This is the blog of Samie Sands, author of Lockdown. There will be many great books and projects reviewed here. For more, check out thelockdown.co.uk.

Monday 22 July 2019

Secrets of the Old House: The Wisterias by Lee Marsh

Secrets of the Old House: The Wisterias by [Marsh, Lee]
Jane Addington a young woman of twenty-five years old is astonished to learn she has inherited an old house in the village of Alfriston from a great aunt she never knew existed. Together with her black cat Ebony Jane moves from the city into the old house in the country and from then on strange things start to happen. With a frightful old housekeeper and moving paintings can Jane overcome her fears and start to enjoy the house?

Saturday 20 July 2019

When Life Gives You Lululemons by Lauren Weisberger

***NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER***

Best Books of Summer 2018 Selection by
Entertainment Weekly * Cosmopolitan Harper's Bazaar * Redbook * Southern Living * Good Housekeeping PureWow * PopSugar * Bustle * Entertainment Tonight * Star Magazine * St. Louis Post-Dispatch * Columbus Dispatch * Tampa Bay Times * BookTrib *

HE SET HER UP. THEY’LL BRING HIM DOWN.

Welcome to Greenwich, Connecticut, where the lawns and the women are perfectly manicured, the Tito’s and sodas are extra strong, and everyone has something to say about the infamous new neighbor.

Let’s be clear: Emily Charlton does not do the suburbs. After leaving Miranda Priestly, she’s been working in Hollywood as an image consultant to the stars, but recently, Emily’s lost a few clients. She’s hopeless with social media. The new guard is nipping at her heels. She needs a big opportunity, and she needs it now.

When Karolina Hartwell, a gorgeous former supermodel, is arrested for a DUI, her fall from grace is merciless. Her senator-husband leaves her, her Beltway friends disappear, and the tabloids pounce.

In Karolina, Emily finds her comeback opportunity. But she quickly learns Greenwich is a world apart and that this comeback needs a team approach.

So it is that Emily, the scorned Karolina, and their mutual friend Miriam, a powerful attorney turned stay-at-home suburban mom, band together to not only navigate the social land mines of suburban Greenwich but win back the hearts of the American public. Along the way, an indispensable ally emerges in one Miranda Priestly.

With her signature wit, Lauren Weisberger offers an alluring look into a sexy, over-the-top world—and proves it’s style and substance together that gets the job done.

Thursday 18 July 2019

I Owe You One: The Number One Sunday Times Bestseller by Sophie Kinsella

I Owe You One: The Number One Sunday Times Bestseller by [Kinsella, Sophie]
The irresistible new standalone from Sophie Kinsella is a story of love, empowerment and an IOU that changes everything . . .
Fixie Farr can’t help herself. Straightening a crooked object, removing a barely-there stain, helping out a friend . . . she just has to put things right. It’s how she got her nickname, after all.
So when a handsome stranger in a coffee shop asks her to watch his laptop for a moment, Fixie not only agrees, she ends up saving it from certain disaster. To thank her, the computer’s owner, Sebastian, scribbles her an IOU – but of course Fixie never intends to call in the favour.
That is, until her teenage crush, Ryan, comes back into her life and needs her help – and Fixie turns to Seb. But things don’t go according to plan, and now Fixie owes Seb: big time.
Soon the pair are caught up in a series of IOUs – from small favours to life-changing debts – and Fixie is torn between the past she’s used to and the future she deserves.
Does she have the courage to fix things for herself and fight for the life, and love, she really wants?
***** EVERYBODY LOVES SOPHIE KINSELLA: *****
'Left me giddy with laughter. I loved it' JOJO MOYES
'Life doesn't get much better than a new Sophie Kinsella novel' RED
'One of the most relatable books I've read in a long time, I couldn’t put it down.' LOUISE PENTLAND (SprinkleofGlitter)

Tuesday 16 July 2019

Woman Last Seen in Her Thirties by Camille Pagán

Woman Last Seen in Her Thirties: A Novel by [Pagán, Camille]
From bestselling author Camille Pagán comes a hilarious and hopeful story about a woman on the verge of a nervous breakthrough.
At fifty-three, Maggie Harris has a good marriage and two mostly happy children. Perpetually anxious, she’s also accumulated a list of semi-reasonable fears: falling air conditioners, the IRS, identity theft, skydiving, and airbag recalls. But never once did Maggie worry that her husband of nearly thirty years would leave her.
On the day Adam walks out the door, everything that makes Maggie secure goes with him. Only then does she realize that while she’s been busy caring for everyone else, she’s become invisible to the world—and to herself.
Maggie cautiously begins to rebuild her life with a trip to Rome, a new career, and even a rebound romance. But when a fresh crisis strikes and an uncertain future looms, she must decide: How much will she risk to remain the woman she’s just become?

