Hokey Pokey - Kate Mascarenhas

I finished this book 10 minutes before writing this... and I've been left with a feeling of - what on earth did I just read? So excuse the haphazard nature of my thoughts!

Firstly, the cover and the description of this book do NOT give a true idea as to what this book is about in my opinion.

I quite fancied a 20's murder mystery set in a hotel. The blurb literally says:

But when a terrible snow storm isolates the hotel – and its guests – from the outside world, the lines between nightmare and reality begin to blur and Nora will find herself face to face with a past she thought she had long left behind...

But what we get instead is an almost horror story.

Trigger warnings: this book has dismemberment and cannibalism. I am not exactly feint-hearted but I know what I like and I do not like either of these things. Had they been included, I would have been able to make a judgement call early on.

I was also quite surprised that when I tried to find out what a Hyring was - I figured it was some form of mythical creature based on folklore - I couldn't find anything other than a load of IT recruitment sites.

I openly admit, this was first read of a book by this author - potentially I would have been more prepared if I'd read one of her previous works?

Did I enjoy this? No. Even at one point, The Bloke turned to me and asked - "Are you ok? You're not enjoying that are you?"

BUT I can appreciate a good story even if it's not my cup of tea. The writing is good and I think it was constructed well - the whodunnit was not obvious to me at all and take out the horror elements, I probably would have enjoyed it enough for 3.5/4 stars. But the lack of disclosure threw me enough - I would never have read it had I realised what I was signing up for.

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Christmas At The Island Hotel - Jenny Colgan

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a hundred times - for me, snuggling down with a Jenny Colgan book is like a hug from an old friend. And Christmas At The Island Hotel is no exception. Now, this is part of a series in the way that it follows a family of characters for their fourth installment, however as always, this works perfectly as a standalone book. Fintan, grieving the loss of his partner, has been left to open The Rock - the hotel on the island of Mure. Suddenly, this born and bred farmer needs to source a kitchen team to maintain the legacy of his late partner. And now he has a French chef that no one else wants, working in his kitchen. Konstantin, Norwegian party boy and all round spoilt brat, has been cast out by his Dad and has to learn how to be self sufficient. He finds himself on the remote island of Mure, halfway between Scotland and Norway, with no money, no friends and no idea how to chop an onion, As always, Jenny expertly weaves the lives of the characters togeth

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I wanted a wholesome New Years based read to finish 2022 with, and This Time Next Year delivered! I originally added this to my list back at the beginning of 2021 and I found it on Apple Books for just £3.99 so decided to go all in. Minnie and Quinn were both born on the 1st January 1990. Born in the same hospital, to strangers, they meet again on the morning of their 30th birthday after an eventful New Years Eve. This book reminded me a lot of One Day - the way the story is laid out - flashbacks to New Years Eves of years gone by, showed where each of the characters were at the varying points of their lives. With interwoven stories throughout the years, the two begin a friendship that neither of them quite have the time or inclination for. This was the perfect cosy read for the end of the year and I sped through it in one evening.

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