Review: Some Mistakes Were Made by Kristin Dwyer

Some Mistakes Were Made by Kristin Dwyer
Release date: May 10, 2022
Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon | The Book Depository

You can’t always go home again.

Ellis and Easton have been inseparable since childhood. But when a rash decision throws Ellis’s life—and her relationship with Easton— into chaos she’s forced to move halfway across the country, far from everything she’s ever known.

Now Ellis hasn’t spoken to Easton in a year, and maybe it’s better that way; maybe eventually the Easton shaped hole in her heart will heal. But when Easton’s mother invites her home for a celebration, Ellis finds herself tangled up in the web of heartache, betrayal, and anger she left behind... and with the boy she never stopped loving.

YA contemporary with a lot of angst. The set up reminded me of You and Me on Vacation/People We Meet on Vacation where there has been conflict between the MCs and the book switches between past and present until we finally learn what happened. Ever since she was young, Ellis has been going over to the Albrey's house. It is a house full of love and takes her mind away the neglect that awaits her at home. Easton Albrey is Ellis' best friend and the two are inseparable. Until something happens that means Ellis has to move across the country to live with her aunty. One year later, Ellis goes back to celebrate Easton's mum's birthday. Reunited with feelings that she thought she had squashed deep down, Ellis has to work through what led her to this moment and whether her broken relationship with Easton can be salvaged. The characters are complicated and their relationships even more so. The small moments between Ellis and Easton and their endless missed communication spurred me on to finishing this book in two sittings. The yearning and the pining was so on point. You could feel it in everything that was not said. I was hoping this would make me cry my eyes out, but alas it did not. However, at times it was deeply sad and I truly felt for everything the characters were going through. One of the highlights of this book being Easton's brother Tucker, who plays as the mediator between Ellis and Easton. As well as a cheerleader for them to sort out their issues. He lightened the mood in every scene and just overall gave good vibes to this story. I would have liked a bit more material at the end when everything was coming together. It happened so quickly I wanted the characters to take it in! But other than that, I really enjoyed this book and I think I'd re-read it again just to feel everything again. Rating 4 Falling Books Thank you to Harper360 for gifting an ARC!

Blog Tour: Mark My Words by Muhammed Khan

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Mark My Words by Muhammed Khan. This is a young adult story that puts important themes under its microscope. If you are looking for a short and thought-provoking read, I would look no further.

Synopsis:

Fifteen-year-old Dua Iqbal has always had trouble minding her own business. With a silver-tongue and an inquisitive nature, a career in journalism seems fated. When her school merges with another to form an Academy, Dua seizes her chance and sets up a rival newspaper, exposing the controversial stories that teachers and the kids who rule the school would rather keep buried.

Dua's investigations are digging up things she shouldn't get involved with about family, friends and her community and as exams rattle towards her, she needs to make some hard decisions about when to leave things alone. But when she discovers that some kids at school are being blamed for selling drugs when the real perpetrator is right in front of their noses, she can't keep quiet any longer.

Mark My Words explores social inequality through the mixing of private school and state school teenagers. I was hooked early into the story by Dua, our main character, who fights to have her thoughts and opinions heard through her writing. This eventually leads her to start a school newspaper that aims to bring a voice to those who have not been given the opportunity to do so. Throughout the story, I enjoyed Dua's passion, relentless spirit, and courage to stand up for what she believes in. At points, I forgot that she was only fifteen years old! I would have loved my younger self to read this book and feel empowered by Dua's character and actions.

The writing style was rooted in pop culture references and slang. While at the beginning this took some getting used to, it did well setting the scene of a secondary school and the atmosphere of being back in the classroom.

This story feels very relevant to today's climate and tackles a wide range of themes including drug abuse, classism, racism, as well as family and friendship dynamics. They were used to flesh out the plot points as well as prompt character development. By the end, the story had shaped into something that felt very real and reflected the struggles a young person may indeed face in the world today. I would definitely read more by this author!

Links to find out more about this book can be found below.

Goodreads
Amazon UK
The Book Depository
Waterstones

Thank you Pan Macmillan for the invitation to be a part of the blog tour!

Blog Tour: The House of Sorrowing Stars by Beth Cartwright

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour celebrating the release of The House of Sorrowing Stars by Beth Cartwright. I had the absolute pleasure of reading this book before its release and once I picked it up, it was so very difficult to put down. If you are someone that likes stories written in a poetic style and feels like a fairytale, then read on for my review.

Synopsis:

How do you heal a broken house?

First you unlock its secrets.

Alone on an island, surrounded by flowers that shine as dusk begins to fall, sits an old, faded house. Rooms cannot be rented here and visits are only for those haunted by the memory of loss.

When Liddy receives an invitation, she thinks there must be some mistake - she's never experienced loss. But with her curiosity stirred, and no other way to escape a life in which she feels trapped, she decides to accept.

Once there, she meets Vivienne, a beautiful, austere woman whose glare leaves Liddy unsettled; Ben, the reserved gardener; and Raphael, the enigmatic Keymaker. If Liddy is to discover her true purpose in the house, she must find the root of their sorrow - but the house won't give up its secrets so easily . . .

