Title: Broken Branches
Author: M. Jonathan Lee
Genre: Mystery/Horror
Price: £8.99
Publisher: Hideaway Fall
Publication Date: 27/07/2017

A family tragedy forces Ian Perkins, along with his wife and young son, to return to his family home. Ian must uncover the truth behind the supposed family curse in the hope of fixing his marriage but could he actually be making it worse with his obsession? 

Hey there! I'm a bit late to the party but today is Book Lovers Day so I thought I'd share my review of Broken Branches with you! I was supposed to write this up last month but my time management is at an all time low right now so I hope you'll forgive me! Better late then never right?!

Broken Branches had a real emotional effect on me and to be quite honest, I couldn't find the right words to start off this review because of it. I read the book in the space of two days because I couldn't put it down. With every page I turned, I got more hooked and as much as I didn't want the story to end, I couldn't wait to find out what happens.

The story alternates between modern day in which Ian searches for answers and Ian's childhood. I didn't find it confusing and the alternation between past and present made for nice character development. Every character in the book plays a meaningful part to the story but all the spotlight is of course on Ian. I have to say I really enjoyed getting to know his character and in a way I even connected with him as I have an obsessive personality as well.

Broken Branches is a book I will not forget easily. I read psychological thrillers regularly but the way the author incorporated different elements of mental health - suicide, grief and obsession has really made this book stand out for me.

I had some suspicion as to what could happen in the end but honestly I was pleasantly surprised! The story was wrapped up really nicely for me. The author's style of writing and storytelling is fantastic and there's nothing negative I could say about this book!

Without any hesitation, I decided to give Broken Branches a rating of 5 stars. I have to say I've never read a book like this before, I've been recommending it to my family and friends and hopefully I'll persuade some of you enough to buy it 😉 I'm looking forward to reading M. Jonathan Lee's other books as I'm sure they'll be as good as this one!



I also want to talk a little bit about Hideaway Fall - the new crew on the publishing block. Their marketing for Broken Branches and their launch has been exceptional. Head on over to my Instagram to check out the goodies they sent me to prepare me for my hideaway, I'm very grateful for them! I'm so, so excited to see what they have in store for the future!

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If you're a regular reader of my blog then you probably expected a book or TV show review but I really wanted to free the emotions that I've been bottling up inside and talk about the tragic event that took place.

I'm sure wherever you are in the world, you have probably heard about the awful terrorist attack in Manchester. A suspected suicide bomber killed 22 people and left 69 injured (at the time of writing) at Manchester Arena, moments after Ariana Grande's concert ended.

Ever since I saw the news of the attack, I've felt heartbroken and numb. For the last two days I have found it impossible to focus on my work and have spent most of the day after the attack glued to the screen. I cried and hoped it was all just a bad dream and that the people will get their lives back. Sadly, parents have lost their children and children have lost their parents. The world has lost innocent people that had their whole lives ahead of them. I'm angry and upset about this just as others are around me. I feel deeply for the victims and their families; my heart goes out to them.

It warmed my heart to see people helping the hurt and traumatised concertgoers after the tragic attack, proving that love will always conquer all. The hospital staff, the police and citizens of Manchester were brave to do such a good job in a scary situation. I wish there was a way for me to do something physically but I just feel helpless. I would like to encourage you to donate to the fundraising pages that have been set up to help the victims, even a small amount can make a big difference (link). 

Something I also want to mention is that it makes me sad that people are blaming Muslims for this attack, it's not right at all to stereotype that all Muslims are terrorists. They are just as scared as everyone else. I've seen some appalling comments on Facebook from narrow minded people and it just makes me frustrated that they're making out Muslims to be monsters and are excluding them from society. It makes me angry that people can't seem to separate ISIS who are a terrorist group from the followers of Islam, a religion of peace. 

The news have been very upsetting and hard to deal with; if you are struggling then feel free to email me at silvxr@yahoo.com or DM on Twitter to get your feelings off your chest.

I took my sister to school yesterday and there were three police officers patrolling the area. Police presence should make us feel safe and reassured but it just makes me more worried and scared. The terror threat level being raised to 'critical' in the UK has made us face reality. More people are being arrested and more places are being raided. Another attack is imminent and the questions everyone is asking themselves are where will it be, when and most importantly why? Why do innocent people have to die?

Title: My Sister
Author: Michelle Adams
Genre: Thriller
Price: £13.99
Publisher: Headline
Publication Date: 20/04/2017

The story of two sisters who lead two separate lives. Irini was given away but Elle was kept. One night, Irini's sister calls her unexpectedly with news that leave her with no other choice but to return to her family home. Is Irini going to get the answers she's desperately hoping for? Or will a harrowing secret make her regret the decision to come back?

Hi there! Today I have the pleasure of sharing my thought's on Michelle Adams' first novel 'My Sister'. It's a chilling thriller that is bound to feed your cravings. The writing is descriptive and it's easy for the reader to imagine the characters and the setting. The story is addictive which makes it impossible to put the book down.

The characters in the story were brilliantly written; every one of them had a purpose. You can't help but love Irini even though she isn't innocent (although it's not her fault!). At times I was frustrated with her because I would've acted a lot differently in her situation but that wouldn't have got the story very far haha! I have to admit I feel a bit manipulated by Adams' as she managed to make me feel the same about Elle as Irini felt. I hated her during her bad times but couldn't help liking her during her good times. Antonio is a character I felt sympathy towards at the beginning but whom I strongly disliked at the end, nevertheless he adds to the story. I wish we could have got the chance for more interactions between Irini and her father but I understand that it would probably take away from the secrecy!

The story of Irini and Elle is very impressive. Adams' managed to keep suspense from the first page to last. Parts of the story leading to the secret revelation may seem obvious but there's some unexpected surprises. The book seems cleverly planned and it all comes together nicely, especially the ending which will leave you satisfied. One thing that must be highlighted is that in most books when you come across the topic of toxic relationships it's usually between an intimate couple so I found it refreshing to read about the twisted relationship between two sisters. 

I decided to give 'My Sister' a rating of five stars because it's simply clever and very disturbing - two qualities that are necessary in a psychological thriller. I can't believe how fantastic Adams' debut novel is, I truly hope she's got another one in the works because her writing deserves to be shared! I honestly recommend you read 'My Sister' as you will not be disappointed!