Black Wood by S.J.I. Holliday

He spots the two girls through the cracked screen of beech, sycamore and leg-scratching gorse: a flash of red skirt and a unison of giggles . . . The smaller girl sees him first and she lets out a strange little squeak and jumps back, grabbing onto the other girl’s T-shirt, revealing a flash of milky white shoulder.

He grins.

Something happened to Claire and Jo in Black Wood: something that left Claire paralysed and Jo with deep mental scars. But with Claire suffering memory loss and no evidence to be found, nobody believes Jo’s story.

Twenty-three years later, a familiar face walks into the bookshop where Jo works, dredging up painful memories and rekindling her desire for vengeance. And at the same time, Sergeant David Gray is investigating a balaclava-clad man who is attacking women on a disused railway, shocking the sleepy village of Banktoun. But what is the connection between Jo’s visitor and the masked man?

To catch the assailant, and to give Jo her long-awaited justice, Gray must unravel a tangled web of past secrets, broken friendship and tainted love. But can he crack the case before Jo finds herself with blood on her hands?

I bought this book last month and it was chosen for a book group BOTM read. 

Well, what can I say about this book. It was gripping at parts for me, was slow at the start like others have suggested due to getting to know the characters. I guessed a few things about the plot and the characters, but all in all I enjoyed bits. 

I was kinda happy that it ended the way it did and wonder as it's been left on a cliff hanger, will SJI Holliday do a follow up to the story or has she left the cliff hanger on purpose lol.

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

A debut psychological thriller that will forever change the way you look at other people's lives.

Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning. Every day she rattles down the track, flashes past a stretch of cozy suburban homes, and stops at the signal that allows her to daily watch the same couple breakfasting on their deck. She’s even started to feel like she knows them. “Jess and Jason,” she calls them. Their life—as she sees it—is perfect. Not unlike the life she recently lost.

And then she sees something shocking. It’s only a minute until the train moves on, but it’s enough. Now everything’s changed. Unable to keep it to herself, Rachel offers what she knows to the police, and becomes inextricably entwined in what happens next, as well as in the lives of everyone involved. Has she done more harm than good?

A compulsively readable, emotionally immersive, Hitchcockian thriller that draws comparisons to Gone Girl, The Silent Wife, or Before I Go to Sleep, this is an electrifying debut embraced by readers across markets and categories.

I was given a copy of this for review via Netgalley and the publishers. 

I found this to be tedious at times and damn right boring characters for my own personal opinion. I didn't connect with the characters and found that going between the 3 main female characters was quite disturbing (which I can understand is the idea), but to me they wasn't that believable.


I am sorry if anyone liked/loved the book, but for me, it wasn't as believable as I was hoping after the hype and the way this was compared to Gone Girl (which I've never read).

Just What Kind of Mother Are You? by Paula Daly

What if your best friend's child disappears? On your watch? What would you do? This is exactly what happens to Lisa Kallisto one freezing December in the English Lakes. Her whole world descends into the stuff of nightmares. Because, not only is 13-year-old Lucinda missing, and not only is it all Lisa's fault, but she's the second teenage girl to disappear within a fortnight. And the first one turned up stripped bare, after suffering from a terrifying ordeal.

Wracked with guilt over her mistake, and after being publicly blamed by Lucinda's family, Lisa sets out to right the wrong. But as she begins peeling away the layers surrounding Lucinda's disappearance, Lisa learns that all is not as it first appears to be.

I would like to thank the publishers and Netgalley for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for a review.

There is a weird man up on the moors like area. Who is he? What is he doing up there? What has Guy Riverty been up to? Who is snatching these girls? What has Lisa Kallisto got to do with this?

This was a very riveting read. Had me on the edge of seat wanting to know who the culprit is and what makes him do what he is doing to these girls. Why use a dog to lure these girls? Everything is shocking between families and you find out things that are shocking too.

Interconnected Hearts (Connected #3) by Bethany Daniel

This is book three in the Connected series, it starts after the Epilogue of Disconnected. 

Other books in the Connected series: 
Reconnected 
Disconnected 

You met and fell in love with Krista and Scott as their love grew along side the rekindled love of their best friends, Liam and Katy, and now you get to watch their love bloom. 

Krista Quinn-Adams is a tough chick, and the center of her husband's, movie star Scott Adams, world. In the short time they have been together they have already had to deal with a crazy actress that tried to take out their friend Katy and almost took down Krista while she was at it, and the paparazzi following them around every corner, and now they are adjusting to the real world. Krista has an everyday job as a counselor at a high end high school in Los Angeles doing what she does best, and Scott is busy filming his newest movie with a young up and coming actress, Zoie Reese. 

