Marmite experience. I found it an intriguing piece of work and look forward to more by this author.  

Buy Isaac and the Egg at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher : ‎Headline Review; pub date 18 Aug. 2022. Buy at Amazon com.

#BlogTour River Sing Me Home by Eleanor Shearer

 It's an absolute pleasure to take part in the BlogTour River Sing Me Home by Eleanor Shearer.

About the Author

Eleanor Shearer is a mixed-race writer and the granddaughter of Windrush generation immigrants. She splits her time between London and Ramsgate so that she never has to go too long without seeing the sea. For her Master’s degree in Politics at the University of Oxford, Eleanor studied the legacy of slavery and the case for reparations, and her fieldwork in St. Lucia and Barbados helped inspire her first novel. Follow @eleanorbshearer on Twitter

About the book

Powerful, moving and redemptive, River Sing Me Home tells of a mother’s desperate search to find her stolen children and her freedom.

We whisper the names of the ones we love like the words of a song. That was the taste of freedom to us, those names on our lips. Mary Grace, Micah, Thomas Augustus, Cherry Jane and Mercy. These are the names of her children. The five who survived, only to be sold to other plantations. The faces Rachel cannot forget. It’s 1834, and the law says her people are now free. 

But for Rachel freedom means finding her children, even if the truth is more than she can bear. With fear snapping at her heels, Rachel keeps moving. From sunrise to sunset, through the cane fields of Barbados to the forests of British Guiana and on to Trinidad, to the dangerous river and the open sea. Only once she knows their stories can she rest. Only then can she finally find home.

Review

The thought of finally being able to grasp freedom, the wisp of the possibility is whisked away just a quickly, as plantation owners exchange one type of slavery for another. It sets something in motion in Rachel, who has endured loss and grief, and in a moment of unimaginable bravery she sets forth on a journey.

She runs. For herself and her children. She listens for them in the leaves, the people, the land that is both prison and presentation of creation. She searches for the connection she has lost. The only thread to herself and in a way to a past she will never be able to return to. This is a story of love, of heart and above of strength.

What I take away from this is the author's thought that women decide not to let themselves be defined by the cruelty they have experienced. It would be so simple, and understandable, for these men and women to scorch the earth with their pain. Indeed is there really any way, especially for the perpetrators and their descendants to ever comprehend what has been wrought upon victims of slavery. That the roots of their families, cultures, heritage, sense of safety and belonging were severed and destroyed beyond recognition. Their path and history forever changed.

It's a beautifully written story enmeshed in the harsh truth of ruthless profiteering. The stories living in the fractured reality and core strength of the survivors. It is simultaneously a painful open wound - a reminder of the atrocities, and a hauntingly melodic song of connection and recognition.

Buy River Sing Me Home at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher ‏: ‎Headline Review, pub date 19 Jan. 2023. Buy at Amazon com. Buy via Headline.

#Blogtour Should I Tell You? by Jill Mansell

 

A bit late, this is my turn on the Blogtour Should I Tell You? by Jill Mansell.

About the Author

Jill Mansell is the author of over twenty Sunday Times bestsellers including The One You Really Want and Meet Me at Beachcomber Bay.  Take a Chance on Me won the RNA’s Romantic Comedy Prize, and in 2015 the RNA presented Jill with an outstanding achievement award. 

Jill started writing fiction while working in the field of Clinical Neurophysiology in the NHS, but now writes full time. She lives in Bristol with her family. Follow @JillMansell on Twitter, Visit jillmansell.co.uk, 

About the book

Amber, Lachlan and Raffaele met as teenagers in the seaside home of kind-hearted foster parents. Arriving in glorious Cornwall was the best thing that ever happened to them - and now, as adults, their bond is stronger than ever.

But Amber has a secret. She's in love with Lachlan. She can't confess her feelings because that would never work. Restless Lachlan dates a lot and definitely isn't the settling-down type. Surely it's better to keep him as a friend than to risk losing him for good?

Raffaele has his own dilemma. He had the dream girlfriend in Vee, until it all went horribly wrong . . . and he still can't understand why. Is Vee hiding something from him?

Now their widowed foster dad Teddy thinks he's found love again. Younger, charming and strikingly beautiful, is Olga as perfect as she seems? Or will she end up breaking Teddy's heart?

Against a backdrop of sparkling seas and sunny skies, the unexpected is always just around the corner. Welcome to Lanrock!

