Monday 14 December 2020

The Flip Side by James Bailey

I'm delighted to take part in The Flip Side Blog Tour!

"It's love . . . what could go wrong?

When Josh proposes in a pod on the London Eye at New Years' Eve, he thinks it's perfect.

Until she says no.

And they have to spend the next 29 excruciating minutes alone together.

Realising he can't trust his own judgment, Josh decides from now on he will make every decision through the flip of a coin.

Maybe the coin will change his life forever.

Maybe it will find him find the girl of his dreams . . ."


This debut book from James Bailey is an absolute breath of fresh air and I loved it.  It's rare for me to actually laugh out loud at a book but, with this book, I did on multiple occasions!

I thought the story was just so different to other stories I've read; a seemingly bad decision to propose on NYE sends Josh on a different course as he makes the decision to flip a coin to see if this makes him make better decisions for the next year.  His friends think he's crazy but will it pay off?

The characters in this book are great and they really do jump off the page and come to life.  From Josh's friends and family all the way to Josh's pub quiz team's quiz enemies, they all brought something wonderful to the story.  I can definitely see this being made into a film!

There's plenty of travel in the book too and great descriptions of places that Josh ends up visiting!  With Rome being my favourite city, I also loved that it ended up here!

Having finished the book, I've realised that it is actually quite unusual to have a romance told from the male perspective and this added an extra dimension.  

This book isn't just funny, it's sad, thought-provoking, romantic, fairytale like and real all at the same time.  The perfect book to curl up with this winter and escape the difficulties that 2020 has brought us!

It's really hard to believe this is a debut novel!  James Bailey has a bright future and I, for one, can't wait to read more!

The Flip Side is out now and available on Kindle here (prices correct at time of writing):

Tuesday 8 December 2020

Twenty Years a Stranger by Deborah Twelves

"Is it possible for anyone to really know another person?

 
That is the question Grace King must ask herself when she receives an email informing her that the man she has been married to for the last twenty years is an accomplished con-man, leading multiple lives with at least four different women. Worse still, she learns he has children with these women, but Daniel always told Grace he didn’t want children…
 
In a split second, Grace’s world is torn apart. She is forced to face up to the fact that her marriage is a sham and the enviable lifestyle she enjoyed with Daniel was all based on lies and deceit. With Daniel suddenly threatening to go bankrupt, Grace decides to turn amateur detective in an attempt to salvage anything she can from her old life and avoid financial as well as emotional ruin, but can she cope with what she finds out?  
 
As increasingly disturbing secrets about Daniel emerge, events spiral out of control and Grace begins to see just how far he is prepared to go to protect those secrets. A dangerous game of cat and mouse ensues, but it is clear there can only ever be one winner. Pushed to breaking point, Grace is about to discover what she is truly capable of.
 
Everyone has choices and those choices always have consequences.
 
Based on true events, this compelling story is filled with twists and turns and sadness and laughter that will keep readers gripped until the very last moment."


I'm delighted to be taking part in the Twenty Years a Stranger dambpebbles.com blog tour; welcome to today's stop!



Twenty Years a Stranger is split into three separate parts and each of those is a great read!  The book is split into chapters showing different characters and their story.  I found the first part to be the hardest to keep up with as I got to know the vast array of characters, however, I soon got grips with this and that's when the rollercoaster really began.

Daniel is just a complete disgrace and it gets worse and worse as you continue to read.  I just didn't know where the story was going to turn next and I actually gasped at the last line of the book as I couldn't believe it was over!

I loved that it is based on true events and I gather it is the first in The Stranger Series and there are two more books to follow!  I, for one, am definitely looking forward to finding out what happens next in The Stranger Series!

Twenty Years a Stranger is out now and available to download on Kindle on buy in paperback here: