Thursday 31 May 2018

New Release: Mogul by Katy Evans

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Mogul 
by Katy Evans 

Publication Date: May 31, 2018 
Genre: Contemporary Romance


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A brand new contemporary romance from New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author Katy Evans is AVAILABLE NOW!
He's my most delicious secret.
The hot Suit I had a one-night stand with one evening.
I didn't know anything about him, not even his name.
Only that we shared a taxi, and he was staying at the hotel where I worked.
We met in room 301. Where he commanded not only my body but my soul.
The next day he was gone and I only had a memory of him.
I could still taste his kisses, feel his demanding touch.
I searched for him for months. Daydreaming about him. Wondering if I'd ever find him.
Until the day I find myself staring face to face with his jeweled black eyes again.
He says lets keep it casual, and my heart knows that falling for this workaholic in a three-thousand-dollar suit is off the table.
Because he has a secret. One that's a deal breaker for me.
My Suit has a name.
Ian Ford.
And this is our story.


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Read Mogul Today!
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2HKju60
Amazon Universal: myBook.to/mogulkindle
iBooks: https://apple.co/2FMjtlE
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2ppPwg7
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/2FR32jN
Add to your Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2FR3COv


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About the Author:
Katy Evans is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author. Her debut REAL shot to the top of the bestselling lists in 2013 and since then 9 of her titles have been New York Times bestsellers. Her books have been translated into nearly a dozen languages across the world.


Connect with the Author:
Email: katyevansauthor@gmail.com
Twitter @authorkatyevans

Book Review: Rules of Engagement by Annie Dyer


About the Book

 A top, workaholic lawyer. An independent, ambitious marketing executive. Neither was looking for anything more than a hook-up, so what happens when a hook-up leaves them hooked - on each other? 

Jackson Callaghan leads his family's London law firm by example: work hard then work harder. Surrounded by his six siblings he's never needed the commitment of a relationship and is more than happy with his poker nights, occasional one night stands and owning the roads on his Harley until he meets Vanessa Moore.

Vanessa has no interest in anything other than growing her marketing company and breaking all ties from her ex. The contract to rebrand Callaghan Green is her chance to showcase her talents, not end up in Jackson Callaghan's bed, on his kitchen work top and his sofa, amongst other places. He's rearranging her world and she's not sure she doesn't like it.

But can two independent, ambitious workaholics ever manage to work things out for each other, and with something possibly more important at stake: their hearts? 




My Thoughts

Engagement Rate was an enjoyable story. For the most part, it’s a straightforward romance with no contrived miscommunications.

I liked Jackson and Vanessa. I found them interesting as individuals and as a couple. Their romance may be quick in calendar terms but it did not feel rushed. I liked that as busy professionals, they found time to be with one another. These pockets of time were not just about the sexy times, but about getting to know one another. Their conversations about everything and nothing felt real, and their willingness to expose their vulnerabilities to one other made for a great relationship.

The book also introduces us to Jackson’s many siblings, and a cast of what I assume may become main characters in later books. The dynamics of working together and playing together seem to suit this family. Importantly, they all are portrayed as individuals with unique personalities. I am personally looking forward to reading more about Max. And a special mention for Vanessa’s Gran; she was a fun character, and I wish we got to see more of her.

What really lets this book down is the poor editing and proof reading. I often found myself jolted out of the story, and the multiple errors made for a frustrating reading experience.


About the Author

Annie lives in the north of England, not too far from the amazing city of Manchester. She is owned by several cats and many hens, narrowly avoiding being a mad cat woman by enslaving a very understanding husband. She’s an avid reader of many genres and if she’s not writing a book, she’s usually reading one!




   

New Release Book Review + Excerpt + Author Giveaway: Part-Time Husband by Noelle Adams




Part-Time Husband
by Noelle Adams

Trophy Husbands Series book #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: May 29, 2018



Blurb

On a Wednesday afternoon, I ask Trevor Bentley to marry me. He might be the most arrogant, obnoxious man I know, but I need him to be my husband for a year.

There are reasons.

