He Loves Me (Not) by Maire Zeph - #bookreview #blogtour

I am Daisy.

I'd like to be brave brash bonkers.

I'd love to be feisty fierce free.

Or blonde bold bad.

But I'm not.

I am fifteen years old and as ordinary as daisies.

***

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

A chilling YA thriller told in verse about online romance, obsession and the dangers hiding behind a screen.

'He made her feel seen. Then she vanished without a trace.'

Daisy has always been quiet – the kind of girl who fades into the background. So when she meets a boy online who really sees her, she falls fast. He listens. He understands. He makes her feel special in a way no one at school ever has. Soon, Daisy’s world shrinks to a glowing screen. Her mum worries. Her best friend Erin is pushed aside. But Daisy doesn’t notice – she’s in love.

Then Daisy goes to meet him in real life. And she never comes back.

Left behind with guilt and unanswered questions, Erin is forced to confront the truth Daisy never saw. In a world where screens can lie and love can be faked, how can anyone know who to trust?

My Review

This is a beautiful book with a dark undertone and I absolutely adored it.

Daisy is fifteen and feels overlooked by her peers. She feels her name reflects her personality. Daisies are so commonplace as to be unnoticed. Until she meets Shay online. Shay sees her for the person she really is and they strike up a relationship very quickly. As a reader, I could see the potential danger she was in and I wanted to grab hold of her and hug her until she realised her self-worth without this unknown online presence in her life. It's not often I get so moved by a book I want to jump into its pages.

Written in verse, it was quick to read, which is just as well as I could not have put this book down before I had finished it. The language flows perfectly and made me want to keep reading, but coupled with its subject matter this short book for young adults became a gripping read.

The book highlights the dangers lurking online and the book does a great job of warning its readers of its menace, particularly to the young and vulnerable.

Without hesitation, this is a five-star read for me and I wholeheartedly recommend it. If you have a teenager in your life, buy them this book. Not only for its cautionary message but because it is a fabulous read too.

Book Details

ISBN: 978 1918353082

Publisher: Little Island

Formats: e-book and paperback

No. of Pages: 224 (paperback)

Purchase Links

Bookshop.org

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Amazon CA

About the Author

Máire Zepf has written over 16 books for children, from picture books to a YA verse novel. Winner of the Children's Books Ireland children’s Book of the Year, 5 Literature Association of Ireland Children’s Book Awards and 2 international White Ravens among many others, her books appear in 10 languages worldwide. Her Rita series of picture books with illustrator Mr. Ando has recently been adapted for television. She is screen-writer and co-creator of the celtic anime series ‘Lí Ban.’ The Co. Down author was the first Children’s Writing Fellow for Northern Ireland, based at the Seamus Heaney Centre for Poetry at Queen's University Belfast. Máire loves sea-swimming and crisps.

You can also find Maire at:

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Instagram

My Other Blog Posts Featuring Books for Young Adults

Shorelines by Ruth Ennis

Last Seen Online by Lauren James

My Heart is Hurting by S. E. Reed

The Time Trials by Jon and Dayna McConnell

Shadow by Michael Morpurgo

(ARC and media courtesy of The Write Reads)

(all opinions are my own)

Sisters... No Way! by Siobhan Parkinson - #bookreview #blogtour

A happy relief, someone said. Can you believe it? A happy relief! Dad said... that's the sort of thing people say, they don't mean it unkindly...

***

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

A funny, feisty and heartfelt take on the classic Cinderella story, this 30-year anniversary edition of Sisters ... No Way! invites readers old and new to discover the charming story that defined a generation. With two stories in one – told from different perspectives and flipped to read from either side – this unique book lets readers step into both sisters’ shoes, revealing that there’s always more than one side to every story.

Cindy is a sharp-tongued, no-nonsense teen struggling with her mum’s recent death – and she is not impressed when her dad falls for one of her teachers. A teacher for a stepmother? Seriously? And her two perfect, prissy daughters? There’s no way Cindy is calling them sisters… no way!

But the feeling is mutual. Cindy’s would-be stepsisters think she’s a total nightmare: rude, bossy, and completely unfair to their mum. They don’t want her as a sister any more than she wants them... no way! The trouble is, the wedding is happening whether they like it or not. Soon they’ll all be one family… so something has to give.

But who will it be?

