Synopsis:

From author Kia Abdullah, Take It Back is a harrowing and twisting courtroom thriller that keeps you guessing until the last page is turned.

One victim.
Four accused.
Who is telling the truth?

Zara Kaleel, one of London's brightest legal minds, shattered the expectations placed on her by her family and forged a brilliant legal career. But her decisions came at a high cost, and now, battling her own demons, she has exchanged her high profile career for a job at a sexual assault center, helping victims who need her the most. Victims like Jodie Wolfe.

When Jodie, a sixteen-year-old girl with facial deformities, accuses four boys in her class of an unthinkable crime, the community is torn apart. After all, these four teenage defendants are from hard-working immigrant families and they all have proven alibis. Even Jodie's best friend doesn't believe her.

But Zara does--and she is determined to fight for Jodie--to find the truth in the face of public outcry. And as issues of sex, race and social justice collide, the most explosive criminal trial of the year builds to a shocking conclusion.

Published December 8th 2020 by St. Martin's Press (first published August 8th 2019)

Goodreads

My thoughts:
Content triggers: sexual assault, racism, misogyny, parental neglect, bullying

I won't lie- this was not an easy read. I had to put the book down several times, because I needed a short break to cope with my feelings. And then I'd be drawn back into this compelling story.

Zara Kaleel, Zara the Brave, a brilliant barrister, left her high-flying job that gave her every kind of imaginable privilege to work as a legal advisor in a voluntary organisation that helps victims of sexual assault. Zara, who never stopped battling her own demons, knows how difficult the process of getting justice for her sixteen year old client will be. Jodie accuses four Muslim boys from good, hard-working families of sexually assaulting her and Zara believes the girl with all her heart. Zara knows what she is going to go against: people who believe that nobody would want to have sexual relations with Jodie, who has severe facial deformities, as if rape is not about using violence to gain power and humiliate the victim, people who will see her going against those who already have to fight discrimination and disadvantage, people who will use this drama and tragedy for their own selfish aims. Even Jodie's mother and her best friend don't believe the girl and think she made up the story to get attention. Even Zara's family accuses her of dragging their good name through tabloids in a rebellious attempt to defy tradition.

Gradually, Kia Abdullah lets us see the families of the defendants and their lives, Jodie and her daily struggle to keep up believing that there will be better times ahead for her, Jodie's alcoholic mother, Zara's volatile relationship with her own family, based on her past and her uncertain present. Some parts of the narrative are so vivid they will always stay with me: Zara fleeing her abusive husband to escape her arranged marriage, her mother talking about the sacrifice first generation immigrant women made by putting up with blatant sexism and discrimination to make sure their children had freedom to live their lives differently, the mothers of the accused boys.

Take it back is such a great title. Countless times, we hear Jodie regret going to the police and starting the process. It also refers to justice and control over your own life it can give you back and this s why Zara believes in it, even when her own life seems to spin out of control.

A powerful story, executed in a masterful way, Take it Back will make you listen, empathise, question, doubt and feel a whole range of emotions. Don't miss out on this thought-provoking book.

Thank you to NetGalley and St.Martin's Press for the review copy. All opinions are my own and were not influenced in any way.

Thank you to Rachel from Rachel's Random Resources for inviting me to participate in this tour. This is my first book by Portia MacIntosh, but now that I've discovered this wonderful author, it won't be the last.

Sadie Stuck On You 
Synopsis:
Could a post-it note really lead to love...?
Sadie doesn't have time for finding love. She's too busy as PA for famous artist Damian Banks. When she's not arranging exhibitions, she's organising his dry cleaning or dumping his never ending stream of girlfriends.

But when she strikes up an unusual friendship with her desk share buddy, she finds a confidante and a new potential love interest. Problem is, they've never actually met...

With Christmas just around the corner, can Sadie put herself first for a change and find what she's been looking for all along?
The brand new romantic comedy from top 10 bestseller Portia MacIntosh. Perfect for fans of Sophie Ranald, Mhairi McFarlane and Zara Stoneley.

Purchase Link



My thoughts:

Wow! This was such an enjoyable read! Sweet, funny, family-oriented, romantic, it has everything a great Christmas book should have and I definitely see myself re-reading it again in the future!

