On the day the government decrees that women are no longer allowed more than 100 words daily, Dr.Jean McClellan is in denial--this can't happen here. Not in America. Not to her. This is just the beginning. Soon women can no longer hold jobs. Girls are no longer taught to read or write. Females no longer have a voice. Before, the average person spoke sixteen thousand words a day, but now women only have one hundred to make themselves heard. But this is not the end. For herself, her daughter, and every woman silenced, Jean will reclaim her voice.
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​In keeping with the theme of this book, I've set myself the challenge of writing this review in 100 words! It's going to be quite difficult as there's lots to say about Vox, but here goes:
 
Having not read many dystopian thrillers in the past, I was really excited to give Vox a read. I was drawn in by the unique and interesting premise and kept there by Dalcher's skilled and intelligent writing. 
I raced through the short chapters very quickly, staying gripped throughout as the author explored speech and communication and the implications there would be in a world where a woman is limited to just 100 words a day.
Overall, I'm giving Vox 4 out of 5, it's thought-provoking, thrilling and really intelligently written. It's a thoughtful and important read, not to be missed. 
[100 Words]
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​Christina Dalcher earned her doctorate in theoretical linguistics from Georgetown University. She specializes in the phonetics of sound change in Italian and British dialects and has taught at several universities.
 
Her short stories and flash fiction appear in over one hundred journals worldwide. Recognitions include the Bath Flash Award's Short List, nominations for The Pushcart Prize, and multiple other awards. She teaches flash fiction as a member of the faculty at The Muse Writers Center in Norfolk, Virginia.
 
VOX is her first novel.

Today I'm re-sharing my review of The Confession by Jo Spain in celebration of the paperback publication! If you still haven't read it yet I'd really recommend checking it out!

​SOMETIMES PEOPLE ARE NOT ALL THEY SEEM...
SOMETIMES THE TRUTH HIDES A SECRET...
SOMETIMES A CONFESSION IS THE BEGINNING... NOT THE END

Late one night a man walks into the luxurious home of disgraced banker HarryMcNamara and his wife Julie. The man launches an unspeakably brutal attack on Harry as a horror-struck Julie watches, frozen by fear. It looks like Harry's many sins - corruption, greed, betrayal - have finally caught up with him.
An hour later the intruder, JP Carney, hands himself in, confessing to the assault. The police have a victim, a suspect in custody and an eye-witness account, but Julie remains troubled.
Has Carney's surrender really been driven by a guilty conscience or is this confession the first calculated move in a deadly game?

​If I was asked to describe this book in one word, without a doubt the word I would use is twisted. It's full of manipulation, secrets, betrayal and intrigue, it flips everything on its head and I love it!
At first, I found it a little slower than I would've liked, however as the tension started to build and the pace picked up, Spain reeled me in deeper and deeper and before I knew it, I was obsessed.
It's told from three different perspectives which weave together well and maintained my interest by keeping me on my toes and leaving me wanting more at the end of each chapter.
My favourite perspective was from JP as I found him and his past fascinating. He was joined by other brilliantly written characters such as Julie and Harry who Spain managed to make me care about and engage with, despite their many flaws and the fact I didn't particularly like them as people.
During the last few chapters, I was frantically trying to get to the bottom of everything and all of the things I thought I'd guessed turned out to be wrong. The ending was a complete shock and it took me a good few minutes to recover from the final 'showdown'. For me, it was extremely powerful and a brilliant ending that really resonated in my mind.
Overall, I'm giving The Confession 4 out of 5. It's tense, taut and terrifically twisted.
​

​Jo Spain has worked as a party advisor on the economy in the Irish parliament. Her first novel, With Our Blessing,was one of seven books shortlisted in the Richard and Judy Search for a Bestseller competition and went on to be a top-ten bestseller in Ireland. Joanne lives in Dublin with her husband and their four young children.

Today is my stop on the blog tour for Do No Harm by L V Hay. Thank you so much to Anne for organising the tour. Don't forget to check out the rest of the stops!

​Till death do us part…
 
After leaving her marriage to jealous, possessive oncologist Maxwell, Lily and her six-year-old son have a second chance at happiness with headteacher Sebastian. Kind but vulnerable, Sebastian is the polar opposite of Maxwell, and the perfect match for Lily. After a whirlwind romance, they marry, and that’s when things start to go wrong…
Maxwell returns to the scene, determined to win back his family, and events soon spiral out of control. Lily and Sebastian find themselves not only fighting for their relationship, but also their lives…
Chilling, dark and terrifying, Do No Harm is a taut psychological thriller and a study of obsession, from one of the most exciting new voices in crime fiction.

