I Owe You One by Lauren North (Audiobook)

 

Jess has returned home following the failure of both her relationship and business. At home, she finds her older sister, Bryony, begging for help. Bryony convinces Jess that she needs to fake her own death to escape the coercive control of her husband. Jess feels she has no choice but to help since Bryony saved her life when they were younger.

I've never read anything previously written by Lauren North, but I have loved the two books she has published under the pen name L. C. North. Listening to I Owe You One gave me an opportunity to correct this situation. Just from reading the blurb, you realise this is going to be filled with twists, I just didn't realise how many twists and cliffhangers there were going to be.

You are straight into the action as the story opens. Bryony is begging Jess to help her fake her death. My interest was immediately piqued, wanting to know why. The story then jumps back in time slightly, giving us a chance to learn more about Jess and her situation. We discover that Jess's life is in turmoil; her business has failed, she caught her partner with another woman, and her mother has moved into a nursing home as a result of dementia. The only positive is the fact that her older sister, Bryony, is happily married and living close by.

The chaos of her life is compounded when Bryony tells her about the abuse she is suffering. I immediately felt sympathetic towards both women, hoping that together they could resolve the problems they were struggling with. I could also understand Jess's confusion; Bryony's husband, Alex, was Jess's best friend, and she finds it difficult to believe that he has changed so much.

Alongside the problems Bryony is asking for help with, Jess is also avoiding threatening phone calls from a mystery caller and any contact with her partner. We also discover that Jess has blocked out the traumatic event from her childhood when Bryony saved her life. All of these add extra layers of suspense.

The storyline features numerous cliffhangers; just when you think you have guessed what is happening, the author pulls the rug out from under you, and you have to recalibrate all of your thoughts. I cannot believe how many OMG moments the author has managed to pack into the story. I vividly remember one moment in particular where I desperately needed to know what was happening but had to pause the audiobook as I was going out, needless to say, I listened to the next chapter as soon as I got home. This really is one of those audiobooks where you want to listen to the whole thing in one go.

I Owe You One by Lauren North will be published on 8th April 2026 in ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Bolinda Audio for a review copy.

Audio Details

Lauren writes psychological suspense novels that delve into the darker side of relationships and families. She has a lifelong passion for writing, reading, and all things books. Lauren’s love of psychological suspense has grown since childhood and her dark imagination of always wondering what’s the worst thing that could happen in every situation.

Lauren studied psychology before moving to London where she lived and worked for many years. She now lives with her family in the Suffolk countryside.

Caller Unknown by Gillian McAllister

 

Simone is excited to meet up with her daughter, Lucy, who has spent the summer in America. On their first night in Texas, Lucy is abducted, and Simone receives a series of instructions that she must carry out in order to save her daughter.

Gillian McAllister's recent novels have been some of my favourite thrilling reads, so I leapt at the chance to read her next novel, Caller Unknown. The synopsis sounds brilliant, and I enjoy a story that offers moral dilemmas.

From the very beginning, you are able to put yourself in Simone's shoes; her exhaustion from a long-haul flight, the frustration of her bag going missing and no one at the airport who seems to want to help, and her excitement at finally seeing her daughter after months apart. The excitement soon turns to uncertainty, and then horror, when she realises Lucy has been abducted from the Airbnb they have rented.

Left in Lucy's place is a mobile phone on which Simone receives instructions to carry out in order to have Lucy returned. The kidnapper is clear: if Simone tells anyone, including the police, she will never see Lucy again. I love a storyline that questions how far someone will go, the rules they are willing to break, to save someone they love.

Simone confides in the one person she trusts completely, her husband, who is back in London. Going against the advice he offers, Simone ends up following the kidnapper's instructions, and the situation becomes even worse, with Simone on the run, unable to prove that she has been forced to break the law.

As a result of her chaotic upbringing, Simone is extremely independent, able to take care of herself in almost any situation; she trusts no one apart from her immediate family. However, I found the way in which some of the obstacles were overcome a little implausible. Pacing was also a little erratic; there were short bursts of action, raising the tension of the story, followed by lots of navel-gazing. All of this resulted in a conclusion that seemed rushed and improbable.

