Blog Tour Review - The Secrets You Keep by Kate White

Hello everyone and welcome to my stop on The Secrets You Keep blog tour. I was really excited to be asked to take part in this and I'm pleased to say I really enjoyed the story. So without further ado lets jump into the review. 

The Secrets You Keep by Kate White

Published September 11th 2017 by Canelo

Genre - Suspense, Mystery, Thriller 

Star Rating - ****

Goodreads Challenge - 63/50

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

Synopsis

You’ve lost your memory. A woman has been murdered. Your husband is keeping secrets. How do you know who to trust?
 
Months after a being involved in a terrible car crash, Bryn Harper is physically healed but her emotional scars remain raw. She has no memory of the accident and is plagued with bad dreams.
When Bryn and her husband, Guy, host a dinner party Bryn swears money has been stolen while Guy seems unfazed. Bryn confronts the caterer that night and is horrified to discover the woman’s brutally slain body the next day. 

As the case is investigated, Bryn is dragged into a fresh nightmare and learns that Guy is keeping things from her. Another murder occurs and Bryn realises the danger is getting ever closer to home. How well does Bryn really know the man she loves? 

For fans of psychological suspense and compulsive mysteries, don’t miss this tense and page-turning novel. Before I Go to Sleep meets The Husband’s Secret.

My Thoughts

This is the story of Bryn Harper, a self help author who was involved in a car crash which results in her loosing her memory. She moves from the city into a more rural area so she can spend time with her husband who, up until now, she has had a commuter relationship with and to make an attempt to work on her next book. Whilst there Bryn becomes involved in some strange occurrences and brutal murders. It quickly becomes down to her to discover just how related all of these things are and just how well does she know the people around her. I really enjoyed this story. I thought it was full of twists and turns and kept me guessing right until the very end. 

In the synopsis above it mentions that this novel is recommended for fans on Before I Go to Sleep and I can definitely relate to that. There are several themes, including the memory loss and the unreliability of the husband, that are comparable across both stories. So because of this I did think near the beginning of the book that it may be too similar and this would therefore hinder my enjoyment of the story but it soon became clear that this was not the case. Although there were lots of common mystery/thriller themes running through this book they were handled in a very different way and to me this was particularly evident in the way Bryn handled things as the main character. 

I found Bryn to be a very rational character. She didn't jump head first into situations and often talked through her actions and the consequences of those. I found this to be quite refreshing as often characters in thriller novels can be quite reckless and I find I can often be left thinking what are you doing! Bryn's memory loss also made her a bit unreliable and I really enjoy unreliable narrators. This coupled with how untrustworthy the other characters were meant I was constantly questioning what was happening. 

Overall I really enjoyed this story. It was page turning and kept me hooked throughout. We were fed a lot of red herrings and the ending was completely unexpected, I did not guess who the murderer was. I also really enjoyed the way the characters were portrayed and the unreliability of them kept me guessing and always wanting more. This is one I would recommend to thriller fans. 
 

Overall Rating 

This book is available from the following links. 

Amazon UK    Kobo UK    Google Books UK     Apple Books UK     Goodreads

Author Bio

      

Kate White is the New York Times bestselling author of twelve works of fiction: seven Bailey Weggins mysteries and five stand-alone psychological thrillers, including most recently, The Secrets You Keep. For fourteen years she was the editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan magazine, and though she loved the job (and the Cosmo beauty closet!), she decided to leave in late 2013 to concentrate on being a full-time author and speaker.

Website: Kate White      Twitter: @katemwhite

Thank you all for stopping by and checking out my Review of The Secrets You Keep by Kate White. If your interested in this book and fancy checking out some more reviews as well as giveaways, author interviews or excerpts then check out the rest of the tour stops below. 

 

Favorite Book Series

Hello fellow book lovers! Today I'm coming to you with my favorite book series. This is something I've seen a few other book bloggers post about and I love receiving recommendations so I thought I would share mine with you.