My Review

This is a modern retelling of Cinderella that is aimed at a young adult readership.

At the beginning, the author invites us to "choose where to start." The book contains two diaries: Cindy's, whose mother has recently passed away, and Ashling's, whose parents have split up, leaving her and her sister to cope with the fallout. It is up to the reader to decide which one to read first.

When Cindy's dad and Ashling's mum get together, neither of them are ready to become stepsisters. Through reading the diaries, the reader is able to consider the book from the perspectives of both girls. This leaves the reader to understand the situation from the individual points of view and to understand the two girls better. I enjoyed the epistolary format as it gave me the opportunity to really understand the two characters in a way that a normal narrative may not have.

I love the way the author took a classic story and set it in the modern world of blended families. This was originally published in the 1990s and this is the book's 30th anniversary. It has been given a nice new cover which will appeal to a new generation of young people.

I enjoyed this book very much and highly recommend it.

Book Details

ISBN: 978 1918353952

Publisher: Little Island Books

Formats: e-book and paperback

No. of Pages: 256 (paperback)

Purchase Links

Boookshop.org

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Amazon CA

About the Author

Siobhán Parkinson is one of Ireland's best-known writers for children. She has written almost thirty books, most of them for children and teenagers, for which she has won a bagful of awards and nominations, and her books have been translated into about twenty languages. She was Ireland's first Children's Laureate. She is visually impaired, which means she has to  rely mainly on audiobooks for reading, and she works by using magnification software and a voice on her computer. She lives in Dublin with her husband, who is a woodturner and without her grown-up son, who is a book editor.

You can also find Siobhan at:

Author Website

Instagram

My Other Blog Posts Featuring Books for Young Adults

Shorelines by Ruth Ennis

Last Seen Online by Lauren James

My Heart is Hurting by S.E. Reed

The Time Trials by John and Dayna McConnell

Shadow by Michael Morpurgo

(ARC and media courtesy of The Write Reads)

(all opinions are my own)

(Bookshop.org affiliated)

The Connection in Everything by Rich Marcello - #blogtour #bookspotlight

I am very happy to be shining the book spotlight on this book today. The Connection in Everything by Rich Marcello is a coming-of-age story aimed at young adults.

The Blurb

A lonely teenage genius who believes there’s a connection in everything finds his theory put to the test when a mysterious mentor and an enchanting artist enter his life, launching a summer-long search for the true meaning of connection.

Sixteen-year-old Amaro Marzano sees connections everywhere—in the quantum world, in the patterns of nature, in the verses of Rumi. Yet, in his own life in working-class Worcester, Massachusetts, he feels profoundly disconnected. Trapped by the volatility of his strict father and the weight of family expectations, Am finds solace in the quiet orbit of school, the library, and his two best friends.

But his world fractures and reforms when two new connections emerge: David Butler, a recluse with a library holding ten thousand books, who becomes an unlikely mentor; and Ginnevra Poppoli, a captivating mime artist who offers the breathtaking possibility of first love.

As Am navigates escalating family crises, intellectual awakenings, and the bittersweet intensity of young love, he must rely on his “found family” and his own novel ideas to forge and maintain relationships in a world where true connection has become a radical act.

The Connection in Everything is a luminous, heartbreaking, and intellectually dazzling coming-of-age story about finding your place in a universe that is both terrifyingly chaotic and astonishingly interconnected.

About the Author

Rich is the author of seven acclaimed novels—including Cenotaphs, The Latecomers, The Means of Keeping, and his most recent work, The Connection in Everything—as well as the poetry collection The Long Body That Connects Us All. 

Rich’s creative voice is uniquely shaped by a dual history of high-stakes leadership and artistic immersion. Before dedicating himself to fiction, he enjoyed a distinguished career as a technology executive, managing multibillion-dollar businesses for Fortune 500 companies. This background provides his storytelling with a unique intellectual rigor and a keen understanding of the systems, both corporate and social, that shape modern life. Yet, it is his “eye and ear of a poet” and his experience as a songwriter that infuse his prose with its characteristic lyrical beauty and emotional intimacy. 

Beyond the page, Rich is an advocate for the literary arts and his local community. He served as the president of the Seven Bridges Writers’ Collaborative for four years, mentoring emerging voices and teaching fiction. Today, he remains a voice in Harvard, Massachusetts, where he serves on the Harvard Climate Initiative Committee and writes a regular column for The Harvard Press on the climate crisis.

