I had just finished a book when a surprise copy of Autumn at Flora’s House by Freya North arrived. Having adored each of the previous novellas in the series, I was thrilled and had to dive in straight away. My enormous thanks to Freya for sending me a copy. 

You’ll find my reviews of other books by Freya here, although I have been reading her a couple of decades longer than I have been blogging!  

You can purchase a signed copy of Autumn at Flora’s House here. 

Autumn at Flora’s House

A mother, a daughter, a granddaughter – with questions to ask and secrets to share.

Josie Barraclough visited the Isle of Harris in the 1960s when she was 19. She’s never forgotten her trip, nor the boy she met. Now, almost sixty years later, she returns, bringing her daughter and granddaughter with her. But why has she come back? And how much will she tell them?

Her daughter, Martha, is an empty-nester in midlife. She isn’t sure anymore of her place in the world, but the matching solitude and melancholy to be found in the island both comforts and unnerves her.

And there’s Bea, having a tough time at University, who wonders if a tiny cottage in a remote place with her mum and granny is a good idea at all.

In Harris, the nights draw in, the birds are on the move, the weather brings change to the hills and the sea. But there are fine days too, autumn traditions abound, the gifts of the island are right here – if the Barracloughs choose to embrace them.

My Review of Autumn at Flora’s House

Martha, her mother Josie and daughter Bea, are spending their annual holiday together on the Isle of Harris.

Oh my word. What an utter pleasure to be back in Flora’s House. I have adored this series of books and Autumn at Flora’s House is just as wonderful as the others. The brilliantly described and capricious weather aside, it’s a quiet book that seeps into the soul of the reader unannounced, but that has dramatic impact so that I genuinely read much of the narrative with an emotional tightness in my throat. I felt as if I had been each of the three women at some point in my life, particularly Martha, and the deep understanding of time passing, hope, memory, love, loss and acceptance displayed through their personalities is mesmerising. As a result, there’s a real sense of personal growth not just for Bea, Martha and Josie, but for the reader too.  

The dynamics between the three women in Autumn at Flora’s House are handled with utter dexterity. They can be prickly with one another, over-stepping the boundaries of care into attempted control or interference. They can be exasperated with, and resentful of, one another. But underneath it all is the bond of family and love that shimmers with hope and positivity. I loved the way they behave in a kind of kaleidoscope of inter-relations. Time together and apart shifts and alters, but they remain united, and create a beautiful pattern together. Reading Autumn at Flora’s House fills the reader with warmth and positivity. And it is absolute perfection that not all is revealed by, and about, each woman, because there is an essence of themselves that remains personal and private – just as we all have part of ourselves that others can never fully know. I thought this aspect of the novella was quite, quite fabulous.

Alongside the total understanding of relationships, Freya North creates a sense of place with such poignant beauty that the reader feels her settings internally and viscerally. They are wonderful; woven with texture and colour that places the reader right there with the characters. It’s impossible to read Autumn at Flora’s House and not want to visit the island. 

Now that I’ve read all four of the Flora’s House novellas, I confess I feel somewhat bereft. I wish I could discover them for the first time once again. However, they also bear rereading in order fully to appreciate the nuances of humanity between the covers. Reading each book has felt like coming home to a place of belonging and I long to stay in Flora’s House and experience the peace, comfort and echoes of the past for myself. 

Autumn at Flora’s House is poignant, realistic and uplifting. Its impact reverberates and echoes long after the final page is read. I cannot recommend it highly enough. Just wonderful. 

About Freya North

Freya North’s novels explore the emotions and complexities of everyday relationships and families. First published in 1996 with her ground-breaking debut Sally, Freya has written 15 further bestsellers including the highly acclaimed Little Wing and The Unfinished Business of Eadie Browne. Translated into many languages, Freya won the Romantic Novel of the Year award for Pillow Talk and has been short-listed for others. A sense of place is central to Freya’s writing. Never a backdrop, always a leading character, locations featured in her novels include New England, France, British Columbia, North Yorkshire, Derbyshire, Norfolk, Freya’s own county of Hertfordshire and of course the Outer Hebrides.

Freya holds degrees in History of Art from the University of Manchester and the Courtauld Institute, London. She lives on a small farm in Hertfordshire with her dogs, horses and sheep. She enjoys ceramic classes and road cycling and loves to connect with her readers.

For further information, visit Freya’s website, follow her on X @freya_north or find Freya on Instagram and Facebook.

I absolutely adore Emily Stone’s writing (and not just because I’ve been a character in one of her books; One Last Gift) so receiving a surprise copy of Counting Down to You was such a treat. My huge thanks to Alara Delfosse at Headline for sending it to me. It’s my pleasure to share my review of Counting Down to You today.

You’ll find other posts featuring Emily here on Linda’s Book Bag. 

Counting Down to You was published by Headline on 8th October 2026 and is available for purchase through the publisher links here. 

Counting Down to You

A young woman travels to the Alps to complete her best friend’s last request – and finds a love that’s closer to home than she realises in this gorgeous festive romance from the author of Always, in December and Yours for the Season.

Ali has always loved Christmas. She and her best friend Robyn had a tradition to exchange advent calendars filled, not with chocolate, but with fun challenges to complete.

Only this year, there is no Robyn. Ali would rather skip December altogether, and the reminders it will bring.

But before she died, Robyn left Ali one last calendar.

The first challenge? Book a flight to Chatel, in the French Alps.

The second challenge? Post a selfie with an attractive man to make your ex jealous.

Determined to give Robyn’s calendar her all, Ali takes a position in a hotel in Chatel, nestled in the snowcapped mountains, and snaps a selfie with a gorgeous stranger on the way.

But when she arrives, Ali is shocked to realise the surly hotel manager is the man from her photo. And now everyone already thinks she’s dating the boss…

Suddenly the season looks a lot more complicated than she’d planned. But as the snow falls, will this be the Christmas to thaw Ali’s heart?

My Review of Counting Down to You

Ali has an advent calendar of challenges to fulfil.

What an utterly gorgeous read. I adored Counting Down to You. In her inimitable style, Emily Stone has created a beautifully romantic read that is simply packed with emotion, depth and the most perfect understanding of human nature. 

The structure of the novel is superb because the advent calendar of challenges gives a framework upon which events in the past are explained, the present action is driven and future possibilities are hinted at. The advent calendar also makes the reader want to create something equally special for those they love in real life. 

The French Alps setting is glorious. There’s enough description to make the reader feel they are there without overpowering the narrative. It feels both Christmassy and realistic. There’s an appeal to all the senses too so that reading Counting Down to You is both immersive and enchanting.

The characters feel so incredibly real. I loved the spark of attraction between Ali and Leo and the romantic aspect of Counting Down to You is absolutely gripping (and occasionally quite sexy!). There’s no cliched guarantee of a happy ending because Emily Stone has created flawed and believable people for whom life can be a challenge as well as a joy. You’ll need to read Counting Down to You to find out exactly what happens, but I found myself exclaiming aloud and giving Ali advice on several occasions. 

The setting, romance, characters and plot in Counting Down to You all make for a wonderful book, but it is the themes that elevate the story into such a mesmerising read. Emily Stone explores aspects like grief, family, ambition, self knowledge and forgiveness with such a skilful blend of depth and lightness of touch that there’s a real impact on the reader. I’d defy any reader not to find a lump in the throat or tear in their eye at some point. And I adored the ambiguity of ‘You’ in the title – it might refer to Leo or Robyn and equally, it might just be Ali herself as she discovers as much about herself in the story as she does about any of the others. 

I thought Counting Down to You was fantastic. I’ve been struggling to settle to reading a book recently but Emily Stone captivated me completely. She transported me into a visual, romantic and convincing narrative that gave me the most wonderful read. Just brilliant!

About Emily Stone

Emily Sone is the author of six festive romance novels , including Always, in December and One Last Gift. Her novels have been translated into eleven languages. Emily has lived in many places over the years, including London, Wales, Cornwall, Germany and Mozambique, before finally settling down in Bristol, where she spends most of her free time with her two rescue ponies.  

Emily Stone is a pseudonym – she also writes speculative romance under her real name, Becky Hunter, and is the co-author of fantasy romance Blood Bound by Ellis Hunter. 

For further information, find Emily on Instagram. 

My grateful thanks to Jakob de Villiers III for sending me a copy of The Stuff Nobody Tells You. It’s my pleasure to share my review today.

The Stuff Nobody Tells You is available for purchase here. 

The Stuff Nobody Tells You

Nobody sat you down and explained which drawer the washing powder goes in, what the tax code on your payslip means, or whether the black mould is yours to clean or your landlord’s to fix.

They just assumed you knew. So you nodded along, looked it up later, and hoped nobody noticed.

The Stuff Nobody Tells You is the no-judgement answer book for all of it. 75 short, dry, genuinely useful entries on everyday adult life in the UK. Open it anywhere. Each one takes about a minute.

What’s inside

• The machines that beep at you: the washing machine drawer, what the label symbols mean, the right fridge temperature
• Not poisoning anyone: use by vs best before, reheated rice, defrosting a chicken safely
• The great bin mystery: what actually goes in the recycling, and that greasy pizza box
• Your home: finding the stopcock, bleeding a radiator, resetting a tripped switch, tenancy deposits, black mould
• The car: the 20p tyre test, and which dashboard lights mean stop now
• Money and work: tax codes, gross vs net, notice periods, holiday pay, Direct Debit refunds, sick notes
• Your body: fevers, burns, nosebleeds, paracetamol or ibuprofen, what to do if someone has passed out
• Tech and the outside world: scam texts, passwords and 2FA, tipping, passports, your rights when something breaks

Written for Britain and checked against gov.uk, the NHS, HMRC, the Food Standards Agency and your council’s own guidance. Dry enough to enjoy, correct enough to trust, small enough to keep by the kettle.

Buying it for someone? It makes a good present for anyone leaving home, starting university, moving into a first flat, or quietly bluffing their way through being a grown-up. A school leaver gift, housewarming present, Secret Santa or stocking filler.

You’re not stupid. You were just never told.

My Review of The Stuff Nobody Tells You

A handy book of the basics in life.

It’s actually quite hard to review The Stuff Nobody Tells You without merely repeating the blurb as this is a book that truly does what it says on the tin. It is designed for the UK. 

It is packed with information that each and every one of us will need at some point. Jakob de Villiers III covers everything from storing food in the fridge through tax codes to things lost in the post. 

I loved the way the content is presented. There are 10 well defined chapters, but what works particularly well is that the tone is helpful and witty without being condescending or patronising, and the information is presented with plenty of white space and some supporting illustrations so that what we’re being told never feels overwhelming.

I thought The Stuff Nobody Tells You was a cracking little book. It’s a great stocking filler or Secret Santa gift. The contents have been checked against UK law and Government sources. Of course the author has the caveat that different authorities may alter rules (particularly when recycling for example) and things might change over time, but this does not detract from a really useful volume. I also loved the request to readers to ask any question that might not have been covered so that future books will be even better!

My advice; get a copy of The Stuff Nobody Tells You for any young adult starting out in life, whether that’s in their first home or their first year at college or university. And get a copy for your own home. Put The Stuff Nobody Tells You in that drawer in the kitchen for stuff nobody knows where to put. Next time you have an emergency or want to know something practical, you’ll know exactly where the answer is. 

About Jakob de Villiers III

Jakob de Villiers III is the third generation of a family that has never quite known how to do anything practical. His grandfather could not change a fuse. His father could not change his grandfather’s mind about this. Jakob, breaking with tradition, learned how to do roughly forty household things, then characteristically wrote them all down rather than help anyone in person.

He writes useful but funny reference books, the kind people keep by the kettle and quote at dinner parties without crediting him. He believes most of adult life is just a list of things everyone else seems to have been told in a room he wasn’t invited to. The Stuff Nobody Tells You is his attempt to forward you the memo. 

For further information, visit Jakob’s website or find him on Instagram. 

My enormous thanks to Isabelle Wilson for sending me a copy of The Coastal Almanac by Jess Lea-Wilson in return for an honest review. It’s my pleasure to share my review of The Coastal Almanac today.

Published by OH, an imprint of Headline, on 17th September 2026, The Coastal Almanac is available for purchase through the publisher links here. 

The Coastal Almanac

‘I will never again walk by the sea without taking this book with me … it is an essential coastal companion.’ Kate Humble

DEEPEN YOUR CONNECTION TO THE COAST

Whether it’s the warmth of the sun on sandy skin, the sharpness of a cold-sea swim or a rare glimpse of a bright blue kingfisher, each month of the year brings new experiences, weather and wildlife to the coastline.

From renowned sea-salt producers Halen Môn, The Coastal Almanac charts the seasons with insights on flora and fauna, recipes, spotters’ guides, and plenty more. Halen Môn salt has become a favourite of chefs worldwide, and now they bring their coastal expertise to help you get the most from the seaside, all year round.

Rooted in the Welsh coast, this beautiful book is illustrated with stunning photography and bespoke illustrations. Perfect to be packed in a jacket pocket or bag for a trip to the beach, or simply enjoyed in an armchair at home, The Coastal Almanac is essential for every lover of the sea.

My Review of The Coastal Alamac

An insight into the Welsh coast of Anglesey.

What a glorious celebration of coastal life. I admit I was slightly taken aback initially by the first person approach to the writing, having expected a rather impartial account (mostly) of Ynys Môn or Anglesey, but in fact, this personal approach by Jess Lea-Wilson makes The Coastal Almanac feel more intimate and conversational, giving an insight into the author as well as the coast and providing a layer of interest I hadn’t anticipated.

The Coastal Almanac is a beautifully produced book. The artwork is simply glorious, with photographs, watercolour images and line drawings. It would make a lovely gift book – though I do dispute the concept of slipping it into a pocket for a beach walk as it is pretty weighty being so robustly and luxuriously produced in hardback. This does mean. however, that it will withstand being shoved into a backpack and used in situ!

Divided into monthly chapters, the nature-loving reader will find flora and fauna, activities and advice from gardening to cooking with recipes frequently featuring Halen Môn sea salt. There are crafts and poems and I especially enjoyed the nautical idioms. Each chapter begins with a monthly introduction including typical weather, moon phases, flora and fauna, food, specific birds and key dates so that this makes a lovely book for those not able to get out to the places described. It is possible to live life by the sea vicariously with The Coastal Almanac and those who, like me, live about as far from the coast as it’s possible to get can still be beguiled and entertained. Prior to reading The Coastal Almanac, for example, it would never have crossed my mind to create ice lollies using cucumbers!

