It’s Wednesday again, already! Even though I don’t feel that I am doing very much, time seems to be speeding along very quickly. Perhaps it’s because I have enjoyed reading so much in the last week? Anyway, here is my first book…

Keep Your Eyes on Me by Sam Blake

Keep Your Eyes on Me by Sam Blake was an intriguing book. Here is the blurb:

You won’t be able to look away

When Vittoria Devine and Lily Power find themselves sitting next to each other on a flight to New York, they discover they both have men in their lives whose impact has been devastating. Lily’s family life is in turmoil, her brother left on the brink of ruin by a con man. Vittoria’s philandering husband’s latest mistress is pregnant.

By the time they land, Vittoria and Lily have realised that they can help each other right the balance. But only one of them knows the real story…

I really enjoyed reading this book – it has a similar structure to the famous film “Strangers on a Train. This is the short review that I posted on Goodreads:

Keep Your Eyes On Me by Sam Blake
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a highly entertaining book to read. Yes, I know that the theme has been done before, but this version was a quick and easy read with plenty of mayhem, mystery and murder. I really enjoyed seeing two despicable persons getting their comeuppance!

There were sections of the book which went on a bit too long and, for that reason, I can only give three stars rather than four. I would definitely, however, read more books by Blake as I am sure that I would enjoy them.

View all my reviews

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

My second book of the week was a surprise return to Young Adult fiction: An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir. First of all, here is the blurb:

Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear.

It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire’s impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They’ve seen what happens to those who do.

But when Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire’s greatest military academy.

There, Laia meets Elias, the school’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined—and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself.

I read this book pretty quickly as I really immersed myself in the story. Enjoying a YA book  in this way, really took me back to my days as a School Librarian! Anyway, this is my response on Goodreads:

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I haven’t been in the world of Young Adult writing for such a long time. So, I am not one of the readers who have been swept up in any hype about this book and the series. In fact, I hadn’t heard about it at all and simply chose it from a serendipitous wandering around our Library Service’s ebook offer.

I found the mix of reviews, love or hate, about the book quite interesting. I myself really enjoyed it. The pace of the plot was swift and exciting, and the characters, in my opinion, were mainly varied. Some of the relationships were also quite nuanced too.

So, if you like a lot of action and excitement, intrigue and plots, you may find that you enjoy this book as an adult! I’m certainly going to try the sequel, when I get to the front of the long queue.

View all my reviews

OK, now we have got to the end of this week’s post and I will sign off, then turn to my ebook app so that I can decide on my next read! See you next week…

Until then… Happy Reading to you all!

Love and best wishes,

Anne

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