bookbeforeuleap's Reviews (863)

Aidan Poole logs on to his laptop late at night to Skype his girlfriend, Zoe. To his horror, he realizes that there is someone else in her flat, and Aidan can only listen to the sounds of a violent struggle - and then the chilling sound of silence. Aidan is desperate to find out if Zoe is OK. So why doesn't he call the police?

The whole idea of this book fascinated me especially in this digital age where anyone can watch you in the comfort of your own home! I was intrigued to find out why her boyfriend didn't just call and report it as a normal crime, I knew there was obviously something else going on but I could not figure out what. The dual timeline also worked really well for me as you got a real sense of the victim and her character and what had lead up to the event.

I did figure out the twist early out but there were so many well thought out plot twists that I was doubting myself up to the very end and so none of the enjoyment was lost for me.

This is the second book by Gytha Lodge with these detectives but can 100% read as a stand alone (but once you read this you will want to read more of her work!). I really enjoy Gytha's work and look forward to the next instalment in this brilliant police procedural.

This is everything you could want in a fun, romantic, quick read and it comes neatly wrapped up with this stunning cover. This is the perfect read for the month of love or for any time you just want to escape into a beautifully described setting with some witty character interactions.

As I started reading this I thought that I was going to struggle with the main character as she seemed superficial and naive but once she was back in her home setting she became a much more likeable and savvy character.

Some of the dialogue was a little cringe at times but there were also some giggles and heart felt moment between the (digital) pages.

I have since found out that although this is a stand alone book there other books written by the author set in the same location an some of the characters that pop up in this are cameo appearances and I will definitely be checking them out!

This book was heart wrenchingly wonderful. The story tells of a husband and wife’s journey from Aleppo to find sanctuary in the UK with snippets of the past that show why they are fleeing.
It was beautifully written, I loved the technique Lefteri employed where some chapters ended on the same word that the new chapter started, it really drove home how something so simple can have two completely different meanings and can live in two completely separate worlds. This theme continues as we are given a glimpse at the ways in which grief and trauma affect the two main characters who, have ultimately shared the same experience.
I, as most of you will, have seen the stories in the news but nothing hit home for me as hard as this book. I cried within the first 20 pages and then again throughout. The way Lefteri writes the horrors of the past whilst ultimately sharing that there is always hope is extremely moving.
Although this is a work of fiction, there is truth behind it. People are undertaking the same journey daily and whilst I feel very fortunate to be where I am it left me deeply unhappy that this is happening around me. There are some amazing charities out there that are helping the refugees and there really is one run by a former beekeeper from Syria called ‘The Buzz Project’.
I would definitely recommend this book and have already bought and given a copy to a friend.

This was the story of Alison, a complex woman who has spent years holding back her needs and wants to keep her family running smoothly but when she is sent to a networking event and meets Frank everything changes and Alison is swept up in a whirl-wind love affair but is Frank really all he seems.


I was easily able to relate to Alison’s struggles as a working mum, sometimes life just seems so repetitive with constant barrage of chores and tasks to work though, normally, with little or no thanks your mind can easily wonder if there is more to life. There were parts that I found a little unbelievable but could easily over look them as they build the story.

Allcott really takes the time to build the characters leaving you thoroughly invested in the outcome and I really liked that this book didn’t just romanticise everything, it felt real and gritty.

This was the perfect book to cosy in with, grab a glass of wine and the ice cream and enjoy!

This has one story running in the 2016 with Rose trying to find out what happened to her mum and then a second time line in the 1980’s where we get a glimpse into what lead to her mum’s disappearance and how a famous female worrier is involved.⁣ ⁣

I’m so glad I read this as a read along as I think I would have added this to my dnf after the first 50 pages but I ended up really enjoying the book. I even woke up at 4am on Saturday morning with some crazy theories and just had to finish it (I was not right!) ⁣
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It was a great tale of learning to be comfortable in your own skin and I would definitely recommend it to friends.⁣

This was a great YA read with a fake to real romance that is perfect for fans of 'To all the boys I loved before'. I really liked that the main character loved romance novels as a way to a escape, it made her relatable and easy to love, the story was predictable but enjoyable.

This was a story of a study intensive young girl who opens herself up to new opportunities when she receives and advent calendar with hidden prompts to do each day.

I really enjoyed the slow build of the young romance and the lovely ideas that the author had about what schools organised over the festive period.

This was a lovely YA Christmas read that I could 100% see as one of those feel good Christmas Netflix films you look forward to watching, well written and definitely put me in the Christmas spirit.

Would recommended to anyone wanting an easy read to escape into over Christmas and I will be buying a copy to give to my bookish friends at Christmas!

Thanks to net galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow.

What an intense and deeply disturbing read that gives you an uncomfortable feeling in the pit of your stomach.

Staring with a mothers release from prison after serving a 5 year sentence (is that seriously long enough for the offence she committed?!) for aggravated child abuse you know that this isn't going to be a rainbows and unicorns kind of novel. We then go backwards in time 5 years to meet the daughter and victim of this torrid stream of abuse and how she is surviving now free of her controlling and abusive mother. You begin feeling angry about the injustice she has severed and devastated for the childhood she has lost but as the book progresses you start to get niggling doubts about how sorry you should actually feel for her.

I loved this dark and twisted tale and found myself getting overly involved in the book, I was reminding myself that they had both suffered years of abuse so its no wonder that they were both bat shit crazy to then remember it was fictional!

This is without doubt going to be huge next year and I cant wait!

Thanks to Net Galley and Penguin UK for the copy in exchange for an honest review.