Caller Unknown by Gillian McAllister will be published on 9th April 2026 in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Michael Joseph for a review copy.

Author Details

Gillian McAllister is the Sunday Times and New York Times bestselling author of nine stand-alone novels. Her books have been selected for the Radio 2 Book Club, Reese's Book Club and the Richard & Judy Book Club. Her previous novel, Wrong Place Wrong Time, was a Waterstones Thriller of the Month and was shortlisted for The British Book Awards Crime & Thriller Book of the Year and the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year. Gillian's books are published in thirty-eight languages.

The Barbecue At No. 9 by Jennie Godfrey

 

The residents of Delmont Close descend on No. 9, the home of the Gordon family, for a barbecue in celebration of Live Aid. For some, it's a chance to socialise (and see into the home of the self-proclaimed queen of the close), while others are trying to make life-altering decisions.

Author Jennie Godfrey had a runaway success with The List Of Suspicious Things, therefore the world was watching with bated breath to see what would follow, myself included. Over the last few months, I've watched on with envy as I saw authors and bloggers who were fortunate to get advanced copies of The Barbecue At No. 9 sing its praises.

I must admit to a little trepidation when I started reading, but that soon disappeared as I found myself immersed in the lives of the residents of Delmont Close on Saturday, July 13th, 1985. I felt as if I had been catapulted back in time forty years as I read; the descriptions were so vivid. There were even times when I was cringing as I thought about my fashion choices (I was in my early twenties).

Live Aid was one of the zeitgeist moments of the 1980s, a focus of change, and at its heart, The Barbecue At No. 9 is about change. The novel focuses on three characters all facing pivotal moments in their lives; sixteen year old Hanna, ex-soldier Steve, and Rita, who has returned from living in Australia. Each of them is hiding a secret, a secret that will change not only their own lives forever but the lives of the people close to them.

The secrets are teased out slowly throughout the day. At times, I thought I'd guessed the events leading up to some of the secrets, only to be completely blindsided. I felt empathy for each of the characters as they struggled over the momentous decisions they had to make, and the backstories that led them to this moment in time. Steve's story was the most heartbreaking one for me; what wasn't committed to paper was far more insightful than what was written. 

As each secret was finally revealed, we learnt the true value of family and community, reflecting the values of Live Aid itself and reminding us that everyone is our neighbour and we can never truly know what goes on behind closed doors.

Author Details

Jennie Godfrey was raised in West Yorkshire in a mill-working family and her debut novel, The List of Suspicious Things, was inspired by her childhood there in the 1970s. In 2020, Jennie gave up her corporate career to build a life around books. She is now a writer and part-time bookseller who lives, and writes, in the Somerset countryside.

Me And Mr Darcy by Alexandra Potter (Audiobook)

 

For New Yorker Emily, Mr. Darcy has been the man of her dreams since she first read Pride And Prejudice as a child. When she signs up for a Jane Austen tour, the last thing she expects is to bump into the man himself.

Having recently read and enjoyed So, I Met This Guy... by Alexandra Potter, the chance to listen to one of her earlier books seemed like an ideal opportunity to experience more of the author's work. In the introduction to Me And Mr Darcy, the author explains that the book was written twenty years ago and has now been updated to reflect today's society.

Emily is happy and successful in her job as the manager of an independent bookshop. She has plenty of friends; the only thing that she isn't happy about is her dating life. All the men she has met through online dating have been disappointing, which is hardly surprising when she compares them all to her ideal man, Mr. Darcy. When her friend suggests they join a group of women for an alcohol fuelled beach holiday over Christmas, Emily can't imagine anything worse. As an excuse, she books a last-minute Jane Austen tour in England.

When Emily arrives in England, she finds the rest of the tour party consists of elderly women and a journalist, Spike. Emily takes an immediate dislike to Spike, finding him rude and dismissive. It was pretty obvious from the outset where this was going to end. Along the way, as the tour party visits places featured in Jane Austen's novels, Emily keeps bumping into Mr. Darcy. 

Having finally met the man of her dreams, it is understandable that Emily compares Mr. Darcy's impeccable manners to those of the abrasive Spike. Mr. Darcy seems to offer everything that modern men don't. Darcy is obviously enamored of Emily; she's very different from all the young women who are constantly introduced to him as prospective marriage candidates. 