The House of Sorrowing Stars is a haunting yet mesmerising read that will stick with me for a long time. Through the poetic writing style coupled with magical realism elements, this book completely transports you into a world that feels historical with an edge of fantasy. The main setting is the House of Sorrowing Stars which is a place that helps those who have experienced loss in some way. Cartwright effortlessly brings this house to life to the point we believe it is a character in its own right. This story feels like a fairytale, which works beautifully for the story that it tells. We follow Liddy as she learns about the house, the real reason why she was invited there, and how she can help with the deep-rooted sorrow that lingers in its walls as well as its occupants. Reading this book felt like the most wonderful escape.

At its core, it explores themes of grief and loss, the different ways that can manifest in each of us, and how on a human level everyone deserves the chance to heal. It takes you on a journey of emotions as you learn more about those residing in the house in particular the owner of the house Vivien and her brother Raphael. While at times I felt deep heartache and despair for these characters, the story weaves in themes of forgiveness and love and leaves your heart feeling full. I cannot wait to reread this story to pick up on further details that I may have missed in my first read.

You can check out other stops on the blog tour to find out what others thought of this book!

Many thanks to Del Rey for gifting a proof copy for review.

Where to find The House of Sorrowing Stars by Beth Cartwright:

Goodreads

Amazon UK

The Book Depository

Waterstones

Review: Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover

Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover

Release Date: January 18, 2022

Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon |

After serving five years in prison for a tragic mistake, Kenna Rowan returns to the town where it all went wrong, hoping to reunite with her four-year-old daughter. But the bridges Kenna burned are proving impossible to rebuild. Everyone in her daughter’s life is determined to shut Kenna out, no matter how hard she works to prove herself.

The only person who hasn’t closed the door on her completely is Ledger Ward, a local bar owner and one of the few remaining links to Kenna’s daughter. But if anyone were to discover how Ledger is slowly becoming an important part of Kenna’s life, both would risk losing the trust of everyone important to them.

The two form a connection despite the pressure surrounding them, but as their romance grows, so does the risk. Kenna must find a way to absolve the mistakes of her past in order to build a future out of hope and healing. 

This book was so beautiful it was breaking me chapter by chapter. Exploring empathy, forgiveness, and impossible situations where every decision hurts someone. It's serving a whole slice of you don't know the full story to pass judgment on others. Dual POV and letters. A dangerous combination for tears. I was falling in love with Kenna through Ledger and vice-versa. Two people in impossible situations, where being together could mean losing everything they hold dear. The letters that Kenna writes Scotty are so honest and poignant AND GODDAMN IT! MY HEART WAS HURTING. I can't even put into words how much I loved this book. Just such a gem from chapter 1. From Ledger's first chapter I knew I was in danger. By the end, this man has solidified himself in my heart. What a beautiful human. His actions, his morals, his fierce protectiveness over the little girl he sees as his flesh and blood, and his empathy through the whole story makes this man a top-tier fictional husband. CoHo, thank you for breaking my heart and putting it back together in the best way. Rating  5 Falling Books

Review: A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

  A Good Girl's Guide to Murder (#1) by Holly Jackson

Release Date: May 2, 2019

Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon | The Book Depository | Waterstones

The case is closed. Five years ago, schoolgirl Andie Bell was murdered by Sal Singh. The police know he did it. Everyone in town knows he did it.

But having grown up in the same small town that was consumed by the murder, Pippa Fitz-Amobi isn't so sure. When she chooses the case as the topic for her final year project, she starts to uncover secrets that someone in town desperately wants to stay hidden. And if the real killer is still out there, how far will they go to keep Pip from the truth?

Yesyesyes! This was so good. I went in with no expectations, I just wanted a murder mystery for spooky season. But omg, this book had me in its grip. Pip is completing her EPQ (extended project qualification) and she chooses to do it on a five-year-old closed murder case about a girl at her school who was killed by her boyfriend, Sal, and later killed himself... allegedly. That's right, Pip doesn't believe this is the story and makes it the subject of her EPQ to find out what exactly led up to these events, and work out if the blame had been put on the wrong person all these years. Pip works with Sal's brother Ravi to unfold the events five years ago. The writing was phenomenal and so easy to follow, even when the investigation gets more complicated with lots of potential suspects and leads. I'm not normally a mystery/thriller kind of reader but this book made it SO easy to be. Every chapter had me hooked and it was so hard to put down. I stayed up late finishing this one, which I have not done with a book in a while. The banter between Pip and Ravi was a great dynamic throughout the book and by the end these two characters felt so close to my heart. Speaking of my heart, oh boy was it pounding through the end chapters when all was finally unravelling. This book wasn't spooky like "ghost spooky", but it gave me the creeps and a vibe of "someone's always watching". A from Pretty Little Liars kind of style. I was running to the toilet in the night and back because it gave me the creeps. I just adored this book so much. I will be ranting about it for a while because it was very fun, very engaging, and a great surprise. You won't see the reveals coming!  Rating 5 Falling Books Thank you to Electric Monkey for gifting this series!