Blog Tour: No-one ever has sex at a wedding by Tracy Bloom @bookouture @TracyBBloom

In Katy’s opinion, weddings should follow some basic rules:

1) No-one should ever have sex. Of course. The married couple has the rest of their lives for that, and the guests should be too busy partying.

2) If you are heavily pregnant (as Katy is) you should obviously not be invited to three weddings in the space of one summer. Your husband’s accident-prone best friend, your attention-seeking colleague, your 73-year-old mother’s marriage to her Spanish toy boy – all without even an alcoholic drink to make them bearable.

3) During the speeches, it should not be revealed that you had a secret one-night-stand with one of the other guests.

4) Instead of laying bets on the length of the best man’s speech, guests should not be laying bets on whether a marriage will be in ruins before the end of the meal…

But this summer, Katy is lucky enough to be the special guest at the weddings that break ALL of the rules. What could possibly go wrong?

Publication date 29th March 2019

Amazon UK

 

Review

I read Tracy Bloom’s ‘Dinner’ Party’ and fell in love with the author’s writing.

The title of this book grabbed my attention. It made me chuckle as it reminded me of my wedding night last month. I was so tired, dead on my feet; almost fell asleep in the shower. Needless to say, expensive hotel and new lingerie notwithstanding, sleep won. So, does anyone have sex at weddings?

This book introduces us to a small group of friends. Craig (Braindead) and Abby are getting married. Ben and his wife, Katy, have a role to play at the wedding. Mathew and Alison were guests invited by Craig. This was a terrible idea because their presence led to a catastrophe at the wedding. Apart from the three, there is also Daniel and Gabriel who are a couple and then Craig’s sister, Erica and Mathew’s friend, Ian. This may seem like too many characters but they aren’t. Some play minor roles while others like Katy and Mathew are in the lead roles. In addition, the author portrays them so uniquely that you won’t get confused about who is who. If anything, I feel like I knew all of them, like we could be friends.

This story is relatable. There are so many times that I felt like the author described scenes and emotions that I didn’t have the words for. For instance, she talks about how weddings reveal who we are, who our friends are and where different people stand in our lives. There are friends that I could have sworn had my back 100% before the wedding. Sadly, I even lost a close friend in January.  Anyway, I digress.  Let me just say that Tracy really did capture the mood and reality of weddings from the joy to the nervousness and all the other drama.

This story was also hilarious without trying too hard. There were a couple of scenes that had me laughing out loud. I must have won a goofy smile while reading some of the chapters.

On the other side, this isn’t a fluffy read. Yes, it will make you laugh but it might also make you cry. The story looks at different issues in marriages, one of them being forgiveness. At what cost does forgiveness come? I also enjoyed the theme of friendship and how it was portrayed by different pairs. We all need genuine friendships.

As you can tell by now, I enjoyed this book. No-one ever has sex at a wedding by Tracy Bloom is well-written, funny, engrossing, relatable and will also tug at your heartstrings. It is also quite memorable. I will be thinking about the characters for quite some time.

Please do check out the other stops in this tour:

Friday Highlights:I Bless The Rains Down in Africa

I saw a Happy Friday: Positivity Wave post on Meggy’s blog (Chocolates ‘n’ Waffles) and thought it’s a brilliant idea. At first, I started writing a gratitude list on a notebook, highlighting the things that I’m grateful for. When I decided to blog my list, I found my post taking a different direction.

Tremors/Earthquake in Kenya

It has been an interesting week. On Sunday night, we had tremors in Kenya; experts say it was a 4.8 magnitude earthquake. I honestly don’t know the difference between earthquake and tremors. I was on the couch when it started rocking back and forth. Stared at my husband for a second, thinking I was imagining it. The next thing, I heard doors being slammed, neighbors shouting and running out of their houses. We live on the fifth floor of our apartment building, never gone down the stairs so fast.  Luckily, apart from some roads getting small cracks, there were no other reported damages.

These are some of the other highlights of my week so far:

Game of Thrones at Last!

I started watching Game of Thrones last week. After years of hearing about the show, I decided to see what the fuss is all about. I am hooked! Currently on season 4 and OMG, I can’t wait to get home in the evening and watch more episodes.

