Tag: thriller

What I’ve read so far… 2021 Edition đŸ“š

Hi Guys 👋🏻

I thought I would do a halfway through the year, book update!

Every year I have done a reading challenge of sorts, and this year, instead of monthly or quarterly updates I thought I would do two Six month updates.

So, here is my first reading update of 2021, January – June.

[Disclaimer: I’m not that fast a reader sometimes, it comes in fits and spurts, and I’ve had lots of revision to do, so its not as long a list as I’d like]

January – June 2021

The Winter Garden By Heidi Swain

The Land of Stories: A Grimm Warning By Chris Colfer

Because of You By Dawn French

The Lido By Libby Page

Push by Ashley Audrain

The Holiday by T.M Logan

A Taste of Home by Heidi Swain

Only Time Will Tell By Jeffrey Archer

The Sins of the Father By Jeffrey Archer

Until Next Weekend By Rachel Marks

The Dead Fathers Club By Matt Haig

Saving the Day By Katie Fforde

The Motive By Khurrum Rahman

Best Kept Secret By Jeffrey Archer

My favourites so far are, of course the Heidi Swain novels ‘The Winter Garden’ & ‘A Taste of Home’ as well as ‘Until Next Weekend’ ‘Push’ & ‘The Holiday’ which I could not put down. I love that feeling.

The suprise was the Harry Clifton series by Jeffrey Archer, the perfect example of not judging a book by its cover.

Have you read any of these books??

Until Next Time,

Roseanne 🙂

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Bookish Birthday Presents đŸ“š

Hi guys 👋🏻

I though I would share my little book themed birthday presents from a few weeks ago.

Two of the books I picked put myself and the rest was a suprise!

Lets take a look.

𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕕𝕖𝕒𝕕 𝕗𝕒𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕤 𝕔𝕝𝕦𝕓 𝕓𝕪 𝕄𝕒𝕥𝕥 ℍ𝕒𝕚𝕘

ɪ ᴡᴀꜱ ᴇxᴄɪᴛᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ꜱᴇᴇ ᴀɴᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ʙᴏᴏᴋ ʙʏ ᴍᴀᴛᴛ ʜᴀɪɢ ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱʜᴇʟꜰ, ɪɴ ᴍʏ ʟᴏᴄᴀʟ ʙᴏᴏᴋꜱᴛᴏʀᴇ. ᴛʜɪꜱ ɪꜱ ᴏɴᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ᴏɴᴇꜱ ɪ ᴘɪᴄᴋᴇᴅ ᴏᴜᴛ ꜰᴏʀ ᴍʏꜱᴇʟꜰ, ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴍʏ ꜱɪꜱᴛᴇʀ ɢᴀᴠᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴍᴇ.

ᴛʜɪꜱ ꜱᴛᴏʀʏ ꜱᴏᴜɴᴅꜱ ᴠᴇʀʏ ɪɴᴛᴇʀᴇꜱᴛɪɴɢ ᴀɴᴅ ÉŞ ᴡᴀꜱ ɪɴꜱᴛᴀɴᴛʟʏ ɪɴᴛʀɪɢᴜᴇᴅ ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜꜱᴇ ᴏꜰ ʜᴏᴡ ᴍᴜᴄʜ ÉŞ ᴇɴᴊᴏʏᴇᴅ ‘ᴛʜᴇ ᴍɪᴅɴɪɢʜᴛ ʟɪʙʀᴀʀʏ’.

𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕙𝕦𝕟𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕡𝕒𝕣𝕥𝕪 𝕓𝕪 𝕃𝕦𝕔𝕪 𝔽𝕠𝕝𝕖𝕪

ᴛʜɪꜱ ᴡᴀꜱ ᴛʜᴇ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ʙᴏᴏᴋ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪ ᴘɪᴄᴋᴇᴅ ᴏᴜᴛ. ɪ ꜱᴀᴡ ᴛʜɪꜱ ʙᴏᴏᴋ ᴀʟʟ ᴏᴠᴇʀ ᴀ ꜰᴀᴄᴇʙᴏᴏᴋ ʙᴏᴏᴋ ɢʀᴏᴜᴘ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪ ᴀᴍ ᴀ ᴘᴀʀᴛ ᴏꜰ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ʙʟᴜʀʙ ʟᴇꜰᴛ ᴍᴇ ɪɴᴛʀᴜɢᴜᴇᴅ ᴛᴏᴏ. ɪ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ᴀ ᴍᴜʀᴅᴇʀ ᴍʏꜱᴛᴇʀʏ.

