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.

Sunday, 23 September 2018

While I Was Sleeping by Dani Atkins

While I Was Sleeping by [Atkins, Dani]
'Dani Atkins is the undisputed queen of fiction that packs a huge emotional punch' heat
'Have your tissues at the ready for this tear jerker of a read’ Closer
'Brings heart-wrenching surprises' Woman & Home
‘I simply adored this heart-breaking, brilliant read’ Sun
A brand new and brilliant emotional family drama for fans of Jojo Moyes and Dorothy Koomson, from the bestselling author of Fractured.

What if someone else was living your happy ever after? 
When Maddie wakes up in a hospital bed, she can't remember anything about what happened to her or what has changed.
She just remembers she was about to be married and had everything to look forward to.
But it seems life has become a lot more complicated while she has been asleep ...

'This book is filled with the utmost compassion and it has stayed with me long after the final page … An absolute triumph of storytelling' Penny Parkes
‘A touching story about love, loss, survival and an unconventional friendship. Dani writes with heart and soul. Prepare to be moved’ Alice Peterson
‘A story of hope and love, this brilliant family drama shows that none of us knows what the future holds’ Prima
‘A warm and memorable novel, with a dilemma at its core, and will appeal to readers of Jodi Picoult and Nicholas Sparks. Atkins deserves more recognition for her commercial fiction. Thoroughly enjoyable’ Independent on Sunday
'Tear-jerker' Bella

Further praise for Dani Atkins' novels:
‘A heart-warming story of love and loss that will stay with you long after the last page’My Weekly
‘A beautiful romance with a twist’ Woman
‘If you like Jodi Picoult then you’ll love This Love’Lovereading
‘Such a beautiful book’Brewandbooksreview
‘A true celebration of life, family and relationships’culturefly
‘What a stunningly beautiful love story, I’m bereft that it’s over’RatherTooFondofBooks
‘Heartbreakingly beautiful. A must-read’blogsbybooksby
‘Flawless’ reabookreview
‘I wholeheartedly recommend this to anyone’rachelsrandomreads
‘Poignant and heartfelt’vivavoce
‘A heartbreaker of a book’ handwrittengirl
‘Heartbreakingly brilliant’ Daily Mail
'Truly magnificent storytelling’ Veronica Henry
'Fans of Me Before You will love this' Patricia Scanlan
‘For those of you who have ever wondered about you first love or thought about the one that got away, this story will speak to your heart. I read it in one sitting – and it’s heartbreakingly brilliant’ The Sun
 ‘This is easily one of the best books I have ever read, and I don’t say that often!’ thelunamayblog
‘A gripping and emotional family drama … With breath-taking plot twists, Dani explores themes of serendipity, friendship and love’ Fabulousbookfiend

Saturday, 22 September 2018

The Third Wife by Lisa Jewell

The Third Wife by [Jewell, Lisa]
You think you have the perfect life.

You're successful. Attractive. Well liked.

And you've just got married for the third time.
But that’s OK because everyone’s happy. Your children are happy. You're happy. And so is your new wife.
But one tragic accident smashes your perfect life to pieces. Because everyone has secrets, and secrets have consequences.
Some of which can be devastating.
Another unforgettable novel from top 10 bestseller Lisa Jewell, author of Then She Was Gone and Watching You.

Thursday, 20 September 2018

Three Little Lies: The compulsive new thriller from the author of FRIEND REQUEST by Laura Marshall

Three Little Lies: The compulsive new thriller from the author of FRIEND REQUEST by [Marshall, Laura]
Prepare for your latest obsession . . .
'Compulsive' Rachel Abbott
'Addictive' Caz Frear
'Brilliant' Fiona Cummins

From the Sunday Times bestselling author of FRIEND REQUEST comes an electrifying new thriller about friendship, betrayal and revenge.
*****
Sasha North has gone missing.
Everyone says she's run away, but I know better. We've been best friends since we were teenagers, since Sasha swept into the neighbourhood and brought colour to my life. Until a brutal attack changed both our lives forever.
I know what happened that night. I know who wants revenge.
And if Sasha has been taken, does that mean I'm next?
*****
What people are saying about THREE LITTLE LIES:
'A name to watch in the world of twisty, gripping thrillers . . . It rings as true as tomorrow's headlines' Daily Mail
'Superb' Sun
'An addictive, expertly-plotted thriller with a great twist - if you liked FRIEND REQUEST, you'll love this' T. M. Logan, bestselling author of LIES
'THREE LITTLE LIES is here and it's even better than FRIEND REQUEST. Tense and full of surprises - I have a good feeling Laura Marshall is here to stay!' Emily Elgar, bestselling author of IF YOU KNEW HER
'If you loved FRIEND REQUEST, you'll devour THREE LITTLE LIES. You won't know who to believe and you won't be able to put it down until you get to the (shocking) truth. Great stuff!' CJ Tudor, bestselling author of THE CHALK MAN
'A compulsive psychological thriller with compelling characters and a twisty plot' Jenny Quintana, bestselling author of THE MISSING GIRL
'I raced through this, genuinely unable to put it down. Another brilliant, compelling novel' Karen Hamilton, bestselling author of THE PERFECT GIRLFRIEND
'A realistic coming-of-age tale that drew me in, Laura's masterful plot and ability to interweave past and present so skilful I was completely blind-sided by the brilliant final twist' Amanda Reynolds, bestselling author of LYING TO YOU
'Couldn't put THREE LITTLE LIES down . . . a taut, absorbing and hugely addictive thriller' Chris Whitaker, bestselling author of ALL THE MISSING GIRLS

