Not sure why this has so many 'so-so' reviews, I think sometimes people expect more than they need. This was a Dickensian, traditional, gothic style novel that delivered exactly what it was supposed to. It has atmosphere, tension and an openly supernatural plot that reached an exciting climax. More please!

Fun and lighthearted in the right places, and meaningful and heart wrenching in others. A good sequel in this series and very enjoyable read.

I've always found Bruce Perry and inspiring figure in the world of developmental and early childhood trauma. Working with teenagers with SEBW and ACEs means that reading a book like this helps me recentre and refocus my approaches to support them through a trauma focused lens. A hard read because it outlines some heartbreaking stories but amazingly hopeful and informative too.

Every now and then, it's time for an easy, entertaining and straightforward read. As others have said, it definitely takes from the Bridget Jones genre and follows Nell as she navigates her post 40 life, post break up and tries to find her way through loss, friendship and family. I found this a comforting and funny read, and well paced. Just the right side of lighthearted with well written moments of pain and realism.

I absolutely love the podcast that is the companion to this book, but I was a bit underwhelmed on reading. While it is well written and researched, and offers accounts of fascinating aspects of our weird world, I wanted more stories and less analysis.

I really enjoyed this as an easy summer read. Just the right amount of humour (laugh out loud in places) with shades of The Vicar of Dibley and Thursday Murder Club. I liked the two parallel stories of Eileen and Leena but I would have wanted the book to be twice as long with more detail and extrapolation as it was such a lovely world I wanted to stay there!

I really enjoyed the interplay of the two storylines of the female protagonists. The mystery of Arlette's beneficiary that runs through the plot unravelled in a clever and enjoyable way. I liked the inclusion of the varied backgrounds of changing post-war Britian. Would have liked a few more chapters to allow some aspects of the secondary characters to be more developed. But a very enjoyable read.

Beautiful prose and immersive settings; an enigmatic story. I genuinely love Kate Morton. I also love novels that weave multiple historical and modern storyline that interweave across. This I found to be circuitous/wobbly in places and hard to pin down. It just didn't seem to flow and rather than the story revealing itself I felt I had to make sure not to forget characters and their place in the tale. It was a little too much work.

What am I going to read now that I've finished this!? Am bereft. Absolutely brilliant read, exciting, spicy in ALL the right places, and with wonderful character development and amazing plot. I NEED HER TO WRITE THE NEXT ONE IMMEDIATELY! Is there a book club of peeps out there solely for ACOTAR fans? Sign me up!

This one is a like a little sidebar christmas special of the series and really enjoyable. No threat, no wider dramas, just some enjoyable insights into the central protagonists and their inner circle and allow for richer development and insight into their relationships and motivations. A quick read before diving into the final, monster finale novel!

My favourite of the series so far. Loved the development of the wider plot and how the various court dynamics interplay and allowed for various twists and surprises. I don't know what those who seem to dislike these books are looking for, or whether they could write anything better themselves! I think they are a well crafted example of quality writing with interesting nods to the fantasy canon that came before.

This book really allows the reader to settle into this series and expands richly and excitingly on the wider plot and looming threats on the main characters. Even the steamy bits were well written and avoided that cringey aspect that sometimes follows. I found it well paced, exciting and a bigger world with a rich, layered backstory was further revealed, which have left me reaching for the third book!

Haven't read a fantasy book in ages and this one was the perfect choice to bring me back to the genre. I really enjoyed the characters and plot and how the book takes inspiration from so many other quality fantasy tales from the canon and yet is wonderfully fresh and exciting. Mass is a true wordsmith.

Just starting this. Summer reading here I come!

Love. Love Love this series! Witty, clever, brilliantly written and well paced, Osman is just fantastic. Can't wait for the next one!

I love anything Alice Roberts does. Her descriptions and explanation of archaeology and history are so enlightening and captivating on TV, and just as good in book form. Absolutely brilliant.

