#BookReview SPACE HOPPER by HELEN FISHER #SpaceHopper

ABOUT THE BOOK

This is a story about taking a leap of faith
And believing the unbelievable

They say those we love never truly leave us, and I’ve found that to be true. But not in the way you might expect. In fact, none of this is what you’d expect.

I’ve been visiting my mother who died when I was eight.
And I’m talking about flesh and blood, tea-and-biscuits-on-the-table visiting here.

Right now, you probably think I’m going mad.
Let me explain…

Although Faye is happy with her life, the loss of her mother as a child weighs on her mind even more now that she is a mother herself. So she is amazed when, in an extraordinary turn of events, she finds herself back in her childhood home in the 1970s. Faced with the chance to finally seek answers to her questions – but away from her own family – how much is she willing to give up for another moment with her mother?

Space Hopper is an original and poignant story about mothers, memories and moments that shape life.

PUBLISHED BY SIMON & SCHUSTER

PURCHASE LINK

AMAZON

MY REVIEW

This is one of those books where the story shouldn’t really work! Time travelling back to your youth to see your mother and re-connect once more?! But the way it is written, you truly believe in the concept and appreciate the ability of somebody being able to go back and appreciate those final memories a little more, so it makes for a touching and fun read as you just want to do the same to go back and see loved ones.

Faye is a normal 30 something – married with 2 kids – but something is missing from her life. She lost her mother when she was 8, so her memories of time with her mother are very sketchy. She clings on to a photo taken when she was 6 and just wants to be back there again to relive those times and savour them a little more. When she finds her old spacehopper box in the loft, she doesn’t realise it has the magical powers of time travel so she soon finds herself face to face with her beloved mum – and her younger self!

What follows for Faye is the dilemma – does she dare get too close to her mum again and try and change the past, whilst forgetting to spend time with her family in the present? It is a story that does get you thinking – ooh how i wish time travel was a real thing! – and makes you cling on to hope and savouring all those little memories before it is too late.

I thought the ending was a little too fantastical, but that didn’t spoil the overall story for me as it was written with great heart and tenderness.

★★★★

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#BlogTour The Lights of Time by Paul Ian Cross #bookreview #giveaway @rararesources

Delighted to be the latest stop on the Blog Tour for this fun and exciting new title – THE LIGHTS OF TIME by PAUL IAN CROSS. My thanks to the author, publisher and Rachel of Rachel’s Random Resources for letting me be part of it all! 

I’ll be sharing my review later on and there’s also a fab giveaway to take part in!! I am spoiling you all today!!

About the book

Engella Rhys is alone, adrift and on the run. Pursued by a secret agency, known only as the Hunters, she must stay ahead to stay alive. As she travels through space-time using dangerously experimental technology, she only has one wish: to be reunited with her lost parents. After a close shave with a Hunter on the streets of New Shanghai, Engella escapes to find herself on a deserted beach. When she meets a kind stranger, who offers her food and shelter, Engella feels safe and protected for the first time in years. But who is this woman? And why did their paths cross at the most convenient of times? Engella soon discovers their lives are intertwined in more ways than she could ever imagine.

Purchase Links

Amazon UK

Amazon US

About the Author

Paul Ian Cross is a multi-award-winning children’s author and scientist from London, UK.

Paul works in clinical research (developing new medicines) and he’s also involved in science communication; presenting science to non-scientists. He enjoys his science career but he also has a real passion for writing stories! He likes introducing children to the wonders of science, especially reluctant readers. By introducing science creatively, he aims to spark their interest; allowing them to gain confidence with their reading. As a previous reluctant reader himself, he understands how hard it can be. But it’s all about making reading fun and interesting!

Paul’s nephew Hayden influenced his decision to become a writer. He loved seeing Hayden’s reaction when his sister Michelle first read one of Paul’s stories to him!

In his spare time, Paul likes to visit new and exciting places. One of his favourite places is Scotland, especially the Isle of Skye.

Paul’s debut picture book, Praxx and the Ringing Robot, won second prize in the ‘Picture Books 5 and Younger’ category at the Purple Dragonfly Book Awards 2017. The book trailer also won first place in the ‘book trailer’ category at the Royal Dragonfly Book Awards later that year.

Paul’s second book, Planet Scrabbage and the Vegerons, won an honourable mention in both the ‘Picture Books 6 and Over’ and ‘Health’ categories at the Purple Dragonfly Book Awards 2018.

And that brings us to now… Paul is currently working on several new books. Paul’s debut upper middle grade novel will be published in 2018. The Lights of Time is the first novel in a brand-new series: The Chronicles of Engella Rhys.

Paul hopes you enjoy reading his stories as much as he enjoyed writing them!

Social Media Links

http://www.pauliancross.com/

https://www.facebook.com/pauliancrossauthor

https://www.instagram.com/pauliancross.author/

https://www.youtube.com/pauliancrossauthor

Tweets by tyrannopaulus

MY REVIEW

What a way to start a series! This is an exciting introduction to a world of time travel and follows the journey of a young girl – Engella – as she seeks to find the truth about herself while trying to escape from The Hunters who are dogged in their pursuit of her.  No matter where she goes they follow, so she has to be very wary of meeting new people wherever she goes.

This is a story full of action and adventure and I loved the different settings used – from the rugged Scottish coasts, to the deserts of New Mexico and city streets of a future New Shanghai, Engella is caught up in a complex world where she’s desperate to find out the truth of her family and more of The Corporation who are determined to track her down because they think she knows more than she’s letting on!

The Corporation are a nasty bunch to get mixed up with, and that leads to some dark encounters throughout and they will stop at nothing to get what they want.  

I loved the flow of this book! The change of timelines and scenery work so well to keep the pace going, and there’s always a new element being introduced just to add to the tension and adventure! Engella is a really smart character and so inquisitive and  brave, and the connection she had with various characters she met along the way was very touching.  So glad to see that this is the first in a series as I can’t wait to find out what is in store next for Engella!! A great read for YA and adult readers!

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GIVEAWAY

Giveaway – Win a Kindle HD Fire 7” and a signed copy of The Lights of Time (UK Only)

*Terms and Conditions –UK entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then I reserve the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time I will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/33c69494168/

GOOD LUCK!!

#BlogTour The Light Between Us by Katie Khan #BookReview #RandomThingsTours

An absolute delight to be  the stop today on this Blog Tour for this fabulous book! My thanks to the author, publisher and Anne of Random Things Tours for allowing me to be part of it all!

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Isaac and Thea were once close, but they’ve grown apart.

Thea works tirelessly, convinced she can prove everyone around her wrong – convinced she can prove that time travel is possible. But when one of her attempts goes wrong, she finds herself picking up the phone and calling her old friend.

Isaac is in New York – it’s the middle of the night, but when he sees who’s calling him, he cannot ignore his phone. At Thea’s request, he travels home, determined to help her in her hour of need.

But neither of them are prepared for what they will discover when he gets there.

The Light Between Us is a story of second chances and time travel.  It begs the dangerous question that we all ask ourselves – what could have been?

Published by Doubleday

Publication Date – 9th August 2018

Purchase Links

Amazon UK  £14.99

Hive.co.uk  £10.25

Book Depository  £13.41

About the Author

Katie Khan has spent 10 years working in online editorial in the film industry, including 4 years as Head of Digital at Paramount Pictures.  She joined Warner Bros. in 2017 to work on a major film production. Her first book, Hold Back The Stars, is being adapted into a film by the producers of Stranger Things.

She is a graduate of the acclaimed Faber Academy writing course.  Katie lives in London with her boyfriend and rescue cat Artie.

@katie_khan

MY REVIEW

I found this to be a fascinating and touching sci-fi/romance that was full of smart female characters who showed ambition and determination and that makes for a much more pleasurable reading experience!

I haven’t read the first book from this author – Hold Back The Stars – which is to be made into a movie, and I can see the film studios grabbing hold of this book too as it had so many elements that would make it perfect for adapting to the big screen!

It’s the story of Thea and Isaac who are firm friends from when they meet at University, but it never got past that stage as Thea is a woman on a mission, and she is never one to back down from a challenge if it means she gets proven right! She is determined to show that she can time travel, and even being thrown out of university doesn’t dampen her enthusiasm, so along with some female friends she sets out to achieve the impossible! And when one of her friends goes missing after an experiment, the impossible seems to have been proven possible! If only it was that easy to get their friend back.

They get back in touch with Isaac to help them try and figure out a way of making progress and their reconnecting sparks something in their friendship they’d never picked up on before. 

There’s a nice little delve into the historical genre along the way as certain things don’t seem to be making much sense and they must look back into the past to find out the truth of the dangers and effects of messing with time!