I personally love a good book series. I love being able to immerse myself in a world and to get to really know the characters and this is something that is quite hard to do in a stand alone. There are some good ones out there don't get me wrong but that is a post for another day. So without further ado lets get into some of my favorite book series of all time!

Harry Potter

Okay so this one is a pretty obvious one. Most book lovers love the Harry Potter series. I grew up with this series and I read the books as they came out. At first it was only me and my Grandad who read these books and we would always talk about how the rest of my family were such muggles. This series really does hold a special place in my heart. 

Goodreads link

The Hunger Games

This is another fairly obvious one again lots of book lovers enjoy The Hunger Games. This was the first dystopian series I ever read and it really got me interested in the genre. 

Goodreads link

Percy Jackson and the Olympians and The Heroes of Olympus 

I really enjoy the Percy Jackson books, in fact I really enjoy anything that Rick Riorden writes. He is one of my autobuy authors. I love the humor in these books they will often make me laugh out loud.

Goodreads link

The Abhorsen Trilogy

Aside from Harry Potter this was one of the first fantasy series I read which again got me really interested in the genre. I loved the magic system in this I thought it was really unique and unusual. I really need to re-read this series as they've now brought out some more books in addition to the original three that I read. 

Goodreads link

The Passenger Duology

This was a recent read for me. I finished it earlier on this year and it quickly became a favorite. Some of my favorite themes in books include time travel and pirates and this has both so was a win win for me. 

Goodreads link

The Snow Like Ashes Trilogy

This was another fairly recent read for me, I completed this series last year. I loved the characters, the pacing was great and it was set in such an interesting world.

Goodreads link

The Rizzoli and Isles Series

So far this list has consisted of a lot of YA and a lot of fantasy which I love but another one of my favorite genres is thriller/mystery and Tess Gerritsen is definitely a favorite author. I love her Rizzoli and Isles series, not only are the mysteries great but I love how we also follow Rizzolis private life and how this intertwines with her work life.

Goodreads link

So there we have it here are my favorite series I have read so far. There's probably some popular ones that you will notice are missing, I'm looking at you Throne of Glass, however, they are definitely on my TBR I've just not got round to them yet.

What are your favorite series? Let me know in the comments, I love recommendations. 

Review - Trapped in Silver by Emily Sowden

Trapped in Silver by Emily Sowden 

Published February 7th 2017 by Oftomes Publishing 

Star Rating - ****

Goodreads Challenge - 61/50

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

 

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

Courage comes from a shadowed place in our hearts; a blurred line that straddles love and sheer stupidity.
To seventeen-year-old Ava, wild woodcats, hungry stragglers, and simple-minded townsfolk are the evils she’s grown accustomed to. But when Ethan, an unusual man with eyes of smoke and fire opal, enters her world she quickly understands that there are worse things out there than drunken men and carnivorous forest creatures. She’s a specialised liar and a hell of a fighter, but against a group of animalistic men called Berserkers she struggles to survive the encounter as the desperate swing of a dagger is all it takes to change her life for good.
Half-dead and hunted by the Berserker’s leader when he forms a monstrous obsession with her, Ava escapes his pursuit in an unfamiliar land full of impossible creatures, unlikely allies, and the man she doesn’t know whether to kiss or kill.
But after dreadful news of her missing brother surfaces, Ava becomes more involved in the centuries-long war and begins to unravel the reasons behind her relentless nightmares, discovering truths long-buried in a violent history of love, loss and betrayal.

My Thoughts 

This is the story of Ava who lives on, and practically runs, her families farm alongside her 'brother' Roan. She has to dress up as a boy, Ceder, in order to trade, take part in town life and ultimately survive. She's not like the usual girls in town, she doesn't want to be matched and she often has strange recurring nightmares. One night Ava is attacked by a group of what only can be described as beasts. She is rescued by another group of strangers and suddenly she realizes that there's a whole other world out there.

