Christmas In Castleby by J. M. Simpson | Book Review

[ad/gifted - I received a eARC of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links.]

Title & Author: Christmas In Castleby by J. M. Simpson

My rating: 5/5

Publication date: 1st November 2024

Blurb:

When Tess Dutton arrives in Castleby to help in her sister’s restaurant for the Christmas period her worst nightmare awaits. Tess finds her sister unconscious at the bottom of her stairs, and a restaurant fully booked until Christmas.

Ex-Navy chef Griffin Jones returns to his late mother’s house trying to put his past behind him. He can’t forgive himself for what he did, and someone from his past won’t let him forget either.

Griffin steps in to help Tess in the restaurant, but he is haunted by his past. As he grows closer to Tess and their attraction blossoms, Tess receives a visit from an ex-lover, who wants to rekindle their romance.

Tess struggles when she finds out about Griffin’s past.

But he’s being persecuted.

And then Tess’s life is threatened.

Someone is so full of hate and so intent on revenge, that the only solution is to kill.

Review:

Did I read this book in less than a day? Yes, yes I did. I just couldn't put it down!

This is the sixth book in the Castleby series and I have loved every one of them, so when I heard there was a Christmas one coming, I was very excited. I would recommend going back and reading the other books in the series because they are fantastic.

Griff Jones is returning to the seaside town of Castleby, following his mother's death. Griff has had a tough few years and is looking to start over. At the same time, Tess has been roped into coming to help her sister Lorraine at her restaurant over the busy Christmas period. Tess has had a couple of heartbreaks recently, plus leaving her stressful job as a nurse.

The two cross paths when Tess takes over the restaurant for an injured Lorraine and is in need of a chef. Enter, Griff. But when Griff starts receiving threatening texts and letters about something that happened in his past, culminating in attacks both on him and his house, he realises he needs to tell Tess, but how will she react?

One thing I love about the Castleby series, is that going back to them feels so comforting. Griff and Tess are new characters but are very much welcomed by the locals who we came to love in the previous books (I'm looking at you Foxy and Maggie!). 

This is a shorter book than the rest but I always enjoy the pacing, tension and guessing that Simpson delivers. I just love the mix of small town vibes with some crime that keeps you on your toes! 

The Secret of the Brighton House by Cathy Hayward | Book Spotlight

[This post contains affiliate links.]

Title & Author: The Secret of the Brighton House by Cathy Hayward

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing 

Publication date: 1st November 2024

Blurb:

Joanne has always been told her mother died in childbirth, but she never questioned her dad’s love. When preparing for the birth of her much longed for baby Joanne unpacks a box of her own old baby clothes, she accidentally discovers a photo of her birth mum holding a newborn outside the Brighton House and realises she’s been lied to.

But why would her dad lie to her? And why did he move her so far away from Brighton? And why won't he talk to her now? With her questions stonewalled by her father, Joanne is terrified of what his silence means. But desperate to know what really happened to Grace, Joanne delves into the past and begins to uncover layers of secrets that threaten to destroy the very family she holds dear. What really happened to her mum? What could be so devastating that her dad has kept it from her for her whole life―and is she ready to find out?

Using Facebook, she meets her mum’s old friend Susie. Through her, and old redacted hospital records, she discovers that Grace suffered from post-partum psychosis. She had tried to kill baby Joanne and was incarcerated in an asylum outside of Brighton where she later died.

Joanne becomes concerned for her own mental health when she starts ‘seeing’ her birth mother, and her physical health when she starts bleeding and is hospitalised. But when Joanne’s baby arrived without issue, she brings the family and friends of her mother in Brighton together with those of her father and stepmother in Berwick together to begin a new chapter.

•••

The Secret of the Brighton House is award-winning author Cathy Hayward's second novel about a woman's struggle with the discovery that her mother tried to kill her when suffering with postpartum psychosis. Now pregnant with a much longer for baby herself, she worries about what this means for her. It is a powerful and captivating story of two women trying to find their places as mothers, wives and women, linked by a devastating secret.

Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak | Book Review

[This post contains affiliate links.]

Title & Author: Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak 

My rating: 4/5

Publisher: Sphere

Publication date: 23rd June 2022 

Blurb:

Mallory is delighted to have a new job looking after gorgeous four-year-old, Teddy. She's been sober for a year and a half and she's sure her new nannying role in the affluent suburbs will help keep her on the straight and narrow.