 

Now, I watched Red Wedding Massacre last night! I am shook! I didn’t see that coming at all. I can’t believe that the murders occurred.

 

GoT is shocking and addictive. I was discussing the red wedding with my friends who watched it years ago and one described the series as bloody shocking. Yeah, I agree. It’s bloody but it’s also so good.

 

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

 

I finally read this book. Started it on Monday night and was done by Wednesday. I would have read it faster if I wasn’t also binge-watching GoT but still, I enjoyed my experience with the book!

I can’t stop thinking about Evelyn in her green gowns. She feels so real. Now I am suspicious as hell about all these celebrity weddings. I suspect that most of them could be contracts.

 

 

Signs of Rain

In Kenya, it’s been brutally hot for months. Most parts of Africa don’t have seasons, at least not this side of the Sahara/Equator. I have never seen snow and I only know of spring,autumn,winter based on what I read and watch on telly. There are months when leaves fall and all, but we still don’t have a season ‘name’ for that.

Now, when it gets hot here, it’s not like what I see on TV as summer. I mean, we do enjoy the beach, wearing sundresses and all but for most, too much sun spells doom.

 

There are lesser foods in the markets, the shambas ‘farms’ are not as productive. Seeing that we rely so much on agriculture, our food industry is taking a huge hit.  Carrots are now a precious commodity… that is how bad it is. Living in the city, I can’t really complain but there are people out there in the remote parts of the country who are starving. They have been hit by drought! Relief food is being taken there but there are reports of possible deaths from starvation. Shocking, devastating images circulating in the media.

Kenya desperately needs rain!

For the first time in months, there are signs of rains. It drizzled on Tuesday, rained on Wednesday night but the sun is still winning this fight. I hope that changes soon! We need rain.

 

 

Other small highlights, pizza night on Tuesday, watched Survivor yesterday, the road to my workplace is being repaired so I’m enjoying driving to work. On Wednesday, I was invited to talk to an undergrad class at the University where I work. My presentation was on blogging. I had fun sharing with the class, had a PowerPoint and all, lol.

 

Request: Please spare a thought for Mozambique. The country was hit by a cyclone and the images coming through show devastation that I can’t even put in words. Hundreds have lost their lives, more are missing, others are on rooftops waiting to be rescued and many have lost everything. Keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

 

 

How has your week been? I hope some good things came your way too. Let’s all take time to celebrate our highs and realize that life isn’t all that bad. I know this post wasn’t all positive but such is life.

Lovely weekend to you all!

 

Review: Rust & Stardust by T. Greenwood

Camden, NJ, 1948.

When 11 year-old Sally Horner steals a notebook from the local Woolworth’s, she has no way of knowing that 52 year-old Frank LaSalle, fresh out of prison, is watching her, preparing to make his move. Accosting her outside the store, Frank convinces Sally that he’s an FBI agent who can have her arrested in a minute—unless she does as he says.

This chilling novel traces the next two harrowing years as Frank mentally and physically assaults Sally while the two of them travel westward from Camden to San Jose, forever altering not only her life, but the lives of her family, friends, and those she meets along the way.

 

Review

Some books come into our lives and wreck havoc on our emotions. I have read many emotional books that have made me cry. This one was different. I struggled to turn the pages, got frustrated and then totally devastated by the unfairness of life. I think what made this an even tougher read is the fact that it is inspired by true events.

In 1948, a pedophile posing as an FBI agent kidnapped 11 year old, Sally Horner. For 2 years, he traveled across America, one step ahead of the police. In those 2 years, Sally went through unimaginable horrors of rape and all kinds of abuse.

The fact that the monster got away for two years is devastating. There were many close calls when I thought that Sally would get rescued. When a teacher, neighbor or friend got close enough , I told myself that the nightmare would end. Each time that failed to happen, my heart sank.

As I have mentioned, this is a very difficult book to read. It is not explicit with details of the abuse but the author writes the scenes in such a way that it is clear what was happening. The story is also narrated from various POVs. We have Sally, her mother Ella, sister, Susan and brother in law, Al. We also have brief chapters narrated by people who interacted with Sally during the two years. The alternating POVs enriched the narrative and presented the case from different angles. We get to experience Sally’s pain and the pain of those who loved her.

