Books

The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley / Image credit: HarperCollins
2 March 2022

The Paris Apartment review: What we thought of Lucy Foley’s slow-burning missing person mystery
An eagerly anticipated thriller for 2022, The Paris Apartment is New York Times best seller Lucy Foley’s latest murder mystery which explores the nitty gritty of a rich and secretive ...

The Lost Dreamer by Lizz Huerta / Image credit: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
1 March 2022

What’s on our March 2022 book list?: Travel the world with The Lost Dreamer and Peach Blossom Spring
This month’s releases that have caught our attention takes us everywhere from Mesoamerica to Pakistan, China and Ukraine. We can already tell March is going to thrill us, break us ...

Ross Patrick
1 March 2022

How writing helped to manage my depression by Ross Patrick, author of A New Dark Age
2014 and the house shakes from the thunder of workmen pounding the street out front with pneumatic machinery. The front window has a hole from when I tried to force ...

Grant J Ryan
1 March 2022

How grumpy are you and what does this say about you and the world? by Grant J Ryan
Independent of how good life is, there seems to be a social preference for having a bit of a grumble. Imagine someone has a story about the horrific customer service ...

Cristina Loggia
1 March 2022

Seven things I'd like my readers to know about me by Cristina Loggia, author of Lucifer's Game
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Giles Kristian opens up in an exclusive piece for Female First
24 February 2022

Seven things I'd like my readers to know about me, by Giles Kristian
To celebrate the release of his new novel, Where Blood Runs Cold, we asked author Giles Kristian to take part in our 'seven things' series, where writers open up and reveal ...

Brown Girls by Daphne Palasi Andreades / Image credit: HarperCollins
22 February 2022

Brown Girls review: Daphne Palasi Andreades’ poetic coming–of-age debut is nostalgic to the core
If you’re after a carefully constructed plot-driven narrative with twists and turns and all the rest of it, let us tell you now that you won’t find it in Daphne ...

Iconic People of Colour by Elizabeth Ajao / Image credit: Summersdale
22 February 2022

Iconic People of Colour Review: Elizabeth Ajao’s book is a nifty pocket-guide to heroes
As a white person, it’s easy to take for granted the work people of colour have done and their impact on the world as we know it. Perhaps some of ...

G.R. Macallister opens up in an exclusive piece for Female First
22 February 2022

Five things I'd like my readers to know about me, by G.R. Macallister
To celebrate the release of her new fantasy novel, Scorpica, we asked author G.R. Macallister to let us in on five interesting facts all about her, that her readers may be ...

Sheryl Browne writes an exclusive piece for Female First
22 February 2022

Seven things I've learned about writing, by Sheryl Browne
Bestselling Author, Sheryl Browne, writes taut, twisty psychological thriller. A member of the Crime Writers’ Association and the Romantic Novelists’ Association, Sheryl has several books published and two short stories ...

Tim Saunders and his son Henry
21 February 2022

Author Tim Saunders shares what to consider when planning a family staycation
If you're planning a family staycation this year, there are several things to consider before you book. Author Tim Saunders has kindly shared his top tips for this unique kind ...

Norma Curtis opens up in an exclusive piece for Female First
21 February 2022

Five things I'd like my readers to know about me, by Norma Curtis
To celebrate the release of her new book, The Drowned Village, we asked author Norma Curtis to open up for readers in an exclusive piece for Female First. Here's what ...

Sophie Anderson writes an exclusive piece for Female First
18 February 2022

Seven things about my new novel The Sapphire Cove, by Sophie Anderson
To celebrate the release of her new book The Sapphire Cove, we asked author Sophie Anderson to let us in on some interesting facts all about the novel! Here's what she ...

Eve Smith opens up for readers in an exclusive piece for Female First
17 February 2022

Five things I'd like my readers to know about me, by Eve Smith
To celebrate the release of her new novel, Off Target, we asked author Eve Smith to open up and reveal five things that she'd like her readers to know about ...

Five Days Missing
17 February 2022

Seven things that helped me write a book while homeschooling by author Caroline Corcoran
I didn’t even realise I was doing this as I was writing it but after Five Days Missing was finished – and now it’s about to be published – I ...

Laura's story is simply awe-inspiring / Picture Credit: Laura Galloway
15 February 2022

Dálvi: Six Years in the Arctic Tundra Review
When Laura set out to live in the Arctic, she never imagined the life that would unfold before her...  Laura Galloway, author of this stunning memoir, is both a writer and ...

Jo Simpson
15 February 2022

How the RNLI inspired my latest book by J M Simpson, author of Sea State
‘In all weathers’ is one of the key messages that the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) promote. Standing on a windy quayside, watching the waves crash over the harbour wall ...

Jessica Rose Williams
15 February 2022

Exclusive interview with Jessica Rose Williams about her new book Enough: Learning to Simplify Life
Jessica Rose Williams is a writer and simple living blogger who lives in the Peak District. For the last six years she has dedicated her time to simplifying her life, ...

Adrift: The Curious Tale of the Lego Lost at Sea
15 February 2022

Seven unusual beachcombing finds by Tracey Williams, author of Adrift
-  In 2012, mysterious slabs bearing the word TJIPETIR began washing up on beaches in the UK and northern Europe. Investigations revealed Tjipetir was the name of a plantation in ...

Verity Ellis writes an exclusive piece for Female First
14 February 2022

Don't get swindled! Red flags you shouldn't ignore when dating, by author Verity Ellis
No one said dating was easy.  What should be a fun, freeing, and exciting adventure can often feel like a mystifying ocean of ghosting, games, and you guessed it - ...

The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan / Image credit: Penguin Random House
14 February 2022

The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan Review
“I am a bad mother but I am learning to be good.”  This chilling mantra is like a repeated punch in the gut for all parents who read it. We ...

Black Shield Maiden will release later this year / Picture Credit: WILLOW © Tony Pillow
9 February 2022

Willow Smith’s debut novel, Black Shield Maiden, will be released in October 2022
Yesterday (February 8th, 2022), musician, actress and activist Willow Smith announced the release of her very first book, set to come out in October this year (2022).  The upcoming novel, ...

Suzette D. Harrison opens up in an exclusive piece for Female First
8 February 2022

Seven things I'd like my readers to know about me, by Suzette D. Harrison
To celebrate the release of her new novel, The Dust Bowl Orphans, out now, we asked author Suzette D. Harrison to open up for readers in our 'seven things' series. ...

Christopher Bramley
8 February 2022

HERE BE DRAGONS: AN INTERVIEW WITH HIGH-FANTASY AUTHOR CHRISTOPHER BRAMLEY
Based on the strength of his debut novel, The Serpent Calls, fantasy author Christopher Bramley can proudly stand among fantasy giants such as J.R.R. Tolkien, Robert Jordan, and George R. ...