𝕋𝕠𝕘𝕖𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣 𝕓𝕪 ℂ𝕙𝕣𝕚𝕤𝕥𝕞𝕒𝕤 𝕓𝕪 𝕂𝕒𝕣𝕖𝕟 𝕊𝕨𝕒𝕟

ᴍʏ ꜱɪꜱᴛᴇʀ ᴄʜᴏꜱᴇ ᴛʜɪꜱ ʙᴏᴏᴋ ꜰᴏʀ ᴍᴇ. ɪᴛꜱ ᴀ ʟᴏᴠᴇʟʏ, ʟɪɢʜᴛ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛᴇᴅ, ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴛɪᴄ, ꜰᴇꜱᴛɪᴠᴇ ꜱᴛᴏʀʏ. ÉŞ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ʙᴏᴏᴋꜱ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛʜɪꜱ. ÉŞ ʜᴀᴠᴇɴ’ᴛ ᴅᴇᴄɪᴅᴇᴅ ᴏꜰ ÉŞ’ᴍ ɢᴏɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ɪᴛ ꜱᴏᴏɴ ᴏʀ ᴡᴀɪᴛ ᴜɴᴛɪʟ ᴛʜᴇ ꜰᴇꜱᴛɪᴠᴇ ᴘᴇʀɪᴏᴅ!

𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕝𝕚𝕖𝕤 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕥𝕠𝕝𝕕 𝕓𝕪 ℍ𝕒𝕣𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕥 𝕋𝕪𝕔𝕖

‘ꜱʜᴏᴄᴋɪɴɢ, ᴅᴀʀᴋ ᴀɴᴅ ᴀᴅᴅɪᴄᴛɪᴠᴇ.’ – ÉŞ ᴘɪᴄᴋᴇᴅ ᴛʜɪꜱ ᴜᴘ, ᴜꜱɪɴɢ ᴍʏ ʙɪʀᴛʜᴅᴀʏ ᴍᴏɴᴇʏ, ꜰʀᴏᴍ ᴍʏ ʟᴏᴄᴀʟ ᴛᴇꜱᴄᴏ ᴇxᴘʀᴇꜱꜱ (ɪᴛ’ꜱ ᴅᴀɴɢᴇʀᴏᴜꜱ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇʏ ɴᴏᴡ ꜱᴇʟʟ ᴀ ꜱᴍᴀʟʟ ꜱᴇʟᴇᴄᴛɪᴏɴ ᴏꜰ ʙᴏᴏᴋꜱ!!) ᴀꜱ ꜱᴏᴏɴ ᴀꜱ ÉŞ ꜱᴀᴡ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀꜱ ɴᴀᴍᴇ ÉŞ ᴡᴀꜱ ɪɴᴛʀɪɢᴜᴇᴅ ᴀꜱ ÉŞ ʀᴇᴀʟʟʏ ᴇɴᴊᴏʏᴇᴅ ‘ʙʟᴏᴏᴅ ᴏʀᴀɴɢᴇ’.

ᴛʜɪꜱ ɪꜱ ᴀ ᴛʜʀɪʟʟᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ÉŞ’ᴍ ɪɴᴛʀɪɢᴜᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ꜱᴇᴇ ɪꜰ ɪᴛꜱ ᴀꜱ ɢʀɪᴘᴘɪɴɢ ᴀꜱ ‘ʙʟᴏᴏᴅ ᴏʀᴀɴɢᴇ’. ÉŞ ᴊᴜꜱᴛ ʜᴏᴘᴇ ÉŞ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴀɪɴ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴛʜɪꜱ ᴛɪᴍᴇ!!

𝕆𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣 𝕓𝕚𝕥𝕤:

𝔸𝕟𝕚𝕞𝕒𝕝 ℂ𝕣𝕠𝕤𝕤𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕄𝕚𝕟𝕚 𝕄𝕒𝕘𝕟𝕖𝕥𝕚𝕔 𝔹𝕠𝕠𝕜𝕞𝕒𝕣𝕜

ᴛʜɪꜱ ɪꜱ ꜱᴜᴘᴇʀ ᴄᴜᴛᴇ. ɪ ɢᴏᴛ ᴛʜɪꜱ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ᴍʏ ꜰʀɪᴇɴᴅ ᴡʜᴏ ɪ ᴘʟᴀʏ ᴛʜᴇ ɢᴀᴍᴇ ᴡɪᴛʜ.

ᴛʜɪꜱ ɪꜱ ɪᴅᴇᴀʟ ᴀꜱ ɪᴛꜱ ᴍᴀɢɴᴇᴛɪᴄ ᴀɴᴅ ᴄᴀɴ’ᴛ ꜰᴀʟʟ ᴏᴜᴛ… ᴘᴇʀꜰᴇᴄᴛ ᴀꜱ ÉŞ ᴄᴀʀʀʏ ᴍʏ ʙᴏᴏᴋ ᴀʟʟ ᴀʀᴏᴜɴᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴍᴇ.