For Rich, art is ultimately an act of service. Whether through a song, a poem, or a 400-page novel, his goal is to make a meaningful difference to at least one other person in the world, a goal he’s achieved many times over.       

Rich lives in Harvard with his wife, Maribeth, and their Newfoundland, Iaia. He is currently at work on his eighth novel, Threshold, continuing his journey toward creating a ten-book cycle of interconnected human stories.

You can also find Rich at:

Author Website

Facebook

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(media courtesy of The Write Reads)

(all opinions are my own)

The Sun Casts No Shadow by Mark Richardson - #bookspotlight #blogtour

Today I am shining the  book spotlight on this book. The Sun Casts No Shadow by Mark Richardson is a dystopian noir novel and will appeal to lovers of the genre.

The Blurb

In the walled, rotting City where daylight is a just a memory, pickpocket Wellington Thorneycroft drifts through life. The rules are simple: take what you can, feel nothing, and never look too closely at the shadows.

But when a ghostly woman appears—silent, radiant, impossible—everything shifts. Her promise is clear: we’ll escape together. With that, Thorneycroft is thrust into a fever-dream journey that twists through brothels, back alleys, and the outer edges of sanity itself.

Guided by visions and a growing hunger for something beyond the City’s poisoned streets, he begins to question the nature of the prison he calls home... and whether escape is even possible.

Laced with brutality and bleak wonder, Mark Richardson's The Sun Casts No Shadow is a neo-noir descent into metaphysical horror.

Dark. Gritty. Unforgettable. Enter the City.

Book Details

ISBN: 979 8184326337

Publisher: Independently published

Formats: e-book, hardback and paperback

No. of Pages: 180 (paperback)

Purchase Links

Amazon UK

Amazon US

About the Author

Mark Richardson writes neo-noir novels which blend elements from a range of genres, including surrealism, science fiction, fantasy, and dystopia. 

He grew up near Chicago, graduated from the University of Iowa, and now resides in the San Francisco Bay Area.   

You can also find Mark at:

Author Website

Instagram

(media courtesy of The Write Reads)

(all opinions are my own)

(Bookshop.org affiliated)

A Dangerous Crossing by Jane Mitchell - #bookreview #blogtour

I sprint around the perimeter of Freedom Square in the centre of Kobani. I hardly recognise this place any more, it is such a wreck now...

***

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

Ghalib doesn't want to leave his home in Syria. But the city has become too dangerous, and his family has no choice but to flee. Together they make their way through Syria to the Turkish border, where Ghalib gets separated from his family. Stricken with grief and fear, fighting cold, pain and hunger, he manages to make it to a refugee camp in Turkey. Ghalib is safe for now, but life in a refugee camp is wretched and hopeless, and this boy's journey in search of safety is far from over. Based on true accounts and real Syrian children, A Dangerous Crossing is the story of one boy's search for refuge.

My Review

This is probably one of the best books I have read this year. Quite the accolade when considering that I have currently read 83 books so far.

The main character in the book is thirteen-year-old Ghalib. He was a contented child, living with his parents, older sister and younger brother until the war began in Syria. From then, every day was a fight for survival.

The story has been beautifully told and the writer has demonstrated real skill in the telling. The entire book came alive on the pages. It is well-written, compelling and highly engaging. This is one of the few books where I could have cried simply because the book had ended. I wanted to scoop Ghalib up into my arms and to somehow make the world a better place for him. It isn't often that I become this invested in a book.

The book is aimed at a young adult readership. I would encourage every secondary school library to have a copy of this on their shelves. That said, it is highly suitable for adults too.

This was a deeply moving and heart-wrenching book and I would challenge anyone to read this and not be deeply moved. Each of the characters in the book is the name of a real Syrian child who was killed during the war. What a wonderful tribute to so many young lives so needlessly lost.

Book Details

ISBN: 978 1910411582

Publisher: Little Island

Formats: e-book and paperback

No. of Pages: 224 (paperback)

Purchase Links

Bookshop.org

Amazon UK

Amazon US

About the Author

Jane Mitchell lives in Dublin and works with children with physical disabilities. Her Amnesty International- endorsed novel A Dangerous Crossing (Little Island), about a Syrian family fleeing the war, has sold more than 100,000 copies worldwide. Jane spent time volunteering at the refugee camp in Calais to research the book. Chalkline (Walker), about child soldiers in Kashmir, won the Children's Choice Award at the 2010 CBI Awards.

