Fiona and the Forgotten Piano by Kate Demaio - #bookreview #blogtour

Fiona and the Forgotten Piano was the winner of BBNYA 2025!

(more about BBNYA at the end of this post)

***

I am required to make it clear at the beginning of my reviews that I received this book for free from The Write Reads. I have not been paid for doing this and all opinions are my own. I am Bookshop.org affiliated, which means I earn a very small amount of money if you buy from there using my direct link. Although I include purchase links to Amazon, I am not affiliated with them. I include them to make it easy for you to navigate to them if you so wish.

***

The Blurb

Eleven-year-old Fiona isn’t allowed in the Fermata woods. And though its unique trees are fascinating, Fiona has no problem following her mother’s rules. That is, until the trees begin to sing.

Suddenly, it feels as though long forgotten memories are being unlocked in Fiona’s mind. As she nears the woods edge, the trees fall silent, so silent even the leaves stop rustling. Fiona will finally break the rules and venture into the woods. She’ll soon find herself traveling through portals to undiscovered worlds. And she’ll have to trust her instincts and her quirky new friends to bring back the music or she may get lost within its notes.

My Review

This is a lovely middle grade novel which I enjoyed reading.

Eleven year old Fiona dislikes her piano lessons as all she ever does is practice scales. She just wants to learn to play a song. She also dislikes her teacher. However, Fiona has a connection to the music which is the key aspect of this story.

Fiona lives on the edge of a forest and knows not to go in. When she goes against her parents' wishes and enters it she becomes lost, entering other worlds and makes some unusual friends: Ferris the frog, Nori the axolotl, and others along the way. Ferris and Nori are sweet characters, and Fiona herself is a character that children will love.

It's an imaginative story full of colour and character. Children will be able to identify with Fiona. She is embarrassed by her freckles and gets teased at school. However, in these alternate worlds, her freckles are admired and considered differently. I think this aspect of her character will resonate with readers.

This was a fun read which has been well written. I recommend it to young readers who I'm sure will enjoy this book.

Book Details

ISBN: 978 1958531822

Publisher: Wild Ink Publishing

Formats: e-book and audio

No. of Pages:  247

Purchase Links

Bookshop.org

Amazon UK

Amazon CA

Amazon US

About the Author

Kate grew up in Salem, Massachusetts surrounded by ghost stories and witch tales. As a microbiologist, she studies the tiny worlds of bacteria, viruses and antibodies. As a writer, she creates magical worlds of her own. Kate now lives just outside of Boston with her husband, son, dog and cat.

You can also find Kate at:

Author Website

X

Instagram

Bluesky

About BBNYA

BBNYA is a yearly competition where book bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors, ending with 15 (17 in 2025) finalists and one overall winner.

If you want some more information about BBNYA, check out the BBNYA Website https://www.bbnya.com/ or take a peek over on X @BBNYA_Official. 

(ARC and media courtesy of The Write Reads)

(all opinions are my own)

(Bookshop.org affiliated)

The Spirit of the Times by Justin Newland - #bookspotlight #blogtour

I am thrilled to be shining the book spotlight on this book today. The Spirit of the Times is set in 14th century Central Asia.

The Blurb

From a land of milk,

And a Road of Silk,

To a ring of roses,

And a dance of posies,

Comes the tale of the spirit of the times! 

In fourteenth-century Central Asia, Karia is a young woman living under the yoke of Mongol occupation. But she’s different. She’s a fighter with supernatural powers. She could use them to keep the Black Plague at bay and solve the mystery of the purple skies at dawn – if only she could overcome her self-doubt. 

Travelling in caravans on the Silk Road, she faces dangers seen and unseen – from sandstorms and slave traders to the desert djinn and folk who believe she’s a witch. She fears losing Abi, her little cousin, who’s fascinated by roses and the dance of the Whirling Dervishes of Bukhara.

When Karia falls in love with an English sailor fleeing the Knights Hospitaller, they sail to England with Abi to unravel the meaning of the purple skies, a dance, a posy tree, and a ring of roses.

The Spirit of the Times is part history, part fiction and part speculation: on the origin of disease; the power of innocence; the unfortunate aspects of custom and dogma; and humanity’s ability to respond to the governing influence or spirit of the times.

Book Details

ISBN: 978 1806344154

Publisher: Troubador Publishing

Formats: e-book and paperback

No. of Pages: 264 (paperback)

Purchase Links

Author's Website (with free personalised dedication)

Bookshop.org

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Troubador Publishing

About the Author

Justin Newland’s novels represent an innovative blend of genres, from historical adventure to supernatural thriller and magical realism.

Undeterred by the award of a doctorate in mathematics from Imperial College, London, he conceived his debut novel, The Genes of Isis (Matador, 2018), an epic fantasy set under Ancient Egyptian skies. Next came The Old Dragon’s Head (Matador, 2018), set in Ming Dynasty China in the shadows of the Great Wall. 

The Coronation (Matador, 2019) features the Great Enlightenment and speculates on the genesis of the most important event in the modern world – the Industrial Revolution. The Abdication (Matador, 2021) is a mystery thriller in which a young woman confronts her faith in a higher purpose and what it means to abdicate that faith.

At this point in his writing career, after four self-published books, Justin was offered a part-funded contract with the Book Guild.