Absolutely great read! Layered and well-paced, with twists and taunts to keep you reading. Totally believable and had me gripped from the start.

Loved loved loved this book! Brilliant, lovely prose and really pulls you in to the world without too much fluff or exposition. I loved the twists and relationships from each characters point of view. Read it in one day, couldn't put it down.

My Easter Sunday reading. This has been on my list for a while. Loving it so far!

This almost was a 'so-so', but the wonderful descriptive prose and beautiful world that Collins created saved it for me and kept me reading. I much preferred The Binding and I think because The Grand Jeux was so mysteriously described throughout, it was actually distracting, because I kept feeling like I was at a loss for info. If the author's note about The Glass Bead Game had come first rather than post script, I would have felt more settled.

Shockingly hard to read. I normally am never able to predict plot twists but this was just really predictable and not at all thrilling. The inner monologues of characters were repetitive and it took forever for anything to actually happen. The ending was really unsatisfactory and hurried and the resolution for the central characters wife was not believable for her character arc. Not a fan.

Funny, lighthearted and silly, this is a collection of memories and anecdotes from the loveable Dawn French. From childhood cringe moments to star studded celebrity encounters when she embarrassed herself, it gave me a giggle and was a quick, easy read. Lots of fun.

I absolutely loved this book. It's got a Forrest Gump meets To Kill a Mockingbird vibe and atmosphere but a story all of its own. Brilliant effortless prose that allowed for visual imagery to settle in your mind, bringing the characters an enigmatic setting to life. Couldn't put it down.

I've never read a Tim Weaver before but I most definitely will again. Full of suspense and cliffhangers, plot twists and exciting moments I found it a really thrilling read and it kept me guessing almost to the end. Brilliant.

This was not the book I thought it was going to be, in the best possible way! I thought it was going to be a generic Hollywood chick-lit book but it goes deeper and more meaningfully into love, relationships and identity in a way that really strikes you. A must read.

I genuinely can't see why this book has such a large amount of 'so-so's'...the protagonist is an old fashioned product of his time, which is what makes him so realistic, and you certainly don't have to like him. I loved the weaving of real events through his colourful life and the depth of tragedy he experienced warmed me to him. I thought it was so brilliantly written, it would have to be to hold your attention in diary format.

Always enjoy a Barclay; romping speed, exciting plots and clever twists. It deals with some very serious and heavy sub plots that are carefully handled and the antagonist characters had a believability and richness that made their crimes more realistic. The general idea of discovering a crime via a Google Earth style app was incredibly clever.

I found this witty and irreverent commentary on the history of the British monarchy really refreshing and fun. I enjoyed the healthy mix of well researched and interesting historical fact mixed with Mitchell's clever, cutting humour. Being an Irish person I took particular pleasure in the absolute buffonery of it all! 😆

I enjoyed this very much as it was mysterious yet realistic, fast paced but detailed and I felt the characters were believable and flawed in a way that made them interesting. Not to reveal any spoilers but also a realistic yet satisfying ending.

This tale is very nostalgic and brings you into the world of Italy during WW2 and also to post war America through the eyes of Evelina. It sets the scene in a quite picturesque and sensory manner and is equally descriptive and immediate as regards dialogue and movement of plot. Events move quickly and the war isn't the main focus, but rather the backdrop of a love story that takes many twists and turns across the years.

I thought this book was really interesting but something about it didn't fit with me. The references and overlap of the history of Shakespeare and Macbeth were fascinating but something about how they were presented detracted from the action and I found myself rereading aspects as there was almost too much detail packed in. I know that's a strange criticism but it's hard to explain any other way.

Although this is historical fiction for tweens and upwards, I really enjoyed it! Anything written by Lucy Worsley is a plus for me!

Excellent read! Pure fantasy packed around reality that digs into lots of current issues and makes them relevant and accessible. Really enjoyed the character development and relationships as well as the brilliant ending. Can't wait to read the next one!