You can also find Jane at:

Author Website

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(ARC and media courtesy of The Write Reads)

(all opinions are my own)

(Bookshop.org affiliated)

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

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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)

Shorelines by Ruth Ennis - #bookspotlight #blogtour

I am very pleased to be shining the spotlight on this book today. Shorelines by Ruth Ennis is a fantasy adventure written in verse and is aimed at a young adult audience.

The Blurb

When proud mermaid Muireann flees her climate-ravaged ocean in search of hope on land, she confronts human cruelty and body-shaming as she struggles to find her true home and voice. Caught between a dying ocean and a divided world, she must grapple between the sea that made her and the surface that might break her – in this stunning verse novel that reimagines The Little Mermaid.

Muireann is a mermaid – fierce, curious and proud of the body that keeps her warm beneath the waves. But life in the ocean is becoming impossible. The merfolk are at war with the human ramifications of climate change: food is scarce, and her twin sister has been killed in a mass-fishing net. With her mother lost in grief and her world falling apart, Muireann longs to escape to the surface to find some answers. But the human world isn’t the haven she hoped for. It’s colder, crueller – and here, her large body is seen not as strength, but as something to be ashamed of.

In this beautiful novel-in-verse, Muireann must find her voice and fight for where she belongs – whether that be beneath the waves, or above them.

Book Details

ISBN:  978 1915071989

 Publisher:  Little Island

Formats:  (e-book for preorder) and paperback

No. of Pages:  280 (paperback)

Purchase Links

Bookshop.org

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Amazon CA

About the Author

Ruth Ennis (she/they) is a writer from Kildare, Ireland. She has a B.A. in English with Drama from University College Dublin and an M.Phil. in Children’s Literature from Trinity College Dublin. She has written poetry, short stories, and essays for several publications. Her work has been published in The Irish Writer’s Handbook (Books Ireland) and I Am The Wind (Little Island). She usually is working with books in some capacity.

Ruth’s debut novel Shorelines (Little Island, Feb 2026) is a young adult verse novel retelling of The Little Mermaid, told through the lens of a fat protagonist.

Ruth is represented by Alice Williams Literary: Children’s Books Agency.

Ruth is the Emerging Writer in Residence in dlr LexIcon from September 2025 to June 2026. They are working alongside Eve McDonnell as the Established Writer in Residence.

Ruth was a Young Writer Delegate with The Irish Writers Centre for the International Literature Festival Dublin in 2019 and was selected for the Words Ireland Mentorship Programme in 2020. She was awarded two grants from the Arts Council Ireland; a Literature Bursary in 2021 and an Agility Award in 2022. Ruth was selected to take part in the Stinging Fly Summer School Poetry Programme in 2025.

Ruth regularly reviews children’s and young adult books on various platforms. Her main reviews can be found on the Books Ireland Magazine website. She occasionally reviews titles for Children’s Books Ireland and is a Book Doctor for CBI. She also posts informal reviews on her social media accounts (@rurooie).

In collaboration with the Discover Irish Kids Books campaign, Ruth runs the Discover Irish Children’s Books Challenge every October since 2023. This is a social media challenge where participants are encouraged to share a book by Irish / Ireland-based authors and illustrators in response to a daily prompt.

You can also find Ruth at:

Author Website

Instagram

Bluesky

Tik Tok

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(media courtesy of The Write Reads)

(all opinions are my own)

(Bookshop.org affiliated)

Miss Bennet's Dragon by M. Verant - #bookspotlight #blogtour

Today I am shining the book spotlight on Miss Bennet's Dragon by M. Verant. Miss Bennet’s Dragon is the 10th place BBNYA 2025 finalist!

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 Twitter @BBNYA_Official. 

The Blurb

War threatens England, but Elizabeth Bennet’s battles are closer to home. She’s managing the family estate for her ailing father. Insufferable gentlemen keep bursting in to propose marriage. And most dangerous of all, she’s hiding a forbidden skill. Elizabeth can speak to draca, the small, fire-breathing dragons kept by gentry as frivolous status symbols.