Review

Amber, Lachlan and Raffaele have the kind of bond that endures anything. Brought together by the isolation in their lives, and the people who were kind enough to take them on and show them love and respect. It's easy to see why they might struggle individually with decisions in life, especially when it comes to experiencing love, friendship and genuine emotion from someone.

It makes it harder to be honest when relationships change from friendship to romantic love. It's even harder when life has taught you that trust is something earned, especially when a lack of it is at the core of your very structure.

There is this scene in the last few chapters, which is probably supposed to be an amusing incident with the intent to show the level of anxiety and lack of confidence Amber has in herself and Lachlan. I didn't think it was funny, quite the opposite really, and I am sure if the roles were reversed there would be an outcry.

It's a light read. One that is steeped in insecurity and with an air of juvenile carelessness. Life is chaotic and so are relationships sometimes. Messy, complicated, and often never run in a straight line. If you doubt something or someone so much, the question is whether you should open yourself up wide enough to let them in - they might hurt you.

Buy Should I Tell You? at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publishing in paperback by Headline Review on 9th June 2022, £8.99. Buy at Amazon com.

#BlogTour Always, in December by Emily Stone

It's my turn on the BlogTour Always, in December by Emily Stone, and the tagline Because some books are too good to wait until Christmas... is absolutely spot on!

About the Author

Emily Stone lives and works in Chepstow and wrote Always, in December in an old Victorian manor house with an impressive literary heritage. Her debut novel was partly inspired by the death of her mother, when Emily was seven, and wanting to write something that reflected the fact that you carry this grief into adulthood, long after you supposedly move on from the event itself. Follow @EmStoneWrites on Twitter

About the book

For fans of One Day in December and Me Before You, Always, in December is the timeless, stay-up-all-night love story you’ll take straight to your heart.

Josie Morgan never looks forward to December. It’s always a reminder of the life she lost, twenty years ago. Now, she always switches off the radio when Christmas music comes on. She always wants to tear down the tinsel her flatmate insists on pinning up. And she always posts a letter she knows will never be read.

Max Carter never expected to find himself stranded in London just days before Christmas. He never expected it would be so hard to say goodbye to a woman he hardly knows. Then again, he never expected to fall in love.

But, this December, when Josie’s letter leads her to Max, a chance encounter will change their lives in the most remarkable way. And their story is only just beginning . . .

From London to Manhattan, from Edinburgh to the English countryside, Always, in December is a romantic journey that’s impossible to forget.

Review

Josie doesn't like Christmas or anything to do with Christmas time. It's a time she connects with trauma, pain and sadness, and on top of that she is dealing with a crushing betrayal. An accidental collision slowly gives her a new perspective on life and what she expects from life and those in her life.

Max certainly didn't expect to find somebody like Josie by accident. She opens his eyes, which is especially important given the fact he is going through a tumultuous time himself. 

I always enjoy a contemporary romance or read that doesn't feel the need to give readers the ending they tend to prefer. Instead it is very much a heartfelt, authentic experience of two people recognising what the other needs, especially when it comes to Josie. Sometimes you meet a person who will teach you a life lesson that will stay with you forever - the trick is knowing it when it happens.

I enjoyed the easy flow of the dialogue and the story, you could feel the characters connecting with each other and genuinely become invested in the outcome of their stories. I think Stone definitely has the potential to write with incredible depth and this is merely skimming the surface.

Buy Always, in December at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Headline; pub date 14th October 2021 I £7.99 I Paperback Original. Also available as audiobook and ebook. Buy at Amazon com.

#BlogTour And Now You're Back by Jill Mansell

 It's my turn on the BlogTour And Now You're Back by Jill Mansell.

About the Author

Jill Mansell is the author of over twenty Sunday Times bestsellers including The One You Really Want and Meet Me at Beachcomber Bay.  Take a Chance on Me won the RNA’s Romantic Comedy Prize, and in 2015 the RNA presented Jill with an outstanding achievement award. 

Jill’s personal favourite amongst her novels is Three Amazing Things About You, which is about cystic fibrosis and organ donation; to her great delight, many people have joined the organ donor register as a direct result of reading this novel.

Jill started writing fiction while working in the field of Clinical Neurophysiology in the NHS, but now writes full time. She lives in Bristol with her family. 

