Two Heads Are Better Than One

Gill Paul

Publication Date: 31/8/23

Publisher: Avon Books

SYNOPSIS

The world is at war, but on the gilded streets of Fifth Avenue, New York, a battle of a
different kind is brewing…

New York, 1915. Elizabeth Arden has been New York’s golden girl since her beauty salon opened its famous red door five years prior. Against all odds, she’s built an
empire. Enter Helena Rubinstein: ruthless, revolutionary – and the rival Elizabeth
didn’t bargain for. with both women determined to succeed – no matter the personal cost – a battle of beauty is born. And as the stakes increase, so do the methods:
poaching employees, planting spies, copying products, hiring ex-husbands.
But as each woman climbs higher, so too does what she stands to lose.
Because the greater the height, the harder the fall…

MY REVIEW

Gill Paul has produced yet another wonderfully engrossing novel, looking at the little known lives of some of the most famous women in history. A Beautiful Rival is a blend of Gill’s brilliantly researched facts plus believable fiction surrounding the lives and careers of Elizabeth Arden and Helena Rubinstein, two giant names in the beauty industry. So how did they make their fortunes?

Spectacularly lavish settings, famous names, luxury travel is all within these pages. The book is written in alternating chapters by each of the two women.

Gill portrays the ongoing rivalry between the two women, sparked by Rubinstein’s move into America where Arden was well known and Queen Bee of the beauty industry. She was not at all happy at the appearance of this Jewish woman, trying to outdo her. Oh I just loved reading about the lengths each of them went to, to outdo the other. More salons, more products, more lavish decor, even planting spies in the salons and copying recipes!

Gill also covers their personal lives. Arden never wanted to marry, and Rubinstein married a philanderer and had two sons but wasn’t particularly maternal and didn’t get very involved in their lives as they were growing up. She was far too focussed on her business.

Two very similar ladies, full of personal insecurities and worries about their empires. If it were not for their rivalry, no doubt they could have been friends!

I absolutely devoured this!

Many thanks to Avon Books for sending me an early copy to review, and to Anne at Random Things for my spot on the blog tour.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Gill Paul is an author of historical fiction, specialising in the twentieth century and often writing about the lives of real women. Her novels have topped bestseller lists in the Us and canach as well as the Ok and nave been translated into twenty languages. The Secret Wife has sold over half a million copies and is a book-club favourite worldwide. She is also the author of several non-fiction books on
historical subjects.

By John Connolly

Due out in Hardback 7/9/23 from Hodder & Stoughton

Also available in ebook and audio

SYNOPSIS

Twice upon a time – for that is how some stories should continue . . .

Phoebe, an eight-year-old girl, lies comatose following a car accident. She is a body without a spirit, a stolen child. Ceres, her mother, can only sit by her bedside and read aloud to Phoebe the fairy stories she loves in the hope they might summon her back to this world.
But it is hard to keep faith, so very hard.

Now an old house on the hospital grounds, a property connected to a book written by a vanished author, is calling to Ceres. Something wants her to enter, and to journey – to a land coloured by the memories of Ceres’s childhood, and the folklore beloved of her father, to a land of witches and dryads, giants and mandrakes; to a land where old enemies are watching, and waiting.

To the Land of Lost Things.

For anyone who loved THE BOOK OF LOST THINGSand for all readers who enjoy dark, beautifully written fables that explore the heart of the human condition: love, loyalty and sacrifice.

‘This dark fairy tale, sequel to The Book of Lost Things (2006), speaks volumes about a mother’s devotion […] A feat of imagination that will please Connolly’s fans’ Kirkus

MY REVIEW

Wow! I have just finished this book and I absolutely must read The Book of Lost Things asap!

When her daughter is transferred to long term care following an accident and months in a coma, Ceres does not know whether she will ever wake. She reads stories to Phoebe from a special book of fairy tales, ‘their book’, hoping her daughter can hear her and know she is not alone.

