Left on the Shelf

About the Author

Jenny O’Brien writes complex thrillers and heartbreaking historical fiction, as well as intriguing romances. Silent Cry, initially self published, topped the Amazon kindle chart in both the UK and the USA. Most of her books have followed suit.

Jenny has over 40 years experience as a qualified nurse. She turned to creative writing as a hobby when her children were born.

Born in Ireland, she now lives in Guernsey with her husband and children.

BOOK NEWS

The Resistance Knitting Club came out in February, 2026. A blend of Jenny’s two hobbies - knitting and reading. For more check out The Resistance Knitting Club Facebook Page. Join the conversation as well as share your crafting projects.

You can also find Jenny at:

Facebook

(ARC and media courtesy of Rachel's Random Resources)

(author photo courtesy of her Instagram page)

(all opinions are my own)

(Bookshop.org affiliated)

Tuesday, 10 February 2026

Fireflies in Winter by Eleanor Shearer - #bookreview

The Trial - 1798

Halifax County Court is a stage waiting for its players. The judge's place is empty, as is the dock, enclosed on all sides but one. This is where the accused will stand...

The Blurb

Nova Scotia 1796. Cora, an orphan newly arrived from Jamaica, has never felt cold like this. In the depths of winter, everyone in her community huddles together in their homes to keep warm. So when she sees a shadow slipping through the trees, Cora thinks her eyes are deceiving her. Until she creeps out into the moonlight and finds the tracks in the snow.

Agnes is in hiding. On the run from her former life, she has learned what it takes to survive alone in the wilderness. But she can afford no mistakes. When she first spies the young woman in the woods, she is afraid. Yet Cora is fearless, and their paths are destined to cross.

Deep among the cedars, Cora and Agnes find a fragile place of safety. But when Agnes's past closes in, they are confronted with the dangerous price of freedom - and of love...

With evocative prose and immersive storytelling, a powerful novel about love - love for the wilderness in all its unforgiving beauty, and love between two women who risk everything to be together.

My Review

I feel very privileged to have had the opportunity to read this book ahead of publication. Publishing today, Fireflies in Winter by Eleanor Shearer is an atmospheric and compelling book.

Set in Nova Scotia at the end of the 18th century, it is the story of Cora and Agnes. Cora is an orphan from Jamaica and Agnes is on the run and hiding in the forest. The book tells the story of how their lives come together and they find a love neither of them ever imagined.

The book is beautifully written. I wanted to slow my reading and savour every word. This wasn't a book I wanted to read speedily. This was a book to read at a gentle pace. The author immerses her reader in the time and place in which it is set and it made me want to wallow in each paragraph.

The harshness of the winter came to life on the page. It made me very grateful that I have the luxury of a centrally heated home in which to read this book. The author skilfully creates a world on the page and then drags the reader in. It was an immersive read and I absolutely loved it.

Ms. Shearer is an excellent storyteller who not only describes her characters, but inhabits them. She clearly understood their needs and desires extremely well.

The book deals with some challenging issues, particularly about the meaning of freedom, and what price we have to pay for love. It also considers the strength of the human spirit and resilience through the harsh brutality of her characters' lives.

This is a book which will remain with me for some time to come. It is a beautiful book and one which I can imagine myself reading again.

I haven't read the author's previous book, River Sing Me Home, but rest assured, I already have a copy on order. If it was half as good as this novel, then I already know that I am going to enjoy reading it.

I highly recommend this book and it is one of the best I have read in a while.

Book Details

ISBN: 978 1472291462

Publisher: Headline Review

Formats: e-book, hardback and paperback

No. of Pages: 320 (hardback)

Purchase Links

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. Her debut novel, River Sing Me Home, sold in 20 territories. It was named as one of Time Magazine's 100 Must-Read Books of 2023, was a finalist for the 2024 Dayton Literary Peace Prize Fiction Award, shortlisted for the Grand Prix des Lectrices ELLE 2025 in France and also shortlisted for the Prix Fragonard 2025 in France. It was a Good Morning America Book Club pick, and has been optioned for TV by AL Films and BBC Films.

You can also find Eleanor at:

(ARC and media courtesy of the publisher)

(all opinions are my own)

(Bookshop.org affiliated)

Friday, 6 February 2026

The Heart-Shaped Box by Lucy Kaufman - #bookreview #blogtour

Constance never discovered when or where she caught his eye. But caught it she must have, for on the fifth of January she received his letter.

The Blurb

The page-turning psychological thriller novella about infatuation, revenge and the lengths we will go to for love.

“She pressed her nose gingerly to the glass, peering unblinking through the viscous liquid at her gift.”

Victorian, rural Sussex. When headstrong daughter of a rector, Constance Timothy, receives a flurry of gifts in pretty little boxes from the charming, smouldering student doctor Smith Williams, her whole family anticipates a future betrothal.

Yet beneath the exquisite pastel lids and satin bows lie macabre secrets that entice Constance into a private world of obsession and darkness, where morality becomes blurred, loyalties are tested and unthinkable acts are possible.

One secret will shake the genteel world she knows to the core...

My Review

This novella was a quick and excellent read.

Set in a Sussex village, Constance remains single, despite her parents parading a number of suitable young men before her. One day she receives a letter from a man, Smith Wilson. She has caught his eye and is keen to meet her. Her parents are as excited by this as she is herself. Could this man become her suitor?

Initially, it appeared that this short novella would be a romantic tale. However, Smith Wilson is studying to be a doctor, and while they are apart he sends Constance a stream of gifts which begin as romantic and become eerily bizarre.

Constance is an odd character herself. She revels in the nature of the gifts that she received from Smith Wilson which I found unsettling, and highly surprising in a woman of her class and nature.

This is an unusual story and is different to my usual reading fare. That said, I enjoyed it very much despite it's dark quality. The author told her story well and succinctly and it made for compelling reading.

The first book of The Carousel of Curiosities series, this haunting novella is perfect for readers of Sarah Waters, Laura Purcell, and Angela Carter. I am keen to read the next in the series when it is published.

Book Details

ISBN: 978 1919277202

Publisher: Sepia Ink

Formats: e-book and paperback

No. of Pages: 120 (paperback)

Series: Book 1 in the Carousel of Curiosities series

Purchase Links

About the Author

Lucy Kaufman is an award-winning author, playwright, audio dramatist and poet. 40 of her plays have been performed professionally around the UK and Australia, to critical acclaim. She has lectured in Playwriting and Screenwriting for Pen to Print and Canterbury Christ Church University and is a mentor at The Writing Coach. Originally from London, she now lives by the sea with her husband, sons, dogs and cats.

You can also find Lucy at:

Bluesky

(ARC and media courtesy of Rachel's Random Resources)

(all opinions are my own)

(Bookshop.org affiliated)

Wednesday, 4 February 2026

Journey to the Scottish Highlands by Julie Shackman - #bookspotlight #blogtour

I am delighted to be shining the spotlight on this book today. Journey to the Scottish Highlands by Julie Shackman looks like a book I would love to read. The cover alone has been hooked.

The Blurb

Daisy’s career hasn’t exactly been going to plan and the last thing she wants to do is stay home and wallow in self-pity. So, when an opportunity arises to escape her London home, and make some money working a fancy event at a stately home, she jumps at it.

Determined to make the most out of the situation, she decides a road trip to the Scottish Highlands would be the perfect way to reset and take control of her life.

When devilishly handsome Evan finds himself stranded at the event following a cancelled flight to Scotland, Daisy does the kindest thing she can think of and invites him to join her. As they embark on their journey north, will the scenic trip help them rediscover themselves, and possibly even find something they weren’t expecting…

Book Details

ISBN: 978 0008728014

Publisher: One More Chapter

Formats: e-book, audio and paperback

No. of Pages: 384 (paperback)

Series: Book 10 in the Scottish Escapes series

Purchase Links

About the Author

Julie Shackman is a former journalist from Scotland, who has always wanted to write feel-good romance.

As well as being an author, Julie also writes verses and captions for greetings card companies. Julie admits to having an obsession with stationery and handbags.

She has two sons and a Romanian rescue pup, Cooper.

Journey to the Scottish Highlands is Julie's fourteenth novel.

You can also find Julie at:

(media courtesy of Rachel's Random Resources)

(all opinions are my own)

(Bookshop.org affiliated)

Friday, 30 January 2026

Books I Read in January 2026

January has been a wonderful month for me and my husband, as we have welcomed our fifth grandchild into the world. We couldn't be more excited, and as soon as I push the publish button on this blog post, we will be getting in the car and driving to meet my new little granddaughter. I can hardly wait for my first cuddle.

Somehow in all this excitement I have managed to read some good books.

What have you read this month? Anything you would recommend?

The Market Girls of Petticoat Lane by Patricia McBride

This was a lovely story in which we meet friends Amanda, Maisie and Bethan. They all work together in the sewing factory making uniforms for the troops. You can find my review here.

The Peepshow: The Murders at 10 Rillington Place by Kate Summerscale

I have read the majority of Kate Summerscale's books and enjoyed each one of them. So, when I saw this on my library shelves I picked it up and checked it out with a sense of glee. You can find my review here.

The Dubrovnik Book Club by Eva Glyn

This was a lovely book and I have not had a blog gap to upload my review as yet. It is coming though so watch this space.

One Moonlit Night by Rachel Hore

I have read this book as part of the Clock Reading Challenge. There will be more about this when I upload my book review soon.

Dark is the Night by Rachel Evans

This book made for fabulous reading and I was gripped from the very first page to the last. You can find my review by clicking here.

Little Disasters by Sarah Vaughan

This book had me on the edge of my seat from the first page to the last. You can find my review by clicking here.

In the Blink of an Eye by Yoav Blum

This book was a locked room mystery combined with science fiction. I read 25% of the book and then decided it wasn't for me.

You Go, Girl! by Elaine Insinnia

A series of diary entries written by a grandmother in her youth during the 1950's. Not as good as I hoped but entertaining enough.

Fortune's Wheel by Carolyn Hughes

I found this hard to get into but probably because my mind was full of grandbabies. I shall try it again at some point.

