The Little Library Project

There's something about reading a Christmas book in the middle of the year that just feels... a little different. But that's what I did guys. For you.  One Christmas Morning is a gorgeous treat of a book that will have you crying, gasping and smiling.  Wrapped up in the launch of her new business, Eva is in the Cornish countryside for Christmas with her husband and some of her closest friends. But after 3 years of throwing herself into the business, she's a world apart and there is so much that hangs in the balance. Her very own Ghost of Christmas Present is there for her though, showing her what she's missing out on. But is it too late? I have no doubt that this book is going to be a hit this Christmas. Everyone is guilty of upending that work/life balance occasionally and this book really does bring home the message that there is so much more to life. 

I’m going to precede  all of this by saying I LOVED The Night Circus. It pretty much became my entire personality for a while because I loved it so much and I received my copy of The Starless Sea as soon as it came out in 2019. I picked it up to read it as soon as my grubby little hands could get hold of it.   But I DNF’d it.   About 40 pages in, I couldn’t work out what the hell was going on and I put it straight back down. And I was gutted because everything about the plot screamed LOVE ME to me.   I didn’t get rid of my copy; it’s a gorgeous book and I knew that at some point, it would be the right time for me to read it. It has sat on my shelf for so long. It’s moved around countless houses. It has changed post codes.   And last week, I thought – it might be time.   Again, 40 pages in, I didn’t have a clue what was going on. But I haven’t DNF’d a book yet this year and I wasn’t about to start. So I continued.   About 150 pages in – still lost.   About 200

  When I say that Kindle Unlimited has changed my life, it is NOT an exaggeration. It has opened up a world of books that I had no idea existed and I just cannot believe what I have been missing out on.   It’s only been a few months but I have read a ridiculous amount of books from there already. And the one that sticks out for me the most? The Words.   I think I found this one on TikTok – I’d never her of Ashley Jade and this certainly wouldn’t have been a book I picked up without recommendation because this kind of cover is not the one for me.   But within a few pages I was so hooked.   I have no shame in admitting that if I was to admit to a weakness – it is tortured musician. My best friend will willingly regale anyone with stories of my ill-fated romances with guitarists, bassists or singers. So this book SPOKE to me.   Told in two person POV, The Words follows Lennon and Phoenix; from their days in high school, through to four years later, when Lennon is recruited to be Phoenix’s

  Whilst you shouldn’t judge a book by it’s cover, I definitely picked this one up purely because of its gorgeous dust-jacket. I knew nothing about it other than the fact it looks dark.   Was I prepared for a dark-academia mystery/thriller? Definitely not. Do I regret it? Not one bit.   Ann is working at The Cloisters, part of The Met in New York and is assigned to work with an esteemed curator who is looking to publish evidence that Tarot has always been, and can be used for fortune telling.   Given the authors background, its no surprise that there were quite a few references that went over my head, but with a love of Tarot, I enjoyed it all the same.   The drive of the characters for not just finding the answers, but being recognised for them was extremely well thought out and I thoroughly enjoyed the intensity of the final few chapters.     If you have an interest in Tarot or divination, I’d highly recommend this book. It’ll inspire you to dust off your own card

  Tessa Bailey is a bit of a Queen when it comes to smutty rom-com and I was so excited to read Secretly Yours. I’ve read a few of her more recent books and I must say, they always deliver.   This one had grumpy/sunshine down to perfection and I’m excited for Unfortunately Yours when it comes out later this year.   Hallie is a gardener who leave chaos in her wake; whether it’s running to her own personal and uncoordinated work schedule, or stealing cheese from an unwelcome wine tasting business. Harbouring a crush on Julian; the heir to the local vineyard since school, she devises a plan that allows her to see him again when he comes back to town to write his novel.   With no memory of Hallie whatsoever, Julian is forever asking why on earth this unorganised and flakey woman has been sent to disrupt his highly scheduled and very precise life.   There were a couple of plot points that I found to be unbelievable but it didn’t ruin the story for me. Everyone needs a best friend like Halli

Ahead of reading Happy Place, I wanted to catch up on Emily Henry’s back catalogue and the last one for me to read was You and Me on Vacation. Thanks to Waterstones Double Points last bank holiday – I grabbed a copy to add to my collection and I couldn’t resist jumping int it as soon as I could.   12 years ago, Poppy and Alex met in their first years at University and made a promise to go on vacation together every year. But two years ago their trip to Croatia took a turn and since then, they haven’t spoke beyond the customary “Happy Birthday” texts.   But Poppy is in a slump. Reaching her end goal as a travel writer for an exclusive magazine, her adventures aren’t quite ticking the boxes they used to. She decides to reach out to Alex to see if they could reinstate their summer vacation and get back to her roots.   Having read Henry’s books in pretty much, a reverse order – it was interesting to see her writing style go back to the beginnings. I adored Book Lovers and Beach Read and th

  I’ve known of T.J Klune’s books for while but had yet to read any. When I saw his latest release, Under The Whispering Door available for discount on Kindle, I picked it up without hesitation and took it along with me for our holiday in Cornwall.   Wallace isn’t a great person. He’s not a bad person; he has never killed anyone but he could definitely have been a better person to others. When he’s collected from his own funeral by a Reaper, he finds himself as Charon’s Crossing, very much confused and upset that his life is over so quickly.   I’ve seen this book listed as Cosy-Fantasy but I’m not quite sure that it fits.   For me, personally; I’m quite sensitive about death. It scares me, makes me feel anxious and I have been known to have sleepless nights laid awake panicking that I don’t have enough time to do everything I want to do with my life.   What is done very well in this book, is provide a different view point and of course, a different idea of what the afte

  When I bought this book a couple of months ago, I hadn't realised that it was a book that had sat on my TBR list for a few years. That's when you know a book is going to be right for you! As part of my effort to work my way through my physical TBR, I picked it up for the bank holiday and immediately got lost in the history of P T Barnum and his museum of curiosities.  Unlike the masses, I wasn't quite as hooked on The Greatest Showman when it came out; whilst I appreciate the film and everything it encompassed, it was a classic case of Hollywood putting a positive spin on an otherwise dark history.  The Mermaid tells the story of a mermaid who choses to join Barnums exhibition so she can fund her dreams to see the world.  Adding a fantasy element to the Fiji Mermaid hoax that Barnum was the ringleader of, the story approaches a number of subjects tactfully. Firstly, the Mermaid, Amelia, is not always allowed the freedom she signed up for and the religious zealots of the t

  I have no shame in admitting that I have been in constant pursuit of the ACOTAR-vibe since reading the series back in October. It was such an immersive series that I couldn't help but be lowkey obsessed and I've struggled to find anything that gives me similar feels since.  Thankfully, with my trusted Kindle Unlimited subscription, I've been able to sample a fair few series since and whilst they've been great - they haven't quite hit the mark.  Well, The Mist King series definitely comes pretty damn close. Fae - CHECK Series - CHECK 400+ page reads - CHECK Fated Mates - CHECK Smut - CHECK War - CHECK It's all there.  For me personally, the characters aren't written quite as well as I'd like. I want to hate some, I want to love some, but they lack the depth to really become invested in them.  But the twists and turns in the plot definitely make up for it.  I'd highly recommend this to fans of fantasy romance. There is a fourth (and final) book due o

  If there's one thing I'm a sucker for, it's a Beauty and the Beast retelling and this, was stunning. The fairytale has always been my favourite and everytime I see a new version I'm guaranteed to add it to my To Be Read or buy it straight away. I can't help myself.  Told from the Beasts perspective, the insight into what brought him to the point where Isabeau (Belle) is introduced into his life.  Firstly, we learn about the years following the curse when he is learning about his new self.  "I did not know if I was a beast who dreamed of being a man, or a man who dreamed he was a beast" The isolation and introspection that he goes through in those years is wonderfully written. The whole book is extremely poetic in it's writing but this part especially was stunning.  There is no dialogue in the first few chapters, allowing the reader to truly feel that alone with just The Beasts thoughts.  I don't believe it's possible for anyone to not know th