This is a heavy but important read. Sally Horner’s name needs to be remembered and her story should be told. The author’s note at the end poignantly explains her inspiration to write this book. After turning the last page, I ended up online trying to learn more about Sally. T. Greenwood certainly did a wonderful job in telling Sally’s story in a sensitive and caring manner.

The Six Stories (Six Stories #1) by Matt Wesolowski

Scarclaw Fell. The body of teenager Tom Jeffries is found at an Outward Bound center. Verdict? Misadventure. But not everyone is convinced. And the truth of what happened in the beautiful but eerie fell is locked in the memories of the tight-knit group of friends who embarked on that fateful trip, and the flimsy testimony of those living nearby. 2017.

Enter elusive investigative journalist Scott King, whose podcast examinations of complicated cases have rivaled the success of Serial, with his concealed identity making him a cult internet figure. In a series of six interviews, King attempts to work out how the dynamics of a group of idle teenagers conspired with the sinister legends surrounding the fell to result in Jeffries’ mysterious death.

As every interview unveils a new revelation, you’ll be forced to work out for yourself how Tom Jeffries died, and who is telling the truth.

Review

Six Stories is one of hyped book. I remember when it first came out, everyone was raving about it. I am glad that I finally got the opportunity to read it.

Well, the uniqueness of this story is indisputable. I don’t think that I’ve read any other book that features podcasts. I have certainly never listened to any podcast.

Tom Jeffries was found dead two decades ago. The investigators concluded that his death was accidental. However, years later the investigation is reopened and now questions arise about Tom’s death. Was it an accident or did the teen meet his death through someone or something?

The story is mainly narrated through the podcast interviews. There are six people who talk about the events that took place. They help in giving more insight about Tom and hence shed light on what could have happened. Through their stories various themes come up. Bullying is the one that stood out for me. The author definitely didn’t shy away from portraying just how dark bullying is. And its consequences.

I enjoyed the interviews although my one niggle with this story also lies with them. At some point, I felt like the pace slowed down especially when it came to interviews that didn’t reveal much new info. Now that I think back, I can appreciate that each interview did add something to the story.When reading the story, my feelings were different maybe because I wanted to get to the answers and was frustrated that it wasn’t happening fast enough.

The final chapters and interview were explosive! Massive twist that I hadn’t really sussed out. This part of the novel was intense and I love how I was left trying to figure out exactly what happened to Tom Jeffries. Of course, I have my own alternative explanation.

I can definitely see why so many readers enjoyed this book. There is a lot to like; from the uniqueness, cold case mystery, themes and mystic elements. Despite the sections that felt a bit slow for me, I enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it.

Review: Sleep by C. L Taylor

All Anna wants is to be able to sleep. But crushing insomnia, terrifying night terrors and memories of that terrible night are making it impossible. If only she didn’t feel so guilty…

To escape her past, Anna takes a job at a hotel on the remote Scottish island of Rum, but when seven guests join her, what started as a retreat from the world turns into a deadly nightmare.

Each of the guests have a secret but one of them is lying – about who they are and why they’re on the island. There’s a murderer staying in the Bay View hotel. And they’ve set their sights on Anna.

Seven strangers. Seven secrets. One deadly lie.

Someone’s going to sleep and never wake up…

Review

I loved this book!

The story begins on the night that changed Anna’s life. Something terrible happened and now Anna has to live with the guilt. Worse still, someone is determined to ensure that Anna never forgets her nightmares.

Rum is the Scottish island where the story is set. It is a small island with only 32 residents. The island is known for its seclusion, storms and dangerous cliffs. True to its reputation, the hotel where Anna is working ends up being completely cut off by the storm. This meant that Anna was stuck at the hotel with seven strangers and one of them was a murderer.

Apart from the setting, I also loved the narrative style. The main narrator was Anna. However, through the chapters, we also got to hear from other characters. This helped in adding different dimensions to the story and certainly heightened the tension. It also added more suspense to the story. A couple of times, I thought I had guessed the identity of the murderer. At some point, I suspected everyone at the hotel including the cat that just turned up on one stormy day.