Terrible True Tales: Saxons by Terry Deary

An excellent book for children of stories from Saxon history. My review will be coming soon.

(header photo courtesy of Picsea/Unsplash)

(all opinions are my own)

Thursday, 29 January 2026

Little Disasters by Sarah Vaughan - #bookreview

It is definitely the short straw of hospital medicine. A & E in a trauma centre on a Friday night in late January; almost midnight, and the waiting areas are rammed...

The Blurb

You think you know her…

But look a little closer

She is a stay-at-home mother of three with boundless reserves of patience, energy and love. After being friends for a decade, this is how Liz sees Jess.

Then one moment changes everything.

Dark thoughts and carefully guarded secrets surface – and Liz is left questioning everything she thought she knew about her friend, and about herself.

From the bestselling author of Anatomy of a Scandal – a new thought-provoking novel exploring the complexity of motherhood and all that connects and disconnects us.

My Review

This book had me on the edge of my seat from the first page to the last.

When Jess takes her baby, Betsey, to the A&E department at hospital, she finds her best friend, Liz, is the doctor on duty. What unfolds is every mother's nightmare, as Betsey is found to have an unexplainable fracture, and the finger is pointing straight at Jess, leaving Liz with a duty to inform social services and the police.

This was a powerful book, and it is thought-provoking from beginning to end. My sympathies lay with both of these characters, as they both find themselves in an impossible situation. Whilst Jess has always appeared to be the perfect mother, we get a glimpse of what is really going on beneath this façade of capability. Having myself been a mother to four boys under the age of seven, I could really identify with how utterly exhausted Jess was feeling. The book questions how this sleep deprivation can result in poor choices being made, how alone she felt, and how she did not understand her own feelings. My heart went out to her.

Liz was an equally interesting character. She is a busy doctor, wife and mother whose own busyness has meant that she hasn't been there for Jess as much as she would have liked. Nonetheless, she doesn't believe that Jess could have harmed her child, despite the evidence suggesting otherwise. She also has to deal with the secrets of her ageing mother, and come to terms with those. There is a strong parallel between both her mother and Jess's experiences.

Although the book is over 400 pages, I read it very quickly as it kept pulling me back. It was well written and perfectly paced, leaving me keen to get back to it between reading sessions.

Sarah Vaughan is a great storyteller and has the ability to hold her readers interested throughout. She is an author I will definitely be reading again. I highly recommend this book.

Book Details

ISBN: 978 1471165061

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Formats: e-book, audio, hardback and paperback

No. of Pages: 432 (paperback)

Purchase Links

About the Author

Sarah Vaughan is the Sunday Times and international bestselling author of Anatomy of a Scandal, Little Disasters and Reputation, plus two earlier novels. Translated into 26 languages, Anatomy of a Scandal became a worldwide number one Netflix limited series, watched for 200 million hours in its first month alone, and starring Sienna Miller, Michelle Dockery and Rupert Friend. Little Disasters dropped on Paramount Plus in May 2025, and stars Diane Kruger, Jo Joyner and a “powerhouse cast” including JJ Feild, Shelley Conn, Emily Taaffe and Stephen Campbell Moore. Reputation has been optioned by Made Up Stories and 3dot productions, the team behind Anatomy of a Scandal.

Before writing fiction, Sarah spent 15 years as a journalist, including 11 at the Guardian as a political correspondent and news reporter: great preparation for thrillers exploring power, privilege and misogyny, and incorporating police investigations and criminal trials. Brought up in Devon, she lives near Cambridge, England with her family and dog.

You can also find Sarah at:

Facebook

(media courtesy of the author's website)

(all opinions are my own)

(Bookshop.org affiliated)

Wednesday, 28 January 2026

In the Blink of an Eye by Yoav Blum - #bookspotlight

Last week I had the pleasure of featuring Yoav Blum's book, The Unswitchable.

I am doubly delighted to be shining the spotlight on another of his books today. In the Blink of an Eye is a locked room mystery with a science fiction twist. Enjoy!

The Blurb

A locked room. A dead scientist. A time machine.

Professor Yonatan Brand, a world-renowned physicist, amateur magician, and hot-chocolate enthusiast, dreamed of unlocking time itself. He mapped every danger, every paradox, every temptation of hubris. But when his body is discovered inside his sealed study, Brand leaves behind one impossible crime—and a machine that might have killed him.

Enter Benjamin “Bunker” Kronovic, a washed-up actor, and Abigail Canaani, a reclusive librarian. They’re not seasoned detectives; their usual cases involve lost pets and unpaid bills. Now they must face something far stranger: a corpse, a time machine, and a circle of Brand’s childhood friends, each guarding secrets darker than the past itself.

As Bunker and Abigail stumble through a mystery where time is as treacherous as truth, they discover that the question isn’t just who killed Professor Brand, but when.

Book Details

ISBN: 978 9659327171

Publisher: Yoav Blum

Formats: e-book and paperback (currently available on Kindle Unlimited)

No. of Pages: 430 (paperback)

Purchase Links