Tuesday, 18 September 2018

The Other Us: the RONA winning perfect second chance romance to curl up with by Fiona Harper

The Other Us: the RONA winning perfect second chance romance to curl up with by [Harper, Fiona]

***WINNER OF THE 2018 SPECULATIVE ROMANTIC NOVEL AWARD***

‘This is a pure joy’ Heat

If you could turn back time, would you choose a different life?
Forty-something Maggie is facing some hard truths. Her only child has flown the nest for university and, without her daughter in the house, she’s realising that her life, and her marriage to Dan, is more than a little stale.
When she spots an announcement on Facebook about a uni reunion, she can’t help wondering what happened to Jude Hanson. The same night Dan proposed, Jude asked Maggie to run away with him, and she starts to wonder how different her life might have been if she’d broken Dan’s heart and taken Jude up on his offer.
Wondering turns into fantasising, and then one morning fantasising turns into reality. Maggie wakes up and discovers she’s back in 1992 and twenty-one again. Is she brave enough to choose the future she really wants, and if she is, will the grass be any greener on the other side of the fence?

Two men. Two very different possible futures. But is there only once chance at happiness?

Perfect for fans of One Day, The Versions of Us and Miss You

Saturday, 15 September 2018

The Plus Sign Anthology

The Plus Sign Anthology by [Iblis, Kathia, Bentley, H.C., Chick, Jessie, Jaarsveld, Katie, Moore, MK, Madison, J.C., Siler, Mercedes, Carby, Tiffany]
Time seems to drag. Shaking fingers, racing hearts, difficulty swallowing. Some have done this for months, each time their hearts breaking just a bit more. Others never imagined themselves in this position, disbelieving how they let it happen. They take a deep breath, willing the seconds to move just a bit faster until finally, time’s up.

Thursday, 13 September 2018

The Greatest Love Story of All Time by Lucy Robinson

The Greatest Love Story of All Time by [Robinson, Lucy]
'The new Marian Keyes . . . romantic and laugh-out-loud hilarious' Cosmopolitan

It's Fran's thirtieth birthday and things are good . . .

She's bluffed her way into a Very Posh Job and her outlandishly handsome and talented boyfriend Michael is escorting her to the Ritz with a bulge the shape of a ring box in his pocket.
But something has gone wrong. Very wrong. By the end of the evening Fran is howling in bed with a bottle of cheap brandy and one of Michael's old socks.
In her quest to figure out why her life has suddenly gone down the pan, Fran comes up with a failsafe plan: live like a badger, stalk a stranger called Nellie and cancel her beloved Gin Thursdays in favour of drinking gin every night. But then Fran's friends force a very different plan on her and it's nowhere near as fun. How could eight dates possibly make her feel better?
But eventually she agrees. And so begins the greatest love story of all time . . .
'An absolute must-read' Huffington Post

'Prepare for public-transport belly laughs' Glamour

Tuesday, 11 September 2018

The Man Who Didn't Call: The Love Story of the Year – with a Fantastic Twist by Rosie Walsh

The Man Who Didn't Call: The Love Story of the Year – with a Fantastic Twist by [Walsh, Rosie]
The "OMG" romance of the year, The Man Who Didn't Call by Rosie Walsh is a heart-wrenching love story with a dark secret at its heart, for anyone who's waited for a phone call that didn't come.
'I absolutely loved this book' Liane Moriarty
Imagine you meet a man, spend seven glorious days together, and fall in love. And it’s mutual: you’ve never been so certain of anything.
So when he leaves for a long-booked holiday and promises to call from the airport, you have no cause to doubt him.
But he doesn’t call.
Your friends tell you to forget him, but you know they're wrong: something must have happened; there must be a reason for his silence.
What do you do when you finally discover you're right? That there is a reason – and that reason is the one thing you didn't share with each other?
The truth.

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