Hall of Fame Review: Ride or Die by Khurrum Rahman

Title: Ride or Die
Author: Khurrum Rahman
Publisher: HQ
Publication Date: 9th July 2020
Pages: 400
Source: NetGalley
Rating: 5/5
Purchase: Amazon

JAY QASIM is finally out of the game and trying to lay low. But then he gets news that rocks his world and drags up everything that he thought he’d left behind. Jay must break his vow never to work with MI5 again and turn to the person who sold him out. But this time he’s determined to do it on his terms.

IMRAN SIDDIQUI once tried to kill Jay but now they have a common adversary. The one thing worse than death is watching the people closest to you die. And after the happiest day of Imran’s life becomes the most tragic, he will stop at nothing to take revenge on the people that have taken away his family.

But when everyone has their own agenda, who can you really trust?

Your most deadly enemy is about to become your closest ally.

Review: Vixen by Sam Michaels

Title: Vixen
Author: Sam Michaels
Publisher: Aria
Publication Date: 23rd April 2020
Source: NetGalley
Rating: 5/5
Purchase: Amazon

While World War Two rages on around them, the gangs of London are fighting for their turf...

There might be a war on, but that doesn't stop Georgina Garrett running her business with an iron fist. No one said running the Battersea gang was going to be easy, but her unflinchable nature makes Georgina unstoppable.

With a role that requires a ruthless ability to seek revenge and pay out crippling punishments, Georgina's enemies are growing in number. With a target on her back, Georgina knows she must do everything to protect her family. But, with the loss of someone closest to her, can Georgina rise up from the ashes or allow a usurper take her crown?

Hall of Fame Review: Killing Mind by Angela Marsons

Title: Killing Mind
Author: Angela Marsons
Publisher: Bookouture
Publication Date: 13th May 2020
Pages: 367
Source: Purchased
Rating: 5/5
Purchase: Amazon

It had seemed so simple. Get in, get the information, get out. But now they were getting inside her mind and she didn’t know how to stop them...

When Detective Kim Stone is called to the home of Samantha Brown, she finds the young woman lying in bed with her throat cut and a knife in her hand. With no sign of forced entry or struggle, Kim rules her death a tragic suicide.

But a visit to Samantha’s parents rings alarm bells for Kim – there’s something they’re not telling her. And, when she spots a clue in a photograph, Kim realises she’s made a huge mistake. Samantha didn’t take her own life, she was murdered.

Then a young man’s body is found in a local lake with his throat cut and Kim makes a link between the victim and Samantha. They both spent time at Unity Farm, a retreat for people seeking an alternative way of life.

Beneath the retreat’s cosy façade, Kim and her team uncover a sinister community preying on the emotionally vulnerable.

Sending one of her own undercover into Unity Farm is high risk but it’s Kim’s only hope if she is to catch a killer – someone Kim is convinced the victims knew and trusted.

With Bryant distracted by the emergence of a harrowing case close to his heart, and an undercover officer in way over her head, Kim’s neck is on the line like never before. Can she protect those closest to her before another life is taken?

Review: Amazing Grace by Kim Nash

Title: Amazing Grace
Author: Kim Nash
Publisher: Hera Books
Publication Date: 10th April 2019
Pages: 257
Source: Purchased
Rating: 5/5
Purchase: Amazon

She’s taking her life back , one step at a time…

Grace thought she had it all. Living in the beautiful village of Little Ollington, along with head teacher husband Mark and gorgeous son, Archie, she devoted herself to being the perfect mum and the perfect wife, her little family giving her everything she ever wanted.

Until that fateful day when she walked in on Mark kissing his secretary - and her perfect life fell apart.

Now she's a single mum to Archie, trying to find her way in life and keep things together for his sake. Saturday nights consist of a Chinese takeaway eaten in front of the TV clad in greying pyjamas, and she can’t remember the last time she had a kiss from anyone aside from her dog, Becks…

Grace’s life needs a shake up – fast. So when gorgeous gardener Vinnie turns up on her doorstep, his twinkling eyes suggesting that he might be interested in more than just her conifers, she might just have found the answer to her prayers. But as Grace falls deeper for Vinnie, ten-year-old Archie fears that his mum finding love means she’ll never reconcile with the dad he loves.

