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Blackbeard's Lost Head by Barrett Schmanska

 Blackbeard's Lost Head by Barrett Schmanska I must admit the title was what attracted me to this story. I'm familiar with Blackbeard and had heard the legend that after he was killed, his decapitated head was hung on the riverbank in Virginia before it disappeared.  This story focuses on a former FBI agent who has heard legends about where Blackbeard's severed head is to be found and sets out to discover clues, to find it's location and solve the mystery of what happened to it and where it's been since it was last seen in the 1920's., The setting is largely based around Native American tribes and their land and this was a subject I had read very little about so it was interesting to read a story that had that as a backdrop and had a Native American character as the protagonist. I really liked the characters of Hugh and Dodge, their partnership worked really well. Overall this was an enjoyable mystery. Many thanks to the publishers, the author, and to Netgalley ...
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A Fatal Love by Louisa Treger

 A Fatal Love by Louisa Treger I was vaguely aware of Ruth Ellis. I'd listened to a podcast about her case some years ago but didn't know much. This book is a fiction based on that case.  I liked the characterization and the book is really well written and paints a complex and largely sympathetic portrait of Ruth. The author does look at her relationship with the racing car driver Bradley and shows how tempestuous and abusive that relationship was. It is a really good read and very detailed in it's depictions of the abuse. If you like true crime then I would recommend this book, as though it is fictionalised it is based on evidence and its clear the author has done their research. Thank you to the publishers, the author, and to Netgalley as always for this ARC.  
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The Weight of Angels by John Boyne

 The Weight of Angels by John Boyne As a huge fan of Oscar Wilde's works I knew I had to read this book. Boyne's book is a sweeping story with an imagined 'what if' at it's core. It is on the longer side but the writing is beautiful and it flows really well. Keeping this review spoiler free I enjoyed the interactions between Wilde and certain characters like Nancy and Albert and there were other interactions with historical figures that made Wilde harder to like and I think it's in this that Boyne's writing shines. He paints us a portrait of Wilde who is contrary and interesting. He is at times infuriating and endearing. The writing is very moving and emotive, you feel swept along with the drama. As another reviewer has stated the characters with all their flaws and foibles feel deeply real and human and it's hard not to be moved. If you like historical novels where the author takes a creative look at a life that might have been lived in different circum...
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White Lights by Lauren Kate

 White Lights by Lauren Kate Unlike other reviewers Lauren Kate was a completely new author to me and this is the first paranormal fantasy romance I have read so I was unsure what to expect. I'll begin by saying that I really liked the setting with the war as a backdrop to the events in the school. The characters of Desdemona and Raf are really good and the chemistry is great. However there were a few scenes that were a little bit too visceral for me personally, little bit too much gore at times and I was not expecting the book to be this spicey! But it really is, there's a lot of phrases I never thought I'd read in a book but I did really enjoy the spice level even if it is a little bit too detailed at times but again that's personal preference. that said this is a great book and I did have fun reading it. thank you to the author, the publisher, and to Netgalley for this ARC. 
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A Daddy For Christmas by Lizzie Spriggs

A Daddy For Christmas by Lizzie Spriggs I chose this book as I had seen the author online and knew that it was inspired by characters in the show Our Flag Means Death. This book is a fun read. I loved the characters of Sid and Lucas and the banter between them was great, it starts off as a fake father/son relationship and then it progresses. The characters voices are strong and the interplay between them is great. It's an ideal read for the cosy festive period (even though I read it in April) There are some very moving scenes in amongst the humor too and it's well balanced. There were class dynamics that I found really interesting too and I love the found family trope. Thank you to the author, the publisher, and to Netgalley for this ARC. 
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A Prince Among Pirates by Katie Abdou

 A Prince Among Pirates by Katie Abdou As a huge fan of books that center on pirates and their world I was delighted toi be able to read this one, especially as I read that it was perfect for fans of the fantastic tv series Our Flag Means Death and I'd have to agree this book is a lot of fun. However what kept me invested in the love story in that show was that the characters involved were middle-aged and that is definitely not the case here as Kit is 17 going on 18 and Sharpe is 23 Like other reviewers have said I'm glad that the author decided to age up Kit by a year as that did make a lot of difference to how I read the book and perceived the romance between Kit and Sharpe. One peeve of mine was the repeated use of 'kitten' as a term of endearment, maybe it's just me but there's something about that word used in that context that doesn't sit right with me but that is purely a personal preference. The side characters were good but not enough time was spent...
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I Hear A New World by Alan Moore

 I Hear A New World by Alan Moore I really enjoyed Alan Moore's previous book The Great When and this book is a continuation of that. It is really well written, the prose flows and the themes of social commentary are nicely woven into the plot. There are tangents here and there so it can feel tricky at time to follow the plot of the story through the novel as Moore meanders somewhat in his style at times. Lots of action sequences and humour but for some reason this book didn't quite work for me as much as the first book. That said, it is an entertaining world and it was good to return to the characters after the time skip between the two books.. The protagonist has matured somewhat but is still beset by issues, largely of his own. The world building continues to be great and there are real life historical characters from the era in the book and it was fun to see Moore's take on them. Many thanks tot he publishers, the author, and to Netgalley for this ARC.  
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