That is until Teddy starts to draw disturbing pictures of his imaginary friend, Anya. It is quite clear to Mallory and to Teddy's parents, even in his crude childlike style, that the woman Teddy is drawing in his pictures is dead.

Teddy's crayons are confiscated, and his paper locked away. But the drawings somehow keep coming, telling a frightening story of a woman murdered... and they're getting more sophisticated. But if Teddy isn't drawing the pictures anymore, who is? And what are they trying to tell Mallory about her new home?

Review:

I felt like I had a bit of FOMO with this book and I was super intrigued by the creepy drawings so I knew I had to add it to my October reads.

Mallory Quinn is a twenty-one-year old ex-addict who has been clean for eighteen months. She lands a job as a nanny for Caroline and Ted Maxwell through her sponsor who vouches for her.

The job entails looking after their five-year-old son Teddy during the summer before he starts school and Mallory lives in a renovated cabin in their grounds. Teddy has a tendency to draw unnerving pictures depicting some strange things and they get more and more detailed. Mallory knows there is no way a five-year-old is capable of drawing like this.

There are rumours that someone died in her cabin and Mallory is convinced that this woman is trying to contact her through Teddy.

I didn't know where this book was going to go. It is very much like a mystery with us following Mallory trying to piece together what the drawings mean. It went along at one pace for around 80% of the book then everything turned on its head for the last 20%. 

I love when I genuinely am surprised and don't guess the ending! The illustrations were absolutely fantastic and I love that there is a little interview at the end with the author and the two people who drew the illustrations too. It was a nice little behind the scenes glimpse.

Power Play by Chelsea Curto | Book Review

[ad/gifted - I received an eARC copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.]

Title & Author: Power Play by Chelsea Curto 

My rating: 5/5

Publication date: 24th October 2024

Blurb:

Piper Mitchell needs one thing to go her way.

Divorced, feeling stuck in her professional life and terrified of reentering the world of dating, she's decided she's going to work on something she can control: learning how to be good in the bedroom.

Enter Liam Sullivan.

The star NHL goalie might not be a people person, but he's the perfect teacher. He knows what he's doing behind closed doors, and with a little convincing, he agrees to be Piper's guide.

Things between them are casual and easy. Something they can both benefit from. And when a road trip to Vegas as Piper and Liam waking up from a night they can't remember with matching wedding rings, they decide to figure out how much more fun they can have as husband and wife.

It's just for the hockey season. It doesn't mean anything.

But as the clock ticks down on their fake-marriage-with-benefits, can Piper and Liam make it work in the real world? Or will their relationship be a power play straight to disaster?

Review: 

I genuinely don't know how to put into words how much I love this book. 

I read Face Off, the first book in this series, back in May and I instantly fell in love with Maverick and Emmy, but also with Curto's writing style. I loved it so much that I then went and read her 'Love Through A Lens' series. I had built up so much anticipation and excitement for Power Play and it still managed to exceed my expectations.

Power Play focuses on Liam Sullivan who is the goalie for the NHL team, the DC Stars, and Piper Mitchell, the in-game reporter for the team.

As soon as I read the Author's Note at the beginning with regards to women in sport, I knew this was going to be special. Yes, it is a romance book with plenty of spice (bedroom lessons in this case and Curto writes these VERY well), but the tackling of important topics are always brought to the forefront too. Women in what are seen as "men's spaces" was a big part of this one and it felt refreshing to read about a man calling out another man's behaviour even when the woman wasn't there. Isn't that something all men should be doing?

At the beginning we very quickly learn that Liam is a bit of a grump with Piper being sunshine. She has however gone through a rough time with a divorce so she does have things she is hiding too. As time goes on you can feel the two change with each other in the most beautiful way. There is no 0-100 here. It is a really gorgeous natural progression with Liam really boosting her confidence and Piper bringing out something deep inside him that he didn't know he was missing. It is tender, it is emotional. I felt so many feelings.

Curto does characterisation like no other. I always feel like I know these people and it's enthralling. Not even just with Liam and Piper but the supporting characters too. It genuinely excites me to know that we are going to delve in on each person as the series progresses.

Liam Sullivan. Wow. I thought Maverick Miller in Face Off couldn't be knocked off the top spot but now I am unsure. Perfection with a little bow on top and I think I just smiled and swooned like a lunatic at my Kindle. If you like Liz Tomforde and Hannah Grace, you'll be blown away by Chelsea Curto's books.