The Illusions is a brilliant tale set at the turn of the 20th century, when magical illusions were still famed in their novelty and moving pictures were finding their feet. A great magician is retiring and naming his successor, but as the show is threatened by a rival performer, an unlikely troop of magicians and inventors work together to fulfil the legacy. I found this book a challenge - whilst the story was clearly told for each of the characters clearly, the story took a while to develop. I loved Eadie's character, and Cecily was a force to be reckoned with in the end but I felt like more could have been developed in the feminist element of the story. Overall, it was a great premise for a story and it was told well - but it was a little slower paced than I tend to steer towards.

It was so refreshing to read a thriller that didn't follow the standard Whodunnit format! Whilst Black Thorn has the staple elements that every murder mystery needs, the premise of the book - a shiny new housing estate that's evacuated created plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing as to who the true culprit was. It was an easy to read book with a diverse range of characters that allowed the author to touch on a few societal issues and it was all handled extremely tactfully. A brilliant read that I'm sure will be a success.

  Since reading The Night Circus and Caraval books years ago, I'm been on the hunt for another Circus based story to get into and this one absolutely delivered. The First Bright Thing is set in the roaring twenties, when the world is settling back down after the devastating First World War and Rin is travelling America with her troop of performers. But this circus is different; instead of tricks and illusions, each performer has their own special gift - Their Spark.  But Rin is hiding from her past; a rival Ringmaster is desperate to join forces despite having a very different agenda.  This story was definitely darker than other Circus based books that I've read but held something special as the characters dipped in and out of not only social issues, but politics too. I have a feeling this book is going to be very popular and I'll definitely be seeking it out for my collection on publication day!

I think I've found my new favourite Tessa Bailey.  I really enjoyed It Happened One Summer and Hook Like and Sinker so when this one was on offer - I ust had to add it to my basket. But I definitely didn't expect to love it!  Taylor is taking her brother on vacation - they've gone all out on a beach house in Cape Cod but when they turn up, they made a gruesome discovery. A Bounty Hunter-come-Private Detective rocks up on his motorbike and the fun starts.  I won't lie - I think Myles is the reason I enjoyed this one so much. Long hair, tattoos and 2 wheels? Sign me up. Fox and Brendan were hot, but they didn't quite push the right buttons for me. And what I enjoyed most is that the murder mystery element of the story was just as good as the rest of it. I was definitely a little hesitant because, it takes a different type of skill, but Bailey aced it. 

Whilst I admittedly haven't yet read the original Peter Pan story - I love the idea of it so when this new release became available to request on NetGalley, I couldn't help myself.  Lou has a Grown. Her little sister has an invisible friend but with their mother planning Lou's betrothal, the sisters are fighting with the expectations of society whilst navigating their life without their father and what they want from their own lives.  Jay is Number Two. He's been by Peter's side for as long as he can remember but their leader has been captured by Blackbeard and the magic of the island is in trouble.  Faced with a the prospecting of marrying the bland son of a family friend, Lou panics and finds herself in a land of savage children with no idea how to get back.  Combining the dark retelling with the Hook origin story was perfect. I found it slow to get into but once Lou reached the island, it definitely stepped up a notch. And whilst I struggled with this book, the e

Naturally - the minute I saw this available for an ARC, I couldn't push that request button quick enough and I was so excited to have been approved. After falling in love with Viv and her merry band of friends in Legends and Lattes, I think everyone has been eagerly awaiting this next instalment and it definitely lived up to the hype. Bookshops & Bonedust take us twenty years before, Viv is injured and finds herself in recovery from a severe leg injury which has put her out of action in the sleep port of Murk. She finds herself in the company of Fern, the proprietor of a run down bookshop that has a flair for choosing the right books for the right people. Once again, this story is beautifully paced, showcasing fun and unsuspecting friendships whilst the underlying plot is there, providing challenges and suspense. I can't wait to see how this series develops.

