I received a free digital copy from the author/publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest feedback.

Jay lives with Uncle Bill, Step-Aunt Elaine and cousin and 'sometimes best friend' Michaela and all she really loves in life is horses. Following success in the illegal horse tracks, Jay runs away from the home she never felt she belonged in and becomes a 'lad' in a racing stables. Soon Jay meets Manhattan, a grumpy no-hoper mare who just needs a little bit of love. Soon Jay and Manhattan are a team to be reckoned with as Jay tries to prove to everyone that Manhattan is worth saving.

I LOVED this. It was a perfect mix of National Velvet, Blind Beauty and Seabiscuit. Jay is the typical trope of the no-hope teenager trying to find her way but I really enjoyed her own struggles with becoming a respected member of the yard. This book had a strong emphasis on a female lad/jockey trying to make her way in the racing world and we really see examples of the kind of sexism and sexist comments Jay faced while in the yard and when trying to be a jockey. The fact that Manhattan's owner, Prince Muqrib, had so much trouble in Saudi Arabia over the fact he was letting a female jockey ride his horse was very interesting and I felt it to be really realistic as well. Mrs Wilkinson's efforts in the stables and the horse training (and how she was talked about by the male lads) was also a great point. I had always suspected she was something more and to see her being disrespected as a 'busybody woman' when she knew more than everyone was annoying, yet I can see it happening in everyday life.

This book had more about jockey training with Jay's brief stint in jockey school and I really loved experiencing that with her. Considering this book is very focused on Hay being a female in a typically male world, I think I could have done with Jay having some stronger connections towards the other female characters in the book - forging a better friendship with Laura, a little more interaction with Auntie other than the 2-3 scenes we did get and while her relationship with Michaela did improve, there could have been just a bit more. I felt like Jay had a definite distance with pretty much every character in the book, who wasn't a horse.

I LOVED the ending, I was pretty much cheering Jay and Manhattan on and then the very, every end with Hat's fat belly, I felt like squealing. I don't know if there will be any more books about Jay and her racing adventures but I would definitely read them or at least read more of Terence's horsey books. The effort that went into describing everything in detail and the history of the racing and horses was terrific.

Lady Helen has a lot to worry about with her upcoming presentation before the Queen and setting up her presentation ball with her aunt and guardian. Then suddenly a dashing Earl with a dangerous past comes back to London and informs Helen that she is something called a Receiver - someone who can identify and kill demons, as well as take the darkness out of people's souls. Now Lady Helen has to start her training while also trying not to damage her reputation and field some marriage proposals while at it.

I loved this! Everything is pretty much perfect - the characters, the story, the history of the Receivers and Deceivers, the sexual tension (oh the tension!) and even the clothes. Alison Goodman did such a good job with the atmosphere and setting of Regency London and Lady Helen's day to day life and her troubles when it suddenly collides with the realisation of who she actually is was really realistic. She can't go of willy nilly to meet Carlston because a woman of her stature can't be with a man alone - let alone a man who people think killed his wife! I not only loved hearing about the Receivers and how the life energy worked and the inclusion of alchemy but I also loved Lady Helen having to go and get her new riding hat fitted and attending balls and dealing with her own presentation as well as what she would do if she married and had to be a Receiver.

Helen was a wonderful character with enough girlish charm and roguish spunk to keep her relatable and interesting. She was a good person who tried her best for everyone - including her lady's maid Darby. I loved her relationship with Darby, it was honest and genuine and reminded me of the relationship between Lady Mary and Anna Bates in Downton Abbey. Carlston was everything you wanted in a main character - dark, brooding, mysterious. I still don't have enough answers about him, especially to do with Elise but I'm really hoping for some hot and steaming scenes between him and Helen in the next book as they move on to her proper training.

There were times when I did get frustrated that Helen couldn't really do enough in this book but I do feel like this one set up the world of The Dark Day Club really well and I cant wait to learn more about it in the next book and hopefully have Helen involved in more action where she can actually use her strength and skills. Maybe even Darby can get a little bit of action with Quinn because that would be perfect.

