traceyroberts's reviews
636 reviews

With "Escape from Christmas" being my first Philipa Ashley book, I was expecting snow, cosy romance and a few laughs along the way.   Unfortunately it didn't quite live up to being the festive treat I was expecting.  

Sophie used to be a Christmas loving gift shop owner.  That is until the Christmas she discovered her fiancé cheating on her with her best friend.   Devastated by the betrayal Sophie sells her shop and buys a guest house in the lake district. Determined to avoid the traditional festivities Sophie is hosting an "Escape" from Christmas for her guests, complete with tapas and flamenco dancers.  

I really enjoyed the descriptions of the Lake District, this was an idyllic setting for a festive story. However that's really where my enjoyment ended.  I didn't connect with the authors' writing style or any of the characters.  The dialogue felt forced with characters constantly over explaining everything they spoke about.  The exposition felt lengthly and repetitive which slowed down the pace of story making it feel like a slog to get through.   The plot was fairly predictable which is OK for a cosy Christmas read.  However it stretches credulity to the limit. 

I think Phillipa Ashley fans will still enjoy this read but it wasn't quite what I was looking for.   Thank you to Random House UK, Cornerstone and Netgalley for providing the ARC. 

Ernest Cunningham returns for a Christmas special with this third book in the series.   This story is a little shorter than the previous two novels, only 24 advent calendar style chapters, but it's every bit as packed full of wit and mystery.  

Set in the blue mountains on the lead up to Christmas, which incidentally is the hottest time of the year in Australia, so no snow or log fires to be found here. Ern receives a call from ex-wife Erin who woke up covered in blood and has been arrested for the murder of her new partner. Ern must unravel the clues to get Erin out of jail.

I love Benjamin Stevenson's writing style.  It gives a classic murder mystery a fresh and quirky vibe with some humourous meta commentary.   I did manage to guess one tiny clue but most of the reveals were a surprise, the clues are not hidden as is the style of this author, just cleverly plotted.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for cosy crime with a difference. My thanks to Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House and Netgalley for providing an ARC. 

Ice Town is book 6 in the Tuva Moodyson Mysteries by Will Dean.  This book definitely works as a standalone though if you just want to dive into the series. 

Esseberg, AKA Ice Town can only be reached by way of a tunnel which closes at night.  There is only one way in and one way out giving the novel a real claustrophobic feel.  A deaf teenager goes missing and mountain rescue launch a search for him.  When journalist Tuva reads about the young teen she is drawn to the town to help with the search.  Being deaf herself she may be of use to communicate with him. 

This was a chilling atmospheric read with danger lurking everywhere, from the creepy hotel at the top of the mountain,  the defective ski lift and a killer on a murder spree.  A totally gripping read and a fantastic ending.  

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton and Netgalley for providing me with a copy to read and review. 

This is the third book by indie author Lara Martin and I love her easy writing style and how she creates such relatable characters. 

The Broken Heart Playlist centres on food stylist and single mum, Kate and her daughter Lisset.  Kate's exhusband treated her badly and their marriage was an abusive one leaving Kate broken, insecure and guarded.  All that matters to her is her daughter and family.  Until she meets Gideon... 

I relished the slow burn romance and the sizzle of tension between Kate and Gideon.  Lisset is a great little character who added much humour to the story, along with some truly laugh out loud moments from Grandma and her antics with Google. It was lovely to see  characters from the previous book (but you don't need to have read "Phishing for Love" prior to this one) I also enjoyed how this book is broken up into seasons with songs to compliment each segment of the story.   It gave the story greater depth for me. 

I did think the revelations at the end were a little surprising and left me feeling a bit unsettled.  Definitely not a predictable ending but overall I enjoyed the journey with these two characters. 

Thank you Lara Martin for giving me the opportunity to read this and providing me with a digital copy.