I was SO excited to have the opportunity to read Morgan Is My Name. I've long been a fan of all things Arthurian and this first instalment of the trilogy was a brilliant first step back in time and hearing Morgans story.  With so much speculation as to the truth behind the myth of King Arthur, creative license can really be used and what I loved most about Morgan Is My Name is that it wasn't excessive; there are no dragons (yet?) but there is plenty of sorcery, betrayal and feeling to make this an impressive historical fiction.  Plenty of mentions of Tintagel and the surrounding areas of Cornwall add weight to the story, and towards the end we are entering the world of the much-debated Camelot.  Underneath it all - the feminist message is clear (let's face it... I love a feminist message), and I can't wait to see how the story develops, not just for Morgan herself but Alys and Tressa too.  Morgan Is My Name has earned a place of pride on my bookshelf already and the stu

  No one could ever accuse me of playing it safe with books.  Intrigued by the gorgeous cover and the promise of an adventure set amongst the backdrop of the French Revolution - Scarlet was an intense and ambitious crossover of history and fantasy.  When young Eleanor is likened to a member of French aristocracy, she is employed into service as part of a scheme to release an infamous member of the royal family from imprisonment.  This is a heavily plot driven story which very little weight behind the characters BUT as it promises to be the first in a trilogy, this may be something that develops as the saga continues.  Did I enjoy it? I did. at once I had some Les Mis flashbacks as the Parisian sewer system made an appearance but other than that - the story had some really great twists and turns throughout. I could only spot one plot hole but again, I feel this is going to be developed as the series goes on so I'm not too concerned about it.  If you like your historical fiction to d

In the words of one of my favourite book characters... Jesus H Roosevelt Christ. I'd read one of Simone's previous works with A Merry Little Meet Cute but nothing could have prepared me for the level of smut that I found in this book.  I loved it.  And I know this is going to sound like that cliche go to line ("But I watch it for the plot") but I genuinely did enjoy the story in this as well as the extremely graphic scenes. Tyler is a priest, with a vow of celibacy and a promise to his congregation that he's one of the "good" priests, he's lead very literally to temptation, and distraction, by a new parishioner. Unable to deny their mutual attraction to each other, Tyler is forced to confront his feelings and decide who he wants to commit his life to... God, or her? I'm relatively new to the smut genre of books but this ticked a fair few boxes. As always, read the content warnings before you turn a page though.   

  After the masterpiece that was Fairy Tale, I knew The Colorado Kid wasn't going to match up. But it pains me to say that I think I went from one end of the spectrum to the other within days.  I will be clear - I am very aware that the reason I didn't enjoy The Colorado Kid is the exact premise of the book - no one likes an unfinished story. Which is exactly what this is and is intended to me.  Two old-school local reporters are sat discussing unsolved mysteries of their local town with their new colleague and the case of The Colorado Kid is recounted - creating more questions than there are answers.  I've read King's other two Hard Case Crime books (Joyland and Later) and I thoroughly enjoyed them so I was gutted this didn't hit the mark. I'd love to see this developed into a full-length thriller at some point because I think the story would be absolutely crazy but for now, I'll have to sit with this as my lowest rated Stephen King book to date. 

In true Me style, I was in fear after Fairy Tale that I would enter into a reading slump. I mean, what on earth is going to match up to that?! So naturally, I launched straight into a new easy read.  This is a very new addition to my collection as it was purchased as part of my birthday book collection after seeing some really good reviews on Twitter from other bloggers.  A Witch's Guide to Fake Dating A Demon was exactly what you'd expect - fun and cute with plenty of grumpy/sunshine. Mariel is from a powerful and respected family of witches but she isn't quite meeting up to her mother's expectations. Whilst working on her spellcraft, she accidentally summons a demon - and he's a soul-bargainer and can't leave until she's promised him her soul.  This was a sweet read that is perfect for fans of The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling. And it gave me some very cosy Autumn/Halloween vibes. 