Ceres is at breaking point. She has a shower, puts her old clothes back on and in a dreamlike state is drawn towards the woods and a boarded up house. From there she enters the woods and another realm to live her own story. And what a story! What an imagination the author has!

This is such an engrossing, dark, magical read and is very Grimms Fairy Tales. As Ceres travels through the forest she meets the woodsman, a dryad, fae folk, dwarfs and harpies, to name just a few. Even Rapunzel pops up. There is plenty of danger facing Ceres, but she is not afraid of anything. There is mention of The Crooked Man who lived in this realm long ago.

There are stories within the story, and basically this book is just so good it needs to be read! I can not write a review to do it justice as there is so much depth to the story.

Very highly recommended and I am happy to have found an author new to me and I will definitely be reading more of his work.

Many thanks to Becky Hunter for my ARC.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

John was born in Dublin, Ireland in 1968 and has, at various points in his life, worked as a journalist, a barman, a local government official, a waiter and a dogsbody at Harrods department store in London. (A dogsbody, for our North American friends, is a ‘go-fer’.) He studied English in Trinity College, Dublin and journalism at Dublin City University, subsequently spending five years working as a freelance journalist for The Irish Times newspaper. He divides his time between Dublin and Portland, Maine; makes regular donations to the wine industry; and keeps a number of dogs in a remarkable degree of comfort.

From the Sunday Times bestseller, Elizabeth May

Book 1 in These Monstrous Gods duology,

To be published 24 February from Daphne Press

Pre-order: https://www.daphnepress.com/book-landing-pages/to-cage-a-god

Artwork : Tom Roberts @tomrobertsillustration

designer: Jane Tibbetts @chattynora

Inspired by Slavic fantasy, To Cage a God explores a world of gods and magic similar to Leigh Bardugo’s smash hit, Shadow and Bone

 

To cage a god is divine. To be divine is to rule. To rule is to destroy.

Using ancient secrets, Galina and Sera’s mother grafted gods into their bones. Bound to brutal deities and granted forbidden power no commoner has held in a millennia, the sisters have grown up to become living weapons. Raised to overthrow an empire―no matter the cost.
With their mother gone and their country on the brink of war, it falls to the sisters to take the helm of the rebellion and end the cruel reign of a royal family possessed by destructive gods. Because when the ruling alurea invade, they conquer with fire and blood. And when they clash, common folk burn.
While Sera reunites with her estranged lover turned violent rebel leader, Galina infiltrates the palace. In this world of deception and danger, her only refuge is an isolated princess, whose whip-smart tongue and sharp gaze threaten to uncover Galina’s secret. Torn between desire and duty, Galina must make a choice: work together to expose the lies of the empire―or bring it all down.

Join the rebellion to burn down a cruel tyrant in this heart-racing new fantasy duology, perfect for fans of Shadow and Bone and The Wolf and the Woodsman

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Elizabeth May is a Sunday Times bestselling author of science fiction and fantasy novels, including Seven Devils, Seven Mercies, and the Falconer trilogy, and historical romances under the pen name Katrina Kendrick. She writes about monsters and monster slayers, empire destroyers and rebellions, assassins and spies. Sometimes they live in palaces, and sometimes they live in the stars, and some of them fall in love. @_ElizabethMay

Becky Hunter

Publication day: 2/3/23 HB ; 31/8/23 PB

Publisher: Corvus

SYNOPSIS

One moment in time can change everything…
The day Scarlett dies should have been one of the most important of her life. It doesn’t feel fair that she’ll never have the chance to fulfil her dreams – all because she stopped to help a stranger. And now, she’s still … here – wherever here is – watching the ripple effect of her death on those she loved the most.
Evie cannot contemplate her life without Scarlett, and she certainly cannot forgive Nate, the man she blames for her best friend’s death. But Nate keeps popping up when she least expects him to, catapulting Evie’s life in directions she’d never let herself imagine possible.
If you could go back, knowing everything that happens after, everything that happens because of one choice you made, would you change the course of history or would you do it all again?

