RoroblusMumReadsReviews/Rants

4* Very well done, and the author kept the ending real, if sad.  This tale starts with an abused woman and ends with a woman who's living life on her terms, her way. She's stronger for having the lies she lived with, and her past, brought into the open. Most characters end up happy, and I was pleased that an unforgivable betrayal remained unforgiven. The storyline is told in the blurb, but add in danger, bad guys, abuse, betrayal and things working out because of the courage of a man who'd lost almost everything, but wasn't prepared to lose what he had left. ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton, for my reading pleasure. 

3* Good stortline but efforts at a romance were a waste - absolutely no chemistry between the leads, on top of very, very little time together.  This is a doesn't-feel-dangerous tale that has all the elements to make it a feels-dangerous tale, but they're not there in the right proportions: the graffiti doesn't feel sinister; not enough is made of the ex; the 'protector' lead doesn't get to protect hardly at all; the camping, right on the anniversary of the sad event the town is famous for, feels TSTL, not dangerous or suspenseful. One catty character is there for about 1/4 page, never to be seen again. The townspeople who maligned and threatened Harper were silent when the truth was outed.  Sigh. A good editor could've amped up everything by asking the author for - more. Not a waste of time, but ultimately, unsatisfying. ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Storm Publishing for my reading pleasure.

4* Intrigue, murder and blackmail in the English countryside. This has excellent could-be killers; a whole host of characters that turn out to be victims; some decent detecting; and tea, cake and biscuits, making it very English.  For someone so seemingly innocuous to be exposed for what they were, and to drag 'innocents' into their web, was pretty well done. We didn't get to find out a lot about the 'spider's past and motivations - not necessarily financial - which was a tad irritating, but they got what they deserved. How does someone so hateful live with themselves?  Some of the 'filler' aspects of the tale, such as the repeated praise of a certain female detective; the mumsy/dadsy stuff with the baby; the talk of diets and all the open-garden build-up was a bit boring and could've been edited out. Still, overall it was a decent enough murder-mystery that spawned organic parts, adding to the intrigue. ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer fo...

3* Some interesting aspects to it, but way more of the crying and emoting that book 2 was full of. Tbf, it's kind of understandable why, but this required a huge amount of suspension of disbelief. But, it has kittens in it, which are sort of a redemption.  There's, and there's not really, a lot happening here. Salem and Aurin are a couple, with Aurin fretting over the extent of Salem's injuries, and them having travelled deep into Cern's mountain to heal. That aspect was quite interesting, with explanations of who and what Cern is, who Fyn is, and what really goes on in the woods. There's partying, rejoicing, a rebirth ceremony and there's honey mead and lots of sex, thankfully not on screen, as the previous books had far too much of it. There's far too much mushy, lovey dovey stuff, and it's as if love's young dream has just descended on them. There's a lot of pronouncements, too. There's also a definite feel of one masculine character i...

2.5* Not believable at all, sadly. Not a single really likeable character, including Emma. The characters in this book lie, set others up, betray each other, cheat, hold back details, plot, use people and are hateful to domestic and wait staff, even though one of them started off as the same. Not a single one gad any redeeming qualities. Unless you count Emma's memory for details and spin, which serve her well in her profession. Sadly, the tale was poor and the killer was very obvious. Emma had no backbone, which didn't really tie in with her alleged barrister self. Her shameful secret wasn't shameful or secret - it was just bigged up to add faux intrigue and make her a bit less bland and boring. Not a good read.  ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for my reading pleasure. 

5* Not what I was expecting. Very, very well done, and sad, too. This is a complicated tale, with someone who's not intentionally lying, who I think is inherently decent as her current-day persona, yet traumatised, going to the police when she thinks she's remembered things from her past, needing to set the record right. And that opens several cans of worms.  The intertwining of past and present is well done. There are conflicting eye-witness accounts of a guy that's maybe good in some ways, not good in others. There's money talking, past and present, yet not future. The cycle has been broken. There's trauma and there's mental health issues. There's characters you feel sorry for and some you think should know better. There's some you want to hug, some you want incarcerated, some you feel sorry for, because they've lost  loved, lost again, were about to love again, but have lost yet again. And yet, maybe there's a different kind of love in store f...