I think what I enjoyed most about reading The Coastal Almanac was the author’s passion for the sea. Jess Lea-Wilson encourages readers to engage with the environment on several levels and I thought it an excellent idea to include a call to arms to protect what we have in our coastal areas as well as to enjoy observing them. 

The Coastal Almanac is wonderfully illustrated and filled with an eclectic mix of information so that there is something for everyone to enjoy. It would make a smashing gift book.

About Jess Lea-Wilson

Photo Credit: Jim Marsden

Jess Lea-Wilson is the brand director of Halen Môn, a renowned salt company with fans including Heston Blumenthal, Gordon Ramsay and even Barack Obama. It has been served at the London 2012 Olympics, political summits and royal weddings and is a vital ingredient in Green & Blacks chocolate and Piper’s Crisps. They have featured in a dizzying array of media, and have established themselves as a premier British brand, stocked in Waitrose, Ocado, and numerous other stockists. Their range has now expanded to include a wide range of food products and skincare, alongside experiences (such as seaweed baths) at their HQ.

Jess lives in Anglesey, Wales.

For further information about Halen Môn, visit their website and find Jess on Instagram or visit her website. 

My grateful thanks to Maddie at Luath Press for offering me a copy of Daughterhood by Alison Irvine and to Gavin for ensuring I received it. I’m delighted to share my review of Daughterhood today.

Published by Luath on 30th September 2026, Daughterhood is available for purchase through the publisher links here. 

Daughterhood

Now, aged 46, with the menopause pestering her like a clanking door in a gale, she wasn’t sure how to proceed.

Nina Polmont’s life is changing.

The on-off ex is gone, her sister is back from New Zealand and her step-daughter has come home. At the same time her parents’ marriage is falling apart, her niece has estranged herself and the music teacher who broke her heart thirty years ago suddenly wants to see her. Add hormones. Add night sweats. Add desire. And add the sinking feeling that she has made a catastrophic mess of her life. Is it ever too late to start again?

As past desires clash with new obligations and a midlife surge of rebellion and regret takes over, Nina tries to work out who has betrayed her more – her sister or her own heart.

My Review of Daughterhood

Nina feels her life is in disarray.

I thought Daughterhood was a wonderful book. I didn’t especially like Nina and I thought her sister Kate was truly awful much of the time, but my goodness Alison Irvine hooked me into their lives and showed me their personalities in their rawest state so that I couldn’t tear myself away. Daughterhood is a superb insight into how real women feel as they age, reflect and, frequently, regret.

In many ways, the plot is relatively prosaic, and therein lies its strength. Alison Irvine explores familial relationships, duty, jealousy and all the permutations of real life with such dexterity that the narrative is utterly mesmerising. Her prose works brilliantly because often the most important effects are created by the simplest of sentences and her direct speech is so skilled that, not only did I feel like I was eavesdropping conversations, I felt the sucker punch of emotion the characters were feeling too. 

What is so affecting in Daughterhood is the complete understanding that love and hate are frequently two sides of the same coin. We can despise someone even as we love them. The dynamic between Nina and Kate in particular crackles with tension, passion and an unrecognised understanding of one another that borders the obsessive. I loved the depiction of marriage exemplified through Reenie and Russ too and the way Nina and Kate’s relationship with their parents has been inverted as so many of us find as we mature. 

The more Daughterhood progressed, the more my heart ached for Nina. Her wasted years, her imperfect acknowledgement of herself, and her grief made me wish I could have climbed into the book to provide the kind of solace she attempts to give to others. Nina is a flawed, brittle, human, and utterly believable woman in the middle with recalcitrant parents and demanding youngsters, none of whom fully comprehend what Nina has endured. Not even Nina herself really understands what she wants.

Intelligent, intense and intimate, Daughterhood is the book for every woman entering the middle phase of her life, regardless of her circumstances. And those outside those parameters would find it enlightening, educational and engaging too! Daughterhood is real life, beautifully written and exposed on the page. I loved it. 

About Alison Irvine

Alison Irvine was born in London to antipodean parents. She was brought up in London and Essex and moved to Glasgow in 2005 to study an MLitt in Creative Writing at Glasgow University. She graduated with distinction in 2006 and since then her writing has been published in The Celtic View and in an anthology of Glasgow writing, Outside of a Dog. In 2007 she was awarded a Scottish Arts Council New Writer’s Bursary to support the writing of her novel about emigration from Glasgow to the Antipodes. Alison works as an actress and drama workshop facilitator. She lives in Glasgow. 

For further information, visit Alison’s website and find her on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. 

My huge thanks to Chloe Davies at Pan Macmillan for sending me a copy of The Lord of Stariel by A.J. Lancaster in return for an honest review. It’s my pleasure to share my review today.