I've always loved Marian Keyes and Rachel's Holiday was an especial favourite years ago. This novel captures the Walsh family and their natural Irish humour just as I fondly remember them but this time throws even more depth and meaning as Rachel is further ahead in life and dealing with some difficult issues. A really enjoyable read.

Another fabulous fun read from Osman. Exciting, endearing, weirdly realistic and thoroughly bonkers in its British humour. Can't wait for the next one!

Just about to start this. Very excited!

Not a book I'd usually choose but I overall enjoyed it. Weirdly I found the character names all hard to relate to, but maybe that's my Irish sensibilities, the name 'Ryle' seemed a cliche 50 shades type name but I quickly got past that and was pulled into what turned out to be a very hard hitting story and commentary on domestic violence and the realities of how complex those issues are for those who experience them. I'd definitely recommend.

Love. Love. Love. Love. This. Book. Couldn't love it more! Even funnier than the first one and I didn't think that was possible. The dry, unassuming humour, the vivacity of the characters and the clever plot just kept me so engaged. Next one please!

I found this book INCREDIBLY hard to slog through. I couldn't reconcile what were clearly homages to Narnia, paired with very adult situations. It jarred with me and soiled my childhood idea of Narnia and other fantasy books. I'm all for grown up fantasy like The Witcher, but this book doesn't sit right in either genre. The authors actual writing prowess was the only thing that kept me reading but I will not be reading the sequel.

The third and final instalment of this series, I absolutely loved this book. If you're a fan of Downton Abbey or Catherine Cookson novels, this story combines the best of both. Enjoyable characters and a lovely realistic dip into historical fiction.

I enjoyed some aspects of this book but others really irritated me and I can't quite figure out why! I have an Art History degree, but even I found the descriptions of artworks and Greek myth a bit long winded (if beautifully written). The love scenes were also a bit cringe. Can't quite make my mind up!

A very enjoyable thriller with a simple premise but it takes you on a very interesting journey. We'll defined characters considering it's a quick, fast paced book. Really pulls you in!

Absolutely wonderful. A very real and solid visit into life experiences of being a woman, experiencing depression, coping with loss, friendship, relationships, work and everything in between. Clever and varied vignettes offer a glimpse into Katy's life which are honest, bleakly funny and extremely relatable and endearing. Loved it. Like no other book I've ever read.

One of my top 10 most enjoyable books. A collection of stories, spanning centuries, following various incarnations and experiences of one human soul. Brilliantly written and kind of inspiring. Constructed in a very unique manner and each character's voice is so strong and relatable regardless of what gender, time or country they are in. An amazing mix of sci-fi, historical fiction, action, and drama. Loved every word.

Another gorgeously historic multi-generational tale from Kate Morton. She creates beautiful atmosphere and weaves personal tragedy and romance so we'll through her characters and their lives. A story you can picture easily in your imagination and feel that you are really there.

I'm a HUGE fan of Lucy Worsley and of course the amazing Agatha Christie. I loved Worsley's biography of Jane Austen and this was just as good. Full of colour and interesting tidbits of daily life made exciting by her clever explanations. A great fireside read with a cup of something warm.

Could. Not. Put. This. Down. Well paced, intriguing, disturbing yet compelling and brilliantly written. Must see what else of Jewell's I can get to read. Fantastic book.

The second in the Netherwood series. A really enjoyable continuation of the stories that intertwine within the Great Hall and the local community. Fantastically described and real in places, with great characters and the sort of world you want to sink into and be part of.

This has everything I love about Catherine Cookson style books mixed with Downton Abbey. Brilliantly realised and fully real characters with wonderful stories that weave and progress with a good pace. Sanderson's descriptions and prose are wonderfully pleasing to read. Loved it.

Very fast paced and compact story that cleverly weaves several character arcs together and culminates in a fabulous twist. A proper mystery until the end and very believable. Not high end prose, but very readable and enjoyable.