​What first drew me to Do No Harm was the topic of obsession and control which this book explores, because I find it fascinating reading about characters in this situation, seeing how they deal with it and the extent to which it affects their lives. Do No Harm is brilliant for this as the themes are examined really well through the use of a mystery POV which is brilliantly effective at getting across how dark and sinister obsession can become.
The sense of dread builds throughout the book keeping you hooked and desperate to find out what's going to happen. I found myself never knowing who to trust and there are so many twists and turns, that I never knew where the story was going. I went through so many theories about what was going to happen in the end because every time I thought I had guessed, something came along which changed my mind all over again.
Overall, I'm giving Do No Harm 4.5 out of 5. It's so twisty, with lots of tension and keeps you on your toes the whole way through.
​

​Lucy V. Hay is a novelist, script editor and blogger who helps writers via her Bang2write consultancy. She is the associate producer of Brit Thrillers Deviation (2012) and Assassin (2015), both starring Danny Dyer. Lucy is also head reader for the London Screenwriters' Festival and has written two non-fiction books, Writing & Selling Thriller Screenplays, plus its follow-up Drama Screenplays. Her critically acclaimed debut thriller The Other Twin was published in 2017.

Just a quick note before I start this review, today is my two year blogiversary! By complete coincidence, I scheduled this review for today, not realising that it was the two year anniversary of my blog. When I checked what I'd posted last year to commemorate it, I realised I'd reviewed a sampler for Nadiya's cookbook Nadiya's British Food Adventure on my Blogiversary last year! So it seems very fitting to have my review for Nadiya's latest cookbook today!
Since I didn't remember in time that the anniversary was today, I don't have a giveaway lined up this year, but I'm going to try to organise one very soon just as a little thank you to anyone who reads my blog, or follows me on Twitter or Instagram etc. because I'm really grateful for the support. I've made so many new friends over the past two years and I couldn't have wished for anything better.
Finally I just wanted to give a little shoutout to Nikola over at Breathing Through Pages (I hope you don't mind!) for always sharing and commenting on my posts and including me in your happy weekend posts on Twitter, it always makes me smile and feel involved :) So thank you :) (He writes brilliant reviews so go take a look! Click the link above)
That 'quick note' turned into a not so quick note, so I should probably get on with the review now!!

I thought the instructions for this were brilliant, there were additional step by step photos provided which were really clear and easy to follow. I was pleasantly surprised with how it turned out! It's not as beautiful as Nadiya's but it tasted delicious!

Next was the Purple Velvet Cake. 

This book was provided free in exchange for an honest review.
The above is an affiliate link.
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This is the OFFICIAL cookbook, featuring the beautiful, simple and must-try recipes from her upcoming BBC TV series NADIYA'S FAMILY FAVOURITES.
Nadiya shares the food she loves to cook and eat with her family and friends, offering fast, easy and delicious new recipes for every kind of day.
This cookbook shows you how to create the perfect dishes to complement the moments we all love, from days out with friends to big get-togethers and lazy weekends at home, as well as simple and satisfying solutions for busy weeknights and speedy showstoppers for impromptu guests.
Nadiya's new classics from this weeks episode. . .
· FRUIT SALAD FATTOUSH. Nadiya's breakfast twist on Fattoush, a Middle Eastern salad. Fresh, frozen and dried fruits adorned in crumbled, crispy cinnamon tortilla chips.
· GINGER RICE WITH SPICED CHICKPEAS. Basmati rice steeped in fresh ginger and finished in lots of butter, piled high with spiced chickpeas.
· AVOCADO PASTA WITH PEAS AND MINT. A quick and easy mid-week delight. Creamy avocado, fresh mint, peas and red chilli.
· CARROT CAKE PAKORAS WITH A CREAM CHEESE DIP. Imagine a carrot cake, with spices, nuts and raisins, but deep fried, hot and dusted with icing sugar, served with a cool sweet cream dip . . .
With over 100 easy and rewarding recipes, Nadiya's family favourites will soon become yours too.
This is the cookbook you'll reach for time and time again for those memorable moments. You'll find quick meal solutions, food to lift the spirits, fuel for hungry bellies and feasts for friends.
Let Nadiya's recipes fill your home with memories, just as they do hers.

After winning 2015's Great British Bake Off, Nadiya Hussain has gone on to capture the hearts of the nation. A columnist for The Times and a regular reporter for The One Show, Nadiya has also presented two of her own BBC cookery series to great acclaim with Nadiya's British Food Adventure reaching over 3 million viewers. Her next cookery series will air on BBC2 in summer 2018, accompanied by her brand new TV tie-in cookbook.
Born in Luton to British Bangladeshi parents, Nadiya now lives in Milton Keynes with her husband, Abdal, and their three children.
Her previous cookery titles include Nadiya's Kitchen and Nadiya's British Food Adventure.