When Napoleon’s spies attempt to steal draca, the distant war threatens even cozy Hertfordshire. Elizabeth seeks the aid of Mr. Darcy, the proud man whose proposal she once scorned. Amid the breathtaking halls of Pemberley, she discovers the truth: she is not the first woman to speak with draca. But with her secret revealed, the dark history of Pemberley tears her and Mr. Darcy apart.

One hope remains: her dangerous affinity to draca. But does she dare to trust legends and lost songs? And when a terrible betrayal threatens the man she loves, does she have a choice?

Miss Bennet’s Dragon is the first book in the award-winning Jane Austen Fantasy trilogy. For fans of Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, and of course Jane Austen.

Book Details

ISBN:  978-1736662915

Publisher:  Acerbic Press

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

No. of Pages:  372 (paperback)

Series: Book 1 in the Jane Austen Fantasy series

Purchase Links

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Amazon CA

About the Author

M. Verant writes noblebright fantasy and sci-fi that’s exciting, romantic, and celebrates diversity and empowerment. His latest work is Emma’s Dragon, book 2 in the award-winning Jane Austen Fantasy series. Dragons of the Great Wyves, book 3 of the trilogy, is next, followed by Tiger Seed, a contemporary fantasy rooted in ancient Indus history. He collects Jane Austen paraphernalia and two-legged dragons while dodging wild turkeys in the San Francisco Bay Area. 

You can also find him at:

Author Website

Bluesky

Facebook

(media courtesy of The Write Reads)

(all opinions are my own)

A Gift of Words by Rosalind Dando - #bookspotlight #blogtour

A Gift of Words was the 14th place BBNYA 2025 finalist! I am delighted to be shining the spotlight on it today.

The Blurb

A magical gift is more trouble than it's worth...

Cam has plenty of things to worry about. His best friend might have broken someone’s fingers, the class bully won’t leave him alone, and staying under the radar of his teachers is much harder than it ought to be. He definitely doesn’t need magic to make his life any more complicated. Which is good, because when he does write his name in Libris Sapientia—the book of wisdom—a whole lot of nothing happens. He is a failure, and even a book agrees. Then, Loman Lykill joins their class, bringing a whole new brand of chaos to Highgrove Secondary. Cam has his magical gift, whether he wants it or not.

Book Details

ISBN:  978 1919235219

Publisher:  D&O Publishing

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

No. of Pages:  284 (paperback) 

Series:  Book 1 in The Gifts trilogy

Purchase Links

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Amazon CA

About the Author

Rosalind Dando is an author, artist, and primary school teacher living in the north of England. She has written several novels, and her debut, A Gift of Words, is published in April 2024 by Shadow Spark Publishing. 

You can also find Rosalind at: 

Bluesky

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 Facebook

Contact her through any of the above sites, or email: rosalinddando@gmail.com 

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 Twitter @BBNYA_Official. 

(media courtesy of The Write Reads)

(all opinions are my own)

Jump (Madders of Time 2) by D.L. Orton - #bookspotlight #blogtour

Today I am shining the spotlight on Jump by author, D.L. Orton. It is the second book in the Madders of Time series. Enjoy!

The Blurb

The multiverse is collapsing. The time machine is broken. And humanity’s last hope? Might already be dead.

Seven months after the EMPs brought the world to its knees, a handful of scientists are racing against extinction—and each other. Somewhere in a flooded skyscraper lies a wormhole generator that might be able to undo the apocalypse. If they can find it. If it still works. If it doesn’t kill them first.

Meanwhile, Diego Nadales wakes in a cell, his face bloodied and his memories fractured. He's being accused of terrorism, treason, and time travel. The last one, at least, is true.

Isabel is trapped inside a biodome ruled by the man she once trusted. But her bees—microscopic drones designed to save the planet—have been hijacked and weaponized. If she doesn’t find a way out soon, her creation will wipe out the last threads of life on Earth.

Old friends return. New enemies rise. And somewhere in the chaos, one small spark of hope just might be enough to ignite a revolution.

The clock isn’t ticking. It’s blowing up.