The Lord of Stariel will be published in the UK by Pan Macmillan imprint Tor on 19th November 2026 and is available for purchase through the publisher links here. 

The Lord of Stariel

The Lord of Stariel is the first book in the Stariel Quartet, a romantic cozy fantasy series about fae, magical estates and complicated families, for fans of Sarah Beth Durst and Rebecca Thorne.

A sentient estate faces a succession crisis. But who will become the estate’s new Lord?

Everyone knows who the magical estate will choose for its next ruler. Or do they? Will it be the Lord’s eldest son, whom he despised? His favourite nephew, with the strongest magical land-sense? Or his scandalous daughter, who ran away from home years ago to study illusion

Hetta knows it won’t be her, and she’s glad of it. Returning home for her father’s funeral, all Hetta must do is survive the inevitable family drama – and avoid entanglements with irritatingly attractive locals – until the Choosing. Then she can leave.

But whoever the Stariel Estate chooses will have bigger problems than eccentric relatives. Winged, beautifully deadly problems. For the first time in centuries, the fae are returning to the Mortal Realm, and only the Lord of Stariel can keep the estate safe. 

My Review of The Lord of Stariel

After Hetta’s father dies, it’s time for the Choosing ceremony to elect a new Lord of Stariel.

I am absolutely not the usual target audience for The Lord of Stariel. I don’t read fantasy and there’s a young adult feel to the narrative. And I thought it was smashing. I really, really enjoyed it.

The Lord of Stariel sets up the series brilliantly because A.J. Lancaster creates potential for future events whilst providing an interesting, accessible and absorbing story. I found I was thoroughly entertained throughout. The plot is smashing. There’s an excellent balance of the prosaic and the dramatic and the authorial style is simply perfect for the genre. As someone somewhat resistant to anything with the fae, magic or fantasy, I found myself totally beguiled and completely converted to the genre. 

I loved meeting Hetta. Despite her magical talents, she’s a modern and relatable woman, torn between duty and personal preference. Her challenging relationships with some members of her family that arise out of her refusal to comply with unreasonable demands, her desire to do her best, and her attraction to both Wyn and Lord Angus Penharrow, all feel absolutely believable, making her a true heroine.

I adored Wyn. As The Lord of Stariel unfolds, so does Wyn’s personality. He truly is multi-layered and so appealing. I don’t wish to spoil the story, but there is so much more to Hetta’s family butler than might be at first apparent.

The setting of Stariel estate feels sweeping and cinematic. I think The Lord of Stariel would make the most fabulous television series as a result. Beautiful descriptions of nature plunge the reader into the environment in the most authentic manner.

Alongside a cracking plot, a touch of romance and rather more magic in The Lord of Stariel than I was expecting, there is intrigue and a wonderful exploration of theme. Certainly familial duty plays its part, but honour, societal expectation, identity, and humanity all swirl beneath the surface making for a textured and satisfying story. 

I thought The Lord of Stariel was brilliant. I have a feeling A.J. Lancaster has just introduced me to a whole new genre that I might become obsessed with. I certainly can’t wait for the next book in this series and I recommend The Lord of Stariel most highly!

About A.J. Lancaster

A.J. Lancaster grew up on a farm in rural Aotearoa New Zealand, and her first job was finding lost people in a corn maze. Since leaving the farm, A. J.’s activities have included a geography degree, environmental planning and editing maths exams. Now, she lives in the Manawatu and writes romantic, whimsical fantasy books while investigating how many plants you can fit in one house. Results so far suggest that the limit does not exist.

In 2021, A. J. Lancaster received the Sir Julius Vogel Award for Best New Talent, New Zealand’s preeminent awards for science fiction, fantasy and horror. She is best known for the Stariel novels, a series about a country estate that chooses its own ruler, beginning with The Lord of Stariel. 

For further information, visit A.J.’s website and find her on Facebook or Instagram.

My enormously grateful thanks to Amanda at Moonflower for sending me a copy of The Hiding Season by Ava Glass in return for an honest review. It is my pleasure to share my review today.

You’ll find my review of Ava’s The Traitor here and of The Trap here.

Published by Penguin on 13th August 2026, The Hiding Season is available for purchase through the publisher links here.

The Hiding Season

Maya Landry is in desperate need of a fresh start.

Alone and heartbroken, she finds work as a caretaker at an exclusive ski resort for the elite in the mountains of Montana. Quiet and empty in the summer months, it’s the perfect escape.

All Maya wants is to be alone. But she’s not alone on the mountain. Someone else is there. A killer with his next victim in his sights.

After Maya finds a body, she must run for her life. One man tells her that he can save her. But can she trust him? Is he everything he claims to be?

Only one thing is certain: the killer will stop at nothing. And Maya is the only witness to their crime . . .

My Review of The Hiding Season 

Maya has a new job.

Having so enjoyed the other books by Ava Glass that I’ve read I had very high expectations of The Hiding Season. Not only did The Hiding Season meet those expectations, it exceeded every one. I thought it was an absolute belter of a read.

The plot is breath-taking. It zips along so that the reader is transfixed, unable to set the book aside for fear of missing the action. It’s exciting, menacing and twisty, making for a real thriller of a read. The insight into organised crime is completely unnerving and so authentic that, even now I’ve finished reading The Hiding Season, I find myself thinking about Maya and what is happening to her. Equally impressive is the sense of place. Descriptions truly place the reader alongside Maya. 

Maya is a brilliant character. Shaped by the events that happen to her and her relationships with her family, she blends a need for affection and a desire to belong with steely determination and strength, making her authentic and likeable. It’s impossible to read The Hiding Season without backing Maya wholeheartedly. I loved the dynamics between her and Riley.  

Riley is also a magnificent creation. I found the underlying sexual tension between him and Maya completely believable. Riley is resourceful and enigmatic – a perfect blend for an FBI agent. Ava Glass constructs the relationship between Maya and Riley totally convincingly so that the reader is absorbed in and utterly invested in what happens to them.

Alongside the blistering pace, the mesmerising events and the convincing characters are fabulous themes. The Hiding Season is not just a physical location, but is personality and institution too. I won’t say more for fear of spoiling the read. Trust, identity, true friendship, and what constitutes home and belonging all underpin the action too so that when events force Maya into certain decisions and actions, not only is it exciting, but it is also heart-breaking. 

I thought The Hiding Season was fabulous. It meets in spades all those cliched terms we apply to fiction – fast-paced, unputdownable, a page turner – and illustrates just what a superb thriller should be. It’s fantastic and I couldn’t recommend it more heartily. 

About Ava Glass

Dubbed ‘The new queen of spy fiction’ by the Guardian newspaper, and ‘the real thing’ by the Washington Post, A.C. ‘Ava’ Glass is the CWA Dagger-shortlisted author of Alias Emma (The Chase), The Traitor and The Trap. The Traitor was a 2023 Richard and Judy Bookclub pick. Alias Emma was a Barnes and Noble book of the month. A former crime reporter and communications consultant, for five years Ava worked closely with spies. Her time in that world fascinated her, and the people she met back then inspire every book she writes.

For further information, visit Ava’s website, find her on Facebook, or follow her on Bluesky and Instagram.

My grateful thanks to Amanda at Moonflower for sending me a copy of Seething Lane by Jack Jewers in return for an honest review. It is my pleasure to share my review of Seething Lane today.

Published by Moonflower on 3rd September 2026, Seething Lane is available for purchase through the publisher links here. 

Seething Lane

January 1670. London is enduring its worst winter in decades. But for Samuel Pepys, the darkest days are yet to come.

When a strange young man turns up at his office on Seething Lane asking for help, Samuel Pepys is too distracted to take him seriously. Nell Gwyn is about to make her scandalous return to the stage and he wouldn’t miss it for all the world.

But in the cold of a winter’s dawn, tragedy strikes. Called upon to investigate the brutal murder of a libertine aristocrat, Pepys discovers that the dead man is connected to his mysterious visitor in the most shocking way possible.

A trail of secrets leads Pepys from the backstreets of London to the glamorous world of the theatre, where nothing is quite as it seems. But whatever the dangers, he may find that the deadliest threat lies closer to home…

Reimagining one of Britain’s greatest historical figures through a 21st century lens, Sunday Times Book of the Month Seething Lane is a gripping historical thriller from the author of the critically acclaimed thriller The Lost Diary Of Samuel Pepys.

My Review of Seething Lane

Samuel Pepys is working for the King.

What an absolutely cracking read. If you want adventure, politics, conspiracy, theatre and history all blended into the most exciting and engaging narrative, then Seething Lane is it. I thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed it. Pepys’s first person diary entries not only give a framework and sense of time to the story, but they draw in the reader because it is as if they are being given confidential information, especially as his tone is often quite conversational as well as authentic for the historical period.

Steeped in the most glorious sense of time and place, Seething Lane could not be a more apt title. The narrative seethes and bubbles with such intrigue that it is impossible to know what will happen next. I found the twists and turns of the plot completely gripping and so convincing that I was never quite sure how much was fiction and how much historical fact. I had no idea how the story would resolve itself and loved the realism of the ending because, like real life, not everything is quite as one might wish. 

Given that there are historical figures involved, there is absolutely no need to have any concept of the likes of Samuel Pepys, Nell Gwyn et al to enjoy the fabulous storytelling. Seething Lane may be historically accurate as a result of meticulous research, but above all else, it is a really good story.

I thought the depiction of Pepys was excellent. He is by no means perfect and very much a man of his time, and yet there is a warmth and humanity to him that makes him immensely likeable and therefore ensures the reader respects him and cares about him for all his faults. I also adored how Nell Gwyn was characterised as she truly came to life on the page. Reading Seething Lane had me every bit as enthralled by her as the theatre audiences. 

The theatrical thread was fabulous. Much of the mystery is centred on the theatre and at the same time there is an authentic and fascinating insight into the C17th drama which adds to the reader’s enjoyment. Indeed, the era is vividly portrayed – from the weather to medicine, royal courts to London slums, all life is here in dramatic entertainment.

I thought Seething Lane was excellent. Richly layered and textured with themes of family and society that still resonate today, Seething Lane is a really satisfying book. I finished it feeling I had been treated to a truly ‘proper’ story. It’s fast paced, exciting and totally convincing. I thoroughly recommend it. 

About Jack Jewers

Jack Jewers is a filmmaker and writer. His 2022 debut, The Lost Diary of Samuel Pepys, was named one of the historical fiction books of the year by the Sunday Times, and a book of the month by the Independent and the FT. Jack’s passion for history has led him to many unexpected places, from uncovering hidden love stories in 3000-year-old poetry, to sending a portrait of Shakespeare into space. He has also served on Parliamentary committees for the arts and has been nominated for a BAFTA. 

For further information, visit Jack’s website or find him on Instagram. 

My huge thanks to Jo Bennet at Oneworld for sending me a copy of Charlotte Levin’s latest book, Outside, in return for an honest review. It’s my pleasure to share my review of Outside today.

Outside was published by Oneworld imprint Magpie on 6th August 2026 and is available for purchase through the publisher links here. 

Outside

Following a tragic incident, rising-star Beatrice is struggling. Having retreated from life entirely, she finds herself unable to leave the house. With her acting career now over, (Though don’t tell her agent), and discovering who her real friends aren’t, her world has shrunk—its only inhabitants, an elderly Polish neighbour, the world’s most boring postman, her therapist with issues of her own, and Piano Bitch from across the road. Thank God for Matisse, her beloved, foul-mouthed parakeet.

When she hires Irish gardener, Finn, to tame the overgrown garden that she cannot even enter, things take an unexpected turn. Their connection blossoms, and she’s no longer isolated and alone. But can a relationship survive the restrictions that control her, or will love enable Beatrice to confront her fears and step outside again?

My Review of Outside 

Beatrice cannot leave the house.

Oh my word. Outside is magnificent and I loved it. Before I forget, when you read Outside, afterwards make sure you also read the Author’s Note for a real insight into humanity that will break your heart.

Essentially, in terms of action, the plot to Outside is relatively simple as it illustrates Beatrice’s struggles with her inability to leave the house, but that completely belies the enormous impact of the narrative, the pivotal moments, the skilful and compelling structure and the absolute assuredness of presenting a flawed and struggling character. 

The seasonal, Before, and Now sections oscillate through the narrative in a manner that mirrors Bea’s own unstable emotions so that the impact is felt even more strongly. Her declining mental health is depicted with devastating insight. Much of how Beatrice feels will resonate with readers, and whilst her physical response to her emotional turmoil may be extreme, Charlotte Levin presents it so authentically that it is mesmerising. 

If that sounds unremittingly bleak, rest assured that Outside may be emotionally impactful, but it is also funny, hugely relatable and actually very reassuring. The inclusion of Matisse provides Shakespearean light relief and, as well as shedding a tear, I laughed aloud at times. Outside is filled with compassion, hope and life. I loved the references to music, nature and the performing arts because they added reality beyond Beatrice’s confined life. Whilst Beatrice may be having therapy, her experience is simultaneously therapy and balm to the soul of her readers. 

Beatrice is one of the best defined characters I have encountered in fiction. She is grief stricken; she’s often selfish, irrational and stubborn. Frequently she will say or do audacious things rather than present others with the truth of her illness. She also has resilience (far more than she gives herself credit for), a huge capacity for love and the strength of character to survive. I adored the way forgiveness in all forms was explored in Outside, through what we learn of Bea’s parents, and Bea’s relationship with Finn, Jonathan and Zoey because the theme helps shape who Bea is and enhances our understanding of her. 

Other themes are woven into the narrative with compelling dexterity. Charlotte Levin explores friendship, family, duty, guilt, grief, betrayal and so many aspects of life that we can all relate to, making Outside incredibly impactful, especially when the seemingly sanguine Finn is shown to have problems of his own. These people don’t feel like characters in a book, but rather they appear like you and me, our friends and neighbours, providing a sense of belonging as well as brilliant entertainment.  

I thought Outside was superb because it’s layered, interesting and, rather like an Exocet missile, creeps up on the reader and hits them with such emotional force that the impact is tremendous. What Charlotte Levin does in Outside is to show that we are all messy, complicated individuals and, most importantly, she gives us permission to be human. That’s a wonderful thing to do. 

About Charlotte Levin 

Charlotte Levin is the bestselling author of If I Can’t Have You and Richard & Judy Book Club pick, If I Let You Go – emotional yet darkly humorous character-led novels that centre on the morally grey, the outsiders, and those who could probably do with some therapy.

She has been shortlisted for the Andrea Badenoch Award, part of the New Writers North Awards, and has written for publications, including The Observer and Marie Claire.

Charlotte lives in Manchester with her cats Opal Moon, Leonard, and Walter.

For further information, visit Charlotte’s website and find her on X @tinycharlotte72, Instagram, Bluesky and Facebook.

I’m not entirely sure which lovely publicist sent me a surprise copy of A Fatal Love by Louisa Treger, but if it were you, then thank you so much. I’m delighted to share my review of A Fatal Love today. 

I have previously reviewed Louisa’s The Dragon Lady here, and her The Paris Muse here.  

A Fatal Love was published by Bloomsbury on 27th August 2027 and is available for purchase through the links here. 

A Fatal Love

It is Easter Sunday in 1955 and a young man lies face-down on the ground covered in blood. A woman, blonde and petite, stands over him with a gun in her hand. This is the story of Ruth Ellis as never told before…

As Ruth awaits her trial in Holloway Prison, she recollects growing up in England during the Second World War and the events that led to the death of her lover, David Blakely.

Meanwhile, Kitty Carrington – the assistant to Ruth’s trial lawyer – tries to forge her own path through the male-dominated legal world of the 1950s and ensure that Ruth receives a fair trial.

Navigating secrets, betrayal and a broken justice system, Ruth and Kitty try to take control of their own lives and narratives. But do we ever really know the full story?

My Review of A Fatal Love

A factual reimagining of the life of Ruth Ellis. 

It doesn’t matter whether a reader has a passionate interest in Ruth Ellis or has no idea who she is. A Fatal Love can be read and fully appreciated as an intelligent and compelling novel without any concept of the protagonist. The inclusion of real people like Stirling Moss adds interest and the 1950’s nightclub settings are just brilliantly depicted. 

However, A Fatal Love is the most assured, sensitive and assiduously researched insight into a female murderer. I’m not sure it’s accurate to say that I enjoyed A Fatal Love because it made me furious, it made me uncomfortable and it ensnared me rather like a car crash. I almost didn’t want to know what was happening, but I couldn’t look away.

Given that I knew the outcome, I was fascinated to read some of the real story behind Ruth’s murder of David Blakely. There are so many layers explored within their relationship that, although this is a slim volume, its gravitas is immense. Through Ruth’s life and her affair with David we see the impact of institutionalised sexism, of overwhelming desire, of nature and nurture, of family, addiction and the strata of society. I think it’s impossible to read A Fatal Love without wanting to rage like Lear in the storm. I loved the inclusion of Kitty as part of Ruth’s defence team because she gave me hope and emphasised the feminist strand in the narrative.

David, however, I loathed with a passion. Weak, self-centred, violent and despicable, I got to the point where I could cheerfully have shot him myself. But it is David who caused me the greatest dilemma in reading A Fatal Love. I so despised everything he stood for that he coloured my attitude towards Ruth.

Louisa Treger’s depiction of Ruth Ellis completely confounded me. How could such a determined, hard working and feisty young woman be so undone by her love for a man that she would tolerate his dreadful behaviour to the extent of abandoning her children and being prepared to give up her life? I wanted to hate her for it. And yet, I was mentally supporting her every step of the way. Her vulnerability, the way she has been treated from childhood, her desire to improve and make something of herself whilst held in the thrall of an intense and irresistible passion are such compelling positives. In A Fatal Love, Louisa Treger has depicted Ruth Ellis as a complex woman, but, above all else, as brilliantly human. 

A Fatal Love will leave readers thinking about Ruth continuously. She engendered so many conflicting emotions in me as a reader, the greatest of which was probably sorrow. I wept for her. It will also raise uncomfortable internal debate about capital punishment, the patriarchy and the horrible realisation that 70+ years on from Ruth’s story, very little has truly changed. 

I thought A Fatal Love was utterly compelling. Be prepared to experience the full gamut of emotions if you read it. Oh, and be sure to read the Afterword and author notes too. They are utterly fascinating. 

About Louisa Treger

Louisa Treger, a classical violinist, studied at the Royal College of Music and the Guildhall School of Music and worked as a freelance orchestral player and teacher.

She subsequently turned to literature, earning a Ph.D. in English at University College London, where she focused on early-twentieth-century women’s writing and was awarded the West Scholarship ‘for distinguished work in the study of English Language and Literature.’

Louisa’s first novel, The Lodger, was published in 2014, and her second novel, The Dragon Lady, was published by Bloomsbury in 2019. She lives in London.

You can find out more by following Louisa on Twitter/X @louisatreger,  or visiting her website. You’ll also find her on Facebook and Instagram.