I received a free digital copy from the author/publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest feedback.

Lada was a disappointment to her father when she was born a boy but it doesn't take long for Lada to prove to everyone that she was a fierce princess of Wallachia. Set in the Ottoman Empire, Lada's story spans several years as she and her timid brother Radu grow up in the shadow of a cruel and weak father. Eventually they are left in the care of the sultan where they befriend Mehmed, the Sultan's third-oldest son. As they grow older and they both develop feelings for the same man Lada has to hold on to her independence in a world where women are typically treated as nothing and try and figure out how fiercely she will hold on to those she loves while at the same time trying to protect herself.

And then her lips, from which nothing but poison had ever dropped, found his and were baptized with sweet fire, reborn into something new and wild.

This was absolute brilliant from start to finish and I loved every bit of it. This is set in the Ottoman Empire and I believe it's loosely based off of Vlad the Impaler but a gender swap (?), however it could also be looked upon as a fantasy setting if you are like me and have never really read anything or knew anything about the Ottoman Empire and that period in history. Lada was an absolutely excellent character to read about and follow. She was fierce, independent, strong, stubborn, loyal. I loved her. There were times I wished for her to feel a bit more or show her feelings more but I also got why she often built up those walls around herself. The fact she so desperately hid her period, knowing it would mean being forced into a marriage, broke my heart as I really felt her fear and anxiety as well as that rage that noone would force her into anything. And her response to how she was treated made me cheer.

On our wedding night," she said, "I will cut out your tongue and swallow it. Then both tongues that spoke our marriage vows will belong to me, and I will be wed only to myself. You will most likely choke to death on your own blood, which will be unfortunate, but I will be both husband and wife and therefore not a widow to be pitied.

Radu was also a great character though i didn't love him as much as Lada. I really enjoyed the flux of their sibling relationship and how ti changed with time and circumstance from Radu needing Lada to protect him to times when Lada needed Radu to protect her from the sultan. Radu ended up growing up a lot stronger and independent than I thought he would though the childhood ache of wanting a friend seems to stay with him. I did grow irritated at him near the end and how he treated Lada after she and Mehmeh grow closer as he seems to fault her and keep Mehmeh in this golden light. I really identifed with some of the descriptions Lada had about her brother, the times she ached with that need to protect him from the world and that he above all others was hers. As an older sister, I definitely recognized that feeling!

I really enjoyed the setting of this really old Europe and Middle East and I enjoyed some of the emphasis on Islam as a religion and Radu's peaceful journey in finding God with Islam. I feel like it's a religion that's not mentioned a lot in books, and to see it mentioned here without it being linked in with violence or extremism etc.

Overall, just a fantastic book and I CAN'T WAIT for the next book!!!!

4.5 Stars

The Museum of Extraordinary Things tells the dual tale of Coralie and Eddie. Coralie's father owns The Museum of Extraordinary Things, located near the historical Dreamland amusement park on Coney Island, Brooklyn, in 1911. Coralie was born with webbed fingers and has to pose as 'human mermaid' in the museum. Eddie is running away from an Orthodox Jewish lifestyle and is a photographer. Coralie and Eddie's lives become intertwined the same year as the Shirtwaist Factory Fire and the Dreamland Fire.

It took me a while to get into this book but once I did it was beautiful. The story is told perfectly in between these two major historical fires in New York in the same year and I really love how the fires symbolised something big in the character's lives. There was a real sense of magic in the ordinary in this writing, and the imagery and words were just beautiful. I loved how Coralie and Eddie's story came together. I love how they were struck dumb with love by each other the moment they saw each other (at different times) and I think this story proves that the concept of insta-love is believable and enjoyable when it's done well.