Follow @JillMansell @headlinepg on Twitter, Follow on Goodreads, Follow OfficialJillMansell on Facebook, Visit jillmansell.co.uk, 

About the book

One magical winter's night in Venice, Didi fell in love. But it ended - and he left without even saying goodbye. Now, thirteen years on, Shay Mason is back.

The old spark is still there, but Didi's determined to ignore it. As manager of a stunning Cotswolds hotel, she's happy at last, and soon to be married. Anyway, Shay isn't staying. He's made a promise to his father. He's going to keep it. And then he'll be gone.

But Shay's return stirs up long-forgotten emotions, and the scandal that led him to leave raises its head once again. It's time for buried secrets to come to light. And it seems that this was someone's intention all along . . .

Review

It's like a scene out of a Christmas romance movie. Boy and girl meet under the stars, play in the snow and fall helplessly in love. And so begins a story of disappointment and heartbreak, but also a story everyone tends to look back on with fondness.

Based on Didi's track record there seems to be a subconscious part of her which hasn't let go of her teenage romance - the idea of those moments of romantic perfection. The wistful feeling of nostalgia that keeps her from committing or is it the fact she has reason not to trust men, and that reason is Shay.

It's unfortunate that Shay seems to be playing up to what people expect of him. The guy who doesn't fit with the more privileged and wealthy crowd he was hanging out with. The man who broke her heart - the question is whether he is back to do it again?

The secondary characters kind of steal the limelight a bit, and make Didi and Shay fade into the background a little. I kind of enjoyed it, because it gave the story a fresher feel in a story with an outcome you can kind of see coming. The strong cast surrounding the main characters drive the read and keep this tale of push and pull going strong. Mansell delivers a lovely escapism read.

Buy And Now You're Back at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher ‏ : ‎ Headline Review pub date 21 Jan. 2021. Buy at Amazon com.

#Blogtour The Drowned City by K. J. Maitland

 It's my turn on the Blogtour The Drowned City by K. J. Maitland.

About the Author

Karen Maitland is an historical novelist, lecturer and teacher of Creative Writing, with over twenty books to her name. She grew up in Malta, which inspired her passion for history, and travelled and worked all over the world before settling in the United Kingdom. She has a doctorate in psycholinguistics, and now lives on the edge of Dartmoor in Devon. Visit karenmaitland.com

About the book

The first in an exciting new series from an expert writer at the height of her powers. Gunpowder and treason changed England forever. But the tides are turning and revenge runs deep...

1606. A year to the day that men were executed for conspiring to blow up Parliament, a towering wave devastates the Bristol Channel. Some proclaim God’s vengeance. Others seek to take advantage.

In London, Daniel Pursglove lies in prison waiting to die. But Charles FitzAlan, close adviser to King James I, has a job in mind that will free a man of Daniel’s skill from the horrors of Newgate. If he succeeds. For Bristol is a hotbed of Catholic spies, and where better for the lone conspirator who evaded arrest, one Spero Pettingar, to gather allies than in the chaos of a drowned city? Daniel journeys there to investigate FitzAlan’s lead, but soon finds himself at the heart of a dark Jesuit conspiracy - and in pursuit of a killer.

Review

On the back of a catastrophe that people think has been caused by an angered God or perhaps the foot soldiers of Satan, Daniel Pursglove is released from Newgate. The adviser to King James wants Daniel to find a lone elusive conspirator to the infamous Gunpowder plot. Instead he finds himself drawn into the hunt for a killer.

What I found incredibly intriguing was imagining how a natural catastrophe, such as the flood, tidal wave or the surge of 1606 would have been perceived a few centuries ago. In the 21st century we know why they happen, but are no less overwhelmed by the sudden appearance and the destruction such events leave in their wake.

In the 17th century it would have been perceived as an unnatural occurrence and connected to anything odd or inexplicable. Dots connecting people to witchcraft, which gives allowance to scapegoating. The author captures the superstition, paranoia and sense of comfort derived from blaming someone else.

It's a combination of historical crime and a mystery. It takes plenty of fact and fiction to create a riveting read that teaches and captivates at the same time. I really enjoyed the descriptive and often poetic prose. Maitland has a knack, although I do think it sometimes drifted off into a less structured style. Either way it was a great read.

Buy The Drowned City at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.  Publisher: Headline Review: pub date 1st April 2021 | Hardback | £16.99. Available as ebook and audiobook. Buy at hive.