  Over the last few years, I've been making an effort to read Stephen King's books as they come out whilst also working through the back catalogue. The Bloke bought Fairy Tale for me for Christmas (I resisted the urge to buy it for myself) and it has sat on my shelf for a few months now. I just knew it was going to be something special so I sat.. staring at it.  I've only read 11 of his books to date but I've noticed that he tends to dabble in varying types of horror/thriller themes and to my (limited) knowledge, this was his first dabble into fantasy.. or at least the kind of fantasy that I'm familiar with. I wanted to make sure I had dedicated time to read this. I wanted to savour it and for once, I was stopping myself from reading too much too quickly.  Fairy Tale fits the patten of fantasy quest. Our unsuspecting Hero is thrown into a world unfamiliar to him, must defeat the evil forces and re-establish the order of civility and good.  Everything about the plot

If someone told me 6 months ago that I'd be using Blue Alien smut as a palette cleanser between my books.. I probably would have laughed at them. But that's apparently the BookTok curse. Once again, I found myself diving into the world of Ruby Dixon's sci-fi romance series and this time we were following Kara's story. Once again, this is a FUN series. The format is similar in all of them, so it's not groundbreaking writing or literary fiction but it's good natured, easy to read and there's plenty of big blue alien d*ck.

  There's something about an alternative Second World War or a "What If?" that intrigues me. After my somewhat disappointing experience with The Man In The High Castle a few weeks ago - I was hesitant that this would also miss the mark slightly but thankfully - it hit all the right spots.  A few months after the end of the War, Tom Wilde is back from his OSS placement and is settling back into academia at Cambridge. But a visit to a sick friend lands him in the midst of a biological attack on British Soil and he's called up on by his previous colleague to investigate.  I really enjoyed this story. I didn't realise that it was part of a series of novels based on the central character, Tom Wilde but that didn't stop my grasp of what was going on. The departments and fractions of military were easy to pick up though there are a likely a few backstories that would have been useful to piece things together quicker.  My only criticism is that Clements' writing s

All hail the book that dragged me out of my reading slump back in October!  After a bit of a dry couple of months bookwise - I'd seen a fair amount about the ACOTAR series on BookTok and I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. I ordered the first book but, resisted buying the rest of the series straight away. I think I was only about 100 pages in before the rest of the series was in my basket - thankfully delivered the next day (Thank you Prime). I devoured the whole series in a week and ever since, I have been reaching for the vibes that I got when I first read them. I've come close but so far, nothing has hit the mark. I wasn't planning on a re-read any time soon - I've got the Throne of Glass and Crescent City books waiting to be started BUT when I finally managed to talk the best friend into taking the leap, I couldn't resist joining her along for the ride. So as a break between my other books, and a reward for being so far into my 2023 reading challenge, I

I'm not going to hark on about my love for Jenny Colgan because if you've paid any attention to my previous reviews - you'll know that I ADORE her. So when I saw that her next release was available to review on NetGalley I was crossing all of my fingers in the hope that I'd be approved... And I was! It was strange but lovely to be reading a stand alone novel of Jenny's after following the lives of those on Mure and Kirrinfief for so long but the story of Morag and her family in the highest reaches of Scotland still felt like home to me.  Following in the footsteps of my Father and Grandad, Morag is a pilot. But she long ago decided that the little runner plane that was used by locals to island hop wasn't enough for her. After an incident that's left her more than a little bit shaken, she's struggling to get back in the cockpit but thanks to the safe and dependable Hayden, things are looking up for her. But as her Grandad comes down ill with the flu, she&

