Today is my stop on the blog tour for Who I Am by Sarah Simpson.
Thanks so much to Vicky for organising the tour and don’t forget to check out the rest of the stops!

I know everything about you

And you know everything about me… except

WHO I AM.

Andi met Camilla at university. Instantly best friends, they shared everything together. Until their long-planned graduation celebration ends in tragedy…

Years later, Andi is living a seemingly perfect life on the rugged Cornish Coast with her loving husband, happy children and dream home. Yet Andi is haunted by a secret she thought only she knew. Someone out there is bringing Andi’s deepest fears to life. And she knows there’s no escaping the past that has come back to haunt her…

You trusted me with your secrets, you told me everything, you thought I was your best friend... but you have no idea WHO I AM.

Sarah Simpson sure knows how to write a dark and complex psychological thriller!
The characters are all so well developed and Simpson really gets right to the heart of them on a psychological level. She’s also wonderfully skilled at creating and maintaining intrigue and suspense and left me wanting to read on and on at the end of every chapter. The story is full of twists and turns too, some of which I predicted and others which I most certainly didn’t!
I’d recommend reading this when you can give it your full attention as there are quite a few characters to remember and a lot of detail to take in, but it’s so worth it if you’re willing to give it a bit of extra concentration, as all of the little details subtly contribute to the gradual reveal of what exactly happened in the characters’ pasts.
Overall, I’m giving Who I Am 4 out of 5. It’s twisty, gripping and really keeps you in suspense the whole way through.
Who I am is the first book I’ve read by Sarah Simpson but I’ll definitely be looking out for more by this author!

Sarah Simpson has a first-class honours degree in Psychology and has experienced working at a Brain Rehabilitation Hospital. She has spent time as a family consultant for Warwickshire and Oxfordshire solicitors and gained knowledge of the Family Court System. She now lives in Cornwall with her husband, three children and animals.

Twitter handle: @sarahrsimpson
Facebook: @sarahsimpsoncornwall


Follow the publisher:
Website: www.ariafiction.com
Twitter: @aria_fiction
Facebook: @ariafiction
Instagram: @ariafiction

Something a little different today! I'm going to be posting instructions for how to make these handy little DIY envelope bookmarks! I first came across them a few years ago and when I was asked recently where I found them, I couldn't find the original link, so I've decided to share my own tutorial! There are some other wonderful websites out there which provide instructions for some which are a little more creative, but these work best for me because they're simple and quick to make! But if you do feel like being a little more creative, there are some great tutorials on YouTube! 

All you'll need is:​

• An envelope
• Scissors
• Washi Tape (or any thin, coloured tape)

​And that's it!

First, you need to select the tape you would like to use. You can do it all one design, or you can alternate two designs or even do a different design on every strip - whatever takes your fancy. I chose two designs for this one and decided to alternate the tapes pictured above.

Next, you need to diagonally cut off one of the bottom corners of your envelope to make a triangle, as pictured above. I've found that it doesn't really matter how big you go, it just means that it goes slightly further down the page of the book. (That's another thing I like about these, you don't have to patiently measure things!)

Now, you'll need to decide on your first colour of tape and place it along the bottom of the triangle, leaving the edges too long, but making sure you line up the bottom of the tape with the bottom of the triangle as much as possible. 

Then you turn the triangle over so that the side with the tape is face down because it's easier to trim the tape to the right size by cutting from the back. All you do to trim the tape is take your scissors and cut along the edge of the triangle so that there is no longer any overhanging tape. Do this on both sides so that when you turn the triangle back over, you are left with something like the picture below.

Next, you simply repeat the above steps with the next layer, using either the same design of tape or a different design depending on what you're going for. I like to overlap my second layer of tape slightly on to the first one so that I don't have to worry about lining it up really accurately, but it's up to you whether you overlap, or carefully line them up alongside each other. Once you've finished the second strip of tape, repeat again with your next strip and again until the whole triangle is covered.

You should end up with something like this! (but probably better!)

It's up to you whether you would like to cover both sides but I tend to leave the back of mine blank. If you do want to do both, just repeat what you did on the other side and you'll be good to go!

Here's a few more pictures of the finished product, and another one I made earlier (going a bit Blue Peter-y there!)

I love these bookmarks because they take minutes to make and they're really easy. Not only that but I've found it really handy keeping a few by my bedside as I'm always losing bookmarks and now I'm never left having to use sweet wrappers or bits of cardboard when I eventually put my book down at 3 AM!

Let me know if you decide to have a go at these, I'd love to see photos if you do!

Today is my stop on the blog tour for The Importance of Being Aisling!
Thanks so much to Olivia for organising the tour and don't forget to check out the rest of the stops! 

​You can take the small-town girl out of the big city - but can you take the big city out of the girl?
Job. Flat. Boyfriend. Tick. Tick. Tick.
Aisling (seems) to be winning at life. But life has other ideas.
Fired. Homeless. Dumped. Tick. Tick. Tick.
When everything comes crashing down around her, moving back in with her mam seems like a disaster.
But might returning to her roots provide the answers Aisling's looking for?