Sunday 14 July 2019

Sorry Not Sorry: The perfect laugh out loud romantic comedy by Sophie Ranald

Sorry Not Sorry: The perfect laugh out loud romantic comedy by [Ranald, Sophie]
‘Absolutely brilliant… I devoured it in a few hours because it was impossible to put down… Be prepared for a rollercoaster of emotions… Packed full of laughs... Had me laughing all the way through… Perfect.’ Goodreads Reviewer

Is this all there is? I scraped the last dregs of Caramel Chew Chew ice cream out of the bottom of the tub with my finger and licked it. It left a sticky smear on my phone’s screen when I typed into Google, “How to find love, sex and happiness.”

Charlotte has always been a good girl. But being good is getting boring… 

She’s not just stuck in a rut – she’s buried in it up to her chin. The only company she has in bed is the back catalogue of Netflix and falling in love feels like the stuff of fairy tales. So when she stumbles across a popular podcast, ‘Sorry Not Sorry’, which challenges women to embrace their inner bad girl, she jumps at the chance to shake things up.

Old Charlotte would never ask for a stranger’s number, go on a blind date or buy lacy lingerie… But New Charlotte is waving goodbye to her comfort zone (with a side order of margaritas). And it turns out that good things happen to bad girls…

A fabulously feel-good novel that will make you laugh till you cry and leave you living life to the full, margarita in hand! If you’re a fan of romantic comedies by Sophie Kinsella, Lindsey Kelk or Matt Dunn, and love TV shows like GirlsCrazy Ex-Girlfriend and Jane the Virgin, you won’t be able to put down this hilarious read.

Readers are absolutely loving Sorry Not Sorry:


OMG THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST ROMANCE BOOKS I’VE EVER READ… I literally laughed out loud because it is just too relatable and too funny… Reminds me of Sophie Kinsella… CANNOT wait to read more books from this author!!’ Bookish Bibliophile, 5 stars

‘I don't know how much my review will do justice to this book with my sleep induced brain, but my excited heart won't allow me to rest until I have posted this. Have you ever felt that particular urge to share your excitement just after reading an amazing novel? Ever experienced that bubbling happiness that won't be subdued?... There is only one thing I can shout at you: READ IT!… An excellent light read that is hard to put down. It cost me a night's sleep, but that was so worth it.Happy reading everyone!’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars

‘I am sitting on a bus leaving New York and I couldn’t even wait to get in front of my laptop to write a review... This book was THAT. GOOD… I took this book slowly because it was one of those novels you know you’ll be sorry to see end. Hell, I even slacked on some finals to read instead of working on my dissertation. I’m not sorry that’s for sure ;)… That last minute twist???? I was screaming.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars

Fantastic… So good I binge read it overnight… There was no way I was putting this book down once I started… The twists and turns kept me hooked It had me laughing out loud, cringing and falling in love with the characters… So so good and you really have to one-click it as soon as you can.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 Stars

Perfect… Had me laughing all the way through I devoured it in a few hours because it was impossible to put down.’ Goodreads Reviewer

‘The perfect pick-me-up… Delightful… Packed full of laughs… A good old giggle!’ Goodreads Reviewer

Wonderful!... I have never read any Sophie Ranald books but I am now going to be working my way through them. With the suggested margarita in hand, of course!’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars

I devoured this book in one sitting… I loved this to pieces.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars

I laughed, cried, and laughed some more… HILARIOUS.’ Goodreads Reviewer


Monday 1 July 2019

A Case of Need by Michael Crichton

A Case of Need: A Novel by [Crichton, Michael]
The death of a doctor’s daughter may be malpractice—or murder—in this novel by a #1 New York Timesbestselling author: “I loved it” (Stephen King).

In the tightly knit world of Boston medicine, the Randall family reigns supreme. When heart surgeon J. D. Randall’s teenage daughter dies during a botched abortion, the medical community threatens to explode. Was it malpractice? A violation of the Hippocratic Oath? Or was Karen Randall murdered in cold blood?

The natural suspect is Arthur Lee, a brilliant surgeon and known abortionist, who has been carrying out the illegal procedure with the help of pathologist John Berry. After Karen dies, Lee is thrown in jail on a murder charge, and only Berry can prove his friend wasn’t the one who wielded the scalpel. Behind this gruesome death, Berry will uncover a secret that would shock even the most hardened pathologist.
An Edgar Award–winning novel by the author of such blockbusters as The Andromeda Strain and Jurassic Park—and creator of the long-running NBC drama ER—A Case of Need is a “superb” medical-thriller mystery (Los Angeles Times).
This ebook features an illustrated biography of Michael Crichton including rare images from the author’s estate.

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