  Hot on the heels of The Witches of Vardo, I delved into another NetGalley Arc - The Last Witch of Scotland.  The tone of the writing between these two stories is vastly different - whereas the Scandinavian tale was drawn down from historical accounts and documents, The Last Witch of Scotland seems to be more ambiguous and whilst still devastating in it's origins, the story has a more lighthearted feel to it.  An account of the life of Aila, the daughter of Janet Horne who was the last woman executed in British soil, as a result of the witch trials.  What I enjoy most about reading these books is the common themes of the trials - over-zealous ministers looking to take control of their 'flock' and using what we now understand to be medical or general science as a platform to denounce these women as witches. It's just ridiculous.  But as I mention, this tale is slightly more lighthearted in the variety of characters that we meet and the stories that intertwine.  Quite po

After reading The Spanish Love Deception a few weeks ago - I couldn't wait to get stuck into this one and see Rosie and Lucas' story play out. Whilst I enjoyed watching Lina and Aaron's antics, there was an element of it that felt forced and I had hopes that The American Roommate Experiment would be a smoother story.  And it was. Definitely a slow burn, but it felt so much more natural and organic in the way their relationship developed.  Rosie is classically awkward in the way that only someone with a secret crush can be and Lucas is cocky without being arrogant, and clearly an absolute snack.  Of course, it was predictable, no one wants to read a romance where the couple doesn't get together at the end right? (I'm looking at you, The Idea of You) but it was a lovely read that left you invested in the couple.  The American Roommate Experiment was a nice one day read for me and Elena Armas will probably now be auto-buy author for me!

If you haven't guessed already - I cannot refuse a witchy read. I've always had an interest in all things to do with witchcraft and the persecution of women in history. I spotted this one when it came out, and thanks to an Amazon gift voucher, I treated myself to The Witches of Vardo.  Based on true events, The Witches of Vardo follows the story of a small group of women from Northern Norway who are held on suspicion of witchcraft. You can read about the witch trial here .  This story is harrowing. Of course, the account of the actual trial is fiction but even the statements made against them and prosecution lead against them is steeping in recorded accounts in history which makes this all the more troubling. As there is always likely to be - there is an element of the supernatural in the story leading to a Are They/Aren't They question but generally, the story definitely highlights the absurdity of the claims.  And it all comes back to this; whilst they couldn't live w

I *know* I read these out of order but thankfully, I don't feel like it ruined anything for me. I read Hook, Line and Sinker back last year and thoroughly enjoyed watching Hannah and Fox's relationship develop.  Piper is a socialite known for her immaculate style and wild antics. But when her step dad cuts her off after she breaks into a rooftop pool bringing all of her friends along... she's left without a clue in how to navigate the world.  Finding herself in a remote fishing town, she's having to start again and learn how to look after herself. Immediately making an enemy out of brooding fisherman Brendan, she sets about restoring her late fathers bar.  It's your classic moody/sunshine romance and as we have come to expect from Tessa Bailey - there's a little bit of spice too.  Did I prefer the first or second? Personally, I preferred Hannah's story, but that might just be because Fox is more my type of guy. But this was a good little gap filler in betwe

There was no doubt in my mind that book would leave me emotionally broken. When I red They Both Die At The End last year - I was in awe as to how much emotion I felt. So I went into this with my eyes wide open but I nothing could have prepared me for the pure ugly sobs that wracked through me. Similar to its predecessor, the book focuses on Death Cast. However this story is from the beginning of the system - the first person called by Death Cast on its launch. To talk about it will take away from the sheer beauty of the story but this much can be shared; The story weaves everyone together in a truly gorgeous way.  Characters from our first visit to Adam Silvera's New York make a welcome appearance and draw the two books together beautifully.  If you read the first book and loved it then I'm sure this one is already sat on your TBR (if you haven't already dived in) BUT if you had any hesitation as to if it can match up - it absolutely does.  Now, I'm going to continue to