He's not going to be a real husband. Just part-time. Yes, I have to live with him. And, okay, I also have to share his bed. And, sure, he's the sexiest and most exciting thing to ever happen to my controlled, organized life.

But still... It's only a part-time marriage. I'm not going to give him my heart. I know what I'm doing, and I'm too smart to fall for my husband.

I hope.







Purchase Links

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU



Trailer




My Thoughts

As the eldest of three adult siblings, Melissa is used to taking on the role of carer. She is also a formidable businesswoman in her own right, and when her grandfather threatens both her job and the financial support of her sisters, Melissa falls in with his plans to get her married off. Except she’ll do it her way and propose to a man her grandfather detests; Trevor Bentley. Marketing guru, business competitor and subservient to no one, especially Melissa’s grandfather. Trevor agrees to the proposal when Melissa offers him a prized business deal.

Written from Melissa’s point of view, the story is largely told in a somewhat perfunctory manner, I assume to align with her matter-of-fact state of mind. There’s a place for everything, and everything in its place, including a part-time husband. 

To her frustration, Trevor proves difficult to compartmentalise. I loved Trevor. He’s a mystery to Melissa but readers get to see his vulnerability and his genuine feelings for Melissa. His straightforward and honest approach sets Melissa on edge. She has no clue what to make of him at times. And she certainly did not sign up for romance, never mind that she’s wildly attracted to him. 

Like with all marriages of convenience in a romance novel, they are remarkably inconvenient to begin with yet over time, these two slowly open up to each other and provide readers with a lovely romance that’s peppered with plenty of banter and humour.



*****
Excerpt

I’m feeling warm and relaxed when I finally get out of the bathtub. I usually don’t walk around the apartment unless I’m covered up, but since Trevor isn’t here I just wrap a towel around me. My hair is piled up messily on my head, and I’m carrying my bath salts and soap.
I open the bathroom door and nearly run smack into Trevor.
I give a little squeal and immediately look to make sure my towel is in place. “I didn’t know you were home.”
“I just got back.”
“I was in the bath.”
“I know that.” He’s looking very sexy in that end-of-the-day way he has. Five-o’clock shadow. Slightly loosened tie and collar. Half-lowered eyelids.
God, the man is hot.
“I could smell you as soon as I walked in the door,” he adds, the slightly rough words doing nothing for my flustered state of mind.
“You smelled me?” I’m thinking all kinds of things at the moment, and none of them are suitable to share with the man in front of me.
He reaches over, and I swallow over a quick intake of breath. I think he’s going to touch me. I want him to touch me.
He touches my bath salts instead. “This stuff you put in your bath. I smelled it as soon as I walked in, so I knew you were in the bath.”
“Oh.”
It’s perfectly logical. And kind of a disappointment.
His hand moves from the bath salts, and his fingertips slowly trail up my towel to the bare skin at my collarbone. It’s barely a touch, but it makes my skin flush and a pulsing begin between my legs.
“What did you think?” he asks, his voice a little thicker than normal.
“What did I think about what?” I have no idea what he’s talking about. My brain isn’t exactly functioning at the moment.
“What did you think I smelled?”
“I… I didn’t know.”
“I see.”
It feels like he sees.
It feels like he sees all of me.
I’m staring at his plum-colored tie because it’s safer than meeting his eyes right now. I don’t want him to know how I’m feeling, how his touch, his presence is affecting me.
“Melissa?”
“What?”
“Are you planning to move out of the doorway? I need to use the bathroom.”
And that’s like a load of bricks on my breathlessness. I’m able to meet his gaze now with a cool expression as I step out of the doorway.
I’m on my way out of the room when he says, “We can return to this particular conversation a little later in bed if you want.”
Damn it.
The asshole knows exactly what I was feeling just now.
Fortunately I’m not feeling it anymore.
“I don’t think so.”
“You sure?”
I turn my head and see him smirking at me, as if he thinks he’s already won.
He hasn’t won.
“Yes, I’m sure. The problem is that any kind of conversation with you involves your infuriating personality, and that just doesn’t work for me.”
“I think it does.”
“You think wrong. And I thought you had to go to the bathroom.”
“I do. We’ll resume this conversation at a later date.”