After reading Oh My God What a Complete Aisling, I absolutely fell in love with the book and the characters, so I was very excited when I heard the next one was coming out, and even more excited to be on the blog tour!
Opening The Importance of Being Aisling was just like seeing an old friend again and I was instantly absorbed right back into Aisling’s world. She’s such a loveable character and this book really cemented her place in my heart.
I don’t think you need to have read the first book to be able to read and enjoy this one, but I really wouldn’t recommend missing OMGWACA, it was a truly wonderful book and even one of my five-star favourites, so if you can, definitely read them both - you can never have too much Aisling!
All of the characters are believable and once again I loved how Irish it was. Reading it, you really do feel as though you’ve taken a trip to Ireland and you almost forget that you’re not there when you stop reading!
I also love how the authors combine laugh out loud funny with touching moments and important messages. It creates a really uplifting take on things and leaves you feeling positive. The only complaint I have is that my face hurts from laughing!
I normally just stick around the crime genre and when I first read OMGWACA I was worried that maybe I wouldn’t enjoy it because of the different genre to what I usually read, but now here I am on the second book in the series shouting about it from the rooftops and wanting to read more and more Aisling. So, what I wanted to highlight, is that I feel like this book is for anyone. It’s so funny and warm that I don’t know how anyone couldn’t love it and I really feel like the Aisling books can be enjoyed whether you usually read their genre or not.
Overall, I’m giving The Importance of Being Aisling 5 out of 5! It’s touching, heart-warming and hilarious. I’d recommend it to anyone who wants a feel-good comedy to help them escape from it all.

​Emer McLysaght and Sarah Breen conceived the character of Aisling in their sitting room in 2008, when they began to observe the many traits, characteristics and quirks of a very particular type of Irish girl; one they identified around them and one they identified with.
Oh My God, What a Complete Aisling was an instant sensation in their native Ireland and the Number One bestselling adult fiction title of 2017.
Emer McLysaght is the former editor of The Daily Edge and has worked extensively in journalism and radio.
Sarah Breen is a journalist whose work has appeared in Stellar, Image, U, the Irish Independent and The Gloss.

Today is my stop on the blog tour for Good Samaritans by Will Carver
Thanks so much to Anne for organising the tour and don't forget to check out the rest of the stops!

​One crossed wire, three dead bodies and six bottles of bleach
​
Seth Beauman can’t sleep. He stays up late, calling strangers from his phonebook, hoping to make a connection, while his wife, Maeve, sleeps upstairs. A crossed wire finds a suicidal Hadley Serf on the phone to Seth, thinking she is talking to The Samaritans. But a seemingly harmless, late-night hobby turns into something more for Seth and for Hadley, and soon their late-night talks are turning into day-time meet-ups. And then this dysfunctional love story turns into something altogether darker, when Seth brings Hadley home… And someone is watching… 

Having never read any of Carver’s writing before, I was unsure of what to expect going into Good Samaritans, but boy was I in for a wild ride! Carver’s writing style is so gripping that it’s almost impossible to put the book down! The short chapters make for an extremely addictive read whilst the many twists and turns kept me guessing throughout and even left me speechless at times!
It’s graphic in places with some very vivid descriptions, so do be warned of that as it 100% is not for the faint of heart. But if you know what to expect and you can cope with this, it’s certainly not a book to be missed!
It’s honestly difficult to say much more about this book for fear of accidentally spoiling it, as it’s such a well-plotted and twisty read, that I feel like the tiniest detail could give something away. So it’s probably best to know as little as possible about what goes on and just dive straight in, as I did, and enjoy the ride.
Overall, I’m giving Good Samaritans 4 out of 5. It’s dark, daring and twisted. An unputdownable read.
​

​Will Carver is the international bestselling author of the January David series (Arrow). He spent his early years in Germany, but returned to the UK at age 11, when his sporting career took off. He turned down a professional rugby contract to study theatre and television at King Alfred’s, Winchester, where he set up a successful theatre company.  He currently runs his own fitness and nutrition company, while working on his next thriller. He lives in Reading with his two children.

Today is my stop on the blog tour for The Winters by Lisa Gabriele.
Thanks so much to Mia for organising the tour and don't forget to check out the rest of the stops!

​An addictively suspenseful new novel set in the glamorous world of the New York Hamptons, about secrets that refuse to remain buried and consequences that cannot be escaped.
After a whirlwind romance, a young woman returns to the opulent, secluded mansion of her new fiancé Max Winter - a wealthy senator and recent widower - and a life of luxury she’s never known. But all is not as it appears at the Asherley estate. The house is steeped in the memory of Max’s beautiful first wife Rebekah, who haunts the young woman’s imagination and feeds her uncertainties, while his very alive teenage daughter Dani makes her life a living hell.
As the soon-to-be second Mrs. Winter grows more in love with Max, and more afraid of Dani, she is drawn deeper into the family’s dark secrets - the kind of secrets that could kill her, too.

​Taking inspiration from Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca, The Winters is a gripping read providing plenty of twists and suspense throughout. If you’ve read Rebecca before reading The Winters, it’s really enjoyable to be able to reflect on both books whilst reading this fresh, up to date take on it. There are many parallels so you’ll be able to predict little bits of the story but I feel that this adds a more intense sense of foreboding to the already dark and haunting plot. 
However, you don’t have to have read Rebecca first, as The Winters is a totally riveting read whether you’re a fan of the original Rebecca or not.
For me, the amount I worried for the narrator highlighted Gabriele’s skill at getting me to care about what happened to her and become really involved in the story right from the start. Gabriele’s writing really got into my head and I became very engrossed as the book gradually built up the pace from the captivating descriptions at the beginning to the tense and taut last third which kept me reading late into the night with my heart in my mouth. What comes at the end is even more intense than you could imagine. To say any more would spoil it, but it certainly keeps the pages turning and puts your emotions all over the place.
Overall, I’m giving The Winters 4 out of 5. It’s haunting, suspenseful and captivating. A real must read.

​Lisa Gabriele is the author of several bestselling novels. Her writing has appeared in Glamour Vice, Elle, the New York Times Magazine and Salon as well as various anthologies, including The Best American Nonrequired Reading series. An award-winning T.V. producer, she has lived in Washington D.C. and New York City, and now lives in Toronto.