The book is titled Sleep but most of the characters are struggling with insomnia. In addition, sleeping isn’t really an option as danger looms. Interestingly, once I started reading this book. I couldn’t sleep until I turned the last page. If you enjoy dark, twisty page-turners with claustrophobic settings, get this book.

What an excellent psychological thriller!

Review: The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

Alicia’s Berenson’s life is seemingly perfect. A famous painter, married to an in-demand fashion photographer, she lives in a grand house with big windows overlooking a park in one of London’s most desirable areas. One evening her husband Gabriel returns home late from a fashion shoot, and Alicia shoots gum five times in the face, and then never speaks another word.

Alicia’s refusal to talk, or give any kind of explanation turns a domestic tragedy into something far grander, a mystery that captures the public imagination and casts Alicia into notoriety. The price of her art skyrockets, and she, the silent patient, is hidden away from the tabloids and spotlights at the Grove, a secure forensic unit in North London.

Theo Faber is a criminal psychotherapist who has waited a long time for the opportunity to work with Alicia. His determination to get her to talk and unravel the mystery of why she shot her husband takes him down a twisting path into his own motivations – a search for the truth that threatens to consume him.

Review

I was planning to rebel this year by avoiding new releases, especially the hyped ones. I also wasn’t keen on reading this particular title because I assumed that it would be set a psychiatric ward where nothing much would go on apart from therapy leading to some kind of shocking reveal. However, your reviews certainly got to me. After reading reviews by Nikola,Berit, Mack, Holly, Meggy and Inge, there’s no way I could resist this one.

Alicia is an artist accused of having killed her husband, Gabriel. Due to her refusal to talk, she ends up in a psych ward instead of a regular prison. Theo is a psychologist who seems fascinated by Alicia’s case. He is challenged to unlock the secrets behind her silence hence discover exactly how Gabriel died. His mission is not going to be easy.

I enjoyed the narrative style of this story. Theo is a great narrator and I liked getting to know him even as he worked with Alicia. I thought he was a sympathetic character especially due to his upbringing and other issues that came up in his adulthood. On the other hand, Alicia was a mystery. I was curious about her, why did she kill Gabriel?Did she really do it?Was she framed? Luckily, the author gave our silent patient a voice through her diary.

This story is suspenseful, fast-paced and quite unpredictable. I was only able to complete the puzzle in the final chapters. The twist was so good! The kind of stuff that makes one who doesn’t curse, inwardly utter a word that will never be said aloud. I enjoyed the twisty ride that Silent Patient ended up being.

Review: The One by John Marrs

How far would you go to find The One?

A simple DNA test is all it takes. Just a quick mouth swab and soon you’ll be matched with your perfect partner-the one you’re genetically made for.

That’s the promise made by Match your DNA. A decade ago, the company announced that they had found the gene that pairs each of us with our soulmate. Since then, millions of people around the world have been matched. But the discovery has its downsides: test results have led to the breakup of countless relationships and upended the traditional ideas of fating, romance and love.

Now five very different people have received the notification that they have been ‘Matched’. They’re each about to meet their one true love. But ‘happily ever after’ isn’t guaranteed for everyone. Because even soulmates have secrets. And some are more shocking that others…

Review

Let me first begin by announcing that I am now officially a fan of John Marrs. This author is brilliant! I read his title, Her Last Move, last year and absolutely enjoyed it. This is what made me decide to try out his earlier books so I got The One and The Good Samaritan. It was love at first page with this one.

The story is narrated by 5 characters that have been matched with their soul mates through Match DNA. Genes can’t be wrong, right? Love is in the air. First dates, new connections and the excitement of knowing that science has brought love. However, there are many bumps along the way. Soon, lies, secrets, deceit and heartbreaks wreck havoc in many lives.

This is a very well written thriller. The chapters are short, gripping and snappy. Each one ended with a cliffhanger making the book harder to put down. The multiple narrations have an easy flow and each of the character’s stories is addictive. They all seemed to be connected by Matched DNA at first but eventually, other connections are also revealed.

I loved the uniqueness of the premise and how the author portrayed it so realistically. He had me totally immersed in a world where DNA Matching was a possibility and this got me thinking about such connections. Can you imagine if Science was used to match couples? Forget Tagged and Tinder, DNA matching sounds like the real deal for those seeking love. But then again, what would it mean for different people? What about us who are already married only for some DNA test to reveal that we aren’t soul mates? What if you get matched with a psychopath? What if your match is already dead, would you ever find love again? There were so many possibilities that added to the intensity of this narrative and they certainly had me thinking.