There was a perfect sense of atmosphere in this book. The amusement park on and off seasons, the build up of Dreamland and the tensions it caused the Professor. I loved Eddie's descriptions of the community he grew up in and how he wandered back from time to time. It was a 1900's New York I haven't seen a lot of before in books and I loved it. I think people who know and have grown up in New York would love this book and there is a sense of history that's really interesting, even for someone like me who has never been.

I think this book would be perfect for fans of The Night Circus. It doesn't have the real magic like The Night Circus but there's something about it that has the same spark and feeling. This would also work well for readers who would like an adult version of Miss Peregine's Home for Peculiar Children (I actually wished to be able to see the photos Eddie took of the Professor's employees).

4.5 Stars
I received a free digital copy from the author/publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest feedback.

July lives and breathes horses. She helps out her dad on a daily basis, who works as a trainer in a racing stables. The only problem is getting too attached to horses who may be sold on, and July is currently trying not to fall in love with a chestnut filly called Kali who wasn't made to be a racer. July is also dealing with an absent mom who she hasn't seen in 4 years after she walked out to chase her jockey dreams in another state. Plus, there's also the fact that the stables could be bankrupt and July will lose not just Kali, but all the horses.

I loved this! I would have read it in one sitting easily if I had started it a little bit earlier in the day but this was the perfect kind of horsey read for me to get my teeth into. I love books like this, Stories about people who simply love horses and it's a story that 100% invested in the world of horses and not just halfway there.

It's obvious Mara knows her stuff when it comes to racing but I found I was able to easily follow along with the different terms and races even though I'm not educated in the way of horse racing, and definitely not American horse racing which is seems to be all flat and no jumps. I loved the different people working in the stables but mostly all the horses and how Mara was able to give them all their own unique and beautiful personality - from gentle Diver, working Maggie, tenacious Lighter and the gifted-in-her-own-way Kali.

This book also didn't fall into a trope I see a lot of in horse novels which is the snobby and pretentious horse owners. Too often, there's the snobby, rich horse owner who looks down their nose at the plebs working in the stables and don't own their own horse. They often only ride their horses for the prestige of ribbons and trophies and not the love of riding, or even the horse themselves. With Stay the Distance, we had Beck who obviously cared for Lighter but wasn't a horse-mad fanatic like July was. We also had Beck's dad Delaney and his mam who obviously genuinely cared for the animals they owned, and the staff that worked for them. Plus Beck had a relationship with July and Matt with Martina, so they obviously weren't snobs with dating either. I loved how Delaney handled July asking him about Kali. It was perfect and lovely.

Beck and July's relationship was another great thing about this story. They obviously already had a history from growing up together and they had chemistry. They were obviously a good match and it was a waft of fresh air that there was major dramas in their relationship.

I think I would have liked more explanation about July and Marina's mom throughout the book as I was left confused as to what had happened in that she wouldn't even shoot them an email or a phone call. Considering they were teenagers when she left, it seemed really odd that she wouldn't even send them a text to let them know what she was up to.

Overall, I loved this book and I would highly recommend to anyone who loves a horsey read. I can't wait to read more of Mara's writing. I've already bought her next book!

I received a free digital copy from the author/publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest feedback.

Suzy is 13 years old and dealing with the death of her best friend who drowned during the summer. When Suzy discovers the vast world of the jellyfish, she decides that a jellyfish sting must be why Franny died and sets out to prove it to the world.

I wasn't expecting to love this book as much as I did but I absolutely adored it. It was much faster-paced than I expected too. I think because I knew there were a lot of jellyfish facts in it, I thought i would get a bit bogged down in them and it would slow down my reading but nope. I finished this book in one sitting.

Ultimately this is a book about a girl who has just started her teenage years and discovering that the world is a much vaster and confusing place than she originally thought. And with Franny's death, Suzy has to confront the fact that dying is something that happens to young people, and that sometimes things like that just happen for no reason at all.

