The Golden Feather by Tracy Rees

 

                                              

Paperback: 440 pages

Genre:  Fiction, Fantasy,

Publisher: Ronnald Press 2026

Source:  The Author

First Sentence: Once upon a time, there lived a man who was very, very old and very, very poor.

Setting: The Kingdom of Jillobora

Review Quote: “Full of wonder, warmth and a tantalising edge of danger, The Golden Feather feels both fresh and timeless. Tracy Rees’s lyrical prose and assured storytelling gripped me from the very first page.” Louisa Treger

My Opinion:  

It is ten years since I first read a novel by Tracy Rees and she remains a favourite go to author. With the 'Golden Feather' she has excelled herself as a storyteller. Such a vivid imagination that transports the reader to an amazing fantasy world.

Saul Bonnytop is the protagonist of this magical adventure. He is extremely old, uneducated and very poor. His dream in life is to enter the Kingdoms story telling competition. He unexpectedly has the opportunity to do so when a golden feather comes into his possession. Along with his family Saul embarks on the adventure of a lifetime.

A wonderful tale about friendship and the power of storytelling that will appeal to all book lovers. Highly recommended reading.  

Previous Reviews: Florence Grace   The Rose Garden    The Little House By The Sea 

The Elopement

Précis Courtesy of Goodreads: 

Saul Bonnytop – penniless, uneducated and very, very old – has a secret to enter the mighty Emperor’s storytelling competition. But the contest, to find the most marvellous tale in all the land, is out of reach for someone like Saul – until the arrival of a mysterious golden feather. Despite the impossible odds, Saul and his family embark upon the ultimate road trip, making an unlikely assortment of friends and a dangerous enemy. If Saul fails, the Bonnytops will return to poverty. If he succeeds, they’ll be in greater danger than ever. Saul’s journey is full of splendid tales told in grand halls – but his own quest might be the most remarkable story of all.

Author Profile:         

                                                              

                                                           Courtesy of Goodreads

Tracy Rees was the winner of the Richard and Judy Search for a Bestseller competition and the Love Stories Best Historical Read award and was shortlisted for the RNA Epic Romantic Novel of the Year. 

Tracy was born in Swansea. She studied languages at Jesus College, Cambridge, then moved to London where she worked in medical publishing for years. She then did a second degree, in psychology, at London Metropolitan University before training and working as a counsellor for people with cancer and their families. She has also been a waitress, bartender, shop assistant, estate agent, classroom assistant, university lecturer and workshop leader.

Photographs, Trailer and Biographical Information courtesy of the following sites:

 Amazon Author Page    Twitter - Tracy Rees  Goodreads Author Page.  Instagram Profile

Official Author Website

People In Love by Claire Daverley

                                                    

Hardback: 360 pages     

                                                                                           

Genre:  Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Literary Fiction, Romance,

Publisher: Michael Joseph 2026

Source:  Tywyn Public Library

First Sentences: Nora is on the train home when Bren emails her, after months of nothing. It is the same day that Robin has asked her to marry him, and she is still dazed, and full of celebratory butter cake, and feelings she cannot quite name.

Review Quote: I ADORED this novel. A grown-up love story that delves into matters of the human heart with such nuance and insight. Claire's prose is so finely woven that every beautifully honed sentence immerses you fully into the emotional dilemmas of her characters. I stayed up until the early hours reading it. It deserves to be a huge hit’ -- HANNAH BECKERMAN

My Opinion: 

This is the second published novel by Claire Daverley but the first I have read. It caught my eye at the library and I am glad as it is an engrossing read.

'People In Love' is a love story that takes you right to the heart and minutiae of the lives of the characters. Nora's boyfriend Robin has just proposed to her and the first person she tells, by email is her friend Bren whom she has not seen for twelve years. He turns up unexpectedly at the Engagement Party which causes Nora to question her future as she discovers she still has feelings for him. Will she settle for a safe and secure future with Robin or adventure and freedom with Bren?

An emotional and delightfully told love story. Recommended if you enjoy a love triangle romance.

 

Précis Courtesy of Goodreads:

A long-lost friend reappears and ignites an old spark, leading to an emotionally fraught love triangle.

One bright blue day, on a bench by the river, Nora’s partner Robin proposes.

It is unexpected; they’d always agreed that they didn’t need a wedding. But after a decade of in-jokes, dancing in the low-lit kitchen and sharing morning toast in bed, Nora says yes. Why wouldn’t she?

The answer lands on the night of their engagement party, when Bren turns up on her doorstep.

Growing up, Bren and Nora were the sort of best friends who everyone swore would end up together. But when a sudden heartbreak turned their lives upside down, Bren left, Nora stayed, and the silent longing between them remained unspoken.

Now, he’s back, and their tentative yet undeniable spark reignites, forcing Nora to ask herself: How can you know your heart, if it feels like it’s split in two?

Tender and compelling, People in Love is a story about what-ifs and maybes, and the moments of misunderstanding that can shape our lives. It’s a book about living one life while musing on another, exploring how our choices shape our relationships and inform our regrets, and revealing, in the end, that the real love story is not always the one you'd expect.

Author Profile:

                                                             

                                              

                                                             Courtesy of Goodreads

Claire Daverley was born in 1991 and has been writing stories ever since she was six years old. After graduating with a degree in Fine Art from The University of Oxford, she began a career in publishing, writing about books by day but penning her own by night, on trains and in the light of the early mornings. She has spent most of her life in Hertfordshire, but now lives in Scotland with her husband and spaniel. Her debut novel, Talking at Night, has sold in twenty-four languages to date.

Photographs and Biographical Information courtesy of the following sites.

