This is such a good read. It’s gentle and methodical whilst being full of tension and worry. It follows the exploits of a handful of characters, mostly women, as they do their bit for the war effort in the UK and in Denmark - field agents, codebreakers and those trying to improve the situation for those on the ground and those risking their lives every day. Whilst it doesn’t show the full horrific action-packed impact of war like other fiction does, it shows the real heart of what war does: tearing families apart, making everyone suspicious of everyone and ultimately having innocent people die for no good reason. Beautifully written and achingly sad, but worth every moment.

I’ve read this before, of course I have. There’s no way I would have gone through the whole series before and just stopped at book eight of nine. I remember eagerly awaiting seeing how everything panned out. So I’ve definitely read it but why I failed to review it, I have no clue. And having discovered that recently, I couldn’t remember enough about it to do a catch up review… I had to read it again.

I whipped through this book in super quick time, my first Christmas book of the festive season. It starts off with our heroine running out on her wedding and very quickly falling into the arms of her saviour, who of course comes with his own baggage. At first, I thought this was going to be a bit dull, the pair fell in love very quickly and usually what we’re looking for in Christmas cheesy rom-coms is the will-they-won’t-they. But it started taking twists and turns I wasn’t expecting and kept me reading until the end. Not bad, but I suppose not really that Christmassy once the initial stage is over.

Although Will Robie was my first Baldacci series, I think John Puller has grown on me more. This book really leans in to his difficult family dynamic, with a brother in prison… although not for long! The stakes are high again, and as we delve into the world of espionage and treason, it’s so hard to know who to trust and who is telling the truth. The tension ramps up really well in this book and culminates in the Pentagon, and it’s just a really action-packed journey. Baldacci always writes well, short, sharp sentences that bring you right into the heart of the adventure. What’s next??

This is just an incredible book from start to finish. I’ve seen the film already and loved it, so was keen to read the source material and it’s even better. It’s wonderful writing, witty and insightful, full of honesty and humour and thoughtfulness and longing, and alongside all that it’s telling a fantastic story. I couldn’t necessarily relate to Johanna/Dolly but it didn’t matter because it was so well told that I was there for every moment of the journey. Wonderful.

This is a great book that delves into that problem that many people will have experienced - the drama that ensues when you are caught between your new romance and your close friend, particularly if they don’t get on very well. It’s highly engrossing, this story, and so well written that you can really get a sense of the characters and of the rollercoaster of swinging between sober and high/drunk. It brilliantly captures those moments where you say you’re going to be good and then wake up next day feeling rotten and remembering nothing. Some of it was kinda gross but that just made it more human - I did not want to stop reading.

You’ve got to love wisdom from the goddess that is Oprah. I loved this book just because it shares snippets of insight, honesty, life stories and advice, whilst not being judgemental and really just saying ‘it’s there for the taking’. It’s a little repetitive in places, but these are nuggets that bear repeating - be kind, be good, believe in yourself, take time for yourself, and just breathe.

This is such an odd little book but it was completely readable from start to finish. At first, I couldn’t really see where it was going - there was a lot of detail about our protagonist’s life, including her husband’s obsession with trapping a raccoon, but things gradually started to pick up pace. The underlying concept didn’t quite hang right for me, this odd little rejection club, but it didn’t really matter, the fun was having this adorably oddball collection of people forced to spend time together. A good read, and a happy finish. Apparently there’s more in the series, so I’ll be looking out for the next one.

There was a special deal on some of this Inspector Nick Dixon series, so having read through the first two, I figured it couldn’t hurt to go all in. These are relatively easy books to whip through, and getting invested and following regular characters can be a lot of fun. In this one, it felt like the relationship and partnership with Jane was building a lot more - they work well together and are going to have to navigate spending a lot of time together at home and at work.

You have to be in the right mood for a book like this, but when you are, it is a wonderful experience. I read through this in just a couple of short sittings - racing through the calm, simple, gentle life of Andreas Egger, who lived the best he could in relatively reduced circumstances. It was simple, and really not that much happened, but at the same time it was somehow unputdownable.