Blurb Mother. Survivor. Queen. AN ENGLISH PRINCESS, BORN INTO A WAR BETWEEN TWO FAMILIES. Eldest daughter of the royal House of York, Elizabeth dreams of a crown to call her own. But when her beloved father, King Edward, dies suddenly, her destiny is rewritten. Her family’s enemies close in. Two young princes are murdered in the Tower. Then her uncle seizes power – and vows to make Elizabeth his queen. But another claimant seeks the throne, the upstart son of the rival royal House of Lancaster. Marriage to this Henry Tudor would unite the white rose of York and the red of Lancaster – and chang ..read more

Blurb Orphan Ettie Shaw is penniless and homeless on the streets of London when she is spotted by her older brother, Joe. Joe has fallen in with a notorious pickpocket gang run by a man called Fagin, and Ettie has to disguise herself as a boy so she can go back with him to Fagin’s lair. At first Ettie is able to help out with mending and other domestic jobs, but when one of the other boys falls ill, Fagin demands that Ettie go out pickpocketing with Joe – and everything goes horribly wrong… Review A story with heartbreak and hope, family bonds and love. I thoroughly enjoyed this story, a wond ..read more

As some of you may be aware I have had a lot going on recently in my ‘real-life world’. Unfortunately, this has meant I have fallen a bit behind in my reading and reviewing schedule. So! To get back on track this post is a bit of a ‘reading catch-up’ of a couple of books that I have read in the last month and thought were utterly brilliant! The Hemlock Cure by Joanne Burn Absolutely stunning and captivating novel, I was utterly gripped and wishing for the best outcome for Mae throughout. There are so many layers to this story and emotional pulls. The writing is superb, I love it when a book ..read more

One noble family. Five eligible daughters. A sealed fate. Nettlecombe Manor, nestled in the rolling hills of Devon, is home to the Lord Farringdon and his second wife, Lady Charlotte. As if running the vast estate wasn’t enough, Lord Farringdon has five daughters to keep him busy. Lady Charlotte is determined that the betrothal of the eldest, Louisa, should be celebrated with a ball which is the envy of Devon society and summons a corsetière from Exeter to measure them up for new corsets.   Apprentice Jane Haydon arrives at Nettlecombe to do the fittings. Having never set ..read more

Blurb A new world with an ancient secret. Can Azalea unravel the mysteries of the past to save the future of her people? Azalea Fern is fiercely curious, and in a world of giant buttermoths and crystal waters, there’s plenty to see. So why does she long to explore the one place she’s forbidden to go? Perhaps it’s because the mechanicary house is old and creepy. Perhaps it’s because the crumbling bricks are the last relic of an extinct species. Or perhaps it’s because her ma said, ‘Stay out of the ruin.’ Whatever the reason, Azalea is about to dig-up an ancient secret that could shatter her p ..read more

Blurb A dark, gothic adventure set deep in a Bavarian forest, with angels and owls and magic and a boy who isn’t all that he seems to be… A cherub is blown into Cassie Engel’s bedroom during a thunderstorm, triggering a series of terrifying events. Cassie must discover if its arrival was an accident or part of something more sinister. With a self-obsessed opera singer for a mother, a strange taxidermist father, and a best friend who isn’t quite what he seems, Cassie is forced to unearth the secrets of her family’s past. As the dark forces gather around them, can Cassie protect all that she hol ..read more

Blurb Bob the Bear tries to hide in Alice’s garden but is always discovered… and seems to love climbing more than hiding! Please join Bob the Bear on his hiding expeditions and see if you can find him! He is sure to bring a smile and a giggle for both little ones and big ones when playing hide and seek. Review This a wonderfully charming picture book for little ones! I love that the story is inquiry-based, in conversation form, asking questions and looking for things in the pictures. The pictures are real-life photos which is lovely, it could be anyone’s teddy in anyone’s garden which makes i ..read more

Blurb Eighteen-year-olds Ruben Montez and Zach Knight are two members of the boy-band Saturday, one of the biggest acts in America. Along with their bandmates, Angel Phan and Jon Braxton, the four are teen heartbreakers in front of the cameras and best friends backstage. But privately, cracks are starting to form: their once-easy rapport is straining under the pressures of fame, and Ruben confides in Zach that he’s feeling smothered by management’s pressure to stay in the closet. On a whirlwind tour through Europe, with both an unrelenting schedule and minimal supervision, Ruben and Zach come ..read more

Blurb Nobody knows yet that she is a murderer… Abandoned at the gates of a London park one winter’s night in 1850, baby Lily Mortimer is saved by a young police constable and taken to the London Foundling Hospital. Lily is fostered by an affectionate farming family in rural Suffolk, enjoying a brief childhood idyll before she is returned to the Hospital, where she is punished for her rebellious spirit. Released into the harsh world of Victorian London, Lily becomes a favoured employee at Belle Prettywood’s Wig Emporium, but all the while she is hiding a dreadful secret… Across the years, polic ..read more

Blurb A brilliantly-conceived and hugely imaginative ‘sequel’ to Mary Shelley’s masterpiece, Following Frankenstein is a hugely exciting and beautifully-written historical adventure, perfect for 9-12 year olds. Sometimes I was jealous of the monster of Frankenstein. I grew up believing my father cared more for him than he did for me. And was I wrong? Maggie Walton’s father has dedicated his life to a single pursuit: hunting down the monster created by Victor Frankenstein. It has cost Maggie and her family everything – and now her father is staking everything on one last voyage to the Arctic ..read more