I really enjoyed this story. I found it to be very mysterious and it pulled me in right from the beginning, I was totally gripped throughout. I thought the pacing of the story was great. It sped up with the tension and the anticipation and the action scenes were very fast paced. Emily was then able to slow it down again when she was giving us some important information so we were able to focus in on the details. I also liked how things were revealed in smaller chunks rather than all in one go. Often when I'm bombarded with information I can get a bit lost but that wasn't the case here. The slower reveals also enabled me to stay invested in the story with a want to know explanations.

I thought the characters were also well done. I loved Ava, I thought she had spunk. She was able to think for herself and make her own decisions. She didn't fall into the usual 'damsel in distress' trope that can sometimes be seen in fantasy novels. It was also nice to see that Ava was not afraid to admit that she was scared in certain situations and she was able to ask the others for help when she needed it. I found Ethan to be quite a mysterious character and I loved it when we finally got some chapters from Ethan's perspective. It enabled us to get inside his head and see what he was really thinking. I also really enjoyed the relationships between the characters. I thought Ethan's and Ava's relationship developed well overtime. There were some wonderfully intimate moments as well as some strong tension. I also enjoyed the friendship between Ric and Ava. It was very heartwarming and you could see that Ric genuinely cared for Ava from the was he always looked out for her.

Overall this was a really enjoyable read. I thought it was a really interesting story, set in a well thought out world with some really likeable characters. I really can't wait to get my hands on the sequel to see where the story goes. 

Overall Rating 

  

The read-a-thon for Trapped in Silver is still going on on twitter until the end of September. Come on over and let us know what you think of the book. 

  

Review - A Jigsaw of Fire and Stars by Yaba Badoe

A Jigsaw of Fire and Stars by Yaba Badoe

Published 7th September 2017 by Zephyr

Star Rating - ***

Goodreads Challenge - 60/50

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Synopsis from Goodreads

Fourteen-year-old Sante isn’t sure where she comes from, but she has a recurring dream of escaping a shipwreck in a sea chest as a baby with her lifelong companion, golden eagle Priss. In the chest was an African bamboo flute, a drum and a dagger inlaid with diamonds. Sante was found and raised by Mama Rose, leader of a nomadic group of misfits and gypsies. They travel around contemporary southern Europe, living off-grid and performing circus tricks for money. Sante grows up alongside two twins, knife-thrower Cat and snake-charmer Cobra, whom she is in love with. During a performance in Cadiz, Sante recognises two men from her dream. They come after her to retrieve the treasures from the sea chest. Sante finds out that she is an Ashanti princess, whose parents probably perished in the shipwreck. After Cat rescues a beautiful red-haired girl called Scarlett from a gang, Mama Rose’s band are forced to flee the city. But Sante and Cobra stay behind, determined to find out more about her family and where she came from. 

My Thoughts

I have quite a lot of thoughts about this one so before I begin I just want to say I apologize for the long review but I want to make sure I let you know all of my thoughts.

I hadn't really heard of this book until I saw a picture of the cover on Twitter and I thought oh my goodness I need to read this. I looked into the synopsis a bit more and I liked the sound of it and the fact that it was written by a Ghanaian author was another tick. I then saw it was available for request on NetGalley and here we are. The story follows Santa who was rescued my Mama Rose and her family circus after washing up on a beach as a baby. We watch as Santa is constantly plagued by dreams about her past and becomes determined to find out who she really is and where she comes from. As you can see it's not a very plot heavy book. It focuses much more on the characters, especially Santa, as we follow her on her journey of self discovery.

There are lots of elements of magical realism throughout the story, much of which seems to be rooted in African folklore, as well as some more hard hitting themes such as human trafficking and refugees. It is also a very diverse book with an eclectic mix of characters including a Ghanaian main character, a traveler group and a female/female romance. So all in all this sounds like the makings of what could of been a fantastic book but it didn't quite hit the mark in my opinion.

