The Thorns Remain - JJA Harwood

The Thorns Remain is set in Scotland, in the wake of the First World War and in the midst of the Spanish Flu epidemic of 1919. In a rural Scottish village, Moira Jean is celebrating with her friends, a last hurrah before they go on their separate ways to make their lives their own. 

But the evening takes a turn when a beautiful stranger comes upon them. Awaking from a daze filled with dancing and strange music, Moira Jean finds herself alone. Her friends have disappeared and it's down to her to find them again. Making bargains with Fae is exactly what she's been told not to do, but how else will she get her friends back?

The story was brilliantly written and Moira Jean's character was fantastic - absolutely fearless and possibly even reckless but very likeable. Her determination and almost cavalier behaviour made my inner feminist squeal with joy. 

The only thing I wish for - MORE OF THE DREAMER. I would have loved to see more of a relationship between him and Moira, there were a few scenes that could have been developed on so much more but the final scenes really made it for me.

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The English Fuhrer - Rory Clements

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...

Murder on the Orient Express - Agatha Christie

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A Merry Little Meet Cute - Julie Murphy & Sierra Simone

What a bloody lovely Christmas beaut this was! If you're venturing into spicy romance books and have been on Instagram or TikTok recently, it's likely that you would have seen this little gem doing the rounds. Bee is a content creator for ClosedDoor (think.. OnlyFans) and Nolan is an ex-boyband bad boy that are both cast in a Hope Channel (think... Hallmark) Christmas movie, Duke The Halls. Nolan is reinventing his career and trying to rid himself of the bad boy image whereas Bee is brought in last minute because the Lead Actress has been taken ill. The best part? Bee was a massive fan of Nolan in her teenage years and Nolan has been following Bee on social media for a while. And they're getting paid to get to know each other. I adored this book. It was everything I wanted it to be and is perfect for those of us who love a Hallmark Christmas movie but wished there was a bit heat in the romances. the positive message around Bee's work is brilliantly handled, not to me...

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