I enjoyed the fact that Emily was so sure of what she was looking for in a man, but her opinion of the two male characters metamorphosed the more time she spent with each of them. Yes, the storyline was entirely predictable, but sometimes that's exactly what you need in a feel-good book.

Author Details

Alexandra Potter is the bestselling author of numerous romantic comedy fiction novels in the UK, including One Good Thing and Confessions of a Forty-Something F##k Up, one of the bestselling books of 2022 and 2023 and the basis of a major TV series. These titles have sold in twenty-eight territories and achieved worldwide sales of more than one million copies, making the bestseller charts across the world.

Yorkshire born and raised, Alexandra lived for several years in LA before settling in London with her Californian husband and their Bosnian rescue dog. When she’s not writing or travelling, she’s getting out into nature, trying not to look at her phone and navigating this thing called mid-life. 

How To Lose The Lottery by Jay McKenzie

 

Edie and Ron have won millions on the lottery, changing their lives forever. While Ron is embracing his new lifestyle, Edie is struggling to come to terms with the change in circumstances. Something in her past is holding her back from enjoying her newfound wealth.

In How To Lose The Lottery, author Jay McKenzie has combined three things that I love seeing in novels: a positive change in circumstances, older protagonists, and a north-east setting. When we first meet Edie and her family, the lottery win is behind them, and they are settled in their new home on an exclusive housing estate. Both husband Ron and son Colin are making the most of their newfound fortune. Edie, however, is still living as if nothing has changed in her life.

Wealth is not something Edie has ever dreamt about. As chapters alternate between the present and the past, we learn about Edie's troubled childhood, the struggles to make ends meet throughout her married life, and the love she has for her twin sons. 

Present-day Edie is lonely. Having relocated from her little terraced house, she has lost contact with the friends she had. Not being able to drive makes things even more problematic. But underneath everything is an overwhelming sadness; having raised twin sons, only one is ever mentioned and the reader is left wondering what happened.

As we follow Edie through all the stages of her life, we meet a host of engaging characters. We're also embroiled in a couple of mysteries. Firstly, what happened to her other son? Secondly, why is husband Ron acting so secretively? My heart constantly went out to Edie; her life had been a difficult one, I desperately wanted her to find some happiness. The book just goes to show that while money can buy nice things, it can't bring about contentment.

How To Lose The Lottery by Jay McKenzie will be published on 26th March 2026 in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and HarperFiction for a review copy.

Author Details

Jay McKenzie grew up in the North East surrounded by storytellers and Catherine Cookson novels, before attending Bretton Hall College of the Arts in the beautiful Yorkshire Sculpture Park. Since graduating ( a long time ago! Her degree is old enough to have a degree!) she has worked as a holiday rep, a performing arts teacher, a life model and a street theatre performer in Greece, Indonesia, Singapore, South Korea and Australia.

Her short stories and flash fiction appear  in adda, Bath Flash, Maudlin House, Fictive Dream, The Hooghly Review, Fahmidan Journal, Roi Faineant and others. She has won prizes such as the Exeter Story Prize, the Fish Short Story Prize, The Danahy Prize for Fiction, Quiet Man Dave and others, and shortlisted for the Edinburgh Story Award, Exeter Novel Prize, The Alpine Fellowship, Oxford Flash Fiction Prize, Bath Short Story Award, Bridport Prize and the Commonwealth Short Story Prize.

She has a penchant for knitwear and lives with her husband, daughter and too many cardigans. She has a dog called Duck.

#CoverReveal The Freshman Parents by Ko Porteous

 

Today, I'm delighted to be taking part in the cover reveal for The Freshman Parents by Ko Porteous. Reading the synopsis below, this sounds like such a fun read. 

Synopsis

They're off for the time of their lives. But are you? 

Book #1 in The Empty Nesters Series.

Single parent Heather isn't neurotic (honest!) - she's simply dreading the day her only child leaves for university - so her meticulous checklists grow longer by the hour. When she seeks advice on a parents' forum, she clashes with Scott, a single dad whose "helpful" statistics and assertions about “helicopter parenting” leave her fuming. 

Move-in day delivers the ultimate surprise: their daughters aren’t just roommates – they are self-declared "besties for life". Suddenly, Heather and Scott are thrown into a begrudging alliance. 

As they navigate the new status quo, Heather's instinct to organise meets Scott's philosophy of letting go. Their practical text messages about mattress toppers and emergency supplies evolve into conversations about dream jobs and bucket list aspirations. Despite their intentions to avoid relationships at all costs, unpredictable events keep throwing them together, meaning Heather and Scott find it increasingly difficult to ignore each other... 

Publication Date: 10^th July 2026

Pre-order Link: https://amzn.eu/d/0dbgIz37

Author Details

Ko Porteous lived in a tiny fishing village in the north of Scotland before moving to Edinburgh aged 10.  

Ko loves meeting people with interesting stories to tell and is constantly on the lookout for knotty story themes, particularly involving women navigating the messiness of life. She has worked as a Research Chemist, Assistant Chef, Teacher and School Leader.  

As well as writing, Ko works as a Business Manager and provides listening services for a mental health charity aiming to reduce the number of deaths caused by suicide.  

In her free time Ko loves to run, meditate and travel; preferably all on the same day.   

Ko has been married for 25 years, has 2 children of her own and is now navigating her own empty nest.  

The Freshman Parents is Ko’s debut novel and is the first in ‘The Empty Nesters’ series. 

No Safe Place by Hannah Brennan

 

The first page of a medical paper left close to the body of a victim of a brutal stabbing has the police trying to identify the five anonymous patients mentioned in the study. Is one of them responsible, or could they be potential targets?

I have a copy of the audiobook Nothing Left Behind to listen to. When I discovered this is the second book in the Detective Liz Field series by Hannah Brennan, I decided to read the first book, No Safe Place, to familiarise myself with the characters.

We are straight into the action as the book opens with the brutal stabbing of psychologist David Moore. DCI Liz Field and her partner, DS Riley, are close by when the emergency call is received. Close to the body is the first page of an article about the treatment of severe OCD in teenagers. One of the people who witnessed the aftermath of the stabbing is Callum, who lives with his ex-girlfriend, Lily. What the police don't realise immediately is that both Callum and Lily were part of the study. This gives the reader a slight advantage over the police.

Through alternating chapters, we follow DCI Field, Callum and Lily in the aftermath of the crime. All of the characters are written sympathetically. For Liz Field, the case hits close to home as her own son struggled with mental health issues as a teenager, and she still worries about him even though he's now an adult. Callum and Lily met during their stay in the psychiatric hospital where they were treated by David Moore. Their relationship ended a year ago, but Lily has struggled to move out as she feels responsible for Callum, particularly given his ongoing mental health issues.

Callum is the most interesting character, the one I felt most sympathetic towards. For the past two years, Callum hasn't left the house; this plays a major part in the storyline. The point at which he is unable to ring the emergency services because of his OCD is gut-wrenching. 

I love a thriller that keeps me engaged, that has me puzzling over who the villain is, that offers unforeseen twists. No Safe Place offers all of these, and at the same time educates. I had a vague idea of what OCD is; repeatedly checking the door is locked, handwashing, and turning switches on and off a specific number of times. This novel put the illness in a whole new light for me, not only giving me a greater understanding of the different ways in which OCD manifests itself, but also in the ways in which lives are disrupted by it.

I'm now looking forward to the second book in the series and seeing how DCI Field's character develops.

Author Details

Hannah Brennan lives in South East London, where she was born and raised.

She studied English Literature at Durham University – alongside British Sign Language, which she uses in her role as a trustee for the Royal Association for Deaf People. After returning from the North East, Hannah has turned her love of pubs into a career, working in marketing and technology for many fantastic British hospitality brands.

Hannah is a fanatic book-collector, with a passion for crime fiction and television. She is also one of the organisers of Greenwich Writers, a South-East London writing group.

Hannah developed OCD as a teenager, and hopes that her debut novel, No Safe Place, may give readers a fresh insight into a frequently misunderstood and misrepresented condition.