Book Review: Plant Based 4 Running

Title: Plant Based 4 Running
Author: Philip Woodbridge MSc BA(Hons) SENr

Synopsis:

Quick and easy nutritionally balanced recipes and meal plans for active living.

This is the first time I have reviewed a recipe book! And what an excellent book to start with. There are so many simple, easy to follow recipes that I ate something new everyday for a solid two-three week period while I was trying out a more active lifestyle. I decided to review this book as I took up running as a challenge at the start of 2018 and struggled to keep up with it or know how to change my diet.

The author is a registered Sports Nutritionist and I found it so helpful to read about the background of the ingredients in a way that is informative rather than patronising or forceful. Being able to recreate these recipes and incorporate these into my diet has left me with more energy and more get up and go than I’ve had in a long time.

If you’re looking to become more active or thinking about changing your diet and you’re not sure where to start this is the book for you. I’m absolutely certain if I was able to follow the recipes anyone can and it’s a great book to have on the bookshelf.

Twitter: @p4snutrition
Website: ps4nutrition.co.uk

 

 

Blog Tour Book Review: Frailty

Title: Frailty
Author: Betsy Reavley
Publisher: Bloodhounds Books

Goodreads Synopsis:

How far would you go to protect your family?

Danny and Libby are about to face every parent’s worst nightmare.

When eight-year-old Hope Bird disappears without a trace, from the quiet village she lives in, life for her family will never be the same again. Her parents know she would never have gone off alone and the police have no idea where she is. Then a child’s shoe is discovered and the case takes an unexpected turn. Soon a suspect is identified but this is only the beginning.

Will they ever find Hope?

My stop on the Frailty Blog Tour! #bloghounds

I was in awe of Betsy’s first book The Optician’s Wife and Frailty is another stunning read. The story hit me hard and I felt so wrapped up in the investigation to find Hope it’s a testament to Betsy’s fantastic ability to grip you until the very last page.

Very interesting characters, this book doesn’t try to convince you to see the very best in people it reminds you that there are people out there fuelled by money and leeching off the traumatic events a family can go through. It also reminds you some families are dysfunctional, with parents that are distanced even in the worse of times and how alcohol can become an unnecessary comfort. I loved reading about people who felt very real, flaws and all laid bare.

I was hit by the grief weighing the family down in their search for Hope and I find it amazing how clearly that sinking feeling in your gut grabs you, making the story feel more personal than you just being a spectator.

Mostly told from mother Libby’s point of view, you also see snippets from Hope’s point of view and it made my heart ache. Betsy keeps the suspense going right until the very end and I had no idea what was going to happen – completely unpredictable! Some shock moments scattered throughout to keep your mind working overtime.

If you’re looking for a real psychological thriller, this is the book for you.

Have a box of Kleenex nearby!

Rating:

The rest of the stops on the blog tour, check them out!…

 

Blog Tour Book Review: 34 Days

Title: 34 Days
Author: Anita Waller
Publisher: Bloodhound Books

Synopsis:

Anna and Ray have been married for thirty-five years. They are parents and grandparents and appear to be a normal couple. But behind closed doors something isn’t right.

On the day of their wedding anniversary Anna makes a decision that changes everything and throws her family into turmoil. Anna will discover that she is not the only one who has suffered and by leaving Ray she sparks a series of events so awful that it might just end in murder…

My stop on the 34 Days Blog Tour! Welcome and I hope you enjoy my review.

An unusual and intriguing plot! Very cleverly written with some interesting characters, I could feel tension building as events unravelled and it has brilliant shock factor.

After the first chapter I could have guessed a millions times over where the story would take me but I would never have hit the nail on the head!

There are some characters I didn’t find likeable but the point of the story was understanding the relationships and seeing what made people tick and there was plenty to keep your brain busy working out who you loved and who irritated the living daylights out of you! Great to bring the characters to life in this way to give you such a strong opinion.

I was on edge wondering if secrets would be revealed at the wrong moment, then lulled into a false sense of security before being thrown straight back on edge it’s like being lost in a maze and worrying what you’ll see around every corner.

I don’t want to give away any spoilers but the twist had me give that theatrical gasp which sounds so cheesy!! It’s worth a read to see a unique story with some intense and unforgettable moments.

Looking forward to seeing what Anita Waller will come up with next with that crazy imagination!

Rating:

Check out the rest of the the tour from the #bloghounds…

 

 

 

Blog Tour Book Review: Candles and Roses

Title: Candles and Roses
Author: Alex Walters
Publisher: Bloodhound Books

Synopsis:

Who will live and who will die? 

DI Alec McKay is a man haunted by the loss of his daughter.  As he obsesses over a missing person case that is going nowhere, McKay’s investigation is interrupted when bodies start appearing on the Scottish Black Isle. Soon McKay and his team start to identify a disturbing pattern behind the killings.

Why are candles and roses placed around the bodies?

What is this twisted murderer trying to achieve?

While the police follow their own leads, a young woman who discovered the first victim begins an investigation of her own.

As the case unfolds McKay will be forced to face his own demons.