So when ex-husband Mark begs her for another chance, telling her he’s changed from the man that broke her heart, Grace finds herself with an impossible dilemma. Should she take back Mark and reunite the family that Archie loves? Or risk it all for a new chance of happiness?

Hall of Fame Review: Homegrown Hero by Khurrum Rahman

Title: Homegrown Hero
Author: Khurrum Rahman
Publisher: HQ
Publication Date: 25th July 2019
Pages: 384
Source: Purchased
Rating: 5/5
Purchase: Amazon

Reluctant spy. Trained assassin.
WHOSE SIDE ARE YOU ON?

JAY QASIM is back home in West London and in pursuit of normality. He’s swapped dope-dealing for admin, and spends his free time at the local Muslim Community Centre or cruising around Hounslow in his beloved BMW. No-one would guess that he was the MI5 spy who foiled the most devastating terrorist attack in recent history.

But Jay’s part in sabotaging Ghurfat-Al-Mudarris’ hit on London didn’t pass unnoticed.

IMRAN SIDDIQUI was trained to kill in Afghanistan by the terrorist cell who saved his life after his home was destroyed by war. The time has finally come for him to repay them – throwing him headlong into the path of Jay Qasim.

Now, they must each decide whose side they’re really on.

Review: East of Hounslow by Khurrum Rahman

Title: East of Hounslow
Author: Khurrum Rahman
Publisher: HQ
Publication Date: 30th November 2017
Pages: 353
Source: Purchased
Rating: 5/5
Purchase: Amazon

Meet Jay.
Small-time dealer.
Accidental jihadist.
The one man who can save us all?

Javid – call him Jay – is a dope dealer living in West London. He goes to mosque on Friday, and he’s just bought his pride and joy – a BMW. He lives with his mum, and life seems sweet.

But his world is about to turn upside-down. Because MI5 have been watching him, and they think he’s just the man they need for a delicate mission.

One thing’s for sure: now he’s a long way East of Hounslow, Jay’s life will never be the same again.

With the edgy humour of Four Lions and the pulse-racing tension of Nomad, East of Hounslow is the first in a series of thrillers starring Jay Qasim.

Review: Deep Dark Night by Steph Broadribb

Title: Deep Dark Night
Author: Steph Broadribb
Publisher: Orenda Books
Publication Date: 5th March 2020
Pages: 320
Source: Purchased
Rating: 5/5
Purchase: Amazon

A city in darkness. A building in lockdown. A score that can only be settled in blood…

Working off the books for FBI Special Agent Alex Monroe, Florida bounty-hunter Lori Anderson and her partner, JT, head to Chicago. Their mission: to entrap the head of the Cabressa crime family. The bait: a priceless chess set that Cabressa is determined to add to his collection.

An exclusive high-stakes poker game is arranged in the penthouse suite of one of the city’s tallest buildings, with Lori holding the cards in an agreed arrangement to hand over the pieces, one by one. But, as night falls and the game plays out, stakes rise and tempers flare.

When a power failure plunges the city into darkness, the building goes into lockdown. But this isn’t an ordinary blackout, and the men around the poker table aren’t all who they say they are. Hostages are taken, old scores resurface and the players start to die.

And that’s just the beginning…

Hall of Fame Review: Dead Wrong by Noelle Holten

Title: Dead Wrong
Author: Noelle Holten
Publisher: One More Chapter
Publication Date: 14th March 2020
Pages: 432
Source: NetGalley
Rating: 5/5
Purchase: Amazon

The serial killer is behind bars. But the murders are just beginning…

DC Maggie Jamieson's past comes back to haunt her in this dark and gripping serial killer thriller.

Three missing women running out of time…

They were abducted years ago. Notorious serial killer Bill Raven admitted to killing them and was sentenced to life.

The case was closed – at least DC Maggie Jamieson thought it was…

But now one of them has been found, dismembered and dumped in a bin bag in town.

Forensics reveal that she died just two days ago, when Raven was behind bars, so Maggie has a second killer to find.

Because even if the other missing women are still alive, one thing’s for certain: they don’t have long left to live…

Review: Fearless Girl by Emma Tallon

Title: Fearless Girl
Author: Emma Tallon
Publisher: Bookouture
Publication Date: 14th April 2020
Pages: 305
Source: NetGalley
Rating: 5/5
Purchase: Amazon

It’s been three years since Freddie Tyler was sent to prison, now he’s back on the streets of London and about to find out that everything has changed.