What a gripping, roller-coaster ride. I devoured this story in just day. I can’t wait to read the next book by the author.

 

Review: Only Daughter by Sarah A. Denzil

Kat experiences every mother’s worst nightmare when her only child’s body is found lifeless in an overgrown, abandoned quarry.

Desperate to find out what happened, Kat questions those closest to her as she tries to piece together the last days of Grace’s life. But as a darker side to her little girl begins to unravel, Kat wonders if she ever really knew Grace.

As Kat is drawn into a twisted game of lies, is she also in terrible danger? And will she be able to unlock her daughter’s final shocking secret?

Even if the truth is unthinkable…

 

Review

Only Daughter by Sarah A. Denzil begins with a devastating scene. Kat’s only daughter, Grace, is dead. Everyone believes that she committed suicide and the police don’t want to investigate but Kat doesn’t believe that Grace took her own life. She is convinced that someone murdered her teen daughter.

Kat’s grief was heartbreaking to read. Some scenes still haunt me like one where the parents are waiting for the hearse to arrive or when they had to identify their daughter’s body. Kat was devastated but at the same time, she had to get answers. This is what I liked about her. The fact that everyone described her as a sociopath added something ominous to the story. How far would she go? I had so many questions and couldn’t wait to get answers.

Kat’s search for the truth was intense, captivating and had my heart racing a couple of times. There were so many red herrings and suspects along the way. On the other hand, I was curious about Kat’s past. What did she do? I mean, there must be a reason why she was described as a sociopath , right? I had many questions.

With a vengeful ‘sociopath’ mum, mysterious death, secrets, lies and haunting darkness from the past, Only Daughter is a gripping, chilling, twisty thriller that had me turning pages in search for answers. I couldn’t stop reading until the puzzle was complete.

Review: The Good Samaritan by John Marrs

The people who call End of the Line need hope. They need reassurance that life is worth living. But some are unlucky enough to get through to Laura. Laura doesn’t want them to hope. She wants them to die.

Laura hasn’t had it easy: she’s survived sickness and a difficult marriage only to find herself heading for forty, unsettled and angry. She doesn’t love talking to people worse off than she is. She craves it.

But now someone’s on to her—Ryan, whose world falls apart when his pregnant wife ends her life, hand in hand with a stranger. Who was this man, and why did they choose to die together?

The sinister truth is within Ryan’s grasp, but he has no idea of the desperate lengths Laura will go to…

Review

Have you guys watched Creed 2, featuring Michael B. Jordan? Well, if you don’t know the movie, its about boxing. For some reason, this book reminded me of the movie. No, this book isn’t about boxing but it does have the kind of twists that hit you hard. I remember sitting down, just staring at a wall after one of those twists. They were coming in hard and fast! Like a blows in boxing match, they were raining down, unexpected and impactful. And like a boxer who refuses to go down, I was held captive by the narrative and couldn’t look away from the pages. Mine wasn’t a painful experience though. Twist after twist, I sat there with my jaw on the floor, utterly mesmerized by what I was reading.

 

 

Okay, I probably sound incoherent already but I don’t really think that my review can possibly do justice to the awesomeness that this book is. The story is about Laura, she is supposed to be there for people who are at the end of their line. However, Laura doesn’t  simply listen or reassure them. Instead, she pushes them over the edge. Yeah, Laura is a serial killer but she doesn’t actually do the killing.

This book is as dark as it is twisty. It is not gory in the blood and decapitation details kind of way.  However, the darkness creeps up on you like how the sun goes down. The light fades and soon you are engulfed in darkness. It got to a point where I felt like there was no way out. That is how convincing the writing was. I empathized with one of the characters and when he was pushed to a corner, I wanted to tell him to just quit. Stay down, throw in the white towel, and let the referee end the match already!

The Good Samaritan is the perfect read for fans of thrillers. It is dark, twisty and certainly memorable. Like me, you might find yourself open-mouthed, dazed, repeatedly shouting Whaaat or OMG and then left with a massive book-hangover because honestly, what do you read after this!

WWW Wednesday #March 6th 2019

This meme is currently hosted by Sam Taking on a World of Words. To take part all you need to do is answer the following questions:

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?

I have been away blogosphere for the past one month. Life got really busy with the wedding on February 2^nd and all that followed. Happy to report that all went well and I am now well rested after months on planning. Life is back to normal in a way.

During my break, I read the following 9 books:

Recently Finished

 

A Killer’s Alibi (Philadelphia Legal 3) by William L. Myers Jr. – I loved this legal thriller. You can read my review here.

The Mother in Law by Sally Hepworth – This ended up being an enjoyable, twisty yet heart wrenching story about family, love and loss.

The Secret Child (DI Amy Winter *2) by Caroline Mitchell – For lovers of crime thrillers, this is definitely a series that you can’t afford to miss.

Honor by Elif Shafak – The story took me on an emotional roller-coaster that had me taking breaks to catch my breath. My review will be up on Friday.

 

Wolfhunter River by Rachel Caine (Stillhouse Lake #3) – I wasn’t too crazy about the amount of action but can’t deny that the story was entertaining. I don’t know if this is the end of the series, I hope not because I would still like to read more about the Proctors.

The One by John Marrs – I loved this book. I can’t wait to read the next book by the author.

The Silent Partner by Alex Michaelides – I enjoyed the twisty ride that Silent Patient ended up being.

In a Dark Dark wood by Ruth Ware – I can’t really explain it but I wasn’t really gripped by this narrative. I liked the story but didn’t love it.

The Six Stories (Six Stories #1) by Matt Wesolowski – I can definitely see why so many readers like this book. There is a lot to like from the uniqueness, cold case mystery, themes and mystic elements.

Reviews for the above titles will be published over the month.

 

Currently Reading

The Only Daughter by Sarah A. Denzil

‘Your daughter is dead.’

When Kat Cavanaugh hears the words every mother dreads, her perfect world shatters. She takes in the beautiful long blonde hair, torn yellow dress and chipped blue nail-varnish. It can’t be real.

And then the police add the word ‘suicide’. But Kat refuses to believe them.

Even when they show her the familiar looping handwriting and smudged ink on the note her little girl left behind. She knows her bubbly, vivacious daughter would never take her own life.

As she searches Grace’s perfume scented room, filled with smiling photos, she uncovers secrets her little girl had been hiding. Secrets that could put her in terrible danger too.

But Kat’s determined to find out what really happened to Grace on the night she died, whatever it takes…

 

Reading Next

My resolution for this year is to read more books from my own TBR. For every ARC I read, I also read an older title or two. I hope to read the following books this week:

The Samaritan by John Marrs

Laura hasn’t had it easy: she’s survived sickness and a difficult marriage only to find herself heading for forty, unsettled and angry. She doesn’t love talking to people worse off than she is. She craves it.

But now someone’s on to her—Ryan, whose world falls apart when his pregnant wife ends her life, hand in hand with a stranger. Who was this man, and why did they choose to die together?

The sinister truth is within Ryan’s grasp, but he has no idea of the desperate lengths Laura will go to…Because the best thing about being a Good Samaritan is that you can get away with murder.

 

Daughter, Disappeared by Fiona MacBain

1994: Jane has no idea of the horrors in store when she plunges into a new life in North Africa with her recently discovered sister, Crystal. When she falls in love with Ali, she believes happiness is within her grasp. But Ali persists in digging into secrets that Crystal and her brutal husband have been hiding, and Jane’s idyllic life starts to crumble. How far will Jane go to save herself and her sister?

2013: Almost twenty years after rebuilding her life back in London, Jane’s fragile peace is destroyed when her daughter, Anna, disappears to Tunisia in search of her father. Jane follows, desperate to prevent her falling into the clutches of the people Jane escaped from all those years ago.

 

I am currently in love with John Marrs, okay his books, and yeah this is love. So I am trying to read all his books. I loved Her Last Move and The One. I hope The Good Samaritan will be good. Daughter, Disappeared is my book club read for March.

So, what are you reading? Have you read any books by John Marrs? Let me know in the comments section.

Happy Reading!