I know many people may have thought I had disappeared for good but nope, I am back. This year has been rough and I have had to dig deep to get through it. Both parents have been ill and while my mum has rallied and is better sadly we are in the process of the long goodbye with my dad.
I delayed this post from yesterday in honour of the Queen’s funeral but I am hoping to get back to using this platform on a regular basis again. I appreciate it will take a while to build it back up, likewise my website paulaacton.co.uk. I will be working extra hard as I have a lot of exciting things going on over the next twelve months and I can’t wait to share it all with you.
꧁༒☬𝓐𝓿𝓪𝓲𝓵𝓪𝓫𝓵𝓮 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝓟𝓻𝓮-𝓞𝓻𝓭𝓮𝓻☬༒꧂
A collection of stories previously printed in anthologies mixed with some new stories from the dark recesses of my imagination
Watching the news at the minute is heart breaking, wars happen and their are always innocent victims but the deliberate targeting of civilians, especially children can never be acceptable. People are donating all over the place, good to lorries to be driven over, money to charities, and in any way they can personally do so. An author friend decided we can donate our word to raise money which will be donated to the Red Cross Ukraine Appeal. This is our offering which we are getting together at breakneck speed.
Make love, not war.
Battle of the Heart is a collection of short stories centred around the theme of military and war romances.
Can love prevail?
100% of the proceeds of Battle of the Heart will be donated to the Red Cross as part of the Ukraine crisis appeal.
The battle of the Heart anthology includes stories from authors Danielle Jacks, Lizzie James, TS Arthur, M.B. Feeney, Paula Acton, Laura Rossi, M.L. Broome, Angel Devlin, SE Foster, KL Shandwick, Lynda Throsby and a poem from Sarah Michelle Lynch.
I never seem to keep up with book reviews on here so instead I am going to just talk about a current read and then do the reviews straight to kindle/Goodreads as I finish them. I am currently at 38% and I am really enjoying it.
So first the blurb…
Romance under Aquarius is book 1# of the Stargazing series, a 12-book series of standalones.
Kasper What would you do for your dying brother? Would you travel the world and swim to the deepest depths? If I told you Greek mythology speaks of a water healer under the zodiac sign of Aquarius, would you consider going after it?
Maris What would you do if you found out your fiancé was cheating on you? Would you fight your father’s decision to have you marry him? If I told you your opinion wouldn’t change a thing, would you fight to be heard or maybe run away?
Pasha What would you do if the only person you loved was intended for your best friend? Would you sacrifice your own happiness for theirs? If I told you your future following others’ rules would make you miserable, would you step in line?
Ryn What would you do if you found out you could be king but you’d have to marry someone you didn’t love? Would you try to make it work? If I told you the princess is destined for more than you can offer, would you help her?
I am going to start this off by saying something that might come across as strange but although I am enjoying the book I don’t like any of the main characters at the minute. They are all well written and the plot is captivating but at the minute each of the characters is quite self-centred and each has their own dubious reasons for getting involved in this plot. At this point their is plenty of time for one or more of them to redeem themselves and the way the story is developing may allow for that.
At the minute I would say that this book would be good for YA or New Adult, if you are looking for steamy then this is not for you, it is more of a fade to black but does allude to sex and other adult content but not overly. There is enough in there for it to be a good read for adults but as I say if you are looking for mermaid porn you won’t find it here.
The book is available in Kindle Unlimited and you can find it here. Should you wish to learn more about the author Danielle Jacks you can find her on Facebook here.
I haven’t read as much as normal this week as I have been busy writing but I will tell you about that on Wednesday.
Well. I have quite a few books to catch you up on today so let’s begin where we left off with…
I really enjoyed this book but it certainly was not really easy reading, behind each of the doors of a nice new exclusive estate lie secrets, but none as bad as those behind the pink door. I gave this five stars I would have liked it to do longer and to explore the fall out and aftermath of some of the lies a little longer. I would also have liked to know what happened to a couple of the characters after the end of the book but all in all I highly recommend.
After reading that book I needed some light reading so I went for a rom com…
I gave this four stars, don’t get me wrong was a good read, fun and funny in place but it didn’t blow me away. I liked the main character, I liked the plot, it is a feel good book but predictable in parts. It would be the sort of book I would recommend as the perfect beach read, happy ending guaranteed.
I still wasn’t ready to tackle anything heavy so I headed to my guilty pleasure, cowboy romances…
Again this ended up as a four star, loved the twist where the cowboy is also a doctor, but too much in a book this length to do it justice. I get that people want romance to stay a certain length but this book had so much going on through it that it felt a little like it was skimming through the main points in parts without giving each event the attention it deserved. I actually felt like there was enough good ideas and twists there to have made this into two books. I do recommend it still, the fact I wanted more speaks volumes for the writing.
