Emma's Books of the Year 2023

It’s hard to believe I am sitting down once again to write a books of the year post. It feels like only yesterday that I did my post for 2022 but yet 2023 is drawing to a close and it certainly was another very quick year. I reached my goal for my Goodreads Reading Challenge and read over 100 books although I would have loved to have read more. The last month of the year was extremely busy and I couldn’t seem to concentrate for long periods of time. None the less I have read some brilliant books this year and I have picked ten of my favourites to share with you. Thanks again to Sharon for hosting my reviews on the blog and for her friendship and all the chats throughout the year. So without further ado and in no particular order here are my books of the year for 2023.

Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent was published in March of this year but I had an early copy and couldn’t resist sneaking it in at the tail end of 2022. I’m sure this book will be on my readers books of the year because it was simple phenomenal ad Liz is certainly at the top of her game. With the killer opening line that she is famous for this book sucks you in from the very first word and it is impossible to leave out of your hands. It’s dark and twisted and just what we have all come to expect and love from this author and Sally Diamond has most definitely been a talking point this year earning widespread acclaim and critical success. 

Sally becomes the centre of attention for an act that is abhorrent to many but beneath it all there is a painful past to share as she steps out into the world for the first time making new friends. She is not a conventional character by any means and the further the story develops the more your mind is blown.I can’t really say much about it except to say that is a disturbing read packed full of fear, trauma, manipulation, damage and mistreatment with a central character who will affect you in so many ways. Its an outstanding read which if you haven’t already discovered make sure you get a copy as soon as possible. You can read my full review here. 

I’ve been a fan of Emma Davies since I first read her novella Merry Mistletoe many years ago. She took a break from her usual women’s fiction to write in the cosy murder mystery genre but this year made a welcome return with the first in the Clearwater series - Secrets of Clearwater Castle. This is a feel-good romantic tale with lots of trials and tribulations along the way and I adored every minute of it. It follows Lowri who is widowed with a young daughter as she has inherited some land that her husband had kept secret from her. The setting is just gorgeous and the plot wonderfully written with a wide variety of characters that capture a piece of your heart. It’s a real page turner of a book which reminded me just how much I love reading. It was an absolute pleasure to accompany Lowri on her journey as she tries to heal but she also has to try and save Clearwater. My full review can be found here. I hope it won’t be too long until book two in the series is published as this is one that has stayed on long in my mind since I finished reading it.

Giveaway: Win a copy of The Murders at Fleat House by Lucinda Riley

Like many book lovers I was shocked to hear of the death of Lucinda Riley especially before the publication of the last scheduled book in The Seven Sisters series. So I was happy to hear that there would be a final book, Atlas: The Story of Pa Salt, finished by her son Harry Whittaker to complete the series which is being published on 11 May 2023 but also that there would be a final standalone book The Murders at Fleat House. 

I received a copy of The Murders at Fleat House for my birthday last month but I had already bought a copy for myself so I've decided to offer up the duplicate copy as a giveaway prize.

The sudden death of a pupil in Fleat House at St Stephen’s – a small private boarding school in deepest Norfolk – is a shocking event that the headmaster is very keen to call a tragic accident.

But the local police cannot rule out foul play and the case prompts the return of high-flying Detective Inspector Jazmine ‘Jazz’ Hunter to the force. Jazz has her own private reasons for stepping away from her police career in London, and reluctantly agrees to front the investigation as a favour to her old boss.

Reunited with her loyal sergeant, she enters the closed world of the school, and as Jazz begins to probe the circumstances surrounding Charlie Cavendish’s tragic death, events are soon to take another troubling turn.

Books I'm Looking Forward to in 2023 by Emma Crowley

2022 was another great year for books and I managed to reach the goal I had set for myself on the Goodreads Reading Challenge. Although there were still plenty of other books that I would have liked to have read that are waiting for me on my ever increasing TBR but life in general can get in the way. But one thing I feel it’s important to do is to always make time for reading. It helps me forget about what may be going on in the world and helps relieve the stress from my work at times when things get a bit too much. I’ve already participating in a number of blog tours this year and I’m sure that number will grow as I see lots of new books published that I wish to read and help publicise. 

But below is a list of some of the books that I am really looking forward to reading this year. Most are publishing within the first half of the year and one or two do not yet have a final cover. One I couldn’t even find a blurb for but I know I want to read them all as lots are trusted authors of mine and one is a new author and the cover just made me want to read it. What are you looking forward to reading in the coming months? Let me know in the comments below.

