Review of Adam Kay’s ‘Twas the Nightshift Before Christmas.

I had previously laughed all the way through this ex-doctor’s first book ‘This is Going to Hurt‘, and so when I saw ‘Twas the Nightshift Before Christmas‘ I just had to buy it!

 

Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat . . . but 1.4 million NHS staff are heading off to work. In this perfect present for anyone who has ever set foot in a hospital, Adam Kay delves back into his diaries for a hilarious, horrifying and sometimes heartbreaking peek behind the blue curtain at Christmastime.

Twas the Nightshift Before Christmas is a love letter to all those who spend their festive season on the front line, removing babies and baubles from the various places they get stuck, at the most wonderful time of the year.

My 5 Star Review:

Oh dear, this man is so funny! An ex-doctor and now an author and comedian, Adam Kay writes in his usual world-weary, witty way about working busy night shifts just before Christmas, when hospital workers try to be the jolly selves they think they ought to be at that time of year whilst dealing with staff shortages and an increasing number of patients.

Amongst the laughter in this book there is also the chapter that Dr Kay could not include in his first book because it is so heart-breaking. Even now 10 years’ later he is obviously still traumatised by what he went through.

I bought this book on the strength of his first book, and I wasn’t disappointed. His type of humour is right up my street. I have my own funny stories from working on a hospital ward, but Mr Kay’s stories beat mine hands down!

Review of Mark Edwards’ Thriller ‘Here to Stay’.

Today I’m sharing a review of Mark Edwards’ latest psychological thriller – ‘Here to Stay‘. I’ve always been a fan of this author’s work, ever since I read ‘The Magpies’ way back when.

A beautiful home. A loving wife. And in-laws to die for.

Gemma Robinson comes into Elliot’s life like a whirlwind, and they marry and settle into his home. When she asks him if her parents can come to stay for a couple of weeks, he is keen to oblige – he just doesn’t quite know what he’s signing up for.

The Robinsons arrive with Gemma’s sister, Chloe, a mysterious young woman who refuses to speak or leave her room. Elliot starts to suspect that the Robinsons are hiding a dark secret. And then there are the scars on his wife’s body that she won’t talk about . . .

As Elliot’s in-laws become more comfortable in his home, encroaching on all aspects of his life, it becomes clear that they have no intention of moving out. To protect Gemma, and their marriage, Elliot delves into the Robinsons’ past. But is he prepared for the truth?

From the two million copy bestselling author comes a tale about the chilling consequences of welcoming strangers into your home.

My 5 Star Review:

Elliot and Gemma are a happy newlywed couple, and live in the house that Elliot owns and had lovingly restored prior to meeting Gemma.  When Gemma tells him that her parents Jeff and Lizzy and sister Chloe are coming back to the UK after residing in France and currently have nowhere to live, he agrees they can use the spare bedrooms until they can find a place of their own.

Weeks turn into months.  Jeff and Lizzy are obnoxious, and Elliot soon realises they have no money and no intention of ever moving out.  Chloe hardly leaves her room, seemingly suffering from a mysterious illness.  Ellliot tries various strategies to get them all to go, which only lead to frightening events he could only imagine in his wildest nightmares.

Well written and with a brilliant twist at the end.  I spent quite a lot of the time wondering why on earth Gemma (who knew Jeff and Lizzy’s character traits) would have wanted her parents to stay in the first place, but this does become apparent towards the end of the book.  I never came across any errors either, and so it was well edited! A recommended read for fans of psychological thrillers.

 

#Bookreview – No sex please, I’m menopausal by Stevie Turner

Thanks to Robbie Cheadle for this great review for my humorous novel ‘No Sex Please, I’m Menopausal!’

Roberta Writes

What Amazon says

After going through the menopause Lyn finds that she no longer wants sex. This is unfortunate, as her husband Neil still does. When he discards her after 35 years of marriage like an old worn out shoe, Lyn moves to Cornwall to start a new life. However, new friends are hard to find, and she feels lonely. On the spur of the moment she decides to join an online dating site, ‘MatchULike’, just for companionship. Amongst the peculiar people she meets is Peter; shy, and conscious that his ‘gentleman’s’ operation has rendered him an unattractive prospect in the marriage stakes. Lyn makes a friend of Peter, but when Neil gets to hear about the friendship he realises too late that there is more to a relationship than just sex, and he suddenly starts to appear back on the scene and wants to turn her life upside down…

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Book Review: The Noise Effect

I had another 5 star review today, so it would be rude not to re-blog it! Thanks to Beetley Pete for this review of ‘The Noise Effect’.

beetleypete

Stevie Turner is a writer and published author who resides in Suffolk, not far from where I live in Beetley. Here is a link to her Amazon author page.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Stevie-Turner/e/B00AV7YOTU?ref_=dbs_p_ebk_r00_abau_000000

She is also a highly engaged blogger, and a valuable part of our WordPress community. When I saw this new book for sale, I bought the Kindle edition for just 99 p, and read it last night in around seventy-five minutes. As you can see on the cover, it is described as a ‘short story’. At just 64 pages, it certainly isn’t a conventional book, and is following a recent trend of what I think of as ‘short books’. These quick reads are always good value, and more satisfying than a typical short story of under 3,000 words.