Author Bio

Noelle handwrote her first romance novel in a spiral-bound notebook when she was twelve, and she hasn’t stopped writing since. She has lived in eight different states and currently resides in Virginia, where she reads any book she can get her hands on and offers tribute to a very spoiled cocker spaniel.

She loves travel, art, history, and ice cream. After spending far too many years of her life in graduate school, she has decided to reorient her priorities and focus on writing contemporary romances.


Author Links

Wednesday 30 May 2018

Cover Reveal (& Author Giveaway): Truly Yours by Mia Miller




Title: Truly Yours
Series: Truly Us
Author: Mia Miller
Genre: New Adult
Cover Design: Marissa, Cover Me Darling
Photo: Thomas Knights
Model: Ken Bak
Release Date: June 19, 2018



Blurb


We crashed into each other like the moth and the flame.

For years, we've been best friends.

I told him all my secrets and I believed I knew his.

In camp, I thought he was the most beautiful boy in the world.

In high-school, I promised him my virginity.

On our first day of college, I had three revelations:

He's a jerk.

He doesn't care.

I don't even know him.








Author Bio


Mia Miller started writing as a getaway from a taxing day job in a multinational corp. A lover of all things romance since forever, Mia tries to find a little bit of a love story even in zombie movies. She likes her book boyfriends Alpha and her novels naughty.

Nowadays Mia can be constantly found typing away, with her Dogo Argentino at her feet. Mia brings to her readers books in the New Adult and Contemporary Romance genre.


Author Links

Book Review: Snap by Belinda Bauer

About the Book

SNAP DECISIONS CAN BE FATAL . . .

On a stifling summer's day, eleven-year-old Jack and his two sisters sit in their broken-down car, waiting for their mother to come back and rescue them. Jack's in charge, she said. I won't be long.

But she doesn't come back. She never comes back. And life as the children know it is changed for ever.

Three years later, mum-to-be Catherine wakes to find a knife beside her bed, and a note that says: I could have killed you.

Meanwhile Jack is still in charge - of his sisters, of supporting them all, of making sure nobody knows they're alone in the house, and - quite suddenly - of finding out the truth about what happened to his mother.

But the truth can be a dangerous thing . . 



My Thoughts

“One bad choice. And so many consequences”

This line is spoken by one character in Belinda Bauer’s Snap but it easily holds true for just about every character we meet. The worst part is, that the choices some characters make affect others more than they do themselves. And it’s such choices that finds a young Jack Bright looking after his even younger siblings after a tragedy tears the family apart.

I found the book highly engaging once the seemingly random characters crossed paths and their connections were revealed. I thought the author did really well in dropping some surprise revelations that I did not see coming. I found the book well paced for the most part, but I felt the ending was somewhat rushed and incomplete for my liking. The ‘who’ we learn about early on, but the ‘why’ is barely a blip on the radar.  

There’s a scattering of cynical observations throughout the book from various characters which I found amusing, and a bit of relief from what is a tough book to read at times given the sheer weight of responsibilities being carried by a young boy.  DCI Marvel and DS Reynolds were an interesting pairing. Their demeanour and attitudes are polar opposites and their interactions were entertaining to read. 

The standout character for me though, was Jack. He may have been one of the youngest, but he is the one that learned to bend. He did not snap.  


About the Author

Belinda Bauer grew up in England and South Africa. She has worked as a journalist and screenwriter, and her script THE LOCKER ROOM earned her the Carl Foreman/Bafta Award for Young British Screenwriters, an award that was presented to her by Sidney Poitier. She was a runner-up in the Rhys Davies Short Story Competition for "Mysterious Ways," about a girl stranded on a desert island with 30,000 Bibles. Belinda now lives in Wales.

Monday 28 May 2018

Book Review: Now She's Gone by Alison James


About the Book

She took a mouthful of the sweet liquid and started to feel a pounding in her head. Arms went around her waist and she was half lifted and half pulled. The last thing she was aware of was her head hitting a step… 

Sixteen-year-old Emily had everything to live for. A bright, beautiful teenager with a promising future ahead of her. But in one night her life is cut short. The police say it’s an accident. But her parents think she was murdered. 