Atlas: The Story of Pa Salt will be published on May 23rd.

1928, Paris

A boy is found, moments from death, and taken in by a kindly family. Gentle, precocious, talented, he flourishes in his new home, and the family show him a life he hadn’t dreamed possible. But he refuses to speak a word about who he really is.

As he grows into a young man, falling in love and taking classes at the prestigious Conservatoire de Paris, he can almost forget the terrors of his past, or the promise he has vowed to keep. But across Europe an evil is rising, and no-one’s safety is certain. In his heart, he knows the time will come where he must flee once more.

2008, the Aegean

The seven sisters are gathered together for the first time, on board the Titan to say a final goodbye to the enigmatic father they loved so dearly.To the surprise of everyone, it is the missing sister who Pa Salt has chosen to entrust with the clue to their pasts. But for every truth revealed, another question emerges. The sisters must confront the idea that their adored father was someone they barely knew. And even more shockingly: that these long-buried secrets may still have consequences for them today.

Atlas: The Story of Pa Salt I’m sure is on in numerable people’s lists of books they are looking forward to in 2023. It’s the final book in the Seven Sisters series by Lucinda Riley and following her passing, her son Harry Whittaker has written and completed the series. This has to be one of my all time favourite series and I can’t wait to see how everything ties together. In a video I watched recently Harry promised that readers will get all the answers to every single question and they won’t be disappointed. I hope that is the case although I know I will be disappointed as there will be nothing else left to read from the wonderful author that was Lucinda Riley. 

Strange Sally Diamond will be published on March 2nd.

Sally Diamond cannot understand why what she did was so strange. She was only doing what her father told her to do, to put him out with the rubbish when he died. 

Now Sally is the centre of attention, not only from the hungry media and police detectives, but also a sinister voice from a past she cannot remember. As she begins to discover the horrors of her childhood, Sally steps into the world for the first time, making new friends and big decisions, and learning that people don't always mean what they say. 

But who is the man observing Sally from the other side of the world? And why does her neighbour seem to be obsessed with her? Sally's trust issues are about to be severely challenged . . .

I have to confess that I have already read, Strange Sally Diamond, the long awaited new book from Liz Nugent. It was my last read of 2022 because I couldn’t leave it waiting for me on my Kindle and all I can say was it was phenomenal. A five star read all the way. It’s dark, gripping and full of twists and turns and Liz has outdone herself. It will be a huge success upon publication and I urge everyone to read it. 

Emma's Review: The Missing Sister by Lucinda Riley

Reviewed by Emma Crowley

They’ll search the world to find her.

The six D’Aplièse sisters have each been on their own incredible journey to discover their heritage, but they still have one question left unanswered: who and where is the seventh sister?

They only have one clue – an image of a star-shaped emerald ring. The search to find the missing sister will take them across the globe – from New Zealand to Canada, England, France and Ireland – uniting them all in their mission to complete their family at last.

In doing so, they will slowly unearth a story of love, strength and sacrifice that began almost one hundred years ago, as other brave young women risk everything to change the world around them.

Book Links: Kindle or Hardcover

Emma's Review: The Sun Sister by Lucinda Riley

Reviewed by Emma Crowley

To the outside world, Electra D’Aplièse seems to be the woman with everything: as one of the world’s top models, she is beautiful, rich and famous.

Yet beneath the veneer, Electra’s already tenuous control over her state of mind has been rocked by the death of her father, Pa Salt, the elusive billionaire who adopted his six daughters from across the globe. Struggling to cope, she turns to alcohol and drugs. As those around her fear for her health, Electra receives a letter from a complete stranger who claims to be her grandmother . . .

In 1939, Cecily Huntley-Morgan arrives in Kenya from New York to nurse a broken heart. Staying with her godmother, a member of the infamous Happy Valley set, on the shores of beautiful Lake Naivasha, she meets Bill Forsythe, a notorious bachelor and cattle farmer with close connections to the proud Maasai tribe. But after a shocking discovery and with war looming, Cecily has few options. Moving up into the Wanjohi Valley, she is isolated and alone. Until she meets a young woman in the woods and makes her a promise that will change the course of her life for ever.

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Emma's Review: The Moon Sister by Lucinda Riley

Reviewed by Emma Crowley

After the death of her father – Pa Salt, an elusive billionaire who adopted his six daughters from around the globe – Tiggy D’Aplièse , trusting her instincts, moves to the remote wilds of Scotland. There she takes a job doing what she loves; caring for animals on the vast and isolated Kinnaird estate, employed by the enigmatic and troubled Laird, Charlie Kinnaird.

Her decision alters her future irrevocably when Chilly, an ancient gipsy who has lived for years on the estate, tells her that not only does she possess a sixth sense, passed down from her ancestors, but it was foretold long ago that he would be the one to send her back home to Granada in Spain ...
In the shadow of the magnificent Alhambra, Tiggy discovers her connection to the fabled gypsy community of Sacromonte, who were forced to flee their homes during the civil war, and to ‘La Candela’ the greatest flamenco dancer of her generation.

From the Scottish Highlands and Spain, to South America and New York, Tiggy follows the trail back to her own exotic but complex past. And under the watchful eye of a gifted gypsy bruja she begins to embrace her own talent for healing.

But when fate takes a hand, Tiggy must decide whether to stay with her new-found family or return to Kinnaird, and Charlie . . .

Amazon Affiliate Links: Kindle or Hardcover

Emma's Review: The Love Letter by Lucinda Riley

Reviewed by Emma Crowley

Keeping secrets is a dangerous game . . .

1995, London.

When Sir James Harrison, one the greatest actors of his generation, passes away at the age of ninety-five he leaves behind not just a heartbroken family but also a secret so shocking, so devastating that it could rock the English establishment to its core . . .

Joanna Haslam is an ambitious young journalist, assigned to cover the legendary actor’s funeral. The great and the good of the celebrity world are there. But Joanna stumbles on something dark beneath the glamour: the mention of a letter James Harrison has left behind, the contents of which others have been desperate to conceal for over seventy years. As she peels back the veil of lies that has shrouded the secret, she realizes that there are other forces attempting to prevent her from discovering the truth. And they’ll stop at nothing to reach the letter before she does.

Amazon Affiliate Links: Kindle or Paperback

Emma's Review: The Pearl Sister by Lucinda Riley

Reviewed by Emma Crowley

CeCe D’Aplièse has never felt she fitted in anywhere. Following the death of her father, the elusive billionaire Pa Salt – so-called by the six daughters he adopted from around the globe and named after the Seven Sisters star cluster – she finds herself at breaking point. Dropping out of art college, CeCe watches as Star, her beloved sister, distances herself to follow her new love, leaving her completely alone.

In desperation, she decides to flee England and discover her past; the only clues she has are a black-and-white photograph and the name of a woman pioneer who lived in Australia over one hundred years ago. En-route to Sydney, CeCe heads to the one place she has ever felt close to being herself: the stunning beaches of Krabi, Thailand. There amongst the backpackers, she meets the mysterious Ace, a man as lonely as she is and whom she subsequently realizes has a secret to hide . . .

A hundred years earlier, Kitty McBride, daughter of an Edinburgh clergyman, is given the opportunity to travel to Australia as the companion of the wealthy Mrs McCrombie. In Adelaide, her fate becomes entwined with Mrs McCrombie’s family, including the identical, yet very different, twin brothers: impetuous Drummond, and ambitious Andrew, the heir to a pearling fortune.

When CeCe finally reaches the searing heat and dusty plains of the Red Centre of Australia, she begins the search for her past. As something deep within her responds to the energy of the area and the ancient culture of the Aboriginal people, her creativity reawakens once more. With help from those she meets on her journey, CeCe begins to believe that this wild, vast continent could offer her something she never thought possible: a sense of belonging, and a home . . .

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Emma's Review: The Shadow Sister by Lucinda Riley

Reviewed by Emma Crowley

Star D'Aplièse is at a crossroads in her life after the sudden death of her beloved father - the elusive billionaire, named Pa Salt by his six daughters, all adopted by him from the four corners of the world. He has left each of them a clue to their true heritage, but Star - the most enigmatic of the sisters - is hesitant to step out of the safety of the close relationship she shares with her sister CeCe. In desperation, she decides to follow the first clue she has been left, which leads her to an antiquarian bookshop in London, and the start of a whole new world . . .