The Mark of the Salamander (Book Guild, 2023) is the first in a two-book ‘The Island of Angels’ series. It tells the epic tale of England’s coming of age during the Elizabethan era. The second in the series, The Midnight of Eights (Book Guild, 2024), charts the uncanny coincidences of time and tide that culminated in the repulse of the Spanish Armada. 

His latest novel, The Spirit of the Times (Matador, 2026), is to be published in July. It tells the story of a young Kyrgyz woman’s journey westwards along the Silk Road. With purple skies at dawn, and a supporting cast of Genghis Khan, the Black Plague, a perplexing rhyme, a ring of roses, it explores the greatest mystery of all – the spirit of the times. 

Justin’s enduring passion is to explore the origins of our current time. This prompted a broad research into what we’ve inherited from history – encompassing Egypt, China, Prussia and Tudor England. He also writes entertaining talks which he gives to the WI, U3A, Probus, Rotary and local historical associations. Please visit his website for a current list of the talks. 

Alongside the talks, Justin promotes his work with regular book signings at TG Jones (ex. WH Smith) high street stores, selling over 3,500 books since 2019. He has sponsored over 40 UK and US blog tours, given frequent radio interviews and penned many guest posts. 

His current book signing motto is: Enjoy, Imagine, Discover.

As a member of the Society of Authors, he has Public and Products Liability Insurance.

Born in Essex, England, three days before the end of 1953, he lives with his lady in plain sight of the Mendip Hills in Somerset, England.

You can also find Justin at:

Author Website

Facebook

Instagram

(media courtesy of The Coffee Pot Book Club)

(all opinions are my own)

(Bookshop.org affiliated)

Ghosts by Dolly Alderton - #bookreview

On the day I was born, 3rd August 1986, 'The Edge of Heaven' by Wham! was number one. Since I can remember, an annual tradition was playing it as loud as possible as soon as I woke up...

***

I am required to make it clear at the beginning of my reviews that I received this book for free from NetGalley. I have not been paid for doing this and all opinions are my own. I am Bookshop.org affiliated, which means I earn a very small amount of money if you buy from there using my direct link. Although I include purchase links to Amazon, I am not affiliated with them. I include them to make it easy for you to navigate to them if you so wish.

***

The Blurb

He said ‘I love you’. And then he disappeared.

Things that are going right for Nina Dean:

She’s found her dream job.

She finally has her own home.

She’s met Max, a beguiling romantic hero who has swept her off her feet.

Things that are going wrong for Nina Dean:

She has the neighbour from hell.

Her friendships are fracturing, and so is her parents’ marriage.

She hasn’t seen or heard from Max for weeks.

Just as everything ought to be falling into place, it’s all falling apart instead. Nina’s beloved dad’s memory is slipping away from him, and her mum is caught in a baffling mid-life glow-up. Her friends are becoming strangers and her exes are moving on. Everywhere she turns, she’s reminded of time passing.

The last thing she needs is another ghost.

My Review

This is a lovely contemporary story which I enjoyed very much.

The main character is Nina. She is in her early thirties, has her own flat and is a published food writer. Encouraged by her good friend, Lola, she decides to try a dating app as all their other friends seem to be settling into marriage and babies. On the app she meets Max, and everything is going really well for a number of months until he suddenly stops answering her messages. This leaves her very confused and wondering what went wrong.

Alongside this, Nina is watching her father's health and memory slowly decline, and I found this the most memorable part of the book. My heart broke for her as she watches her father lose his memory. The parts where he is searching for his own mother, who died twenty years previously, were extremely moving. 

The novel portrays Nina as she tries to juggle so many difficult things going on in her life. She is feeling left behind by her friends, abandoned by a man who declared his love for her, and is gradually losing the dad whom she adores.

I am surprised that this book is considered a romantic comedy by some, and if you pick it up hoping to be amused I think you will be disappointed. I actually think it is much richer for not focusing on the romance or comedy elements. Instead, the author has written a book which questions friendship, family, love and self-acceptance. 

I think this book is well written and considers some challenging situations and their consequent emotions very well. The author has written a thought-provoking and emotional novel that is well worth reading. This is the first book I have read by this author, and I would like to read more.

Book Details

ISBN: 978 0241988688

Publisher: Penguin

Formats: e-book, audio, hardback and paperback

No. of Pages: 352 (paperback)

Purchase Links

Bookshop.org

Amazon UK

Amazon US

About the Author

Dolly Alderton is an award-winning author and screenwriter based in London. She is a columnist for the Sunday Times Style magazine and is the former co-host and co-creator of the podcast The High Low. 

Her first book, Everything I Know About Love, became a top-five Sunday Times bestseller in its first week of publication, won a National Book Award (UK) for Autobiography of the Year and was made into a BBC One TV series. Both of her novels, Ghosts (published 2020) and Good Material (published 2023), were instant Sunday Times bestsellers. Dear Dolly, a collection of her agony aunt columns from the Sunday Times Style magazine, was published in 2022, and was also a Sunday Times bestseller.

You can also find Dolly at:

Instagram

X

(ARC courtesy of Netgalley)

 (media courtesy of the author)

(all opinions are my own)

(Bookshop.org affiliated)