MY REVIEW

I am so pleased the postman didn’t deliver a parcel today as I was a mess after that ending! But in a good way!

Evie and Scarlett have been friends since they met and bonded when they were young in A&E. Going to the same school then both going to Manchester for their respective uni courses; Evie for music and Scarlett for fashion. They were inseparable.

Whilst sharing a flat in London, Scarlett dies when she is hit by a car whilst helping a stranger.

Evie is devastated, already having her MS to cope with then the death of her supportive best friend.

What happens next is a story of friendship, of the support of a stranger with his own sad past and an unexpected love story. With a very unexpected ending.

The story follows Evie but we also have Scarlett as a secnarrator, who is able to watch events as they unfold after her death, and she goes back to visit old memories.

The author depicts living with MS and also writes about a suicide, which I felt were both dealt with sensitively. Evie, living with MS, overcomes some of her fears of not being able to do things by just going for it. You never know what you can achieve if you don’t try.

Certainly a book to make you think about what is important in life and shows Becky is not only a fabulous publicist but also a very talented author!

Thank you Becky for gifting me a beautiful signed copy of your book which I will be recommending far and wide.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Becky grew up in Berkshire, UK, and has loved reading since before she can remember. After studying social sciences at Cambridge university, this love of reading led her to a career in publishing, where she worked as a book publicist in London for several years before taking a career break and moving to Mozambique to volunteer with horses. It was here that she decided to give writing a proper go, though it was still a few years, a few more destinations, and a couple more jobs before she had the idea that would become ONE MOMENT, her debut novel. 

She currently splits her time between London, Bristol and Falmouth, and works as a freelance book publicist and editor, alongside her own writing. 

Find Becky on Twitter (@Bookish_Becky) or Instagram (beckyhunterbooks) – she’d love to hear from you!

Rachel Abbott

Publication date: 3/8/23

Publisher: Wildfire Books

SYNOPSIS

Eleven years ago my sister Lola vanished from my aunt’s cottage in Cornwall. Now I’m back, and I’m no closer to understanding why she ran away. What secrets was she keeping?

Memories come to me in snippets, but something is still missing. Then a body is discovered in a cave below the cliffs. No one knows how long it’s been there. Is it Lola?

The next night I wake, knowing someone is there, standing by my bed. I can hear them breathing. What do they want? Am I getting too close to the truth?

Did Lola ever leave?

MY REVIEW

This is one of those books I constantly thought about when I wasn’t reading it, and I couldn’t put down when I was!

Nancy has inherited a cottage in Cornwall from her aunt. The last time she was at the cottage was 11 years ago when Lola, her 15 year old sister, disappeared during their holiday there with their father. The police didn’t spend much time investigating as they presumed she had run away.

Now Nancy is determined to find out what really happened, and after finding some new evidence, DS Stephanie King has reopened the investigation into Lola’s disappearance. Stephanie has just begun her investigation into a skeleton which was found in a cave just off the beach. Are the two cases connected?

A very cleverly plotted psychological thriller which has a blinder of a reveal! And the ending just got better and better!

I have read a couple of Rachel’s books and knew I was in for a page turner. I was not disappointed.

I have already recommended this to a friend!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rachel Abbott’s debut thriller, Only the Innocent, was an international bestseller, reaching the number one position in the Amazon charts both in the UK and US. This was followed by the number one bestselling novels The Back Road, Sleep Tight, Stranger Child, Nowhere Child (a short novel based on the characters from Stranger Child), Kill Me Again, The Sixth Window, Come a Little Closer, The Shape of Lies, Right Behind You and Close Your Eyes. The new thriller in the Tom Douglas series – No More Lies – was released in February 2023. 

In 2018 Rachel released the first book in a new series – And So It Begins. This was followed by The Murder Game in 2020 (The Invitation in the US).