I really found myself identifying with Suzy. Particularly her issues with friends and everyone growing up that bit faster than her. Her confusion over the sudden gap between her and Franny and why she was suddenly left behind while the girls did their make-up and flirted with the boys. I think a lot of people could feel for Suzy in this one, as she's not the only person who's ever felt left behind.

I loved Suzy's relationships as well. Her family were all amazing. Yes, they did bring her to a therapist to talk about the not talking situation but they never pushed her, or grew frustrated with her. They were there waiting, ready for when she was ready to accept everything and be there for her when she did. Her brother and his boyfriend, yes. I love how there was no big deal about Aaron being gay. There was no in depth story about him coming out or any controversy in the family because of it. Her parents were divorced but still on talking terms, and seemed to still be on pretty good terms considering they were separated. I also loved Mrs Thurton and her quiet observations and suggestions. It's always great to see a good teacher/mentor-student relationship and a teacher really offering that safe haven for a student who just needs that time and space. Ans Justin was just lovely. I really loved his explanations of ADHD and how his medication helped.

This book was such a pleasant surprise and I would really urge everyone to read it, just to see if it will surprise you too. And who knew there were so many interesting facts about jellyfish!

I received a free digital copy from the author/publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest feedback.

I feel like my heart has been wrung out like a dishcloth. I'm emotionally drained after reading this book. It's very very good.

Salt to the Sea follows Joana, Florian, Emilia as they travel through a war-torn Prussia to seek as safe voyage to somewhere better than where they ended up. Alfred is a German soldier on the Wilhelm Gustloff and eventually meets up with the other three characters and they all end up in the centre of a disaster that killed more people than the Titanic.

This book was really fast-paced and I flew right through it. I found it very hard to put down and I think it's because I connected with so many of the characters. I say so many when I actually mean all of them except Alfred because he was a creep. I really felt like every moment from each character revealed a little more about themselves. They all had their secrets and were very much a mystery at the start of the book but slowly they start to reveal themselves to each other and love each other. I think I spent most of the book in absolute awe of Emilia. She was an exquisite character. So innocent after everything she had been through but so strong, and good and kind. I think she's a character that will stick with me for a long time.

I had never heard of the disaster before and I can't believe I haven't considering 9,000 people lost their lives in it. It's hard not to compare scenes of the ship sinking to the scenes from the movie Titanic, the panic, the women and children drowning, the fear of lifeboats overcrowding. I felt a sense of unease about how so much of this book could be compared to what's going on in the world today with the refugee crisis - people leaving their home in a war-torn country with all their belongings on their back and very little hope of surviving, the danger of drowning, of their children drowning. I think the book came out at a pretty perfect time.

The ending was a little bit abrupt. I would have liked it to have been laid out as more of an epilogue style and it wasn't, at least for me on my Kindle. I almost didn't realise I was reading an epilogue of sorts and had to go back and start the chapter again.

This book is so beautiful with characters so deep and raw, you will not be able to put their story down. It's a book that needs to be read so finally, their story can finally be told.

I received a free digital copy from the author/publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest feedback.

Liddi lives on a planet where technology is the be all and end all. She also happens to be the heiress of the biggest tech company on the planet and is the youngest sister to eight brothers. When Liddi is almost kidnapped by a group of mercenaries and brothers mysteriously disappear, Liddi knows something is up. As she attempts to figure it out, she ends up discovering something amazing and ending up on an unknown neighbouring planet. Without the use of her voice, Liddi must make friends and save her family (and her world).

I went into this pretty blind. I read the summary of the book on Goodreads and I'm not sure why but it made my brain melt a little bit and no information went in at all. So all I knew was it was sci-fi YA and that was about it. I didn't expect to get so sucked into the story but I really did. I like sci-fi but I don't read a whole load of it and I was afraid that I would get a little bit overwhelmed and while at first Liddi's world is a bit confusing, over time I got used to it and the structure of her own planet and the other seven plus the final unknown eight planet. I would actually love more books in this kind of galaxy (is that the right word?) as I found the different alien species and the brief description of the other planets fascinating.