Thirtytthree year old Sadie Kirke came to London hoping to find work in the art world. After a series of dead-end jobs, she became a PA to Damian Banks, a famous photographer. What she didn't know is that the job would literally involve organising Damian's life, including picking up his laundry, buying Christmas presents for his family, flathunting, arranging photoshoots with an alleged serial killer, and even breaking up gently with his girlfriend of the month (It's him, it isn't you!). Sadie is indispensible to Damian who isn't particularly liked by his employees (neither is Sadie, too close to the boss, better stay away from this one). The only moment of joy in her life is post-it notes from Adam, the guy she shares her office. Adam and Sadie are there on different days, so she's never actually met him. All she knows is that he is witty and thoughtful, and understands what a nightmare working for Damian is. To be fair, Damian is one of those super creative, cool artists who is definitely suffering from a creative slump, which can make even the most angelic of bosses insufferable.

When Sadie applies for and gets her dream job of an art curator in a museum, she knows the person she is going to miss the most is going to be Adam. Should she take her chances and invite him out to see if their connection is real? and then there is a little problem of giving her notice to a man who has grown totally dependent on her to the extent of inviting himself to stay with her family over Christmas. Have you ever heard of anybody bringing her boss to meet her family during the holidays? Little does Damian know how seriously the Kirke family takes Christmas traditions....

I absolutely adored Sadie. She never takes herself too seriously, but actually she is one of those super-dependable people you would be lucky to be friends with. Kind-hearted, sweet, and funny, Sadie is the girl next door who always tries to understand and help other people. There is a moment back in her home town when she meets her childhood friend who is about to get married, open her business and start family, while Sadie is stuck in her single life with no time for herself. and yet, she doesn't complain when Damian tags along, she just tries to make him feel welcome or at least not too shocked by her family traditions. I won't give away any of them. Suffice it to say, for me, they are the best part of the book, elves' ears, Dickens Day or what not. Having said that, I really can't imagine Christmas Day without watching 'It's a Wonderful Life', so seriously, Damian, how come you've never seen it?!? Although it is hard to imagine, but Damian does grow on you in the course of the book, while Adam...well he's a kind of a miracle...

 Great secondary characters, lovely settings, witty banter, and absolutely no negativity. There is a lie (or two) by omission, but boy, do they feel guilty about not having come clean sooner rather than later. Sadie is not a hapless heroine who manages to get herself into cringeworthy situations. She is capable and confident, has a great sense of humour and strong family values, and, most importantly, her heart is in the right place, and it will tall her what to do when the right moment comes...

I had such a great time reading it, that I can wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone looking for a feel-good, can't-stop-smiling Christmas rom-com that will definitely put you in a festive mood.

Thank you to Rachel from Rachel's Random Resources, NetGalley and Boldwood books for the review copy. All  opinions are my own and were not influenced in any way.

About the author:

Portia MacIntosh is a bestselling romantic comedy author of 12 novels, including It's Not You, It's Them and Honeymoon For One. Previously a music journalist, Portia writes hilarious stories, drawing on her real life experiences.

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Thank you for stopping by and reading this review. If you would like to know what other bloggers thought of the book, here is the full blog tour schedule:

Thank you to Rachel from Rachel's Random Resources for my place on this tour!

New Rules

Synopsis:

Kate Miller has it all; a glittering career, a wonderful home life and a promotion in the bag. She knows the rules for success, and nothing will stop her from getting to where she wants to be.

Ellie Stephens, on the other hand, can’t catch a break; she’s trapped in a vicious circle of dead-end jobs and red-flag relationships until she’s paired with Kate in their company’s brand-new mentoring scheme.

Ellie just can’t seem to get to grips with Kate’s ruthless recipe for success no matter how hard she tries, leaving her wondering if she’s the problem. Two new men in her life, affable-but-mysterious Freddie and Kate’s drop-dead gorgeous ex Liam try to help her muddle through and figure out how to get ahead.

Meanwhile, Kate’s perfect life is unravelling and where once everything she touched turned to gold, it’s suddenly falling apart. Her work nemesis is throwing obstacles in her way at every turn, her home life is in tatters and her first love is suddenly back in her life. Kate is more confused than ever;
is it time to break the rules?

Purchase Links

Amazon UK /  Amazon US

 My thoughts:

Kate Miller is a bit of a workaholic. She has a beautiful house, handsome husband, two wonderful children and a job where she has to prove herself every single day. Just because she is a woman. Lily Hayden perfectly captures the double standards all too familar to working women. Worrying that if you stay too long at home during your maternity leave, your clients will forget you and you will have to start winning them from the scratch. Do lots of overtime working hard to finish a project and people judge you for not being a good mother and wife.  Well, Kate is a fighter and she has a set of rules that have helped her to get on in life. Having said this, she might be losing sight of something very important - personal relationships.