Rachel’s novels have now been translated into over 20 languages and have sold over 5 million copies.

In 2015 Amazon celebrated the first five years of the Kindle in the UK, and announced that Rachel was the number one bestselling independent author over the five-year period. She was also placed fourteenth in the chart of all authors. Stranger Child was the most borrowed novel for the Kindle in the first half of 2015.

Rachel now lives in Alderney – a beautiful island off the coast of France – where she devotes her time to her love of writing fiction. For more information, see Rachel’s website at http://www.rachel-abbott.com, or follow her on Facebook or Twitter.

Anita Frank

Publication date: 17/8/23 in Hardback

Publisher: HQ

SYNOPSIS

From the author of stunning historical fiction books comes a Sunday Times bestselling new story of crime, deceit, and murder, set in the early 1920s…

In the summer of 1914 a boy vanishes, never to be seen again.

Now, in 1920, the once esteemed Stilwell family of Darkacre Hall find themselves struggling with the legacy of the First World War. Leonard bears the physical scars, while his brother Maurice has endured more than his mind can take. Maurice’s wife Ida yearns for the lost days of privilege and pleasure and family friend Victor seems unwilling to move on.

But their lives are thrown into further disarray when the missing boy’s case is reopened – and this time they themselves are under police scrutiny.

As the dead return to haunt the living, old resentments resurface and loyalties are tested, while secrets risk being unearthed that could destroy them all.

MY REVIEW

Many thanks to HQ for an advance E-copy.

Having read two of Anita’s books previously, I knew I was in for a fantastic read.

Set just after the First World War, we begin with Sarah walking the long road towards her new place of employment, Darkacre Hall, with a sense of foreboding.

She arrives to find the hall in need of a good clean. Since the last member of staff left, the owners have let the housework slip.

She finds the house occupied by a couple, his brother and a friend. And a parrot. This is an unhappy house, full of secrets.

Then the police arrive to re-investigate the case of a missing young man following a tip off. They intend to dig up the woods surrounding the hall.

The whole story is set in the suffocating surroundings of the hall, other than a few flashbacks to the war and to an event they would rather remain hidden. The terrible weather adds an extra layer to the bleakness of the situation.

Loved it!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Born in Shropshire, Anita studied English and American History at the University of East Anglia. She now lives in Berkshire with her husband and three children.

You can connect with Anita via social media:

Twitter – @Ajes74

Instagram – @anitafrankauthor

Follow her to find out the latest news on her books, details of forthcoming events and for the chance to win in book giveaways!

To be published 28 March, 2024 by UK Tor

Pre-order

SYNOPSIS

The planet of Kiln is where the tyrannical Mandate keeps its prison colony, and for inmates the journey there is always a one-way trip. One such prisoner is Professor Arton Daghdev, xeno-ecologist and political dissident. Soon after arrival he discovers that Kiln has a secret. Humanity is not the first intelligent life to set foot there.
In the midst a ravenous, chaotic ecosystem are the ruins of a civilization, but who were the vanished builders and where did they go? If he can survive both the harsh rule of the camp commandant and the alien horrors of the world around him, then Arton has a chance at making a discovery that might just transform not only Kiln but distant Earth as well.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Adrian Tchaikovsky was born in Lincolnshire before heading off to Reading to study psychology and zoology. For reasons unclear even to himself he subsequently ended up in law and has worked as a legal executive in both Reading and Leeds, where he now lives with his wife and son. He’s the author of the
critically acclaimed Shadows of the Apt series, the Echoes of the Fall trilogy, The Doors of Eden, and The Final Architecture series.
for Best Science Fiction Novel. @aptshadow.
Children of Time was the winner of the 30th Anniversary Arthur C. Clarke

Praise for Adrian Tchaikovsky:

A Book of the Year — The Times, Guardian,

New Scientist on Shards of Earth
‘Deft and clever, expansive and readable’–

Guardian on Shards of Earth
‘A rip-roaring space opera…I can’t wait to read the next one’

New Scientist on Shards of Earth ‘Filled with enough plot for a whole season of a TV show’ —

SFX Magazine on Shards of Earth
‘Emotionally complex and intellectually satisfying’

— Guardian on The Doors of Eden ‘Brain-ticklingly clever stuff’ — Daily Mail on The Doors of Eden
‘Full of sparking, speculative invention . . . a terrific timeslip / lost world romp in the grand
tradition of Turtledove, Hoyle, even Conan Doyle. If you liked Primeval, read this book’

— Stephen Baxter on The Doors of Eden
‘Unlike anything I’ve read in a very long time, and all the better for it . . .
Tchaikovsky is clearly at the top of his game right now’

— James Oswald on The Doors of Eden
‘What a ride . . . talks like big-brained science fiction and runs like a fleet-footed political thriller’

— John Scalzi on The Doors of Eden
‘Tchaikovsky has created a fantastic and highly imaginative new genre: evolution SF’

— Peter F. Hamilton on The Doors of Eden
‘A joy from start to finish. Entertaining, smart, surprising and unexpectedly human’

— Patrick Ness on Children of Time
‘Inventive, funny and engrossing, this book lingers long after you close it’

— Tade Thompson on The Doors of Eden
‘Superior stuff’ — Financial Times on Children of Time

By Deborah Meaden

Part of the Little Experts series for children ages 6-9

Out now from Red Shed

SYNOPSIS

Mystified by money? Discover how it shapes the world we live in with Dragons’ Den investor and entrepreneur DEBORAH MEADEN.

Our EXPERTS are famous for their incredible know-how and passion for their subjects, and now they have made it their mission to share that knowledge with you in LITTLE EXPERTS: the inspirational new non-fiction series for six- to nine-year-olds.

This jaw-dropping non-fiction journey has vibrant and inclusive artwork throughout by Hao Hao.

Little Experts is an unmissable series that will empower and inspire a new generation of experts.

Also available in the LITTLE EXPERTS series:

• Amazing Bodies by DR RONX, award-winning trans non-binary emergency doctor and TV presenter.
• Marvellous Vehicles by JAMES MAY, a writer and broadcaster who is best known for co-presenting Top Gear and The Grand Tour.

Deborah Meaden’s book ‘Why Money Matters’ was a Sunday Times bestseller w/c 03-07-2023.

MY THOUGHTS

This is such an important subject and I wish every child could read this book to understand the basics of money, credit and debit cards, saving and borrowing, interest, tax and much more.

Deborah has written so concisely a basic introduction to money which covers just about everything a child needs to know at the age. She begins with explaining how money came into being from the first days of bartering.

Colourfully illustrated by Hao Hao, this is sure to catch, and more importantly hold the attention of a child.

Be prepared for your child to ask to start doing chores to earn money!

I can’t recommend this book highly enough!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

DEBORAH MEADEN is a highly successful entrepreneur and one of Britain’s best-known business names. She has been an investor on Dragons Den since 2006 and she also hosts BBC Radio 5 Live’s The Big Green Money Show podcast.

By James May

Part of the ‘Little Experts’ series

Published 6/7/23 by Red Shed

SYNOPSIS

Mad about marvellous vehicles? Hit the road with writer and broadcaster JAMES MAY to discover incredible human-powered vehicles – from bicycles and submarines to amphibious vehicles and even a helicopter. Yes, really!

Our EXPERTS are famous for their incredible know-how and passion for their subjects, and now they have made it their mission to share that knowledge with you in LITTLE EXPERTS: the inspirational new non-fiction series for six- to nine-year-olds.

This jaw-dropping non-fiction journey has bright, inclusive and stylish artwork throughout by Emans.

Little Experts is an unmissable series that will empower and inspire a new generation of experts.

