Genre: Crime, Thriller, Historical Fiction

​Origin is the fifth instalment in the Robert Langdon series by Dan Brown​ set in Bilbao, Madrid and Barcelona - focusing on the debate between religious leaders and scientists on creationism.

The main character in this book, Edmond Kirsch, is extraordinarily smart and is the anchor for the books narrative. His discovery causing wide debate and intrigue both in the book and to myself the reader.

From the get-go Brown has me gripped - to the point where I physically could not put the book down. I had to know what this discovery is. 

Brown's writing style and depth of research definitely comes through when reading this captivating novel. Even though the book jumped from Robert Langdon to Prince Julian throughout the book, but it was done in such a way that it did not detract the flow of the narrative, showing Brown's writing mastery.

Gaudi is a central figure in this novel - since finishing the book I have found myself drawn to Gaudi in a way I was not previously. I will look to read more about him and explore his works even more.

​My reasoning for awarding this book a four-out-of-five stars is that some of the twists and turns, even though required by genre doctrine were a little bit predictable. If they had been a bit more obscure and unpredictable then this book would definitely have received full-marks. A really enjoyable read.

Genre: F/F, Romance, Erotica, Female Fiction, Adult Fiction, LGBTQI

​Harper Bliss tells the tale of Jessica Porter and her romance with escort Liz in the eighth instalment of the Pink Bean series, Crazy For You.

We were first introduced to Jessica Porter in the previous novel within the Pink Bean series - Love Without Limits, where she gets involved in the physical part of Jo and Caitlin's relationship.

This book struck a cord with me personally as within the narrative it tackles breast cancer and the psychological effects it has on an individual. The reason this resonated so deeply with me is that I have had a number of family members who have also been affected by this type of cancer.

Hearing Jessica's story it highlighted to me how some of my relatives must have felt and possibly what they must have gone through when they had gone through their cancer treatment. It was quite emotional.

The relationship issue tackled in this novel is between Jessica and Liz, who Jessica hires as an escort, but ends up falling in love with. At the beginning I did question the validity of this relationship and the intentions of Liz. However, as they spent more time with each other and I learnt more about both of them it did become genuine and I did feel the chemistry between the both of them. It's an interesting concept.

I gave this book four-out-of-five stars because I really enjoyed it. It hit be personally and drew out emotions in me. The concept of the book I also felt was intriguing and I liked both of the characters - seeing both their strengths and vulnerabilities. This is definitely a must read...

Genre: F/F, Romance, Female Fiction, Erotica, Adult Fiction, LGBTQI

Curating a Masterpiece is the first book I have read by Sybil Smith and I must say it was a really interesting read. This book highlights the creation of a relationship between an employee and their boss within the art world.

Rebecca and River work together at the art gallery Minnessak, Rebecca as curator and River as her assistant. It is evident that there is a chemistry between them from the outset.

Sybil's writing style is easy to read and offers an intriguing concept. She has obviously done her research or has had experience within the art world, as she goes into details on contemporary artists and works and the processes of selling them.

Art played a significant role within the narrative of this book and it inspired me to think about art and continue writing my collection Dalí: In Verse, which at the time was focussed 

There was a genuine connection between both protagonists, but what I struggled with was the abuse in power with the main character Rebecca. River was a university art student and she was there on a placement. The formation of a relationship between the pair shows a lack in judgement from Rebecca. Sybil did try to address this, however, it did feel that this was just glossed over instead of debated fully.

This was primarily the reason why I gave this book only three-out-of-five stars. If the issue of 'abuse of power' was addressed fully then I believe I would have given this book a higher rating. Even though, this book was a very enjoyable read and I will look to read more of Sybil Smith's future work.