I loved Liddi's relationship with her family and I really felt for her as she struggled to save them. She has such a special bond with every brother and her little memories with all of them, and her parents, were very heart-warming. Her relationship with her family was definitely one of my favourite things about the book and even though the brothers were not really in a lot of the book, except Liddi's memories, I ended up loving all of them too as it was clear their love for their sister, and each other, was as equal.

I thought the storyline of Liddi losing her voice was an excellent one. I'm not familiar with The Wild Swans which I believe this was a retelling of so it just reminded me of The Little Mermaid. I found myself gasping in shock and make-believe pain at parts because I knew Liddi couldn't. There were times I knew she needed to cry out so I found myself wanting to do it for her instead!

Overall, this was a fantastic book and I enjoyed every moment of it. Liddi was a wonderful, strong and kind-hearted female protagonist with brains to burn and if every female character could be like her, we'd be on to a winner.

I received a free digital copy from the author/publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest feedback.


Alex works a pretty boring desk job in the immigration office, pretty much going through the same motions every day until he comes across a visa application for a Russian girl called Nadia. Something about Nadia and her friend's character references sticks out and Alex remembers her. Like a twist of fate, Alex bumps into Nadia a week later and the two become unlikely friends - taking trips around London to brighten up Alex's life while also making sure Nadia sees everything she needs to see before her inevitable deportation.

I really loved this book. From the get go it was super cute and all the characters were very relatable and likeable. Alex had a cute shyness that reminded me of Lincoln from Attachments by Rainbow Rowell, as well as the slight likeness in getting to know Nadia through correspondence read in work. Nadia was very bubbly and hard not to like. She was kind and hard-working and didn't mope about feeling sorry for herself. I don't know much about immigration rules and about the visa process but I thought the novel was good in showing how frustrating it was to be waiting around for something that could change the rest of your life. The journey to her appeal was a pretty bleak one and Nadia had a wonderful support system - friends that were more or less her family. It's hard to imagine what something like that must be like for someone going it alone.

While this book was definitely full of the not-so-surprising twists and turns you'd expect in a rom-com book, it was just such a pleasure to read. I completely fell in love with all the characters, and the friend group had such a lovely dynamic that even included Alex and Rory (thankfully not Lili). I definitely recommend anyone to pick this up for a light-hearted yet touching read, plus it really gives you those London feels and made me want to back to the beautiful city straight away!

This book is phenomenal and an absolute must-read for anyone who has a dog and has ever wonder what they're thinking (re: anyone who has a dog).

Bailey was first born as Toby, a stray puppy, but after a short and tragic life he became Bailey who found his boy Ethan. Bailey knows deep in his heart that this is the life he was suppose to have, living as a beloved family dog and cuddling up to Ethan every night to protect him. But when Bailey is born again, he's confused. What exactly is his purpose and will he ever fulfill it?

This book is full of both heartwarming and heartbreaking moments. Bailey's love for each of his owners - as Toby, Bailey, Ellie and Buddy - is so beautiful and as I was reading the book, I could see the love described by Bailey being reflected back at me through the melting chocolate eyes of my own dogs and it definitely made me a little bit emotional. The trials that Bailey had to go through in all of his lives are the type of things that would make any animal lover angry and is why animal activism needs to continue - the unreasonable forced surrender of Senora's dogs, Toby being unfairly euthanised, being locked in a HOT car, being Bear and having an owner that didn't understand dogs or their needs - unfairly punishing him for things out of his control - and being abandoned simply because the owner was too selfish and mean-spirited to care for a dog and find them a loving home. These things really made my blood boil because they happen all over the world every single day and I think the way Cameron used these real issues to make the story and bring them to light was really well done.

This book is definitely a roller coaster of emotion. I laughed (Bailey's view on cats and horses is hilarious), I smiled, I was angry and sad. This is literally dog perfection in a book! Pawfect!