The last book I finished was not exactly what I was expecting it to be…
This book made me laugh, it made me cry, it wrenched my heart strings. I thought that this would be a cosy women become friends book but it was so much more. This was about the creation of support groups, of how with the right people beside you that you can overcome anything. It is also a recognition that those friends do not have to look like you or have the same history, age and race play no part in true friendship. I gave this five stairs and if I wasn’t so eager to get started on my next book then I would be buying the next instalment of this series straight away.
And speaking of my currently reading book…
I am so lucky that as a friend of the author I get an arc copy of this book to read through and let me tell you I am excited beyond belief to finally get this on my kindle and to know that part 2 is not far behind. I will say get your copy pre-ordered and get the first two parts read if you haven’t already!
At the minute I go through phases and as I am reading more on my kindle it has become easier to just hit the ratings when I finish reading rather than write a full review here. I do believe though that word of mouth is what can sell books for authors so I will be giving you a mix of what I am reading with books that are still stuck in my head.
This was the book I started the week with and I did really enjoy the story right up to the last chapter!
The last chapter saw the main character through the whole plot point out of the window. And it ended unsatisfactorally with a quick summary of what happens and a plug for the next book.
While I totally appreciate that many authors use freebies to encourage people to buy the rest of the series I find I am more likely to buy an authors work if I have read a full story by them rather then it be so obviously that they are just after your cash.
Before anyone says anything I know as an author that making money is hard but I was enjoying this book, had it been finished properly, even just to the end of the summary that was provided in the storyline I would have happily bought the next in the series but knowing this story seems to be split into at least three segments I can’t help but wonder if there will be another whole section merely summarised.
I don’t normally write negatively but in this case I am because I know this author can write, I have no idea if something in her personal life made her rush to end it and that was the reason for the summary section but rather then making me rush for more it slammed the brakes on and I didn’t even bother reading the taster pages for the next section of the book.
If the plot runs longer make the series longer, don’t compromise on good writing to fit it into a word count, this could have been so, so good but it has now left me looking elsewhere for my next read which is…
I just started this yesterday and I admit I am flying through it. No one can ever be sure what goes on behind closed doors. Nosy neighbours obsessed with keeping up standards totally miss what is happening just across the street. I don’t want to say too much at this point but so far it is heading for 5 stars.
You might have seen an earlier post today that was dated a few weeks ago. For some reason it didn’t publish but the book I mention there was called The Night Firm and I have to say a thoroughly recommended it. I was hooked right up to the last page. https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B082KFX6S9/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_2VBQNAP6ZVG32FA4TM05
So that’s this week’s reading round up will my current read be as good as it seems right now? I will let you know next week.
*All proceeds will go to Lavinia’s family in her memory*
When club enforcer Wrath is asked for help, he is torn between doing what’s right and stirring up a past that still haunts him.
What follows is a journey that forces him to question and re-evaluate everything he thought he already knew.
Decisions have to be made.
Should he continue on the path he’s chosen or is there a chance of becoming the man his mother would have wanted him to be?
Life doesn’t always have a happy ever after, no matter how much you want it. This is a heart-wrenching tale of heartbreak and loss.
Be warned, it will leave your emotions in tatters.
I first read this when it came out, it the time the pain of Lavinia’s loss was still raw and I was not sure if that played into my reading of the book. Rereading it I now can honestly say it is not just the personal connection in is Ava’s creative talents that will destroy you and have you sat sobbing into your hankie while totally unable to put the book down.
The main character is not likeable, his life choices mean you should not feel empathy for him but as the story unfolds you will find yourself wishing you could reach in to the pages and led the boy down a different path to the one he took. It challenges your conception on good and bad, what is right and what is legal. And while Wrath may represent the stereotypical MC lifestyle you also get to see a balance of the good some clubs choose to do.
I highly recommend this book and cannot give it anything less than 5 out of five stars.
The Spook and his apprentice, Thomas Ward have travelled to Priestown for some unfinished business. For, deep in the catacombs of the cathedral, lurks the Spook’s nemesis – The Bane. A creature he has never been able to defeat. As Thomas and his master prepare for the battle of their lives it becomes clear that The Bane isn’t their only enemy in town. The Quisitor has arrived, searching the county for those who meddle with the dark – witches, warlocks and Spooks!
My mum gave me this series of books for my son to read, he was 10 at the time and just beginning to really get into reading for pleasure. Because he is autistic I decided to take a quick read first just to be sure that he would be able to follow the book and if I am honest I cant say who enjoyed this book more.