Also available in the LITTLE EXPERTS series:

• Why Money Matters by DEBORAH MEADEN, entrepreneur, Dragon’s Den investor and host of the BBC Radio 5 Live’s The Big Green Money Showpodcast.
• Amazing Bodies by DR RONX, award-winning trans non-binary emergency doctor and TV presenter.

MY THOUGHTS

Being a fan of James May, I was over the moon to be given a chance to review his new book written especially for children age 6 – 9 years.

My first impression was ‘wow – that artwork!’ This will absolutely stand out on the bookshelves just shouting to be read!

And in this case, you can absolutely judge the book by its cover. The inner pages are just as brightly illustrated, with each vehicle discussed having the artist’s illustration.

James May is a wealth of knowledge on vehicles, and many other things, but here he shares some of his vehicle knowledge. Discussing how many ‘human powered’ vehicles work from skate boards to skis to submarines, with plenty of his witty personality included. And some physics. Of course there is!

I would absolutely recommend this book and I will be reading the rest of the series with more due out next year.

Many thanks to FMcM Associates for my review copy.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

JAMES MAY is a writer and broadcaster. He is best known for co-presenting The Grand Tour and Top Gear, and his previous books for adults include Carbolics and Car Fever. This is James’s first official book for children.

By Joanne Lefson

Published 3/8/23 by Octopus Books

SYNOPSIS

When Joanne Lefson took on a piglet at her animal shelter, the young sow proceeded to eat everything in her stable but a paint brush. In a flash of inspiration, Joanne attempted to introduce the pig to the art of painting – and thus Pigcasso was born.
Starting out with a humble canvas on the sanctuary wall, Pigcasso’s paintings are now owned by the likes of George Clooney, she has a Swatch watch design partnership, a wine label, and has eclipsed the previous world record holder for animal art. She’s been commissioned by Nissan and has had exhibitions in Cape Town, Munich and Amsterdam. More than that, Pigcasso’s art funds the food and veterinary services for all the animals at the sanctuary.
Pigcasso is the story of this unique pig and of the circumstances that brought her and Joanne together to take the art world by storm and form a unique and unbreakable bond.

MY REVIEW

What a – yes real life – story! What a pig!

I absolutely love pigs, and no I don’t eat them!

I couldn’t believe my eyes when Anne sent out the email about a blog tour for this book. Why had I never heard of Pigcasso?

Well I absolutely devoured this book.

Joanne is an amazing woman, enlightening people about the horrendous lives of factory farmed animals. If you are considering going vegan, this book will seal the deal.

She set up a donkey sanctuary whilst travelling through Asia, initially taking in 100 donkeys.

She rescued a dog from a shelter and travelled around the world with her new best friend, Oscar.

To honour his memory, she set up another rescue shelter this time at home in South Africa, to rescue dogs. The other half of the plot she had bought was spacious and she decided to take in farm animals in need of rescuing. And so the story of Pigcasso and her new life began.

Witty, but also difficult to read in places for animal lovers, Joanne takes us through Pigcasso’s rise to fame, the challenge of exhibiting her work in the art world, and the money she makes which remarkably pays for the upkeep of the shelter.

I absolutely loved it.

Thank you Anne at Random Things Tours for my spot on the tour.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Joanne Lefson is an animal rights activist and the founder of Oscar’s Arc, a dog adoption agency, and Farm Sanctuary SA, a sanctuary for rescued farmed animals – with a painting pig hogging the limelight. Oscar’s Arc has saved the lives of thousands of shelter dogs since its inception in 2017 and Pigcasso’s Abstract Expressionist masterpieces are sold all over the world and have raised over 3 million rand for the sanctuary.
Lefson’s unique collaborations have been featured on ABC , NBC , C BS News, SABC , SKY News, ZDF, CNN and National Geographic as well as The London Times, Sunday Times, USA Today and Spiegel. Lefson’s goal is to find a unique voice for vulnerable animals within a lost, loud world defined by human disconnect.