Book Details

ISBN:  978 1941368435

Publisher:  Rocky Mountain Press

Formats:  e-book, hardback and paperback

No. of Pages:  406 (paperback)

Series: Book 2 in the Madders of Time series

Purchase Links

Bookshop.org

Amazon UK

Amazon CA

Amazon US

About the Author

The BEST-SELLING AUTHOR, D. L. ORTON, lives in the foothills of Colorado where she and her husband are raising three boys, a golden retriever, two Siberian cats, and an extremely long-lived Triops. Her future plans include completing the books in the BETWEEN TWO EVILS series followed by an extended vacation on a remote tropical island (with a Starbucks).

When she’s not writing, playing tennis, or helping with algebra, she’s building a time machine so that someone can go back and do the laundry.

Ms. Orton is a graduate of Stanford University’s Writers Workshop and a past editor of “Top of the Western Staircase,” a literary publication of CU, Boulder. The author has a number of short stories published in online literary magazines, including Literotica.com, Melusine, Cosmoetica, The Ranfurly Review, and Catalyst Press.

Her debut novel, CROSSING IN TIME, has won numerous literary awards including an Indie Book Award and a Publishers Weekly Starred Review. It was also selected as one of only 12 Great Indie Stars by BookLife’s Prize in Fiction.

You can also find her at:

Author Website

Facebook

Instagram

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If you would like to know more about Hive, the first book in the series, you can find my spotlight post here.

(media courtesy of The Write Reads)

(all opinions are my own)

(Bookshop.org affiliated)

Lianna and the Hombit by Valinora Troy - #bookspotlight #blogtour

I am so pleased to be shining the spotlight on this book today. Lianna and the Hombit by Valinora Troy is being released later this month and is aimed at middle grade children who enjoy fantasy.

The Blurb

A grieving girl in need of a friend. A magical creature with a secret task. Can they end the ancient curse threatening their new home?

When 13-year old Lianna, devastated by the loss of her father, is sent to the distant land of Nivram, she finds her new home and guardian every bit as horrible as she expected. When she meets a magical birdlike creature called a hombit, they strike an alliance: Lianna will help it complete its secret mission if it helps her get home.

But her plan goes awry and she accidentally awakens a creature that threatens both her and her new home. Lianna must uncover family secrets to avoid a terrible fate…

A heart-warming story of the healing power of friendship when all seems lost.

Book Details

ISBN:  978 1918324013

Publisher:  The Silver Key

Formats:  e-book, audio, hardback and paperback

No. of Pages: 255

Preorder Links

Amazon UK

Amazon US

About the Author

Valinora Troy is a children’s fantasy and horror writer from Ireland. She has a MA in Creative Writing, specialising in writing for children and young adults. She has acted as a panellist for the CYBILS awards in the middle grade speculative fiction category and served as a Reading Ambassador for Louth Libraries. Her short stories for adults have appeared in numerous publications. She is the author of The Lucky Diamond trilogy, a middle grade children’s fantasy adventure series. In 2023 she was short-listed for the Staróg Prize. When not writing, she loves visiting schools and libraries to talk to children about books and writing. 

You can find out more about Valinora’s books, as well as resources for schools, and sign up to her newsletter on her website: Valinora Troy – Children's Fantasy Writer

You can also find Valinora at:

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(all opinions are my own)

Kittiwake Stormhaven and the Pirate's Portolano by Victoria Williamson - #bookspotlight #blogtour

The Blurb

A daring mission, a sister turned pirate and a sea full of secrets…

In a world of water where land is a legend, 11-year-old Kittiwake Stormhaven dreams of adventure aboard the Amazon Princess. When a vital mission takes the ship into dangerous waters, Kittiwake discovers shocking news - her long-lost sister, Petrel, is now a feared pirate queen.

Kittiwake must outsmart pirates, outmanoeuvre storms and face ghostly captains to save her ship, her mischievous monkey Caboodle and her friends. But in a high-stakes showdown, family loyalty collides with survival, and Kittiwake learns the ocean hides more secrets than she ever imagined.

Kittiwake Stormhaven is a fast-paced, sea-swept adventure filled with daring rescues, thrilling discoveries and the magic of friendship.

Book Details

ISBN:  978 0722355732

Publisher:  Tiny Tree Books

Formats:  e-book, hardback and paperback

No. of Pages:  174 (paperback)

Purchase Links

Bookshop.org

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Amazon CA

About the Author

Victoria Williamson is an award-winning author from Glasgow, Scotland, who loved reading 

books and writing adventure stories from an early age. After studying Physics at the University of Glasgow, she set out on her own real-life adventures, which included teaching maths and science in Cameroon, training teachers in Malawi, teaching English in China and working with children with additional support needs in the UK.