I am starting this review by letting you know that The Noise Effect is excellent. I certainly could not have contemplated not…

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The Noise Effect, by Stevie Turner ~ 5.0 Stars

Just wanted to share this wonderful review I’ve just had from ‘By Hook or By Crook’ book reviews. Thank you very much Kim! x

By Hook Or By Book

Thanks to the author for providing an ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: Available Now

64 Pages

Synopsis: What lengths would you go to in order to ensure a peaceful existence? Newlyweds Eve and Leigh Chandler are thrilled to be given a council house on a recently built estate after living with Eve’s parents for a year, and are eager to get to know their new neighbours. Eve quickly forms a friendship with Tessa Patterson at number 16, but things turn sour when Mark Denny moves into number 18 with his two teenage sons. 

The Dennys enjoy playing their music loud enough for the whole street to hear. Leigh and Eve, both normally easy-going and placid, complain to the council after being driven to distraction by noise emanating from the house next door. However, this only serves to make them a sitting target for Mark Denny’s anger…

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Sunday Salon

Thanks to Janet Gogerty for this 5 star review of my paranormal short story ‘Finding David’. I’ve no idea why Amazon won’t allow it, but it’s on Goodreads. The ‘Zon have their reasons I expect, but I just wish I knew what they were!

Times and Tides of a Beachwriter

I have been catching up with my book reviews; two novels, a poetry anthology and two novellas / short stories. Authors from England, the USA and Australia. Yeshiva Girl was the novel that stood out for me and I was delighted that Amazon posted my review after my recent experiences. I post all my reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, you can see Amazon’s response to Finding David, but I have not yet heard back from Amazon on the other three. So the mystery continues; I and other reviewers have concluded it could be the rule that you must have spent £50, or fifty of something in your own currency, in one year to be able to leave a review. As Amazon allows authors to sell their e-books for as little as 99 pence this does not make sense. Nor does it make sense they accept a review for one book…

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A Review. Finding David, by Stevie Turner.

Tags

#5stars, #senisal #paranormal #review

Thanks to Richard Dockett for this awesome 5 star review of my paranormal short story, Finding David.

via A Review. Finding David, by Stevie Turner.

Stevie’s Review of the Film ‘Yesterday’.

Tags

#Film Revew, #Yesterday

Last Saturday evening I watched a strange film, directed by Danny Boyle.  ‘Yesterday’ stars Himesh Patel, who plays Jack, a struggling singer/songwriter.  Nobody is interested in his songs, and Jack decides to give up performing and carry on with his job as a warehouseman.

The strange bit comes next.  Without giving away too many spoilers, a couple of things happen which causes Jack to realise that nobody has ever heard of The Beatles or their songs.  He soon realises that if he passes the Beatles’ songs off as his own, then fame and fortune would be his to enjoy.

Does he get to enjoy fame and subsequent fortune, or does he feel guilty that he’s living a lie?  Does he get the girl in the end who he’s known since he was 7?  You will have to watch the film to find out.

At first I thought it was all a dream, but then I changed my mind.  It’s fantasy, pure and simple, but quite entertaining fantasy mixed with a little romance, and of course those wonderful Beatles’ songs run through the whole film.  It’s one of those feelgood films that leave you quite sad when it ends.

I don’t know who thought up this story!  The plot is not really believable, but I enjoyed it anyway.

 

#ShareAReviewDay Tuesday – “Partners in Time” by Stevie Turner

Thanks to Marcia at The Write Stuff for sharing this review by Stephen Bentley of my paranormal novel ‘Partners in Time’.

The Write Stuff

This afternoon, we have the pleasure of reading a terrific review of Stevie Turner’s book, Partners in Time. I have no doubt you’ll all enjoy this one, and will be eager to share it with all your friends on social media. Thanks so much! (We’ll do the same for you when you share a review with us.)

REVIEW:
5 StarGoodreads Review by Stephen Bentley

One could argue the tagline for this excellent book could be ‘Emily is still desperate for a husband and children, and John is the answer to her dreams.’ The trouble is Emily and John are separated in time by over one hundred years.

Emily is introduced at the start of the book and at first, I thought I was about to read an excellent work of historical fiction as the setting, language, and social conventions are firmly placed in Victorian England. The other main…

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#Bookreview – The Daughter-in-law Syndrome by Stevie Turner

Thanks to Robbie Cheadle for this brilliant review of ‘The Daughter-in-law Syndrome’.

Robbie's inspiration

What Amazon says

The Daughter-in-law Syndrome investigates the complicated relationship causing much friction between Grandmother Edna Deane and her daughter-in-law Arla. In addition it focuses on the sometimes tumultuous partnership between Arla and her husband Ric.

Arla Deane sometimes likens her marriage to undergoing daily psychological warfare. Husband Ric will never voice an opinion, and puts his mother Edna up high on a pedestal. Arla is sick of always feeling that she comes in at only second best to her mother-in-law, who much to Arla’s fury is never told anything by Ric or his sisters that she would not want to hear.

This novel explores the husband/wife, mother/son, and mother-in-law/daughter-in-law relationships. After twenty eight years of marriage, Arla, the daughter-in-law, is at the end of her tether and persuades a reluctant Ric to accompany her for marriage guidance. As they look back over their lives with Counsellor Toni Beecher, Arla…

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