When Detective Rachel Prince is called in to investigate the shocking death at the height of the Edinburgh festival, her instincts tell her that things are not as they first appear. Something is very wrong. 

As the case takes an unexpected turn, Rachel discovers a chilling link with the suspicious death of another international student, who stayed in the same house as Emily two years before. 

Just as Rachel finds herself on the hunt for a serial killer, a painful relationship from her own past catches up with her. And Rachel must decide what is more important – catching the killer or keeping her own secrets? 
  

My Thoughts

In Alison James’ Now She Gone, DI Rachel Prince and DS Mark Brickall find themselves in Edinburgh to investigate the supposedly accidental death of a teenage Dutch National.  

I found the mystery handled well and the plot unfolded in a well paced manner. I don’t think the identity of the killer was too difficult to figure out but I was interested to read how all the dots were ultimately joined together.

There’s a good balance between the mystery versus the personal and professional lives of Prince, Brickall and other recurring characters. I was quite surprised at some of the revelations and overall enjoyed the opportunity to learn more about some of the characters. A special mention goes out to DI Morag Sillars. She was quite the character, and I hope that she turns up in another DI Prince book somewhere along the line.


I hope James is beavering away writing the next book in the series because I am eager to read more. I am definitely a fan of Prince and Brickall. 


About the Author

I was born in the Cotswolds but spent most of my formative years abroad. I studied languages at Oxford, then became a journalist and author, returning to university after my two children to take a law degree. After a three-year stint as a criminal paralegal, I worked as a commercial copywriter and then a TV storyliner, before coming full circle to write fiction again.

Twitter: @AlisonJbooks

Sunday 27 May 2018

Book Review: Dead Lions by Mick Herron

About the Book



London's Slough House is where the washed-up MI5 spies go to while away what's left of their failed careers. The "slow horses," as they’re called, have all disgraced themselves in some way to get relegated here. Maybe they messed up an op badly and can't be trusted anymore. Maybe they got in the way of an ambitious colleague and had the rug yanked out from under them. Maybe they just got too dependent on the bottle—not unusual in this line of work. One thing they all have in common, though, is they all want to be back in the action. And most of them would do anything to get there─even if it means having to collaborate with one another.

Now the slow horses have a chance at redemption. An old Cold War-era spy is found dead on a bus outside Oxford, far from his usual haunts. The despicable, irascible Jackson Lamb is convinced Dickie Bow was murdered. As the agents dig into their fallen comrade's circumstances, they uncover a shadowy tangle of ancient Cold War secrets that seem to lead back to a man named Alexander Popov, who is either a Soviet bogeyman or the most dangerous man in the world. How many more people will have to die to keep those secrets buried?


My Thoughts



I am now quite addicted to the Slough House series, yet I’m taking my time in reading them because they are well worth savouring.

In Dead Lions, the focus is on relationships with Russia, both those from the past and in the future. A low-level agent whose heyday was way back during the Cold War is dead, and only Jackson Lamb, The Slough Horse boss, seems to think there’s more to it than an old drunk dying. And looking forward, those in power, as well as those looking to be in power, are jockeying to form relationships with particular Russians who power base is increasing back in Russia.

There are plenty of twists and turns in the story that kept me highly engaged but once again, it’s the “Slow Horses” and their relationships with each other, and others at the fictitious Mi5 HQ in Regent’s Park, that make the book unique. Herron’s characters are often witty and wily, but rarely likeable. It’s really a case of every person for themselves in this professional setting. Even when they are co-operating on the surface, there are plenty of behind the scenes machinations as everyone tries to protect themselves but gain an advantage; for those in Slough House the aim being entry back to Regent’s Park HQ.

I highly recommend this book, and the Slough House series.



About the Author




Mick Herron is a novelist and short story writer whose books include the Sarah Tucker/Zoë Boehm series and the standalone novel Reconstruction.  His work has been shortlisted for the Macavity, Barry and Shamus awards, and his novella DOLPHIN JUNCTION was joint winner of the 2009 Ellery Queen Readers Award. His second standalone, Nobody Walks, was shortlisted for the Ian Fleming Steel Dagger in 2015, and was one of Booklist Magazine’s Best 101 Crime Novels of the Decade.