I really enjoyed the whole set up of this book – it was touching and intelligent, and was thought provoking throughout and I’m looking forward to going back and reading Hold Back The Stars too!

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Thanks for stopping by to read my review today! Don’t forget to check out the other stops on the tour! See below for all the dates!

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#BookReview Tomorrow by Damia Dibben

ABOUT THE BOOK

A wise old dog travels through the courts and battlefields of Europe and through the centuries in search of the master who granted him immortality 

“Ornate, vivid, deeply colored, and so precise I could smell and taste the world… The story of a dog crossing continents and centuries in search of the man he loves is moving and tender. I was captivated by its charm from the beginning.” —Rachel Joyce, author of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry

Tomorrow tells the story of a 217-year-old dog and his search for his lost master. His adventures take him through the London Frost Fair, the strange court of King Charles I, the wars of the Spanish succession, Versailles, the golden age of Amsterdam and to nineteenth-century Venice. As he journeys through Europe, he befriends both animals and humans, falls in love (only once), marvels at the human ability to make music, despairs at their capacity for war and gains insight into both the strength and frailties of the human spirit.

With the rich historical vision of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrelland the captivating canine perspective of A Dog’s Purpose, Tomorrow draws us into a unique century-spanning tale of the unbreakable connection between dog and human.

Published by Michael Joseph

Hardcover pages – 320

Purchase Links

Amazon UK

Book Depository

Hive.co.uk

MY REVIEW

Tomorrow is a dog! And he’s your narrator throughout this truly unique and imaginative historical book. And he also happens to be 217 years old! So there’s a lot of stories to tell as he takes you through his life and his quest to track down his beloved master once more, after he goes missing when they’re at a cathedral.

I loved the idea of this book and found it to be a very intriguing read, even if sometimes it did fall a little flat for me. There’s a lot of jumping around time wise and that is dealt with quite well, but I often found some of the timelines a little pointless and distracting from that bond between dog and master.

It was fascinating to view history in this way, through the eyes of Tomorrow – lots of time spent in Venice, The English Civil War, Waterloo to name a few – and this was often graphic and quite horrifying as he tried to make sense of what he saw humans doing to each other. He’s a very perceptive character and you can’t help but feel touched by the lengths he goes to in trying to reconnect with his master, and the fact that he helps other dogs along the way and becomes quite close to some!

If you are looking for a book that offers something a little different then I highly recommend this as it is a story that is truly original! The striking cover is also worth checking out!!

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Living in the Past by Jane Lovering #BlogTour #BookReview

Living  in the Past 

JANE LOVERING 

Another wonderful novel from award-winning author Jane Lovering. Set on the site of an archaeological dig in Yorkshire with a compelling time travel theme.

Do you ever wish you could turn back time?

Grace Nicholls has a few reasons for wanting to turn back the clock … although an archaeological dig at a Bronze Age settlement on the Yorkshire moors is not what she had in mind. But encouraged by her best friend Tabitha, that’s exactly where she finds herself.

Professor Duncan McDonald is the site director and his earnest pursuit of digging up the past makes him appear distant and unreachable. But when a woman on the site goes missing, it seems that his own past might be coming back to haunt him once again.

As they dig deeper, Duncan and Grace get more than they bargained for – and come to realise that the past is much closer than either of them ever imagined …

PRICE:   £2.99 Pre-order Price: £0.99 PUBLICATION DATE:  14th February 2018

ISBN:  978-1-78189-391-3

FORMAT:   Digital First CATEGORY:  Contemporary Women’s Fiction/Time Travel

PAGES: 288 est

EDITION: Original

 

Book Links

Amazon UK

Amazon US

iBook

Kobo

Google Play Store

GoodReads page

Choc Lit page

Jane was born in Devon and now lives in Yorkshire. She has five children, four cats and two dogs of variable sanity. She works in a local supermarket and also teaches creative writing.

Jane is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association and has a first-class honours degree in creative writing. Jane writes comedies which are often described as ‘quirky’. Her debut, Please don’t stop the music, won the 2012 Romantic Novel of the Year and the Romantic Comedy Novel of the Year Awards from the Romantic Novelists’ Association.

Jane’s novels include: Please don’t stop the music, Star Struck, Hubble Bubble, Vampire State of Mind, Falling Apart, How I Wonder What You Are, I Don’t Want to Talk About It, Can’t Buy Me Love and Little Teashop of Horrors and Living in the Past.