Ellie Stephens is smart and creative, but perhaps a bit disorganised and lacking focus Kate has in abundance. She has an on and off-relationship with Josh who clearly doesn't respect her at all. at work, she is given a series of mindless tasks and completely overlooked otherwise.
When an important client would like to see how inclusive and socially responsible Kate and Ellie's company is, Kate and her Garth (her main competitor for an upcoming promotion) come up with a mentoring scheme for junior staff. While Garth has his pick of the brightest and most promising, Kate is stuck with Ellie.

I found both characters relatable. Yes, Kate comes across as very unlikeable and manipulative at times. Some of the things she said to Ellie and about Ellie were appalling. But then she goes through a personal crisis and realises how wrong her behaviour was. My heart was going to her when she was trying to juggle so many things and failing on all fronts, with nobody to turn to for help. Both protagonists go through a lot of development. Ellie understands she doesn't need to change herself or conform to other people's ideas to be liked or respected.

There are quite a few secondary characters (Kate's husband, Ellie's flatmates, an important client, Ellie's ex and her new love interest), but the writing is very focused and they all serve to reveal something about the protagonists and move the plot forward.

I also loved the story being set in London. One of Ellie's most important chance meetings happens on the Tube, while she is busy complaining about her train delay, praying she can still get to work on time.

The story kept my attention all way through and I found many parts of it very realistic. It is classified as chick-lit (the protagonist finds out more about herself, grows and eventually gets her Mr Right), but there are also some elements, mainly related to Kate's story, which take it beyond the classic parameters of the genre. At any rate, it is entertaining, easy to read and has a happy ending.

I really enjoyed New Rules and now will be looking forward to reading more books by Lily Hayden.

Thank you to Rachel and Lily Hayden for the review copy provided in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.

Author Bio

Lily Hayden writes chick lit with a kick.

Modern day women want modern day heroines and Lily's characters want sizzling romance, rewarding careers and equal partnerships, but like all of us, they face many challenges and it isn't always easy.

A mother to four children, Lily graduated with a degree in Business in her hometown in South Wales and enjoyed a successful career in Financial Services before fulfilling a lifelong ambition to write books.

Her debut novel Butterflies, a heartwarming alternative to the traditional boy-meets-girl story, was released in 2018, reaching readers all over the world and she is the author of five books, including a Young Adult Dystopian novel Project Terra under the alias SJ Woods (because who doesn't love a bit of action and defeating bad guys every now and again).

Follow Lily on social media for the latest releases, promotions and occasional photos of her dogs.

Social Media Links
facebook  / twitter  /  instagram

Thank you for stopping by and I hope you read and enjoy the book!
If you would like to check what other bloggers thought of 'New Rules', you can see the full tour schedule here:

I'm a big fan of Sophie Ranald. Her books are entertaining, romantic and impossible to put down once you start reading them. They also have very relatable realistic protagonists you can't help but root for.

Alice Carlisle is about to complete her lawyer training and has already been promised a job in an important law corporation. She also has a great family, best friend, and above all, her own Mr Right, who happens to work in the same company. Jo understands and accepts Alice like nobody else. Everything is going really well for Alice, but it only takes one day for her perfect life to change. Alice loses her job through no fault of her own, but she can't help feeling she's let everyone down. Now Joe and Alice might not be able to pay the bills or live in the flat they've liked so much. Alice stumbles into a temporary job in a local pub which might help her weather the storm. Joe aslo has a solution. His ex-girlfriend Zoe, who they recently met accidentally, is going to move in with Joe and Alice and help with the rent. Seems like a great idea. If only Alice didn't feel Zoe might still have feelings for Joe...

Alice is such a sweet character. She tries to be fair and give everybody a chance. At the end of the day, the only person she is hard on is herself. She even sees the situation from Zoe's point of view and tries to understand her feelings. There's a lot of emphasis on trust, communication and being faithful (including emotionally). I felt the book dealt really well with the issue of drawing and crossing (or not crossing) lines between being friendly and something more than that. Perhaps, Zoe's character isn't as well-developed, but I was too focused on Alice's story to mind that.

Apart from relationship issues, there are other serious and important topics in the story. Not least of which is the matter of sexual harrassment at work that partly explains Alice's insecurities and perhaps even the way she felt about her job. My heart went to Alice when she finally talked about the sexual assault she experienced and its consequences.

 Overall, this is extremely engaging and entertaining book and I'm really grateful for having been given a chance to read it. Sophie Ranald is my auto-buy author who I can rely on for a great story with unique, but relatable characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest opinion.