He is the author of the acclaimed Jackson Lamb series, the first of which, the Steel Dagger-nominated Slow Horses was hailed by the Daily Telegraph as one of the “the twenty greatest spy novels of all time”. The second in the series, Dead Lions, won the 2013 CWA Goldsboro Gold Dagger, and was picked by the Sunday Times as one of the best 25 crime novels of the past five years. The third, Real Tigers, was shortlisted for both the Gold and Steel Daggers, for the Theakstons Crime Novel of the Year, and for the 2017 Macavity Award. It won the Last Laugh Award at Crimefest 2017, for the best humorous crime novel of 2016.

Spook Street, the fourth Jackson Lamb novel – praised by Ian Rankin for its “sublime dialogue and frictionless plotting” – won the Ian Fleming Steel Dagger 2017.

The fifth Jackson Lamb novel, LONDON RULES, will appear in 2018.

Mick was born in Newcastle upon Tyne, and now lives in Oxford. He writes full time.



http://mickherron.com/ 

Saturday 26 May 2018

New Release: Cocktales - The Cocky Collective, An Anthology

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Cocktales

a limited-release anthology of original, never before published material, from some of your favorite bestselling authors is available now!


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Each story was specifically written for this anthology.

The goal of the Cocktales Anthology is to raise funds to fight against obstruction of creative expression. Specifically, what we believe are obstruction attempts through the trademarking of common (single) words for titicular use in books / or as a book series (eBooks, print, and audio).

Cocktales will only be available May 26th-August 26th.


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Download your copy today
Amazon Universal: http://mybook.to/Cocktales
Add to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/CockTalesGR


Contributing Authors Include
Nana Malone, USA Today Bestselling author – Foreword
Dylan Allen – 'Cocked and Loaded'
Jana Aston, NYT, WSJ, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Double Cocked'
Whitney Barbetti – 'Cocksure Grin'
Author Sawyer Bennett, NYT, WSJ, USA Today Bestselling author – 'A Wicked, Cocky Plan'
K.f. Breene, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Magical Cock and Bull'
Ruth Clampett, Amazon top 20 Bestselling Author – 'Don’t Get Cocky'
L.H. Cosway, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Illusionist Seeks Neanderthal'
Mariah Dietz – 'Landmines'
Amy Daws, Amazon Top 25 Bestselling author – 'Cock and Balls'
BB Easton, Amazon Top 100 Bestselling author – 'Cocky BB: Two Boys, One Prom.'
Jaymin Eve, USA Today Bestselling author – 'The Cockier the Dragon, the Harder They Fall'
Emma Hart, NYT and USA Today Bestselling author – 'Tricky Bond'
Staci Hart, Amazon Top 10 Bestselling author – 'Cockamamie'
Jessica Hawkins, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Cocky Couture'
Julie Johnson Amazon Top 100 Bestselling author – 'Culinary Cock-Up'
Karpov Kinrade, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Crimson Cocktail'
Adriana Locke, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Swag'
Lex Martin, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Love & Hate at the Stallion Station'
Aly Martinez, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Going Down'
Katyi McGee - USA Today Bestselling author – 'Cocksure Co-Star'
Corinne Michaels, NYT, WSJ, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Cockblocked'
Liv Morris, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Getting It Up'
Red Phoenix, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Her Cocky Russian'
Daisy Prescott, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Confessions of a Cockblocked Wingman'
Jessica Prince – ‘A Cocky Corruption Engagement’
Meghan Quinn, Amazon Top 20 Bestselling Author – 'Fight or Flight'
CD Reiss, NYT and USA Today Bestselling author – 'Cocky Capo'
Penny Reid, WSJ and USA Today Bestselling author – 'Beard and Hen'
Julie Richman, USA Today Bestselling author – 'The Color of Love'
Aleatha Romig, NYT, WSJ, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Aligned'
Kennedy Ryan, Top 40 Amazon Bestselling author – 'All'
Kylie Scott, NYT, WSJ, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Short Story with Mal and Anne from The Stage Dive Series'
Sierra Simone, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Until the Cock Crows'
Tara Sivec, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Chocolate and Cockup'
Kate Stewart, Amazon Top 30 Bestselling author – 'The Golden Sombrero'
Leia Stone, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Cocky Alpha'
Karla Sorensen – 'Tristan & Anna: A Bachelors of the Ridge short story'
Rachel Van Dyken, NYT, WSJ, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Cocky Mafia'
April White, Amazon Top 100 Bestselling author – 'Code of Conduct'

