totallytales's Reviews (1.9k)

Maggie's life as she knew it is over. She wakes up from a coma to find there has been an accident, daughter is dead and her husband has disappeared. She has no memory of the accident or the events leading up to it. Disorientated and grief-stricken she must find out what happened - was it her fault? can her daughter really be dead? where is her husband?

As Maggie begins to remember snip its and starts to investigate her life before the accident we learn that she has a complex past and things aren't as idyllic as they seemed. Adding to the intrigue are the mysterious letters from a young child certain to pull on your heart-strings scattered throughout this novel. It's not Elspeth is it? She is dead isn't she? Maggie is understandably not the most reliable narrator scared, vulnerable and grieving but soon you'll be willing her to work out what happened and take you along for all the twists and turns along the way. This complex psychological thriller will have you turning pages long after you should have turned the lights out.

Thanks to NetGalley & Penguin Books UK for sending me this in exchange for an open and honest review.

Set on a breathtaking Norwegian Fjord farm, a vast remote location with no luxuries - Perfect for professional wanderlusters Bo and Zac who crave cultural authenticity on their travels which they share with their almost 10 million Instagram followers. The farm is owned by mountain guide Anders and his grandmother Signy who soon been to see the cracks in the 'picture perfect lives' their guests portray to the world, but no one is perfect and they too have secrets. As their stories entwine love, lies and truths are discovered but who deserves a second chance?

The tale is told between Bo's present day winter Norway and Signy's 1936 summer Norway. I found the parallels between the two time frames intriguing as both females are experiencing uneasiness and are fearfulness of certain dangers. Signy is strong and fierce character with a wonderful sense of humour evident throughout the book whereas Bo is struggling to find her true sense of self and is running away from and hiding various issues. She soon begins to crave some private moments away from the public eye and the 'brand' that Zac and their relationship has turned into.

Swan's glorious descriptions of this frozen wilderness, the vast plains of snow, the violent waterfalls and the stunning Northern Lights will have you dreaming of Norwegian holidays in no time. Crammed with love, heartbreak and powerful secrets this Christmas story with substance not to be missed!

Thanks to NetGalley & Pan for sending me this in exchange for an open and honest review.

Just finished it! Oh my word... That was brilliantly creepy and mind blowing till the last page 😱

Suzanne McBride is excited to have her all three of her daughters home for Christmas. She is busy making sure everything is just right for everyone but things are far from perfect... Beth arrives home early, without her children, her husband and her luggage. Hannah also turns up early looking red eyed and hiding a pregnancy test in her bag and Posy wants to leave her hometown and go travelling but she feels obligated to stay and help her Mum run the local cafe. The three sisters are fiercely different but can they help and support each other or will past tragedy and secrets get in the way?

I loved this novel! Each chapter takes the point of view of one of these women, giving us the opportunity to learn how they see each other, how differently see the same situations and what their personal troubles are. I was absorbed into their worlds immediately, it has the perfect balance of funny, frustrating, romantic and heartfelt moments. As Morgan weaves the past tragedy though the pages slowly revelling what happened and why the rifts between the family exist. Can they breakdown the barriers in time to have a perfect cosy Christmas that Suzanne was hoping for? A fabulous Christmas read with heart, treat yourself, get cosy, put your feet up with a hot chocolate and be taken to the snowy Scottish Highlands with the McBride gang - I couldn't put it down until I turned the very last page.

Thanks to NetGalley & Harper Collins UK for sending me this in exchange for an open and honest review.