Book Review: Ravens Retreat @northwood_e #bookreview #halloweenreads #newrelease

Synopsis

Greed led them in. Destitution kept them there. Adam and Becky Hargreaves stumble upon a foreboding gothic-style property in the secluded Spanish
countryside, and believe they’ve found the ideal business opportunity. But shortly after moving in with Nerea, their truculent teenager, Melissa, their baby daughter, and Rose, Becky’s infirm mother, a series
of disturbing events shatter their dreams of success.


When ghostly orbs and manifestations of the dead roam the corridors threatening their business and their lives, steadfast Adam refuses to believe their home is possessed. As he withdraws from his family, Becky and her sparring stepdaughter Nerea must learn to work together to solve the ulcerating secret
lying in the dark heart of the house before history repeats itself.


What happened all those years ago during Franco’s regime? Why are so many spirits of young children still wandering the halls of the retreat? And who or what evil being is keeping them there?


As rivers of blood run deep within the bowels of the property, the family finds themselves entangled in an age-old promise with the devil. Who can they trust? How can they discover what happened in the blood-chilling past before time runs out?

Only one family member will make it out alive. Who can outwit the black soul and his disciples lying in wait inside the walls of Raven’s Retreat?


Dare you venture inside?

Trigger Warnings: death, child sacrifice, rape, abduction, torture blood, sex.

My Review

This was a engrossing read from start to finish. Creepy, well plotted and intriguing too. Perfect for the Halloween season and for everyone who likes a good creepy and at times blood curdling story. It was darker than I expected and twisted in places too. So not a read for the faint-hearted. Expect creepy house, ghost, coven, sacrificial practices, care home wierdness, witch covens, and sexual scenes in keeping with the imaginative plotline. Excellent storytelling from Michelle E. Northwood. I’ve read her memoir Fishnets in The Far East which couldn’t be more different, shows great versatility as an author.

My rating 5 stars. Recommended read but check the trigger ⚠️ warnings.

Many thanks to the author for an ARC.

Buying Link:

Author Bio

Michele has a First Class Honours Degree in Modern languages, (English and Spanish) and also studied for a Master’s in Highschool Education. She currently lives in Spain, where she runs an English Teaching Academy. Michele shares her home with her Spanish husband, her dog, two cats and two terrapins. (Yes, she’s slowly building an ark!)

In her past life …. (okay, when she was a young woman,) she worked as a professional dancer, magician and fire-eater who toured the world for over twenty years in theatre, musicals and circus. During that time, she was in the Guinness Book of Records for being part of the world´s largest Human mobile, and worked as a contortionist with the Circus of Horrors as their first “Girl inside a bottle”. She has rubbed shoulders with Sting, Chris de Burg, David Copperfield, Claudia Schiffer and Maurice Gibb from the Bee Gees. She has also worked as a knife throwers assistant, assisted a midget in his balancing act, and took part in the finale of a Scorpions concert.

The author’s debut novel, ‘Fishnets in the Far East: A Dancer’s Diary in Korea’ has won two literary competitions. The sequel: “Fishnets and Fire-eating” has just been released, and the third book in the Fishnet series is due out soon.

Michele is concerned about climate change, the abundance of plastic pollution, and hates the way man-unkind treats the other species that inhabit this beautiful planet we are slowly destroying. Michele loves living in the countryside with views of the sea and likes nothing better than to sit on the terrace at the end of the day, look up at the stars and contemplate.

If you would like to contact Michele, she can be found at:

Twitter: @northwood_e

Facebook: Michele E. Northwood Author

https://www.pinterest.es/nextchapterpub/pinterest-board-michele-e-northwood/fishnets-in-the-far-east-a-dancer-s-diary-in-korea/

And if you would like to be informed of future releases, giveaways, competitions and free books send her an email to antologiadeaguilas@gmail.com

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The Woman Who Felt Invisible @Lizzie_Chantree #review #romance #read

Synopsis

The woman who felt invisible

Lots of twists and turns, so I found it hard to put the book down. Very enjoyable to read as it kept me guessing!’ – Amazon Review. ★★★★★

An exciting story of love, romance and tear-jerking reality, from international bestselling author, Lizzie Chantree.

Have you ever felt invisible?

Working as a stationery supervisor and a sitter to a pair of internet famous, delinquent dogs, wasn’t how former cyber-specialist, Olivia, imagined her life turning out.

Sitting in a tiny cubicle with a decrepit computer and being overlooked had suited her for a while, but now she’s fed up, lonely and determined to make the world ‘see’ her again.

Heartbreaker, Darius, wants to fill Olivia’s days with romance and adventure, but their love of technology has taken them on very different paths, forcing her to leave her past behind.

Gorgeous undercover policeman Gabe, is steadfast in finding out if Olivia is part of an online scam. Someone is stealing money from high profile men, but something doesn’t feel right and he suspects someone else is manipulating her life. But why?

Can true love blossom from the most deceptive of starts? And can someone who feels lost, find a way to flourish against all odds? 

My review

The Woman Who Felt Invisible captured my attention right from the beginning with a great opening chapter which immediately hooks. The premise about older women feeling invisible is such a perceptive idea and Lizzie Chantree has explored this with touching humour, attention to detail and great characters. I loved all the funny details, the hot house, the dogs, the internet sensation! Jen’s fake smile and how she looked down her nose at the other women.

The main character Olivia (an older woman who lacks confidence,) meets Constance, (Connie,) at the office xmas party and there is reference to Connie looking young but being in her 40’s. A tip off to suggest where the story direction is going…

There are so many funny little moments like when Olivia’s boss Greg, who happens to be her new friend’s cheating husband, corners Olivia in the stationery cupboard (where she works,) and Olivia stabs him with her pen.

After the office party Olivia and Connie become great friends and this is the pivotal point where the story changes and progresses to reveal stunning revelations about Olivia and her best male friend Darius.

The love interest/love triangle appears in the form of injured Policeman Gabe who is doing a stake out of Olivia as he thinks she’s a drugs criminal! And Darius who has his charms and an abundance of good looks too… no spoilers read to discover more!

Connie wants to plan revenge on her cheating hubby Greg. And a whole bunch of extraordinary revelations follow. A great read! Perhaps less romance than some of Lizzie’s other books. Lots of humour, and commentry on women being more powerful than they seem. Overall, an entertaining novel and a celebration of older women having much to offer society with Olivia’s character demonstrating many hidden aspects, talents and much to admire. I loved it. Light-hearted but thoughtful too.

My rating 5 stars. Highly recommended.

Do support my new Book Review Bookstagram account by liking, sharing and following. Link below.

http://Instagram.com/mjm_reviews

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Book Launch: Ninja School Mum by Lizzie Chantree #ABRSC

 

Ninja School Mum Book Covr  Ninja School Mum

Ninja School Mum – Launch Date – 30th January

A warm welcome to Lizzie Chantree.

It is such a pleasure to be her blog tour host for today! So exciting! 

Book blurb:

Obsessive-compulsive school mum, Skye, is a lonely elite spy, who is running from her past whilst trying to protect the future of her child. She tries hard to fit in with the other parents at her son’s new school, but the only person who accepts her unconventional way of life is new mother, Thea.

Thea is feeling harassed by her sister and bored with her life, but she suspects that there is something strange about the new school mum, Skye. Thea has secrets of her own and, although the two become unlikely friends, she hesitates to tell Skye about the father of her own child.

Zack’s new business is growing faster than he could have dreamed but, suddenly, he finds himself the owner of a crumbling estate on the edge of a pretty village, and a single parent to a very demanding child. Could he make a go of things and give his daughter the life she deserved?

When three lives collide, it appears that only one of them is who they seem to be, and you never know who the person next to you in the school playground really is.

Lizzie’s website: http://www.lizziechantree.com

Lizzie Chantree

Crooked Cat

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About My Publisher:

Crooked Cat Books are an international publishing house. The team has years of experience in editing, writing and reviewing and have a number of academic publications between them. They say they look to publish high quality work with exceptional storylines and fascinating characters and want to provide authors with a comfy home to share their stories.
In the last five years they have released over 150 titles. You’ll find them all over Amazon, Barnes and Noble and a number of online stores. Catch their latest books at crookedcatbooks.com

Lizzie Author photo

Author Bio: 

Lizzie Chantree writes women’s fiction and romance novels packed full of friendship, laughter and laugh out loud storylines. Escape into great love stories, with compelling heroines and beautiful locations.

Award-winning inventor and author, Lizzie Chantree, started her own business at the age of 18 and became one of Fair Play London and The Patent Office’s British Female Inventors of the Year in 2000. She discovered her love of writing fiction when her children were little and now runs networking hours on social media, where creative businesses, writers, photographers and designers can offer advice and support to each other. She lives with her family on the coast in Essex. Visit her website at www.lizziechantree.com or follow her on Twitter @Lizzie_Chantree

Contact Details:

Website: www.lizziechantree.com
Author page: ViewAuthor.at/LizzieChantree
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Lizzie_Chantree
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lizzie.chantree.3
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lizzie_chantree/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/LizzieChantree/pins/

Lizzie’s Books:

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Babe Driven

Love’s Child

Finding Gina 

Ninja School Mum

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Finding Gina

Find all of
Lizzie’s books on:
Amazon.co.uk
Amazon.com

Book links:
ViewBook.at/NinjaSchoolMum

Below is a Twitter Advert for Ninja School Mum.
Feel free to use it on any social media you like.

Time management

For any enquiries about any of Lizzie’s work, visit www.lizziechantree.com

What a delight it has been to be one of Lizzie’s blog tour hosts. Lizzie is such a lovely person, sharing and caring. She made me this lovely twitter graphic –

And has been sharing loads of twitter graphics for all her blog tour hosts.

Recently, I read and reviewed Ninja School Mum. It was such a delightful romance, read more about that here via my review link: https://mjmallon.com/2018/01/07/abrsc-review-of-ninja-school-mum/

Lizzie Chantree has started a FB group dedicated to books, giving excellent advice to other authors: https://www.facebook.com/groups/647115202160536/

It’s been such a blast to have Lizzie as my guest today.

Have you read Ninja School Mum? Do let me know in the comments below. We can chat about it!

Bye for now,

 

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My social media:

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My social media links:

@Marjorie_Mallon and @curseof_time

A collaborative blog with the Sisters of The Fey: https://sistersofthefey.wordpress.com/

Author/Blogger Rainbow Support Club on Facebook

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