*ALL* net profits will be donated to:
Authors already impacted by creative-obstruction (10%), and Romance Writers of America (RWA) (90%) as a general donation intended for their Advocacy Fund. *Disclaimer: This anthology is not being conducted on behalf of RWA, nor does RWA endorse this anthology or effort. They have, however, graciously agreed to accept the funds.


For more information, visit: https://www.cockyauthors.com

Friday 25 May 2018

Book Review: Lola Is Missing by Alison James


About the Book

  
A MISSING CHILD. A DEAD WOMAN. WHO IS NEXT?

Six-year-old Lola Jade Harper is taken from her bedroom. Her mother is distraught. She is convinced her estranged husband, Gavin Harper, has abducted their daughter.

Detective Rachel Prince is leading the investigation but is soon out of her depth as she searches for the most high-profile missing child in the country. To uncover the truth about Lola’s disappearance, Rachel must untangle the Harper family’s complicated web of secrets and lies.

As the case progresses, the body of a local woman is found. The death at first seems unrelated, until a trail of social media posts lead Rachel to a chilling discovery.

And then another little girl is taken…

With growing pressure from the public and the appearance of someone from her past she’d rather forget, will Rachel be able to solve the connection between the two missing children and the murder - before it’s too late? 


My Thoughts

DI Rachel Prince and her colleague DS Mark Brickall from the Major Crime Investigative Support team are brought in as a fresh pair of eyes to support the investigation of the disappearance of Lola Jade Harper five months earlier.

As they comb through the evidence collected and follow up on the minutest of leads, we learn about Lola and the people in her life. I was a touch hesitant in reading a book about child abduction but the topic was handled in a manner that kept me wanting to read more versus dreading what might be coming up next.

The plot was engaging and I found the book to be well written and well paced. For me, while the discovery of the kidnapper is an important detail, I was more interested in the why. I know this is a work of fiction but the story felt credible to me.

The Lying Kind is the first Detective Rachel Prince novel. As a character, I liked her immensely. She is a near-40 woman and a loner by choice. She recognizes that her life may appear barren from the outside but she is content with her circumstances. Her past is a strange one and while we got a resolution, I feel there is more to it. I very much look forward to learning more about her.

I also enjoyed getting to know her colleague and subordinate DS Mark Brickall. Their relationship is both strange and endearing. I love the banter between them and they work well together, each brining their own skill set in to play.

There were a couple of things that didn’t work for me. Firstly, I found it strange, particularly in the latter stages, that Rachel and Mark seemed to work in isolation. Instead of being excited that the final chase was on, I was wondering where the back-up was; this is a case of a missing child. I struggled to believe that such a high profile case could not harness greater support when the kidnappers were discovered. Secondly, there is an incident that DS Mark Brickall is involved in where the solution put a bad taste in my mouth. I am not naïve that I think such things do not take place but I am disappointed that it happened at all and the reaction of those around Mark, including Rachel.

The book is primarily set in London – a city I love – so I enjoyed going with Rachel on her runs through the city as she bypassed certain landmarks. It offered a familiarity that I liked. I am definitely looking forward to more books in this series.


About the Author

I was born in the Cotswolds but spent most of my formative years abroad. I studied languages at Oxford, then became a journalist and author, returning to university after my two children to take a law degree. After a three-year stint as a criminal paralegal, I worked as a commercial copywriter and then a TV storyliner, before coming full circle to write fiction again.

Twitter: @AlisonJbooks