The writing style was interesting. It took me a while to get into it, I found the very short 2/3 word sentences quite jarring to begin with but once I got into it it flowed quite well. On the whole I thought the writing was good. It was very magical and fairytalesque and in places it was beautiful and worked well with the story. The whole novel was written like a fairytale and, although I love fairytales, I didn't feel this quite worked with the more serious themes within the book. I would of liked the author to have dived more into the heart of these topics to explore them and their effect on our main characters a bit more. I also found some of Santa's dream sequences and internal monologues to be a bit confusing. I also felt there was a lack of world building, especially in the beginning. I didn't really know when this novel was set, sometimes it felt like we were in more olden day times and then at other times there was mention of modern day technology and places. I loved the fact that this novel was set around a circus, mention circus and I'm there it's one of my favorite settings, but I would of liked some more depth to the world.

In terms of the characters I loved Santa. I loved how determined she was to keep searching for the truth and I felt empathy towards her. Her relationship with her bird Priss was heartwarming and I felt the author did a fantastic job of exploring Santa as a person. I also enjoyed Cobra as a character and how he was always looking out for both Santa and his sister Cat. He often came across as the voice of reason. On the other hand I didn't really like Cat or Scarlett. I did like how feisty Cat was but I often felt they both came across as a bit self centered. I also felt their romance was quite instalovey although I did appreciate the inclusion of a female/female romance on the authors part. I felt the author did a good job on Santa's character development but I would of liked a bit more in terms of these three, especially as they were quite central to the story. As for the other characters I loved the idea of it being based around a family and you could see how important each of them were to one another. They always seemed to be looking out for each other.

Overall I loved the magical realism aspects and I liked the themes included however, I don't think they worked overly well together. I understand what the author was trying to achieve but I feel each of these things would of been much better in their own books. The author definitely demonstrated her ability to write and develop characters in parts of this story so I can see the potential there. I would definitely be interested in checking out what this author does in the future.

Overall Rating 

 

September TBR

So this is my first time doing a monthly TBR! Usually I'm a mood reader but I've got so many books I need to read for upcoming reviews and blog tours I thought I'd give the TBR a shot to focus my reading. So without further ado here are the books I'm planning on reading in September. 

Review Copies 

A Jigsaw of Fire and Stars by Yaba Badoe I received this from NetGalley it's published on September 7th. 

Trapped in Silver by Emily Sowden I received this from the publisher Oftomes as I'm taking part in the #Trappedinsilver read-a-thon more info can be found here. 

The Secrets You Keep by Kate White I received this from the publisher as I'm taking part in the blog tour on the 21st September. This is published on 11th September.

The Body in the Marsh by Nick Louth I received this from the publisher as I'm taking part in the blog tour on the 29th September. This is published on 25th September.

 TBR Books

The Scarecrow Queen by Melinda Sailsbury This is the 3rd book in the Sin Eaters Daughter trilogy. I'm loving it so far and can't wait to dive into this one. 

Whispers Underground by Ben Aaronovitch This is also the 3rd in a series which I've been meaning to get to for a while. I got this one from the library and it's due back this month so I better get on with reading it. 

These are all the books I'm aiming to read this month. If I finish these then I'll either try and get ahead with Octobers review books or pick some others off my shelves that sound interesting. One I am leaning towards if I've got time is The Girl in the Read Coat by Kate Hamer I'm really intrigued by this after reading this review over at Books and Bindings. 

What books do you have planned for September? Have you read any of these? Let me know. 

August Wrap Up

I had a really good reading month in August, altogether I read 13 books which is really good for me. I think it helped that I was away for 2 weeks of the month so I could spend a lot more time reading. So here are all the books I read in August.

 












So where are the 13 books I hear you ask and okay I know these pictures don't really look like much but I discovered NetGalley this month so I have read a lot on my kindle. Anyway time to stop waffling here are the books I read in August from highest rating to lowest rating. As I've already wrapped up my holiday reading I'm not going to mention them here but if your interested in seeing them hop on over to my holiday wrap up post here. 