Her previous novels include The Fox Girl and the White Gazelle, The Boy with the Butterfly Mind, Hag Storm, War of the Wind, The Pawnshop of Stolen Dreams, Norah’s Ark, The Whistlers in the Dark, Feast of Ashes, and Skyfleet: March of the Mutabugs. Her books have won the RED Book Award 2024, YA-aldi Glasgow Secondary School Libraries Book Award 2023 and the Bolton Children’s Fiction Award 2020/2021, and have been short-listed and long-listed for numerous other awards. War of the Wind and Norah’s Ark were also both nominated for the 2024 Yoto Carnegie Medals.

Victoria writes and edits Key Stage 2 books for the education company Twinkl. She spends the rest of her time writing novels and visiting schools, libraries and literary festivals to give author talks and run creative writing workshops. Her latest novel, Kittiwake Stormhaven and the Pirate’s Portolano, channels her love of pirates and swashbuckling adventure to create a steampunk world set on the seven seas, and is illustrated by the very talented James Brown.

You can also find Victoria at:

Author Website

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(media courtesy of The Write Reads)

(all opinions are my own)

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Clues to You by Claire Huston - #bookreview #blogtour

Kate squeezed past another huddle of chattering guests, her gaze fixed on the banner at the top of the noticeboard to the left of the reception desk...

The Blurb

One murder mystery weekend. Two rival sleuths.

They’re looking for answers. But will they find love?

Kate Brannon is delighted to be attending her first murder mystery weekend in a movie-worthy Victorian manor house. Still getting over being dumped, cracking the case would be a welcome boost to her flagging confidence. And the prize money wouldn’t hurt either.

But Kate’s dreams of victory become a nightmare with the arrival of Max Ravenscroft. Smart, enigmatic and annoyingly handsome, Max is Kate’s sleuthing nemesis. 

When she and Max are forced to work together, Kate despairs. But, as the investigation brings them closer, she finds being his partner in solving crime isn’t all bad. 

With growing suspicions that the game is rigged against them, can Kate and Max beat the odds to find the killer? And, as their partnership deepens, can they find romance too?

This rivals-to-lovers romance is a standalone romcom and part of the Love in the Comptons collection.

My Review

Clues to You was the winner of BBNYA 2024! More about BBNYA below.

It was a highly entertaining novel which I really enjoyed reading. Whilst it is the third book in the Love in the Comptons series, each book is completely standalone. This is the first in the series which I have read.

Set during a murder mystery weekend, friends Kate, Bella, Ethan and Max make up a team to solve the murder in a 1920's manor house. However, there are tensions between Kate and Max which creates the enemies to lovers trope perfectly and I loved the undeniable chemistry between them.

The author has done a great job in creating her characters. Kate and Max are believable and well fleshed out. The secondary characters are equally good.

Kate has always felt that Max thinks he is superior to her. However, this weekend she is determined to prove to him that she is just as capable as him of reading all of the clues and discovering the murderer.

The book had Agatha Christie vibes and I liked the way the author created a 1920's story within a  contemporary setting. She writes very well and really knows how to pull a reader into the story.

I am not in the least surprised that this book won the Book Bloggers Novel of the Year Award last year, and I feel it was a very worthy winner. I recommend this book to readers who enjoy murder mysteries, coupled with a nice romance.

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 finalists (16 in 2024) 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 Twitter @BBNYA_Official. BBNYA is brought to you in association with the book blogger support group @The_WriteReads. 

Book Details

ISBN:  978 1913719906

Publisher:  Goldcrest Books International

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

No. of Pages:  379 (paperback)

Series:  Part of the Love in the Comptons series

Purchase Links

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Amazon CA

About the Author

Claire Huston lives in Warwickshire, UK, with her husband and children. She writes uplifting modern love stories about characters who are meant for each other but need a little help to realise it.

A keen amateur baker, she enjoys making cakes, biscuits and brownies almost as much as eating them. You can find recipes for all the cakes mentioned in Art and Soul, her first novel, at clairehuston.co.uk along with over 150 other recipes. This is also where she talks about and reviews books.

 You can also find Claire at:

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(ARC and media courtesy of The Write Reads)

(all opinions are my own)