𝔹𝕠𝕠𝕜 𝕍𝕠𝕦𝕔𝕙𝕖𝕣

ᴍʏ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ʟᴏᴠᴇʟʏ ꜰʀɪᴇɴᴅꜱ ɢᴏᴛ ᴍᴇ ᴀ ʙᴏᴏᴋ ᴠᴏᴜᴄʜᴇʀ!!! ꜱᴏ ÉŞ ᴄᴀɴ’ᴛ ᴡᴀɪᴛ ᴛᴏ ɢᴏ ᴀɴᴅ ʙʀᴏᴡꜱᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱʜᴇʟᴠᴇꜱ, ʜᴇᴀᴠᴇɴ 😍

𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲??

𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝘀𝗼, 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸??

Until Next Time,

Roseanne 🙂

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My 2021 TBR List đŸ“š

Hi guys 👋🏻

2021 is here and of course that means a fresh start to the reading for the year.

I still have one more festive book to read, that I was gifted for Christmas, ‘Finding Love at the Christmas Market’ By Jo Thomas.

This is the first book I’ve started in 2021.

I’ve complied a list of my TBR (to be read) books for the coming year… it’s quite a mixture but I like that!! I can’t wait to get stuck in.

  • The Winter Garden by Heidi Swain
  • Thirteen by Steve Cavanagh
  • Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams
  • The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith
  • Normal people by Sally Rooney
  • The Holiday by T.M Logan
  • An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
  • Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
  • Sweet Sorrow by David Nicholls
  • Girl, Other Women by Bernardine Evaristo
  • Dear NHS by Adam Kay
  • The Land of Stories: A Grimm Warning by Chris Colfer
  • My Sister the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
  • The Lido by Libby Page
  • Once Upon a Tyne by Ant & Dec

Which books are on your ‘To be read list’ ??

Until Next Time,

Roseanne 🙂

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‘One Left Alive’ & more Book Review đŸ“š

𝕆𝕟𝕖 𝕝𝕖𝕗𝕥 𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕧𝕖 & the Crime/Detective Books Series.

By Helen Phifer

I stumbled across Helen Phifers books whilst browsing on the Kindle app, on my phone.
Now, I totally get the merits of a Kindle but I am defaintly team ‘Physical Book’. However, when I discovered her books I couldn’t resist and they were only available as a Kindle download.
I was hooked immediatly and here I am, three separate, stand alone detective series later and I am still throroughly enjoying her books.


Heres a general review of her books as a whole. The most recent that I have read being ‘One Left Alive’

‘One Left Alive’ is part of her newest series ‘Detective Morgan Brookes Series’.
Her books are Crime and Thriller Novels and its no suprise that they are bestselling.


They are gripping from the get go. The horrific murder/s that gets the ball rolling, in the beginning of the book, will both horrify and intrigue you in equal measure. You will have to find out what has happened and you won’t put the book down until you do.
If, like me, you are a horror fan then Helen’s books will be right up your street. There are always moments of pure, on the edge, ‘oh my god, I don’t want to read on but I must’ moments that will keep you hungrily reading until the end.
(They are not for the squeamish readers amoung us!)


The characters are  so relatable and are ‘normal’ people, and even with the strong police element, they and the storylines, aren’t overly complicated. Its quite fascinating to look into the police process. I love police dramas on TV, such as Line of Duty, and its almost like reading a episode.
And as I said, the investigation is easy to follow, but it always keeps you on your toes and is never predictable.

With regard to the characters, I like how you are following ‘the story’ but also their story too. You are always rooting for them to succeed both professionally and personally.


As soon as I read and finish one I always want more, so thank goodness there are a few in each series. The second book of this series is in preorder already.


I was genuinely gutted when I got to the last book in her ‘Annie Graham’ series. Gutted.

ᴍʏ ᴏᴠᴇʀᴀʟʟ ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ ꜰᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴇʀɪᴇꜱ: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)

I hope you liked this review! I am going to try and do a review for each different genre that I read.

I recently reviewed the childrens fantasy series ‘The Land of Stories’ by Chris Colfer, (any Disney lovers young and old will love this series) So, check that review out here.

As always any book recommendations are ALWAYS welcome.

🄷🄰🄿🄿🅈 🅁🄴🄰🄳🄸🄽🄶

Until Next Time,

Roseanne 🙂

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My 2020 Reading Challenge: The Third Quarter đŸ“š

Here is the penultimate quarter of my reading challenge for 2020.

July, August, September

And in a honesty it hasn’t been a very impressive one. I’ve found myself quite busy and unable to focus, as well as I would like, on my reading, which is a bit annoying.

But, none the less, here we are!

Lets have a look at what I have read during this quarter…

Books I’ve read:

Just Mercy: A story of justice and redemption By Bryan Stevenson

Cuckoos Calling By Robert Galbraith

Roald Dahl‘s Book of Ghost Stories

The Notebook by Nicholas Sparkes

Sorry Not Sorry By Naya Rivera

This quarter was quite a mixed bag.