MY REVIEW 

If you are looking for a way to escape the miserable world we seem to be living in at the moment, then look no further! This is the perfect time-slip novel to disappear into as Jane Lovering, once again, creates a wonderful story full of extremely likeable characters in a wonderful setting – well, a muddy one at least!!

Grace has her friend Tabitha to thank as she finds herself dragged along on an archeological dig as a volunteer.  Grace is normally found in a classroom as a history teacher, so she’s always fascinated by the past.  And she is also looking to get over has past as it is 2 years since her beloved Jamie passed away and she has found living without him extremely tough.

Duncan is in charge of the dig, and he has a rather prickly reputation, so many are wary of him.  He is determined that the site they are in is the perfect location for finding a link to history, but so far it is proving a fruitless quest.

His past might also be coming back to haunt him too though with the disappearance of one of those on the dig, and that brings back very unhappy memories for him and even gets the police breathing down his neck. Just what is he hiding?

While on the dig, Grace finds herself watching over a separate camp that she finds fascinating – the simplicity of the people there and it really inspires her and she begins to find some peace.

I loved the pure escapism of this story, alongside the historical elements.  The author creates yet more characters that you sympathise with and want to find out more about, and the relationship between Grace and Duncan is incredibly powerful.  It shows the lengths that people will go to for those that they love.

This is a book that covers a number of subjects including time travel, romance, grief and the art of moving on, and even had me laughing out loud at some of the phrases included!  A really enjoyable read and highly recommended!!

                        

#BlogTour Wide Awake Asleep by Louise Wise #bookreview

 

Extremely delighted to be taking part in the Blog Tour for Wide Awake Asleep by Louise Wise – thank you all for stopping by and  joining me! Hope the info and my review will have you itching to get yourself a copy of this terrific time travelling tale!! If you could go back and  change things, would you??!

Wide Awake Asleep 

Can you really be on the WRONG path in life?

No one knew she was driving on that stretch of road. No one saw her car leave the highway and crash into a watery ditch. No one heard the car’s windscreen smash or saw the tree branch come through to impale her to her seat. No one heard her screams.

Julie Compton’s life should have come to an end that day, but instead, that moment was the beginning of her new life as she wakes, unharmed, back in 1972 and primed to relive her traumatic childhood all over again. One flaw. She’s in the body of a stranger.

Journey back to the 70s and 80s England where Julie is forced to jump through the eras, occupying and controlling other people’s bodies she knew as a child. She must work out which destiny path was the wrong one all while wondering if her body, back in 2016, was dying in her car.

With each momentous change, her memories transform and she realises she’s not only changing her future but of those around her. She’s finally ‘living’ but does that mean she must die?

Purchase Links:

Amazon.com – https://www.amazon.com/Wide-Awake-Asleep-Travel-Romance-ebook/dp/B01N2QW3VX/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

Amazon UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wide-Awake-Asleep-Travel-Romance-ebook/dp/B01N2QW3VX/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

 

About the Author

Louise Wise is a British writer and has been weaving stories all her life—and for many years, she was a ‘closet writer’ with a cupboard is full of ageing manuscripts depicting fantastical romantic adventures!

Most of her books have an element of romance, but tend to cross over into other genres, giving them a unique edge.

Her debut novel is the best-selling sci-fi romance EDEN, which was followed by its sequel HUNTED in 2013.

A PROPER CHARLIE is a romantic comedy written purely for the chick lit market, but then she decided to unite her love of all things supernatural with romance and OH NO, I’VE FALLEN IN LOVE and WIDE AWAKE ASLEEP came along.

Her other works include SCRUFFY TRAINERS (a collection of short stories with a twist). She has written numerous short stories for women’s magazines including Women’s Own and Take a Break.

She loves hearing from her readers – the good, the bad and the ugly stuff they want to share!

Social Media Links –

Website: http://louisewise.website

Books: http://amzn.to/1Ne7KX0

Twitter: https://twitter.com/louise_wise

MY REVIEW

I was surprised by this book – in a good way! The thought of a time travel book is always a little unsettling as to how it will be approached, but the way this author dealt with it was clever and engaging and I found myself unable to wait to see where the character, Jules, would end up next in her past.

Julie Compton is in 2016 – life is going pretty well for her, aged 49 – and then disaster strikes as she’s in a car crash. This begins her journey back into her past and she gets transported back to the 1970’s and 1980’s in an effort to see things that happened to her from different perspectives in an effort to save herself and others from taking the wrong paths.

