Search
Search results
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Betrayal in Books
Sep 23, 2022
171 of 230
Book
Betrayal
By Martina Cole
⭐️⭐️
Aiden O'Hara has been head of the family since he was a kid, and he's going to keep it that way.
Jade Dixon watches his back. Mother of his son, she's the one who makes him invincible.
But Jade's been in the game a lot longer than Aiden. She knows no one's indestructible.
And when you're at the top, that's when you've got to watch the hardest.
Especially the ones closest to you . . .
I usually love a Cole book but this one just didn’t do anything for me! I found it kinda repetitive and predictable. Which is such a shame as I was so looking forward to it. I had no care for any of the characters at all I think it was kind of a cop out with Agnes and her part in this story I thought she could have been a bit more than she was. Overall it was just an ok read.
Book
Betrayal
By Martina Cole
⭐️⭐️
Aiden O'Hara has been head of the family since he was a kid, and he's going to keep it that way.
Jade Dixon watches his back. Mother of his son, she's the one who makes him invincible.
But Jade's been in the game a lot longer than Aiden. She knows no one's indestructible.
And when you're at the top, that's when you've got to watch the hardest.
Especially the ones closest to you . . .
I usually love a Cole book but this one just didn’t do anything for me! I found it kinda repetitive and predictable. Which is such a shame as I was so looking forward to it. I had no care for any of the characters at all I think it was kind of a cop out with Agnes and her part in this story I thought she could have been a bit more than she was. Overall it was just an ok read.
Torn
10.0
Rate It
Book
Heartbreak. New Opportunities. A Woman Finds Unexpected Romance. After a brokenhearted farewell...
romance women's fiction
Our Hideous Progeny
10.0
Rate It
Book
Mary is the great-niece of Victor Frankenstein. She knows her great uncle disappeared in mysterious...
Historical fiction Retellings
Hazel (2934 KP) rated The Family on Smith Street in Books
Aug 20, 2023
I really quite enjoyed listening to this book which was enhanced by the excellent narration of Sarah Durham who really brought the story and the characters to life. I haven't read or listened to anything by Elisabeth Carpenter before but if this is an example of her work, I won't be making that mistake again!
The story definitely kept me guessing and it was difficult to know who to trust; it's told from multiple points of view and from different timelines but once I was into the story, I found it quite easy to keep up.
I enjoyed the mystery and intrigue running throughout the book and the unravelling of secrets and lies until the very satisfying ending.
Overall, a really enjoyable audiobook and one I would recommend to lovers of domestic and/or psychological thrillers and my thanks goes to the Author, Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for enabling me to listen to and share my thoughts of The Family on Smith Street.
The story definitely kept me guessing and it was difficult to know who to trust; it's told from multiple points of view and from different timelines but once I was into the story, I found it quite easy to keep up.
I enjoyed the mystery and intrigue running throughout the book and the unravelling of secrets and lies until the very satisfying ending.
Overall, a really enjoyable audiobook and one I would recommend to lovers of domestic and/or psychological thrillers and my thanks goes to the Author, Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for enabling me to listen to and share my thoughts of The Family on Smith Street.
Murder at the Marina
8.0
Rate It
Book
She's got to solve this-or her friends are sunk . . . Kelly Jackson, manager of the Redwood Cove...
David McK (3425 KP) rated Skulduggery Pleasant in Books
Jan 26, 2024
The first in Derek Landy's 'Skulduggery Pleasant' series, which I decided to borrow recently from Kindle Unlimited.
I read (or heard) somewhere that this was attempting to be the heir to the Harry potter crown, and I can definitely see the similarities: a secret world alongside our own full of magic, where a dark sorcerer wants to gain control over the mortal world, and where a young pre-teen is introduced to the world and has (to them) unknown connections to it already, and some unpleasant relatives...
However, unlike the Harry Potter series, this is primarily set in and around Dublin (rather than London) - and so, to me, is closer to home - while the home life of the protagonist is far more settled: she's not an orphan, and lives with her family.
I also found Skulduggery Pleasant to be more of an interesting character than Dumbledore, as well as playing a far larger role in the proceedings.
Finally, I may yet read more of these.
I read (or heard) somewhere that this was attempting to be the heir to the Harry potter crown, and I can definitely see the similarities: a secret world alongside our own full of magic, where a dark sorcerer wants to gain control over the mortal world, and where a young pre-teen is introduced to the world and has (to them) unknown connections to it already, and some unpleasant relatives...
However, unlike the Harry Potter series, this is primarily set in and around Dublin (rather than London) - and so, to me, is closer to home - while the home life of the protagonist is far more settled: she's not an orphan, and lives with her family.
I also found Skulduggery Pleasant to be more of an interesting character than Dumbledore, as well as playing a far larger role in the proceedings.
Finally, I may yet read more of these.