Goodreads Profile.    Amazon Author Page

You Let Me In by Lucy Clarke

                                                                                                                                          

                                                 

Ebook:  418 pages                                                                                                

Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Thriller, Mystery

Publisher:  Grove Atlantic 13th Oct 2026. (Previously published 2018)

Source: NetGalley

First Sentences: Prologue: I'd like to offer you one piece of advice. It's just a small thing. It won't apply to many of you- but it is important. It changed everything for me. It's this:if you're considering letting someone into your house, pause first. Think.

Review Quote: ‘An engrossing read with a clever twist’ – Good Housekeeping

My Opinion:   

Lucy Clarke is known for her destination thrillers, so 'You Let Me In' is somewhat different from her trademark style.

The protagonist Elle lives in a luxury home on the Cornish coast. She has recently returned from a trip to France and whilst she was away, she had rented out her house via Air BNB. Since her return home nothing about the house feels right and she is soon doubting her sanity.  What an earth went on while she was away?

I did not enjoy this as much as all the previous novels of hers that I have read. This one was originally published back in 2018 and it shows. Why re-release when her writing is so much slicker these days.  An ok read but I would rather recommend her more recent destination thrillers.

With thanks to NetGalley, Grove Atlantic and the author for the opportunity to read and review.

Précis Courtesy of Goodreads:

Nothing has felt right since Elle rented out her house . . .

I’M IN YOUR HOUSE

There’s a new coldness. A shift in the atmosphere. The prickling feeling that someone is watching her every move from the shadows.

I’M IN YOUR HEAD

Maybe it’s all in Elle’s mind? She’s a writer – her imagination, after all, is her strength. And yet every threat seems personal. As if someone has discovered the secrets that keep her awake at night.

AND NOW I KNOW YOUR SECRET

As fear and paranoia close in, Elle’s own home becomes a prison. Someone is unlocking her past – and she’s given them the key…

Previous Reviews: One of the Girls.   Last Seen   The Hike.  The Surf House

Author Profile

          

Lucy Clarke, novelist, traveller and fresh air enthusiast is the author of nine destination thrillers. They include Waterstones Thriller of the Month, The Castaways, Richard and Judy Book Club pick, One of the Girls, and most recently, The Hike. Lucy's novels have sold over a million copies and are published in more than 25 territories worldwide.

Lucy's thriller, No Escape (also published as The Blue) has been released as a major international show for Paramount+. Set in the Philippines, the seven-part series is directed by Hans Herbot (The Serpent) and stars Abigail Lawrie and Rhianne Barreto as best friends Lana and Kitty.

The Castaways has also been adapted for screen and was The Guardian Pick of the Week. BAFTA award-winner Sheridan Smith stars as Lori, and Celine Buckens plays her sister, Erin. The five-part thriller is available to stream on Paramount+.

When Lucy isn't away on research trips (the real reason she loves being an author!), she can be found writing from a beach hut on the south coast of England. She lives with her husband and their two children.

Photographs and Biographical Information courtesy of the following sites.

Goodreads Author Page   Facebook - Lucy Clarke    Instagram - Lucy Clarke Author

Official Author Website    Amazon Author Page

The Wrong Sister by Claire Douglas

 

                                              

Audio: 8hrs  58m

Narrator:  Eleanor Tomlinson

Genre:   Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Audible, Audiobook,

Publisher: Penguin Audio 2024

Source:  Purchased from Audible

First Sentence:  I've been watching you for a while now.    

Review Quote: 'Outstanding. A terrific family drama' Sunday Times

Literary awards:  British Book Award Nominee for Crime and Thriller (2025)

My Opinion:  

As an introduction to Claire Douglas I decided to listen to 'The Wrong Sister' by Clare Douglas via my Audible Subscription.

Two sisters, Tasha and Alice who lead very different lifestyles. Tasha is married to Aaron and they have young twin daughters, in contrast her sister is a career girl with no children and a luxury lifestyle. Tasha and Aaron swap places with Alice and her husband Kyle, holidaying in the couples Venice apartment while they move into the family home to care for the twins. The unthinkable happens when Kyle is attacked and murdered in Tasha and Aaron's home. Is this tragic event connected to another one, involving the family thirty years ago though?

Well worth reading or listening to as the narrator, Eleanor Tomlinson, successfully brings the characters to life in this fast paced story.

Précis Courtesy of Goodreads: 

A heart-stopping story of family, trust and betrayal.

You’ve known her all your life . . .

Or have you?

Tasha and sister Alice look alike, but couldn’t be more different.

Yet each trusts the other with her life.

So when Tasha is in need of a holiday, Alice offers to stay at home with the kids.

Tasha knows they’re in safe hands.

She couldn’t be more wrong.

The phone call from home is unexpected.

Alice and her husband, Kyle, have been attacked. Alice is in intensive care. Kyle is dead.

Then the note arrives, addressed to Tasha:

Author Profile

                                                                             

                                                                                                                                                             

Courtesy of  Amazon

Claire Douglas is the Sunday Times number one bestselling author of eight stand alone novels: The Sisters (2015), Local Girl Missing (2016), Last Seen Alive (2017), Do Not Disturb (2018), Then She Vanishes (2019) and Just Like The Other Girls (2020). Her seventh, The Couple At No 9 (2021) was an Amazon number one bestseller, a number three Sunday Times bestseller and most recently hit number one on Germany's Der Spiegel paperback bestsellers chart. The Girls Who Disappeared was a Richard and Judy book club pick for Autumn 2022 and was an instant number one Sunday Times bestseller. Her books have sold over a million copies in the UK and have been published worldwide. 

Her most recent, before this one, The Woman Who Lied was published in 2023.

Photographs and Biographical Information courtesy of the following sites:

Amazon Profile.  Goodreads Profile.  Instagram Profile.  Facebook Profile