I loved the 80’s references and many bought a wry smile to my face, and it was just fascinating to see Julie going back as different people in her life so that she could see her life from their point of view which made for an interesting take on things she thought she remembered. It really makes you think about what things you’d like to change from your past if given the chance, and how your actions affect those around you too.

An easy to read, enjoyable book!

Please check out the other stops on this Blog Tour for more thoughts and information!!

HAPPY READING!!

All Our Wrong Todays by Elan Mastai – book review

THE BLURB

When Tom loses the love of his life, time travel seems like the only answer. . . what could possibly go wrong?

Elan Mastai’s breakthrough novel brings a whole new dimension to a classic love story

So, the thing is, I come from the world we were supposed to have.

That means nothing to you, obviously, because you live here, in the crappy world we do have.

But it never should’ve turned out like this. And it’s all my fault – well, me and to a lesser extent my father.

And, yeah, I guess a little bit Penelope.

In both worlds, she’s the love of my life. But only a single version of her can exist.

I have one impossible chance to fix history’s greatest mistake and save this broken world.

Except it means saving one Penelope and losing the other forever – and I have absolutely no idea which to choose . . .
Praise for All Our Wrong Todays

‘A thrilling tale of time travel and alternate timelines with a refreshingly optimistic view of humanity’s future’
Andy Weir, author of international bestseller The Martian

‘A novel about time travel has no right to be this engaging. A novel this engaging has no right to be this smart. And a novel this smart has no right to be this funny. Or insightful. Or immersive. Basically, this novel has no right to exist.”
Jonathan Tropper, New York Times bestselling author of This Is Where I Leave You and One Last Thing Before I Go

‘Elan Mastai has conjured up a witty and freewheeling time-traveling romance that packs an emotional wallop.All Our Wrong Todays is a page-turning delight’
Maria Semple, author of Today Will Be Different and Where’d You Go, Bernadette

Amazon UK – Kindle edition out now.  Hardback release date 2nd March 2017

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

“All Our Wrong Todays” is my first novel, but I’ve been working for the past 15 years as a screenwriter. I’ve written movies for both independent production companies and the Hollywood studios, including scripts for Fox, Sony, Warner Brothers, and Paramount. My most recent film is “What If”—also known as “The F Word”—a comedy starring Daniel Radcliffe, Zoe Kazan, Adam Driver, Mackenzie Davis, Megan Park, and Rafe Spall, directed by Michael Dowse. I was fortunate to win the Canadian Academy Award and the Writers Guild of Canada Award for my screenplay. I was born and raised in Vancouver, British Columbia and currently live in Toronto, Ontario with my wife and kids and an Australian Shepherd named Ruby Slippers.

MY REVIEW

Wasn’t really sure what to expect when I started this! I don’t read that much sci-fi and seeing the time travel element of this story had me a little worried as to what was in store for me as a reader – I just wish I could send myself back in a time-machine now and start reading this all again so I can savour it all once more!! Loved it!

Tom Barren lives in 2016 – but a 2016 unlike ours! It is full of automated life, decisions made for you – a world where everything is perfect. Sounds idyllic?! Not for Tom and he’s nostalgic for the real world of good and bad experiences. Tom is the perfect character to be the narrator of this story as he’s the idiot to his genius father – never seemingly good enough and missing his beloved mother. So we get to enjoy and share his every thought and action as he tries to live up to something he isn’t – he’s not quite sure what he’s supposed to be so when a chance to achieve some respect from his father by travelling back in time to witness the moment in time that changed the world as we know it – Lionel Goettreider invented the future in 1965 and he is the most famous man in the alternate 2016 timeline as his vision became their reality.

So what happens if the impossible happens and we could travel back in time to witness those moments in time that we all know so much about? Tom is about to find out and things aren’t all as he imagined – the genius plan had some pretty big flaws! And then what happens when you return from that moment and your version of 2016 has changed beyond recognition?! Full of people you know, but don’t know at all?!

This is more than a sci-fi/time travel novel as it features a lot of human emotion as he deals with love, grief and all those self doubts that we as humans often feel. And it is also very funny!   It is written in a really punchy way and never gets bogged down in too much ‘geeky’ detail and that is what kept me engrossed from start to finish. I loved the Tom character along with Penelope too who had her own dreams but her destiny was also changed by a quirk of fate and, like life, leads on to new experiences and dreams to unfold.

This exceeded my expectations so I can highly recommend it for those of you looking for something a little out of the ordinary!