A hundred years earlier, headstrong and independent Flora MacNichol vows she will never marry. She is happy and secure in her home in the Lake District, living close to her idol, Beatrix Potter, when machinations outside her control lead her to London, and the home of one of Edwardian society's most notorious players, Alice Keppel. Flora is pulled between passionate love and duty to her family, but finds herself a pawn in a game - the rules of which are only known to others, until a meeting with a mysterious gentleman unveils the answers that Flora has been searching for her whole life . . .

As Star learns more of Flora's incredible journey, she too goes on a voyage of discovery, finally stepping out of the shadow of her sister and opening herself up to the possibility of love.

Amazon links: Kindle or Hardcover

Emma's Review: The Olive Tree by Lucinda Riley

Reviewed by Emma Crowley

It is said that anyone who comes to stay at 'Pandora' for the first time will fall in love...

It has been twenty-four years since a young Helena spent a magical holiday in Cyprus, where she fell in love for the first time. When the now crumbling house, 'Pandora', is left to her by her godfather, she returns to spend the summer there with her family.

Yet Helena knows that the idyllic beauty of Pandora masks a web of secrets she has kept from William, her husband, and Alex, her son. At the difficult age of thirteen, Alex is torn between protecting his beloved mother, and growing up. And equally, he is desperate to learn the truth about his real father. . .

When Helena meets her childhood sweetheart by chance, a chain of events is set in motion that threatens to make her past and present collide. Both Helena and Alex know that life will never be the same, once Pandora's secrets have been revealed.

Amazon links: Kindle or Hardcover

My Favourite Book is... by Laura Ayling, Ana & Kate Moloney

Laura Ayling from Lozza's Book Corner

My Favourite Book Is.... wow what a question.

In all honestly I don't think I could pin point one.

One of my favourites from my child hood is a book called "Each Peach Pear Plum", every page has a rhyme on it and you have to find people such as Tom thumb, Cinderella & baby Bunting. My two young neices now love love this book so it's a special time when we read it together.

Adult wise... hmm, there's far too many from JoJo Moyes' Me Before You, any of Jill Mansell's and most recently My Sisters Secret by Tracy Buchanan.

But one I will read again and again is Where Rainbows End by Cecelia Ahern - I love the uniqueness of it being written completely via email/letter and text!

Ana from This Chick Reads

For a book blogger and a person who reads +100 books a year, one would say I’ll have a problem in making up my mind when it comes to choosing my favourite book of all time. Despite the fact I’ve read many good books throughout the years, there’s one book that stands high on the pedestal. That book is ‘The Girl on the Cliff’ by Lucinda Riley.

Those of you who’ve had the chance to read any of Lucinda Riley’s books will now say ‘Ahhh, of course! I totally understand why she picked this book’, but for those of you who haven’t had the opportunity to read any of Lucinda’s works I shall try and briefly explain why I love it so much.

I bought it while on holidays in Greece, hoping for a light hearted family mystery, but what I got was a beautiful, mesmerizing, complex story entwining different generations and plots, a story that made me cry like a baby once I finished it. I don’t remember if I got up from the sofa at all, I read it cover to cover in one single sitting.

Books Read & Giveaway: Lucinda Riley - The Seven Sisters

Maia D'Aplièse and her five sisters gather together at their childhood home, 'Atlantis' - a fabulous, secluded castle situated on the shores of Lake Geneva - having been told that their beloved father, the elusive billionaire they call Pa Salt, has died. Maia and her sisters were all adopted by him as babies and, discovering he has already been buried at sea, each of them is handed a tantalising clue to their true heritage - a clue which takes Maia across the world to a crumbling mansion in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. Once there, she begins to put together the pieces of where her story began . . .

Eighty years earlier, in the Belle Epoque of Rio, 1927, Izabela Bonifacio's father has aspirations for his daughter to marry into aristocracy. Meanwhile, architect Heitor da Silva Costa is working on a statue, to be called Christ the Redeemer, and will soon travel to Paris to find the right sculptor to complete his vision. Izabela - passionate and longing to see the world - convinces her father to allow her to accompany him and his family to Europe before she is married. There, at Paul Landowski's studio and in the heady, vibrant cafés of Montparnasse, she meets ambitious young sculptor Laurent Brouilly, and knows at once that her life will never be the same again.

The Seven Sisters is a sweeping epic tale of love and loss - the first in a unique, spellbinding series of seven books, based on the legends of the Seven Sisters star constellation - Lucinda Riley showcases her storytelling talent like never before.