The book is well written and there is a great mix of characters. The plot is easy to follow and just dark enough to intrigue without risking nightmares for your pre-teen. The book also explores family dynamics, and the way not every member is born to follow the same path.
Along the way you see the characters also have some moral choices to make, choices about what is right and what is safest. The choices are not always easy to judge and the reader will have to explore the grey areas between black and white.
Even though this book is not aimed at me it was an enjoyable read and I have no problem giving it 5 out of five stars. It is a book I have recommend to numerous people looking for things their kids can read especially boys.
It has been a while since I logged into WordPress and I guess it will take me a while to adapt to this new look and I am most disappointed they took away the classic editor which I preferred over this. However, that is not the reason I am here today, normally Monday means a book review but today it is a shameless plug for a charity anthology I am part of. I really enjoyed writing this and hope you will enjoy not only my story but all the others included. The book was intended to launch for the Indie Love Signing in Cardiff which should have been happening this weekend but now has had to be cancelled until 2023. This book will be available for a limited time, but will be available again closer to the actual signing.
Tales of knights, dragons and curses are not just for children.
Join us as we get up close and personal with mythical creatures, magical moments and dashing quests for love as Indie Love presents The Myths & Legends Collection.
From Egyptian Gods to Arthurian legends, Robin Hood to Hades, there is something for everyone.
With 7 exclusive stories available for a limited time, are you ready for an epic romance?
You can grab your copy here but the 99p offer is ending very soon.
Tiffy Moore needs a cheap flat, and fast. Leon Twomey works nights and needs cash.
Their friends think they’re crazy, but it’s the perfect solution: Leon occupies the one-bed flat while Tiffy’s at work in the day, and she has the run of the place the rest of the time.
But with obsessive ex-boyfriends, demanding clients at work, wrongly-imprisoned brothers and, of course, the fact that they still haven’t met yet, they’re about to discover that if you want the perfect home you need to throw the rulebook out the window…
I confess when my daughter first told me to read this, I resisted. I tend to avoid books where there seems to be lot of hype about it, mainly because they tend to let you down, but this one did the opposite, it far exceeded my expectations.
Yes, it is chick lit. but the characters written are not only realistic but also likeable, you find yourself rooting for them and rooting for that happy ending. I have to admit personally the idea of sharing a flat this way would terrify me in real life, yet in this modern world, where housing costs are increasingly expensive, shared houses and flats are becoming the norm for some people, especially for students and young single professionals. This makes the ideas behind this book even more intriguing, I loved the idea of leaving the hand written notes rather than just text messages, it provides a contrast against the ‘real’ lives of Tiffy and Leon.
If you haven’t already guessed I totally recommend this book and you can grab your self a copy in your local bookshop or via amazon.
I give this 5 out of five stars along with thousands of others.
That’s the thing about old friends… they never let you forget.
The first time Jemma and Matt were invited to Polskirrin – the imposing ocean-view home belonging to Matt’s childhood friend Lucas Jarrett – it was for an intimate wedding that ended in tragedy. Jemma will never forget the sight of the girl’s pale body floating listlessly towards the rocky shore.
Now, exactly one year later, Jemma and her husband have reluctantly returned at Lucas’s request to honor the anniversary of an event they would do anything to forget.
But what Lucas has in store for his guests is nothing like a candlelight vigil. Someone who was there that night remembers more than they’ll admit to, and Lucas has devised a little game to make them tell the truth.
Jemma believes she and Matt know nothing about what happened to that woman… but what if she’s wrong? Before you play a deadly game, make sure you can pay the price…
From the four-million-copy bestselling author of Sleep Tight comes a psychological thriller that will have you gripped until the last page. Perfect for fans of Something in the Water, The Woman in the Window and The Silent Patient.
I got this book via Bookbub I have a feeling I paid 99p for it, the title and the blurb just caught my attention and I decided to give it a go. Although Amazon and Goodreads list it as the second book in a series it honestly, felt like it could be read as a standalone, I haven’t read the first one and the detective whose series it is part of does not play a major role in this story until the last few chapters.
This book is about secrets, desire, and betrayal, and I loved it. The first part of the book is told from the point of view of the outsider in this group of friends, the one who married into the group and has no idea of their hidden past, a past where it seems everyone has something to hide.
Normally, I get who the murderer is half way through the book, and yes in this I did get one person right but I did not get the whole picture, there are twists and turns aplenty as you unravel what different characters are trying to hide.
I highly recommend this book and it is very reasonably priced so if you want to grab a copy try here.
Make love, not war.
Paula Acton 