ClareR (5726 KP) rated The Flower Girls in Books
Jan 17, 2019
A chilling psychological thriller
A child goes missing on New Years Eve from a hotel, and when the police are called in, it is discovered that one of the guests is one of the notorious Flower Girls. The Flower Girls were involved in the murder and mutilation of a toddler in 1997, when they themselves were only 10 and 6 years old. The 10 year old, Laurel, remains in prison nearly 20 years later. Rosie was found not to have participated in the murder and couldn't remember anything that happened at that time, such was her trauma. She and her remaining family were given new identities and relocated. Her rediscovery provokes a media frenzy. The missing child (Georgie) is found alive and hypothermic, but Rosie's new identity as Hazel is now known to everyone.
We see what happened 20 years ago in short flashbacks, which can have some disturbing moments (not gory, not of the original murder - at least not at the start), and we meet the aunt of Kirstie Swann (the toddler who was murdered), who has campaigned tirelessly to keep Laurel behind bars. We are also kept in the loop of the police investigation of Georgie's disappearance. There are a lot of characters to contend with in this book, but I think it was done well, and I didn't have any problem remembering who they were. I really enjoyed this, despite the rather macabre subject matter. The pace was just right, there was a good amount of skin-crawling moments, and an unresolved ending which really suited the rest of the story - and an unresolved ending? Well, that has to be one of my favourite things!
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole for the chance to read this book, and to Alice Clark-Platts for reading along and commenting on the story with the readers! If you haven't tried The Pigeonhole, it's well worth a go. I've found some really good books on this platform.
We see what happened 20 years ago in short flashbacks, which can have some disturbing moments (not gory, not of the original murder - at least not at the start), and we meet the aunt of Kirstie Swann (the toddler who was murdered), who has campaigned tirelessly to keep Laurel behind bars. We are also kept in the loop of the police investigation of Georgie's disappearance. There are a lot of characters to contend with in this book, but I think it was done well, and I didn't have any problem remembering who they were. I really enjoyed this, despite the rather macabre subject matter. The pace was just right, there was a good amount of skin-crawling moments, and an unresolved ending which really suited the rest of the story - and an unresolved ending? Well, that has to be one of my favourite things!
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole for the chance to read this book, and to Alice Clark-Platts for reading along and commenting on the story with the readers! If you haven't tried The Pigeonhole, it's well worth a go. I've found some really good books on this platform.
BookInspector (124 KP) rated Love Me to Death in Books
Sep 24, 2020 (Updated Jan 26, 2021)
There are two main characters in this book, and the book is told from their perspectives. Mr Anderson is a loner, living in a house that everyone is calling a “freak house”, all he wants is his own family, and he is ready to kill for it. Jacob is a teenager, that has lost his mother and is bullied by his stepmother. Jacob has only one friend- Maggie, but after her cousin sister is murdered, he is about to lose her as well. The characters in this book were not my favourite ones, and I found it difficult to connect with them. I liked Mr Anderson’s parts in this novel, I found his thoughts very amusing and very disturbed. The man has a very damaged personality, that is pretty dark and scary. Jacob’s parts in this book were very repetitive and dull, and I found myself skimming the text on many occasions.
The narrative of this book didn’t really have to offer anything. Yes, it discusses important topics, such as bullying, mental illness, loneliness, child abuse etc. But the way it was incorporated just didn’t work for me. The plot kind of plodded along, without any interesting twists or turns, and I didn’t feel any suspense whatsoever. I kept reading in hope of something major to happen, but it never did. 😦
The writing style wasn’t to my liking as well, I feel the book was expanded with the repetitive thoughts about Maggie. The setting of the book felt dark and gloomy, as well as the characters. The chapters have a medium length but Jacob’s parts really dragged to me. The book has some gory details regarding murders, and creepy thoughts of a killer as well. I liked the ending of the book, it did leave me satisfied with the outcome.
So, to conclude, this book was not my cup of tea. I loved the killer, his strangeness and his thoughts, but other than that the characters and the plot felt bleak and boring.
The narrative of this book didn’t really have to offer anything. Yes, it discusses important topics, such as bullying, mental illness, loneliness, child abuse etc. But the way it was incorporated just didn’t work for me. The plot kind of plodded along, without any interesting twists or turns, and I didn’t feel any suspense whatsoever. I kept reading in hope of something major to happen, but it never did. 😦
The writing style wasn’t to my liking as well, I feel the book was expanded with the repetitive thoughts about Maggie. The setting of the book felt dark and gloomy, as well as the characters. The chapters have a medium length but Jacob’s parts really dragged to me. The book has some gory details regarding murders, and creepy thoughts of a killer as well. I liked the ending of the book, it did leave me satisfied with the outcome.
So, to conclude, this book was not my cup of tea. I loved the killer, his strangeness and his thoughts, but other than that the characters and the plot felt bleak and boring.
Hazel (2934 KP) rated The Collaborator's Daughter in Books
Apr 16, 2023
This is something a little bit different to what a normally read but I enjoyed it nonetheless.
Set in two timeliness - 2010 and 1944 - the story is written from the point of view of Fran (Safranka) in Sussex in 2010 and her father, Branko in Dubrovnik in 1944. Fran was born in Dubrovnik but left with her mother when she was just a baby and never knew her father but was always told he was a hero.
Fran is now in her 60's; her stepfather has recently passed away having lost her mother a number of years earlier. With her son having grown up with his own family and having found out that her father's remains have been found in a mass grave containing fascists and collaborators from World War II; Fran decides to return to her country of birth to learn more about her father and to find out what she wants to do with the rest of her life now she has no one left to care for.
I loved the characters and particularly the fact that they were of an older generation which was a refreshing change proving that it's never too late to change your life although it remains a scary concept. I loved the setting and the descriptions of Dubrovnik which really made me want to visit. I found the sections set in 1944 were my favourite parts, I wish they had been longer and more in depth however, the author has explained why this was very difficult due to the lack of information available.
Overall, an enjoyable read and whilst I don't usually like a book that has quite such a focus on romance, it did work well with this particular story and it made for a gentle and easy read.
My thanks go to HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of The Collaborator's Daughter.
Set in two timeliness - 2010 and 1944 - the story is written from the point of view of Fran (Safranka) in Sussex in 2010 and her father, Branko in Dubrovnik in 1944. Fran was born in Dubrovnik but left with her mother when she was just a baby and never knew her father but was always told he was a hero.
Fran is now in her 60's; her stepfather has recently passed away having lost her mother a number of years earlier. With her son having grown up with his own family and having found out that her father's remains have been found in a mass grave containing fascists and collaborators from World War II; Fran decides to return to her country of birth to learn more about her father and to find out what she wants to do with the rest of her life now she has no one left to care for.
I loved the characters and particularly the fact that they were of an older generation which was a refreshing change proving that it's never too late to change your life although it remains a scary concept. I loved the setting and the descriptions of Dubrovnik which really made me want to visit. I found the sections set in 1944 were my favourite parts, I wish they had been longer and more in depth however, the author has explained why this was very difficult due to the lack of information available.
Overall, an enjoyable read and whilst I don't usually like a book that has quite such a focus on romance, it did work well with this particular story and it made for a gentle and easy read.
My thanks go to HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of The Collaborator's Daughter.
Hazel (2934 KP) rated The Boy in the Attic (Wartime Holland Book 3) in Books
Aug 28, 2022
Firstly, I must point out that the description I was provided with (above) was not accurate to how the book played out - I'm not sure what happened there but regardless, it's still a really good story and although part of a series, it can most definitely be read as a standalone.
The Boy in the Attic is a story told from 2 timelines, 2 perspectives and 2 countries.
Ilse's story takes place in Holland during World War II. The Nazi's have put a halt to her studies to become a doctor and she is living with her parents. Food is scarce and it's a daily battle to find enough to keep them from starving to death. Ilse then receives a request to help out at a hospital and she moves to live with her friend and her parents but what she discovers and the choices she makes, puts all their lives in jeopardy.
Anna's story is based in the UK in the early 2000's. Her father has just past away and whilst sorting through his affairs, discovers he was adopted and his origins are in Holland. Anna sets out to find out more.
I found the dual timelines worked really well although I admit to being more emotionally attached to Ilse's story. Both characters are well developed and I found myself completely immersed in both their stories and desperate to find out how Ilse and Anna were connected.
I found Ilse's story captivating, Anna's not as much but they worked well together and I did feel connected and invested in both their stories to the end.
This is a story of heartbreak and tragedy but also one of discovery and survival and one I would recommend to those who enjoy historical fiction stories that are set in this period. This one uses the author's own family history to give a believable feel to this story.
Thanks go to Bookouture and NetGalley for enabling me to read The Boy in the Attic and share my views.
The Boy in the Attic is a story told from 2 timelines, 2 perspectives and 2 countries.
Ilse's story takes place in Holland during World War II. The Nazi's have put a halt to her studies to become a doctor and she is living with her parents. Food is scarce and it's a daily battle to find enough to keep them from starving to death. Ilse then receives a request to help out at a hospital and she moves to live with her friend and her parents but what she discovers and the choices she makes, puts all their lives in jeopardy.
Anna's story is based in the UK in the early 2000's. Her father has just past away and whilst sorting through his affairs, discovers he was adopted and his origins are in Holland. Anna sets out to find out more.
I found the dual timelines worked really well although I admit to being more emotionally attached to Ilse's story. Both characters are well developed and I found myself completely immersed in both their stories and desperate to find out how Ilse and Anna were connected.
I found Ilse's story captivating, Anna's not as much but they worked well together and I did feel connected and invested in both their stories to the end.
This is a story of heartbreak and tragedy but also one of discovery and survival and one I would recommend to those who enjoy historical fiction stories that are set in this period. This one uses the author's own family history to give a believable feel to this story.
Thanks go to Bookouture and NetGalley for enabling me to read The Boy in the Attic and share my views.