Just Mercy was more of an ‘educate myself’ book choice and that it has been.

The injustice of the American ‘justice’ system is abhorrent and it’s definatly an eye opener in terms of how easy some people have it and how some people have so much power just because of the race/family/country they are born in.

I have been meaning to read the Robert Galbraith books for a very long time and I just haven’t got round to it.

I am glad that I finally did because I really enjoyed it and I loved the characters especially.

I have read The Notebook several times but it is a Nicholas Sparks fave of mine and I just fancied going back to it. I read it in just over a day and it was great.

I have quite a few books ready and waiting for the final quarter and I want to make it a goodun’.

I’ve got a Christmas book blog post idea too!

Also, you can check out my Insta ‘RoseannesBlog’ as I post regularly on there too.


Until Next Time,
Roseanne 🙂

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My 2020 Reading Challenge: The Second Quarter đŸ“š

Sorry guys, this is a bit late… but I thought I would still post it as I want to keep up with the quarterly posts.
I’ve been a lot busier since I started back at work.

April/May/June

So, that bloody pandemic is still happening… I am however back at work and have been for two and a half weeks. It is definatly nice to have a bit more normality. My work schedule isnt 100% back to what it usually is so I’m trying to make sure I still use this extra time to get through all my new books that I bought for the COVID-19 outbreak.

Lets have a look at what I have read during this next quarter… we’re halfway through the year already, madness.

Books I have read:

The Flat Share by Beth O’Leary

The Secret Seaside Escape by Heidi Swain

The Switch by Beth O’Leary

The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by JK Rowling (3/4, but I’ll leave it on the list as its a biggun’)

The Land of Stories: The Enchantress Returns by Chris Colfer

Heidi Swain is one of my favourite authors so I was so excited to have this book in my second quarter. I had pre ordered it so that was a very welcome arrival.

As you can see I have also been enjoying Beth O’Leary’s books this quarter. I started with ‘The Switch’ as I have seen lots of recommendations on Instagram and then my friend at work read it and suggested it too. I really enjoyed it and consequently bought her second book, which I enjoyed even more.

‘The Family Upstairs’ I found really gripping. I literally couldn’t put it down by the end, its funny how some books grip you like that! I had this book at the beginning of lockdown so I can’t believe its taken me this long to get around to it.

I have even more books planned for the third instalment, so check back to see what I’ve been reading.

Or, check out my Insta ‘RoseannesBlog’ as I post regularly on there too.

Until Next Time,

Roseanne 🙂

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My Reading Challenge: September đŸ“š

I’m a bit late with my update this month, we can blame ‘back to school’ fever. It’s a busy time when you work in a school!!

What did I read in August:

All that she can see by Carrie Hope Fletcher

The Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena

Give me the child by Mel McGrath

&

Two short reads…

The beach wedding by Dorothy Koomson

Full house by Maeve Binchy

I loved Carrie’s book, I wasnt sure to begin with, I dont know why but it took m a while to pick this up off my shelf, one I had though, I couldnt put it down!

It was a very interesting concept and a very different story to one I’ve read befoe. It really made you think about you own emotions and how much control you have over them and they hav over you. I loved the making element to the story, it was very easy reading.

The Unwanted Guest was brilliant, it had a real Agatha Christie feel to it and I was gripped, trying to work out who it could be, what would happen next, how it was all linked. Very good, very well written and definatly a great book for murder mystery fans.

I enjoyed ‘Give me the Child’ and it you wanted to find out what was going to happen, however I do think that it went on for a little bit, then right near the end it all of a sudden got very dramatic and then it just ended. It was a bit too much right at the end when it had dragged on a lot before that.

I really enjoyed the short reads, especially the one by Dorothy Koomson, it may have been shorter but it was just as good as her others and it had great twists and turns.

This months books are…

Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult

‘A compelling emotional drama of love and guilt that grips from the very first moments.’

‘Luke Warren would sleep in the dirt if it meant he could be under the stars.

He lived by the laws of nature. And would surely want to die that way.

But Luke is in a coma and his family mus make an unbearable decision

As tensions and secrets rise to the surface, the tragic accident which brougt them back together against the odds could well tear Luke’s family apart forever.

They know Luke would not want to live like this . But how can they choose to let him die?’

The big little festival by Kellie Hailes

‘Love happens when you least expect it…

Jody is panicking. Its only weeks until her little village in Devon hosts its first ever festival and everything is falling apart.

Desperate to avoid disaster, she brings in notorious party planner Christian to save the day. Although she wasn’t prepared for just how gorgeous he would be!

Men are off the cards for Jody and surely Christian is the last man she would wlever date? But with tensions risng- along with the bunting and homemade scones- shes about to find out… ‘

Until next time,

Roseanne 🙂

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