As Freddie enters his West End club for the first time in years, he finds ex-girlfriend Anna Davis sitting behind his desk, confidently leading his team of men. Anna used to hate the world he lived in, but she has now become a big part of it. And she’s not about to give up running the family business easily.

Anna shows a toughness Freddie has never witnessed in her before when she tells him about her new enterprise, smuggling stolen diamonds through London’s Hatton Garden. And alarm bells start ringing when Freddie meets Anna’s new partner. Cold and ruthless, Roman Gains isn’t someone Freddie trusts around the club and particularly not around Anna.

Whilst tensions flare between Anna and Freddie, a new Russian firm enters their world, determined to bring the Tylers down. And when they take out one of his best men, Freddie has to take drastic action to wrestle control from Anna. But she has other ideas. And when Roman becomes Anna’s closest ally, Freddie finally reaches breaking point. Could this be the fall of the Tyler empire and the last time Freddie and Anna are on the same side?

Hall of Fame Review: First Blood by Angela Marsons

Title: First Blood
Author: Angela Marsons
Publisher: Bookouture
Publication Date: 14th November 2019
Pages: 448
Source: Purchased
Rating: 5/5
Purchase: Amazon

When the body of a young man is found beheaded and staked to the ground in a secluded woodland area of the Clent Hills, Kim and her new squad rush to the crime scene.

Searching the victim's home, Kim finds a little girl's bedroom and a hidden laptop, but where is the child? And why does the man's own sister seem relieved that he's dead?

As Kim begins to unearth the shocking truth about the victim, a disturbing resemblance is spotted with the recent murder of a man found beneath the staircase of Redland Hall with multiple stab wounds.

Both these men had dark secrets and Kim discovers a link to a women's shelter. As a child of the care system herself, Kim knows all too well what it means to be vulnerable. Could the shelter be the key to cracking this case?

With the killer about to strike again, Kim is in deep water with a rookie squad. Inexperienced Stacey is showing signs of brilliance but struggling to hold her nerve and, while D.S. Bryant is reliable and calm, D.S. Dawson is a liability. With his home life in pieces, his volatile behaviour is already fracturing her fragile new team.

Can Kim bring Dawson in line and pull her crew together in time to catch the killer before another life is taken? This time, one of her own could be in terrible danger . . .

Hall of Fame Review: Queenie by Kimberley Chambers

Title: Queenie
Author: Kimberley Chambers
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication Date: 23rd January 2020
Pages: 512
Source: Review Copy
Rating: 5/5
Purchase: Amazon

SHE WAS MADE IN THE EAST END . . .

For young Queenie, life in the backstreets of Whitechapel was a lesson in survival – Hitler’s bombs hit those with nothing the hardest. When danger strikes close to home, Queenie finds an ally in Mrs O’Leary, whose two sons are the kingpins of the East End. But while the O’Learys are the light in Queenie’s life, fate has a different path in store.

AND MEN ARE WHAT THEIR MOTHERS MAKE THEM . . .

Now married to the useless Albie Butler, Queenie is raising her children to fight their own battles. If the O’Learys taught her anything, it was that surviving meant doing whatever you had to, no questions asked, and family always comes first. The Butler boys will make sure their mother’s name becomes East End legend.

MEET QUEENIE.
THIS IS HER STORY.

Review: The Six by Luca Veste

Title: The Six
Author: Luca Veste
Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
Publication Date: 26th December 2019
Pages: 432
Source: Purchased
Rating: 5/5
Purchase: Amazon

Six friends trapped by one dark secret.

It was supposed to be our last weekend away as friends, before marriage and respectability beckoned. But what happened that Saturday changed everything.

In the middle of the night, someone died. The six of us promised each other we would not tell anyone about the body we buried. But now the pact has been broken. And the killing has started again …

Who knows what we did? And what price will we pay?

My Top 10 Books of 2019 (and a Return to Blogging?)

Near the end of 2017 I lost control of my domain due to me not renewing it. Despite many attempts to try and get it back, I had no luck, until a few months ago when it expired again and became available for it to be mine once more. After over two years I was starting to get the blogging bug back again, and missed all of the friends that I had made in the blogging world. I started 2020 asking myself whether a return to blogging was doable.

