Emma's Review: Hide and Seek by Andrea Mara

Reviewed by Emma Crowley 

CLOSE YOUR EYES

The game of hide and seek is over, everyone has gone home, but little Lily Murphy hasn't been found. Her parents search the woods and tell themselves that the worst hasn't happened - but deep down they know this peaceful Dublin suburb will never be the same again.

COUNT TO TEN

Years later, Joanna moves into a new house. It seems perfect in every way, until she learns that this was once Lily Murphy's home. From that moment onwards, a sense of dread seems to follow her from room to room.

AND WHEN YOU OPEN THEM, YOUR CHILD IS GONE

As Joanna unravels the secrets at the heart of this close-knit community, her own dark past begins to resurface. Because she thinks she knows what really happened to Lily - and if the truth gets out, it might be her undoing...

Book Links: Kindle or Hardcover

Giveaway: Win a copy of Whisper of the Seals by Roxanne Bouchard (translated by David Warriner)

Today it's my pleasure to be hosting one of the stops on the Whisper of the Seals blog tour, book 3 in the Detective Moralès series, by Roxanne Bouchard which has been translated into English by David Warriner. 

Although I knew I was not going to be in a position to review this book for the blog tour organised by Anne at Random Things Tours, I still wanted to offer my support by hosting this giveaway for a paperback copy of the book instead (sorry this giveaway is restricted to UK residents only).

There’s only one thing more deadly than the storm…

Emma's Review: Sunny Stays at the Shetland Hotel by Erin Green

Reviewed by Emma Crowley 

New friendship is just a stay away . . .

Pippa has long felt like the odd one out in her family. Taking a job driving a mobile bakery van around Shetland's villages gives her a sense of freedom and purpose, but also makes her realise how much she wants to belong.

Natalia has recently returned to Lerwick hoping to reconnect with an old flame. But she's engulfed by loss and rejection when she hears that he's moved on, and Natalia's world is turned upside down.

Autumn is dedicated to her job in hospitality and relishes her role as general manager of Lerwick Manor's new hotel. No guest request is too big or too small, but her own unrelentingly high standards could push Autumn to her limits.

Will the beauty of Shetland help these three women find the friendship, support and healing that they all need?

Book Links: Kindle or Paperback

Emma's Review: The Houseshare by Fiona O'Brien

Reviewed by Emma Crowley

Number 24 Ulysses Crescent is an elegant three storey mansion overlooking the beautiful Dublin Bay. Converted into luxurious seaview apartments, it's now home to a close-knit group of tenants ...

There's former style icon Evelyn, who lives life as vibrantly as ever, not knowing her past is about to catch up with her; enigmatic sculptor Mike, who uses his art as a way to wrestle with his ghosts; café-owner Nessa whose gift for reading the Tarot hasn't yet shown her if she'll find love; and Bruce and Stella, recently separated and now co-parenting their toddler from separate flats.

Then there's Morah, the caretaker, who keeps a watchful eye on everyone - especially, for reasons only known to herself, the irrepressible Evelyn.

When Evelyn's granddaughter Truth, a high-flying London lawyer, arrives for the summer desperate to escape an online hate campaign, the residents of Number 24 are about to discover that the past is never truly over, especially when it comes to matters of the heart.

Book Links: Kindle or Paperback

Emma's Review: A Mother's Heart by Carmel Harrington

Reviewed by Emma Crowley

Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand 
While Rachel Butler likes her life in a pretty Dublin coastal village, her heart lies in Hawke’s Bay, where she grew up. Visiting for the first time since tragedy tore her family apart, she and her stepchildren fall for its beauty and outdoor lifestyle.

Malahide, Ireland 
As Rachel picks up the threads of her life as a single parent, she can’t shake off the memories of her loving family in New Zealand – and her dream house, the villa on the bay. But it’s time to move forwards with their life in Ireland, close to the children’s grandparents, amid the familiar surroundings they all know well. 

Until the children’s grandmother, still grieving, starts to interfere, questioning Rachel's position as stepmother. 

Until Rachel’s attempts to strengthen the family she loves so dearly backfires, pitting everyone against each other. 

And until her late husband’s parents mend the rift that has existed as long as she’s been married – bringing with them an explosive secret . . .

Book Links: Kindle or Paperback