A phone call from the head of Excite Entertainment, Mitchell Fallon, makes their jobs collide. Krista brings her expertise to the table trying to help the young actress who has been labeled trouble both by the media and Excite, out of the dark place she's in and out on the better end of the Hollywood mad house. But is Zoie Reese a little more than Krista can handle? 

Get all caught up with Krista and Scott and follow them through their first red carpet together, the highs and lows of Hollywood, and the continued fight against the L.A stereotype to keep their hearts forever, interconnected.

I would like to thank the author for giving me a heads up of this book.

I was excited to read/listen to this story. I was wondering where this story would go with Krista and Scott's POVs. We also meet Braden Warren who is Liam's little brother and Zoie Reese who has problems with her parents and the memory of her brother. How these 2 get together will be interesting.

You get scandal with teenagers in the limelight, normal life away from the cameras, scandal with a love child  and a happy ending. I liked the way the story ended up going and the way Krista is the main focus at times of a woman with her head screwed on right in a world of celebrities. It was lovely to read about Scott's past and how the future looks for Mr and Mrs Adams. Looking forward to reading more from the lovely Ms Daniel.

Disconnected (Connected #2) by Bethany Daniel

A Fast Paced Love Story!

Liam and Katy were high school sweethearts. Shortly after they graduated they ran off to Vegas to get married. Liam does theater acting and it's there that he is discovered by Excite Entertainment and flown to L.A.

Once he's in L.A his marriage takes the backseat to rubbing elbows with Hollywood's biggest and brightest. One night Liam throws a big party and Katy comes into their house filled with half dressed women. When Katy says she's going to leave, Liam doesn't believe her until he comes home from filming and finds a note that tears him apart.

Four years later, he's tried to move on but never let go of the love he has in his heart for his Katy. It's in a little town they are filming in that their paths cross again and Liam has to try and convince Katy that their love is worth fighting for.

I would like to thank the author for giving me an audio copy of this book.

After reading other people's opinions, I was excited to read/listen to the story. I was wondering where the story was going with Katy leaving Liam and then Liam finding her again. But this is from Liam's POV. 

You get obesession with stars, murder, love and a happy ending. I liked the way the story ended up going and the reconnection between the main characters. It was lovely to listen/read about Scott's feelings for Krista as well as Liam's feelings for Katy. Looking forward to listening to the next in the series.

Reconnected (Connected #1) by Bethany Daniel

Katy Warren had it all. A new husband, who was a successful theater actor and their whole lives ahead of them. But then Liam got discovered and once whisked off to Hollywood, he changed. After a night of being ignored for "business", Katy decides she can't handle it and leaves. Taking back her maiden name, and deciding to go for a Psychology degree she leaves Liam Warren and his celebrity behind, but she never got a divorce and Liam hasn't stopped looking for her. When their paths cross again, Liam does all he can to fight for their love even with Katy fighting against him.

I would like to thank the author for giving me an audio copy of this book.

After reading other people's opinions, I was wondering if it was worth reading/listening to the story. I was wondering where the story was going with Katy leaving Liam and then Liam finding her again.

You get obesession with stars, murder, love and a happy ending. I liked the way the story ended up going and the reconnection between the main characters. Looking forward to listening to the next in the series.

Riding Steele: Aftershock (Riding Steele #6) by Opal Carew

Being kidnapped by bikers is a harrowing experience, but for some reason, Laurie doesn’t feel as terrified as she should.  The leader’s steely eyes soften when he looks at her, and the others in his gang clearly know she’s hands off.  But does that include Steele’s hands?  Her brain resists him, but her body insists she wants those big hands all over her.

Steele doesn’t know how he wound up in this mess–with a kidnapped woman on his hands and the police hot on their trail.  Now he and Laurie are in hiding at an isolated cabin, and Steele has to figure out how to extricate himself…and steer clear of his accidental captive whose tight, slinky clubbing attire is making him think all kinds of dangerous thoughts… 

I would like to thank the Publishers and Netgalley for letting me read this wonderful series of installments.

This is the final installment for the Riding Steele series. I loved that Steele claimed Laurie as his woman earlier on and that Donovan got his comeuppance in the end. Raven was a beauty and a great friend to Laurie. The rest of the bikers were immensely sexy and what we all look for in a man. The sex was immense which is why the author made the reader believe that could happen to anyone (Good or Bad). 

Does Laurie agree to leave all her old life behind to be with Steele and the Gang? Did Steele really kill Donovan or was it someone else? Does Steele have feelings for Laurie or not? YOU have to read the book to find out all the answers.