Amazon links: Kindle or Paperback

Irish Fiction Week Giveaway: Win a copy of The Girl on the Cliff by Lucinda Riley

I can't believe it's Sunday already and time for the final giveaway of this Irish Fiction feature week, a copy of The Girl on the Cliff which has been very generously donated by bestselling author Lucinda Riley.  I had planned to review Lucinda's latest two novels, The Italian Girl and The Seven Sisters, as part of this feature week but as mentioned in my post last night my plans for this week went a little awry so I'll be catching up with these reviews as soon as I can!

Why has a secret from 1914 caused a century of heartache? 

Troubled by recent loss, Grania Ryan has returned to Ireland and the arms of her loving family. And it is here, on a cliff edge, that she first meets a young girl, Aurora, who will profoundly change her life. 

Mysteriously drawn to Aurora, Grania discovers that the histories of their families are strangely and deeply entwined . . . 

From a bittersweet romance in wartime London to a troubled relationship in contemporary New York, from devotion to a foundling child to forgotten memories of a lost brother, the Ryans and the Lisles, past and present, have been entangled for a century. Ultimately, it will be Aurora whose intuition and remarkable spirit help break the spell and unlock the chains of the past.

To enter the giveaway, follow the instructions in the Rafflecopter form below.  The winner will be selected at random on 29th March and contacted for their postal address to be passed onto Lucinda to post your prize to you.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Lunch with Lucinda Riley to talk about The Seven Sisters

This Summer I have been very fortunate to have been invited to some fab book events including an invite yesterday to have lunch with bestselling author Lucinda Riley to hear about her new Seven Sisters series.

First off I have to say a very big thank you to Olivia, Lucinda's PA, for the perfect instructions as to how to get to The Phene pub in Chelsea as I'm sure I'd have gotten lost if I'd tried to find it myself... those who know me personally know how shocking my sense of direction is!

We started off in the garden with a drink meet & greet session, Lucinda with FB competition winner Victoria, Jo, Jo, Susan, Jax and myself, and then moved upstairs for lunch and to have a chat with Lucinda about her books.

Lucinda has made a couple of videos to talk about the inspiration behind the series and an introduction to the first book The Seven Sisters, which is Maia's story, which I can share with you below.

Guest Book Review: Lucinda Riley - The Midnight Rose

Reviewed by Cora Linn  

A lifelong passion. An endless search.

Spanning four generations, The Midnight Rose sweeps from the glittering palaces of the great maharajas of India to the majestic stately homes of England, following the extraordinary life of a girl, Anahita Chavan, from 1911 to the present day . . .

In the heyday of the British Raj, eleven-year-old Anahita, from a noble but impoverished family, forms a lifelong friendship with the headstrong Princess Indira, the privileged daughter of rich Indian royalty. Becoming the princess's official companion, Anahita accompanies her friend to England just before the outbreak of the Great War. There, she meets the young Donald Astbury - reluctant heir to the magnificent, remote Astbury Estate - and his scheming mother.

Eighty years later, Rebecca Bradley, a young American film star, has the world at her feet. But when her turbulent relationship with her equally famous boyfriend takes an unexpected turn, she's relieved that her latest role, playing a 1920s debutante, will take her away from the glare of publicity to the wilds of Dartmoor in England. Shortly after filming begins at the now-crumbling Astbury Hall, Ari Malik, Anahita's great-grandson, arrives unexpectedly, on a quest for his family's past. What he and Rebecca discover begins to unravel the dark secrets that haunt the Astbury dynasty...

Amazon links: Kindle or Paperback 

Books Read: Lucinda Riley - The Light Behind The Window

The present: Emilie de la Martiniéres has always fought against her aristocratic background, but after the death of her glamorous, distant mother, she finds herself alone in the world and sole inheritor of her grand childhood home in the south of France. An old notebook of poems leads her in search of the mysterious and beautiful Sophia, whose tragic love affair changed the course of her family history. As Emilie unravels the story, she too embarks on her own journey of discovery, realising that the château may provide clues to her own difficult past and finally unlock the future.

The past: London 1943. A young office clerk, Constance Carruthers, is drafted into the SOE, arriving in occupied Paris during the climax of the conflict. Separated from her contact in her very first hours in France, she stumbles into the heart of a wealthy family who are caught up in a deadly game of secrets and lies. Forced to surrender her identity and all ties to her homeland and her beloved husband, Constance finds herself drawn into a complex web of deception, the repercussions of which will affect generations to come.