Rattle by Fiona Cummins
Published 24th August 2017 by Pan McMillan 
Star Rating - *****
Goodreads Challenge - 59/50
Review - Blog Review

The Roanoke Girls by Amy Engel
Published 10th August 2017 by Hodder and Stoughton
Star Rating - ****.5
Goodreads Challenge - 48/50
Review - Blog Review  

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Published 6th April 2017 by Walker Books
Star Rating - ****.5
Goodreads Challenge - 47/50
Review - Blog Review

  

Outcast by Lauren Hillman
Independently published on 19th July 2017
Star Rating - ***
Goodreads Challenge - 57/50
Review - Blog Review 

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
Published 7th February 2013 by Puffin Books
Star Rating - **.5
Goodreads Challenge - 58/50
Review - Blog Review 






So there we have it these are all the books I read in August. Let me know if you've read any of these and what you thought. How many books did you read in August and what are your plans for September? My September TBR will be up in the next couple of days so watch this space. 

 

Review - Rattle by Fiona Cummins

Rattle by Fiona Cummins

Published 24th August 2017 by Pan MacMillan 

Star Rating - *****

Goodreads Challenge - 59/50

I received a finished copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

Synopsis from Goodreads

A psychopath more frightening than Hannibal Lecter.

He has planned well. He leads two lives. In one he's just like anyone else. But in the other he is the caretaker of his family's macabre museum.

Now the time has come to add to his collection. He is ready to feed his obsession, and he is on the hunt.

Jakey Frith and Clara Foyle have something in common. They have what he needs.

What begins is a terrifying cat-and-mouse game between the sinister collector, Jakey's father and Etta Fitzroy, a troubled detective investigating a spate of abductions.

Set in London's Blackheath, Rattle by Fiona Cummins explores the seam of darkness that runs through us all; the struggle between light and shadow, redemption and revenge.

It is a glimpse into the mind of a sinister psychopath. And it's also a story about not giving up hope when it seems that all hope is already lost.

My Thoughts

It's been a while since I've picked up a detective thriller that I absolutely loved so I thought I would give this a go as it was sent to me by the publisher. I expected to enjoy it as I usually do with these types of books but oh my goodness this just blew me away! I love love loved this! I thought it was so sinister and creepy and it genuinely chilled me as I read it. It reminded me of an episode of Criminal Minds so if you enjoy these type of shows I would recommend this. This is the story of Detective Etta Fitzroy who is still haunted by the case of a missing girl. Then when another little girl, Clara, goes missing from outside her school she is drawn back into a similar case which shes determined to solve this time. We also follow the Frith family and their son Jakey who has Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressive or 'Stone Mans Syndrome' who also becomes victim of the same crime as Clara. Fitzroy is determined to find these children but can she find the links before its too late!

I loved how Fiona included the 'Stone Man Syndrome' disease as part of the plot. I felt that this gave an edge to a story that could have become quite samey to some others. Its obvious throughout the story that Fiona has done her research in regards to the medical terminology and it fits in well with the story without turning it into sounding like a textbook. Not only does Fiona use words and terminology well, her writing is also completely gripping. She writes emotions fantastically and her writing is very evocative. You can just feel the despair pouring off the families of the victims and the frustration of the detectives. She really had me immersed in the story, I could not put it down. I also felt she wrote in the voice of the child very well and again you could really feel their emotions as they went through their terrifying ordeals.

I thought it was great how Fiona steered away from the usual trope of the old man detective in her story and it gave a breath of fresh air to the genre. I loved Detective Fitzroy as a character and how she always put the needs of others before herself. You could also see how invested she was in her job and this enabled me to form a really strong connection to her as a character.

Throughout the story Fiona drops lots of little hints and one liners that have you as a reader asking questions and wanting to know more. To me this was a clever writing tactic as it made me want to keep reading, I had to know what was happening and why. Lots of clever little twists and turns were revealed throughout the story and this kept me guessing throughout, I wasn't really sure how the story was going to end until we got there.

Overall I really enjoyed this story. I think it was a fantastic, fast paced read that would be perfect for fans of shows such as Criminal Minds. It's disturbing nature fully messed with your head and that ending was absolutely fantastic. I cannot wait for the next one!  

Overall Rating