To catch the killer McKay must discover the true motive and untangle the web of truth and lies.

Candles and Roses is the first book in the explosive new DI McKay Series.  

Terrific debut novel! DI Alec McKay is a brilliant character and I already can’t wait to see more of him. An interesting plot that had me turning the pages long after I’d told myself ‘only a couple of chapters’ – I found I’d finished half the book in one sitting and was running late to meet a friend for dinner!

You see the victims point of view as the murders take place which is really unusual and so gripping. This set me on edge as you begin to get that looming sense of dread, internally screaming at the characters not to put themselves in a dangerous situation, knowing how it will end.

Real nail biting stuff – seriously, I have none left. I felt more part of the investigation instead of feeling like an observer watching the progress throughout the story so my emotions were running high as they were trying to find the culprit. I spent most of the book shouting at characters for different things which is testament to how the writing and flow of the book dragged me in and didn’t release me until I finished that final page.

Perfect ending and I won’t say anymore on that – you’ll have to read it!

Rating:

The rest of the blog tour from the #bloghounds…

Blog Tour Book Review: Time to Play

Title: Time to Play
Author: K A Richardson
Publisher: Bloodhound Books

Synopsis:

DI Alistair McKay is still reeling from the ‘one that got away’ but when he is called to deal with a potential murder at the water side, he must put his personal worries aside.

As police diver, Marlo Buchanan, starts pulling bodies out of the water, it becomes clear that something isn’t right.

Someone is torturing young girls and dumping them in the local reservoir.

Then the body of a man is discovered and Mackay and Buchanan are pulled into the seedy underworld of human trafficking.

As the team race against the clock tensions start to run high.

Can they overcome their personal demons to work together?

And will they find the killer before he strikes again?

The team are back in the third novel from the gripping North East Police series.

I didn’t know at first that this was the third book of a series! This can most definitely be read as a standalone but I will 100% be going back to read the first two.

I’ve never read about a Police Diving Team before and I found this fascinating – so interesting to find out how this operates. I was immediately pulled in by the two main characters, Ali and Marlo, who are extremely likeable and relatable. They are both suffering separately from past events and the way they are written just makes you feel like you have an understanding of them as a whole and you can’t help but root for them to find love!

Fantastic storytelling and K A Richardson deals with revealing the devastation of human trafficking in an honest and stark way. There is no holding back on the descriptive violence and on more than one occasion I was wincing because it just felt so real.  My heart sank as I began to understand the realism behind the story and the desperate situations children find themselves in.

Gritty and moving, there are many layers to Time to Play and the story combined with the characters will have you flying through the pages.

Also, it’s only 99p at the moment in the Kindle Store! Go for it!

Rating:

The rest of the stops on the blog tour… #bloghounds

Blog Tour Book Review: Lazy Blood

Title: Lazy Blood
Author: Ross Greenwood
Publisher: Bloodhound Books

My stop on the Lazy Blood blog tour! Thrilled to be part of it and chuffed to be bits to be part of the #bloghounds group.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Did you make friends at school?
Are they still your friends now?
Do you trust them?
Will is on his way to prison. His life is a mess, but who is to blame?

Set over thirty years, Lazy Blood is a dramatic tale of the endurance of friendship, the frailty of life, the drama of love and how they can all be ruined by broken people, random events and idle choices.

Where do I start?!

Superb storytelling. You meet Will, Darren, Aiden and Carl as schoolboys and travel through with them to adulthood – and the level of detail poured in to every character makes sure you are entirely wrapped up in their journey. I could barely put the book down I was gripped from the first few pages right to the very end and I can’t remember the last time I felt so connected to a character as I did with Will.

Dark, gritty, but with the theme of friendship shining through and some genuinely laugh out loud moments this book will tug at your heartstrings as much as it will want you to throw it across the room in frustration!

The story progresses perfectly through time and captures the hardships that life can throw at you, and this really did make me pause for thought. I think Ross Greenwood has a special talent for engaging the reader and I can’t wait to read his next book this is a terrific debut!

Rating:

Here are the rest of the stops on the blog tour take a look at the other reviews, author interviews and a giveaway for tomorrow’s stop! 

 

New Blog – Skills & Simulation

I thought I would see if any of you would be interested in checking out my work team’s new blog!

https://skillsandsimulation.wordpress.com/blog/

I work for Buckinghamshire New University for the Skills and Simulation team and we’ve created the blog to share the work we do behind the scenes.

You’ll see some cool moulage, where authentic wounds are added to live actors and manikins for nursing students to treat in their classes – here’s me with a flash burn applied to my forearm:

I’d love for you to have a look at the blog – it was all the amazing book review blogs here that inspired me to create my own and finally to help in creating one for the Skills and Simulation team to share all our hard work and achievements.

Book Review: I See You

Title: I See You
Author: Clare Mackintosh
Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group UK
Published: 28th July 2016

Goodreads Synopsis:

You do the same thing every day.

You know exactly where you’re going.

You’re not alone.

When Zoe Walker sees her photo in the classifieds section of a London newspaper, she is determined to find out why it’s there. There’s no explanation: just a website, a grainy image and a phone number. She takes it home to her family, who are convinced it’s just someone who looks like Zoe. But the next day the advert shows a photo of a different woman, and another the day after that.

Is it a mistake? A coincidence? Or is someone keeping track of every move they make . . .

I cannot recommend this book enough. I thought it would be really hard to follow on from I Let You Go which is in my top 10 books I have ever read but Clare Mackintosh has more than managed to add I See You to the list.

An intense, scarily believable (and exceptionally clever) plot full of heart-stopping twists and real emotions; I almost forgot to breathe at so many points. Clare’s writing skills really are second to none; she has a real talent for engaging the reader. The suspense devoured me and I ended up finishing the book within a day and a half – I just couldn’t stop thinking about it, so I cancelled all my weekend plans and raced through it (worth it).

Zoe’s character is fantastic; she is imperfect just like most of the population and you can really identify with her and the way she tries to deal with the extraordinary circumstances she finds herself in. Reading those short chapters from the perpetrator’s point of view was so gripping and had my hairs standing on end – creepy, dark and terrifyingly realistic.

Lastly, the most beautiful cover of a book I have ever seen! I will treasure this on my bookshelf.

Huge thanks to Tracy from TBC and the publishers for the ARC.

Rating:

Blog Tour Book Review: The Good Kind of Bad

Title: The Good Kind of Bad
Author: Rita Brassington
Published: 28th November 2015
Publisher: Rita Brassington!

I am thrilled to be part of this blog tour and to share my review for a fabulous read.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Secrets don’t stay secret for long…

She spent her whole life being the perfect daughter, the perfect girlfriend, and was all ready to become the perfect wife.

But after ditching her fiancé at the altar and escaping to Chicago, she marries smouldering stranger Joe Petrozzi three weeks after meeting him in a bar. At least this time, there’s no chance of cold feet.

Married life starts out great: there’s the new job, a gorgeous, enigmatic husband and money’s not an issue.

So what if she’s kept a few secrets from Joe – like where all her money came from. Joe’s been keeping secrets from her, too.

But his might just get her killed.

Intriguing, fast-paced, shocking and full of suspense. This story packs a punch… and then some!

Layers of depth to the characters, I was hooked from the get go falling in to (the new!) Mrs Petrozzi’s world and feeling as though I were personally travelling alongside her getting to know the mysterious Joe Petrozzi after a whirlwind wedding! I genuinely couldn’t guess where the plot was taking me and there’s something magical about letting yourself just get absolutely lost in a really good book.

Rita is a clever, skillful writer and got me good with the twists and turns – I got those great shock moments and this is one of those books where at the time of reading I was constantly talking about it to everyone around me (if it takes me by surprise I just have to tell someone about it!). Ultimately the sign of great writing and I can imagine this being made into a FAB film.

Original, interesting and some moving themes covered. Domestic violence and mental health was dealt with sensitively and felt incredibly realistic; I was on the absolute edge of my seat during the final chapters.

I’ll most certainly be on the lookout for what Rita releases next!

Rating:

Book Review: Baby Doll

Title: Baby Doll
Author: Hollie Overton
To Be Published: 12th July 2016
Publisher: Random House UK, Cornerstone

Many thanks to Random House UK, Cornerstone and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis:

You’ve been held captive in one room, mentally and physically abused every day, since you were sixteen years old.

Then, one night, you realize your captor has left the door to your cell unlocked.

For the first time in eight years, you’re free.

This is about what happens next …

Lily knows that she must bring the man who nearly ruined her life – her good-looking high-school teacher – to justice. But she never imagined that reconnecting with her family would be just as difficult. Reclaiming her relationship with her twin sister, her mother, and her high school sweetheart who is in love with her sister may be Lily’s greatest challenge. After all they’ve been through, can Lily and her family find their way back after this life-altering trauma?

Can I give this six stars? An emotional, poignant and powerful read. I thought it was so interesting that the story starts after Lily’s escape from her confinement. The relationships are well developed between the characters, I was full invested and deeply moved by Lily’s journey to return to some kind of ‘norm’. Lily is a fighter and so well written this is one of my favourite reads of 2016 so far.

I felt absolutely savage towards Rick and he is the scariest type of monster out there with the way he presents himself and what goes on behind closed doors. My heart was in my mouth at points and the way the story is told is absolutely riveting.

The relationship between Lily and her twin sister Abby is heart-warming, and so genuine as Hollie Overton is a twin herself. I was moved to tears reading about their first reunion and I was particularly hit by the struggle Abby had been through missing her sister for so many years with no idea what had taken her away.

I have to say Abby is my favourite character, with her fierce passion and fiery personality – I could picture her so clearly and her fragile state of mind was poured out to me with such emotion that I have to commend Overton for her fantastic writing skills.

By the end of the book I was left feeling so lucky to be part of a loving family and especially grateful for my three older sisters who I know I have a strong bond with. The sign of a fantastic book is one that you think about long after you have finished reading that final page.

Rating: