Tash's Book of the Month
Welcome to Tash's Book of the Month, the fabulous fiesta where I dive into a new read each month and spill the juicy deets with my no-holds-barred review! But here’s the scoop: if a book and I didn’t click, I’m not shoving it in your face. I totally respect the blood, sweat, and tears that go into crafting (and actually finishing!) a book. Just because it wasn’t my cup of tea doesn’t mean it won’t dazzle someone else! So, buckle up for a sunny spot dedicated to celebrating literary treasures and must-read masterpieces!
NOVEMBER
My Mother's Murder
by Gina McGavin Jane Hamilton
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I typically avoid non-fiction because I enjoy the escape that traditional fiction provides, so this is an exception to my rule. Written by Gina McGavin, daughter of murdered Mum, Mary McLaughlin and Jane Hamilton, an award-winning crime reporter of 25 years. Jane reached out to me and asked if I would read it and obviously, I said yes.
We consume so much ‘crime drama’ on TV that it’s easy to overlook the reality of being a true victim. I can’t imagine the toll this has taken on Gina and her life.
I must mention that this book also serves as a historical insight into Glasgow during the time when both Gina and her Mum were growing up.
Mary McLaughlin faced a tough life. With her upbringing under the care of two harsh aunts, it’s clear why Mary sought to ‘escape’ and find her own version of happiness.
The emotional scars from her childhood evidently influenced her approach to motherhood and as I read Gina’s story of her own upbringing, those ‘scars’ were unmistakably present.
But this book is anything but a pity party. Gina’s strength is tangible. It’s touching, heartfelt, heartbreaking but ultimately inspiring because Gina never wavered in her quest for the truth and you must admire her for that.
By the end of the book, I had deep admiration for Gina’s determination and hope that her journey to uncover the truth brings her the peace she rightfully deserves.
Gina/Jane, thank you for sending me a copy of a book that will stay with me for a long time.
Blurb
A 35-year-old unsolved murder. Mary’s murder gripped the town of Partick for years after her death.
A cold case reawakened because of the Daily Record with women at the heart of it. The victim, the daughter, the detective, the forensic scientist, the reporter.
For 35 years Gina McGavin hunted for her mother’s killer.
Mary McLaughlin’s senseless brutal murder ignited in Gina a deep sense of injustice and an insatiable need to seek the truth about her death.
The two women had only just begun to work on their broken relationship with Gina finding ways to forgive her mother for abandoning the family home when Gina was just two years old. Now she felt abandoned again and it awakened in her an obsessive quest that would overshadow her whole life.
Gina unravels family secrets and revelations about her mother as she began to suspect that some close to her knew more about Mary’s murder than they were letting on.
She puts family members on the spot and rakes over every detail she can find to not only lead her to a killer but to understand who her mother was and why she abandoned her family.
Gina delves into potential suspects, discovers shocking details about her family and explores how her mother’s death has impacted her own life, her marriage, her relationships and when the case is finally solved by police, it leaves Gina with unanswered questions. She doesn’t believe the man convicted acted alone.
This is the extraordinary journey of a daughter’s search for truth and justice for the mother she never really knew.
Tash's BOTM: After dark
Any recommendation here are intended for an 'adult audience'. If you don't like spice (some are going to be so spicy you might even spontaneously combust) so reading will be at your own discretion and therefore, I won't be taking the blame is you are shocked/offended/or unprepared.
For those not of a nervous nature....enjoy....but only after dark!
NOVEMBER
The Devil Made Me Brew It
by Sarah Piper
Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
I love watching TV and of all the programmes and films I have seen over the years, I have a top 10. Amongst them are the ones I watch over and over again and never get bored of. For reference, they are Lucifer, A Discovery of Witches, and Practical Magic. And when I started The Devil Made Me Brew It, it felt familiar, like I was getting a nice hug and a cuppa from my favourites.
I fell in love with this ‘book’ from the very first page and maintained that affection until the end.
I listened to this on Audible but true to my habit, when I enjoy an audiobook, I will also purchase the physical edition.
If audiobooks are your thing too, then you will love this. The narration by Samantha Brentmoor was impeccable, and Shane East perfectly embodied the Devil himself with his (somewhat generic) English accent, reminiscent of the fantastic Tom Ellis in Lucifer.
It was humorous, delightful, and a bit spicy (not overwhelmingly so, but enough to keep it out of the general fiction category), with a small town vibe, and Violet, our tea-brewing female main character, along with Devlin formed a magical, albeit slightly odd, pairing. Talk about opposites attract!
When Violet resorts to desperate (and tipsy) measures to save her struggling café, the last person she anticipated to appear was the D himself.
This book was an absolute joy, and I can confidently say it will be my go-to read on a winter Sunday, when it’s chilly outside and I’m all cozy and warm. Do I wish for a crackling fire? Absolutely, as that would enhance the magic even further so I might have to settle for my cauldron instead!
This was my first book Sarah Piper and it won’t be the last.
Blurb
What’s a broke tea witch to do when she’s about to lose her beloved café?
No idea, but chugging magic mojitos and drunk-summoning the Devil was definitely the wrong call.
Now, I’m stuck with the house guest from Hell—literally—and we couldn’t be more opposite: a homebody who brews healing teas and reads romance novels to her cats versus a sexy-as-sin playboy with a pitchfork tattoo on his butt and a fondness for public day-drinking. In the nude. Ergo, the pitchfork discovery.
Infuriating!
I’ve tried to send the Dark Prince packing, but the spell won’t let him leave—not until he unlocks my so-called “heart’s desire.”
Well. My only desire is to clear my debt and save the café, which would be a lot easier if I wasn’t so distracted by his stupidly charming British accent.
Or the smile that keeps incinerating perfectly innocent panties.
Or the spellbinding, toe-curling, never-should’ve-happened kiss at the Wayward Bay Halloween Ball that has me believing in a different kind of magic:
Love.
So maybe the real question is… What’s a broke tea witch to do when she’s about to lose her café and her heart?
Tash's own book
Secrets and Lies
Just in case you are interested in reading my book, you can order via the link on Amazon. It’s available in paperback, kindle e-book and KU (if you know, you know!). I’m told it’s good… but you can always find out for yourself. Please do consider leaving a review as for newbie authors’ it’s a really great way of getting our books out there.
So what’s it about?
Lucie
I was happy being lost; it was, after all, on my terms. Meeting Jack was not part of my plan. Nor was falling in love with him. But when the unexpected happens, will he pull out all the stops to find me?
Jack
Months after living out of the country, I was tired. I wanted to rest. Who knew the girl in the coffee shop would have me chasing her down the street? But it turns out, Lucie turned out to be the love of my life and now I find myself travelling across Europe to save her.
Lucie is happily living her new life; hiding in anonymity from her family’s criminality and still grieving the death of her mother, when she meets Jack. Jack who is firmly on the right side of the law.
When Lucie receives a coded message in the middle of the night telling her to return home, she slips from Jack’s bed and his life.
But fate has other ideas for Lucie and Jack. A tearful reunion becomes a nightmare when Lucie is kidnapped. Secrets and lies are revealed and it’s a race against time for Jack to find her.
You think this is just another love story. You’re wrong. It’s a story of deliberately being lost but having no control when it happens again.
It’s a story of betrayal and paying the price for the mistakes made by those closest to you.
It’s a story of a race against time to find the one you love.