When I quit blogging back in 2017 and read solely for enjoyment, with no time restraints, no commitments and no having to worry about writing a review, I found it to be extremely liberating and actually found that I enjoyed reading more than when I was blogging. And so, I might make a tentative return to reviewing and see how it goes. For now though I have compiled my Top Reads of 2019, some of the books were released in other years but were read in 2019.

I hope you enjoy reading what books I enjoyed the most in 2019 and will stick with me as I attempt a (probably somewhat quiet) blogging comeback.

Hall of Fame Review: Ashes to Ashes by Paul Finch

Title: Ashes to Ashes

Author: Paul Finch

Publisher: Avon Books

Publication Date: 6th April 2017

Pages: 480

Source: Review Copy

Rating: 5/5

Purchase: Amazon

John Sagan is a forgettable man. You could pass him in the street and not realise he’s there. But then, that’s why he’s so dangerous.

A torturer for hire, Sagan has terrorised – and mutilated – countless victims. And now he’s on the move. DS Mark ‘Heck’ Heckenburg must chase the trail, even when it leads him to his hometown of Bradburn – a place he never thought he’d set foot in again.

But Sagan isn’t the only problem. Bradburn is being terrorised by a lone killer who burns his victims to death. And with the victims chosen at random, no-one knows who will be next. Least of all Heck…

Review: Revenge by Nigel May

Title: Revenge
Author: Nigel May
Publisher: Bookouture
Publication Date: 10th February 2017
Pages: 335
Source: Review Copy
Rating: 5/5
Purchase: Amazon

If you keep dangerous secrets you’ll pay the ultimate price…

In the South of France, playground of the rich and famous, world renowned chef Dexter Franklin is organising a night to remember. As he opens the doors to his exclusive restaurant for the first time, he’s handpicked a list of guests, as hot and dazzling as the St Tropez sun itself:

Mew Stanton: Fashionable, beautiful and a notorious TV chef, Dexter’s ex-girlfriend has all the ingredients for success. As her books fly off the shelves, a secret from her past is about to surface with explosive consequences.

Holly Lydon: Ex girlband star who has fallen on hard times. Forced to make ends meet she’s having to sleep her way to the top. Now she’s making headlines for all the wrong reasons.

Rosita Velázquez: Brazilian actress extraordinaire and girlfriend of Dexter’s brother, Leland. When she’s in town everybody needs to know about it, but this is one show-stopping entrance she’ll live to regret.

Three women have a past with Dexter and a grudge to bear against him. As fireworks ignite in the jet set capital of Europe, there’s murder on the menu. Who will be served their just desserts?

The sun is setting in the South of France. Pour yourself a glass of champagne and sit back for a read of revenge, regrets and shocking revelations that will have you hooked to the very last page.

Hall of Fame Review: Backstabber by Kimberley Chambers

Title: Backstabber
Author: Kimberley Chambers
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication Date: 9th February 2017
Pages: 496
Source: Review Copy
Rating: 5/5
Purchase: Amazon

If you don't face your enemies – they'll stab you in the back.

One of them has a gun to his head. Who will pull the trigger?

When king of the underworld Vinny Butler goes into business with respected villain Eddie Mitchell, it's a match made in East End legend. Friends and family are treated like gold, enemies like rats – it's the life.

Then mysterious packages arrive, dead creatures and threats. Someone is out for revenge. Who the enemy is, nobody knows, anyone could be taking a pop. The gypsies who cursed Eddie, ghosts from Vinny's past, enemies needing revenge. Even their own flesh and blood? There are some people you should never cross, some who can't forgive or forget.

Who is the backstabber?

My Top 10 Books of 2016 (and an update!)

2016 was a quiet year for me on the blog but I was still lucky enough to read some absolutely amazing books and I have compiled my favourites into a Top 10 here in the hope that it will help you find a recommendation for a book that I can recommend with no hesitation and with a certainty that you will enjoy it. Before I begin the list though I would like to write a short update about where I am personally and where I see the blog going in the future.

I sadly lost my grandad in July of this year and despite the fact I knew it was coming, it still knocked me for six and the blog went on hold indefinitely. For the past few months, despite the fact that I have been reading on and off, I just haven't felt like reviewing, and have even toyed with the idea of giving up the blog. I decided though that it's not something that I want to do just yet and I'm going to keep the blog going and perhaps review occasionally or hopefully, more regularly in the New Year. In other news I finally came out to my family and friends and luckily (as it wasn't exactly a secret to all of them) it went down well and I am hopeful and excited to see what 2017 is going to bring and not just in the world of books... 

For now though, here are My Top 10 Books of 2016. 

10. The Rule of Fear - Luke Delaney

The Rule of Fear immediately jumped out at me as one of my most memorable reads of 2016 because it was one of the darker reads that I read this year. Luke normally writes realistic police novels that have a real authenticity and this time around, despite the book still carrying that authenticity, he took a look at how a policeman suffering from PTSD can go on a real downward spiral and the closing scenes of this story are still extremely vivid in my mind. Crime fans who are yet to read this book should make sure that it is on their TBR.

9. My Map of You - Isabelle Broom

My Map of You was one of my absolute favourite stories that I read in the summer and it got me in just the right mood for the holiday to Cyprus (my favourite place in the whole world) that I went on just days after finishing this book. It had one of my favourite love stories ever in a book, and Isabelle captured the Greek setting better than any author ever has before and I just loved the time I spent within the pages of this book. A fantastic summer read that would be perfect reading for warming up this winter. 

8. A Tapping at My Door - David Jackson

David Jackson's new Liverpool-set series was a resounding success and there wasn't any hesitation in me including it in my Top 10 Books of 2016. It was an extremely powerful story that contained a number of twists that I am still annoyed at myself for not seeing coming. It's a memorable read that will hit all readers emotionally, and I love a crime novel that can achieve that. I was also thrilled to see my quote used inside the paperback copy of this book, and it's a book that I am constantly recommending to crime fans. 

7. Then She Was Gone - Luca Veste

Another Liverpool-set crime novel and this time it is from one of my favourite crime authors, Luca Veste. Luca is an author who almost reinvents himself with each book that he writes because he makes a conscious effort to make them different from the one that came before but at the same time retain his 'hallmark' that has already made him an author to watch within the genre. Then She Was Gone is one of my favourite books from him so far, and has a rather chilling ending that I won't be forgetting in a hurry. 

6.  In Her Wake - Amanda Jennings

In Her Wake was a book that consumed me whilst I was reading it and it was one of the most vividly told and most memorable books that I have ever read. It was a book that drew a real emotional response from me, and I finished the book believing the story within and seeing these fictional characters as real people. Characters that I still think about now, long after finishing the book. Amanda Jennings is an extremely talented author, and one that all readers should discover if they haven't already.

5. The Finding of Martha Lost - Caroline Wallace

Lime Street Station is a place I see five days a week, and so when I read that this book was set in Lime Street Station and that it was about a young girl who was left abandoned inside the lost property at the station, I simply could not wait to read it. The Finding of Martha Lost is just a pure joy from start to finish. It is one of the best books that I have read, ever, not just in 2016. It's inventive, it's clever, and it's a story that I will never, ever forget. It's a book that you really can't say too much about without ruining it for potential readers, and so the best thing that I can say is read it and fall in love with the story.

4. Blood Lines - Angela Marsons

Angela Marsons is another of my all-time favourite authors, and I could easily have included both of her 2016 books in this list but I do have an unofficial rule that I want to just choose one book per author and Blood Lines was my favourite out of the two (although Play Dead was absolutely fantastic). Angela writes some of the most authentic crime fiction that I have read, and her character of Kim Stone is perhaps the best fictional detective that I have ever read about. Angela's stories are gritty, but they also have a real emotional depth to them and they draw real emotion from me as a reader, and her books are always some of my most memorable books of the year and they are the crime books that I look forward to the most. 

3. Lovers and Liars - Nigel May

Nigel May has fast become one of my all-time favourite authors these past few years and Lovers and Liars was another winner from him. He has been called the male Jackie Collins and that is absolutely true. Like all of his previous books, Lovers and Liars contains multiple stories within one and goes so far beyond being just another bonkbuster. There's a real mystery contained within his books, and they contain some of the best characters you will find in a fictional novel because Nigel's led a fabulous and colourful life and uses that to create some memorable and thrilling reads and Lovers and Liars is no different. Nigel also named a character after me in this book and I have to say that it is the best thing that has happened to me since starting the blog. I hyperventilated when I read the scenes and I am making a return in Nigel's upcoming 2017 book and I cannot wait. 

2. Tainted Love - Kimberley Chambers

Readers of my blog probably know by now that I absolutely adore Kimberley Chambers and her books. I am simply in awe of everything that she has achieved, and when I received an early copy of Tainted Love I think my screams could be heard for miles around. I cannot say too much about this book because we are so far into the series, but it did not disappoint and I finished it absolutely desperate for me and I am so excited to get stuck into Backstabber which is the final instalment in this series and will be out in 2017. Kimberley Chambers is in a league of her own when it comes to the gangland genre and if you are one of the few people yet to discover her books, then what are you waiting for?

1. Deep Down Dead - Steph Broadribb

It wasn't difficult to choose my Book of the Year for 2016. When I thought about which book was my absolute favourite of the year, Deep Down Dead immediately jumped out at me. It is Steph Broadribb's debut novel and it is a remarkable achievement as it reads like it was written by somebody who has been writing for years. I believe I was one of the first to call her the female Lee Child and whilst that's a lazy comparison (the story actually has depth you don't often find in a Child novel), there are comparisons to be made between the two. I was late to the Jack Reacher novels and I like to think that somewhere in the world there's a person yet to discover the love of reading, and in years to come I hope that person will discover the back catalogue of Steph Broadribb when the 20th Lori Anderson book is being released into the world. I cannot recommend Deep Down Dead enough, it is easily the best book I have read this year and it's my favourite release from Orenda Books. I simply cannot wait for the sequel.

Hall of Fame Review: Blood Lines by Angela Marsons

Title: Blood Lines
Author: Angela Marsons
Publisher: Bookouture
Publication Date: 4th November 2016
Pages: 386
Source: Review Copy
Rating: 5/5
Purchase: Amazon

A victim killed with a single, precise stab to the heart appears at first glance to be a robbery gone wrong. A caring, upstanding social worker lost to a senseless act of violence. But for Detective Kim Stone, something doesn’t add up.

When a local drug addict is found murdered with an identical wound, Kim knows instinctively that she is dealing with the same killer. But with nothing to link the two victims except the cold, calculated nature of their death, this could be her most difficult case yet.

Desperate to catch the twisted individual, Kim’s focus on the case is threatened when she receives a chilling letter from Dr Alex Thorne, the sociopath who Kim put behind bars. And this time, Alex is determined to hit where it hurts most, bringing Kim face-to-face with the woman responsible for the death of Kim’s little brother – her own mother.

As the body count increases, Kim and her team unravel a web of dark secrets, bringing them closer to the killer. But one of their own could be in mortal danger. Only this time, Kim might not be strong enough to save them…

Review: The Girls Next Door by Mel Sherratt

Title: The Girls Next Door
Author: Mel Sherratt
Publisher: Bookouture
Publication Date: 27th October 2016
Pages: 296
Source: Review Copy
Rating: 3.5/5
Purchase: Amazon

One warm spring evening, five teenagers meet in a local park. Only four will come out alive.

Six months after the stabbing of sixteen-year-old Deanna Barker, someone is coming after the teenagers of Stockleigh, as a spate of vicious assaults rocks this small community. Revenge for Deanna? Or something more?

Detective Eden Berrisford is locked into a race against time to catch the twisted individual behind the attacks – but when her own niece, Jess Mountford, goes missing, the case gets personal.

With the kidnapper threatening Jess’s life, can Eden bring back her niece to safety? Or will the people of Stockleigh be forced to mourn another daughter…?

Review: Christmas Under a Cranberry Sky by Holly Martin

Title: Christmas Under a Cranberry Sky
Author: Holly Martin
Publisher: Bookouture
Publication Date: 22nd September 2016
Pages: 324
Source: Review Copy
Rating: 4.5/5
Purchase: Amazon

Piper Chesterfield lives a glamorous life travelling the world and reviewing the finest hotels. She calls nowhere home, she works alone and that’s how she likes it. For long ago Piper decided that to protect her heart she should lock it away.

So when Piper’s next assignment brings her to the newly opened Stardust Lake Hotel for the festive season, the last person she expects to face is Gabe Whitaker, the man who broke her heart so completely she could never love again.

But Piper isn’t the only one who has been frozen in time by heartbreak. Gabe hasn’t forgotten the golden-eyed girl who disappeared from his world without a trace.

Now fate has reunited them on Juniper island, can the magic of Christmas heal old wounds? And can this enchanting town be the one place Piper can finally call home?