Recap: Imogen goes to her home planet
Review: I couldn't put too much in that recap because I didn't want to give too much away lol. There's some solid world-building highlighting the differences in the two worlds but our villains are all dastardly with figurative twirly moustaches so it was interesting to read Leo's character reveal. I liked the ending very much, it gives us the uplift for book three and the grains of hope for retaliation because let's face it - book two doesn't look too good for our heroes! Look forward to seeing what happens next.
The Last Secret by Lana Melyan - 5 stars
Recap: Nicky kicks ass and rescues Nate
Review: Now we're cooking with gas! It was fast-paced, action-packed and that cliffhanger ending! I mean we kinda knew it was coming but we were still rooting for the good guys. Good character interplay and I'm desperate to know what happens next...
Promise of the Opal by Lyra Shanti - 3 stars
Recap: Sam and Jon are dreaming of past lives where they are lovers, then they meet and fall in love but things are not that simple.
Review: I really enjoyed the first part of the book but the last section seemed a little rushed and unfinished. Throughout the book the characters had had these beautifully expressive dreams and then at the end they talked through flashbacks which lost the impact. Sam's boyfriend gets an intense I'll get her back scene and then gets a brief drunken flurry and is not heard of again which felt odd, we saw Sam and Jon's reaction but not his. Jon's ex also had a convenient turn up then disappear again scene - that man is a saint. When the past lives were written so well and Sam's inner turmoil and Jon's shame handled so so well it made these brief secondary character appearances less impactful especially when their past lives were more fleshed out and interesting. I think there will be a book two and I want to find out what happens to everyone so I shall be keeping an eye out.
The Watchmaker's Daughter by C.J. Archer - 5 stars 
Recap: India Steele has lost her father, her home and her fiancee. Then she meets mysterious Mr Glass who is looking for a watchmaker.
Review: I love how there is so much scope going forwards and yet we still feel like we know our characters well. Historical supernatural suspense romance - what more could you ask for?
Mother of Floods by Madeleine F. White - 4 stars
Recap: After the loss of her husband Martha finds spiritual comfort in drumming but her actions begin the catalyst that will end the world.
Review: It took me a long time to read this book because I found I could only read one chapter at a time in order to have a break and digest everything properly plus I started reading just before lockdown and for several weeks I couldn't read anything at all. It's a jam-packed book and at one point I was really struggling but then I attended the online book launch with the author and listening to her explain that it was really the knitting together of different stories helped me compartmentalize what I was reading. I think the author could have even split out the stories and written four books in a series based on the depth of content. It's a very spiritual book with references to lots of different religious beliefs. I think I would have to read this book a couple of times to really understand and absorb everything properly. I really enjoyed the imagery and Martha was a particularly grounded character who I could relate to.
Imogen's Destiny by B. Fleetwood - 4 stars
** spoiler alert ** Recap: Imogen must go back to her home planet to try and save her friends, family and Earth.
Review: They had a plan, then they were foiled. They had another plan, then they were foiled. Throw in a couple of major character deaths before you're even three-quarters of the way and it looks bleak for our heroine. And that's great! We don't want to 'know' that we're going to have a happy ending, we want to suffer and despair with our characters. There were a few places of 'convenient' dialogue which jarred an otherwise good flowing book. Kudos to the use of LOTR in rallying speech. And I really liked how Naomi's tractus travels affected the whole plot of the trilogy, really well thought out story arc providing lots of ohhhhhh moments.
5 Minute Vacations by Cindy Tomamichel - 4 stars
Recap: A series of very short imagination gettaways.
Review: An different kind of collection of shorts, these are designed to take you away from it all and give you a break. My favourite vacations were the baking ones as sense memory for me was so strong. A nice book to dip into when you need it.
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