High ratings for “Familiar” in the Book Tour

Familiar book tour ratings

What a collection of 5 stars to receive for “Familiar“.

It’s these ratings and reviews that us authors aim for whenever we release a book – I’m delighted! Thank you to each and every one of you who read Familiar and took the time to review it.

The reviews that came in for my book “Familiar” were so amazing and encouraging I could have cried 😢

It’s exhausting writing a book and whenever I release one I’m always nervous about what readers will think – these reviews have squashed any nerves!

I took a lot of risks with this story, one of which was the personality needed to carry the plot. Arabella (the lead character) was so important to get right in the story otherwise it wouldn’t have worked, so it’s great to see a couple of reviews commenting on her being a strong female lead 🙌

Please check out the reviews and please read my book, it’s available on Amazon on Kindle (FREE to read on Kindle Unlimited) and paperback.

Familiar paperback

The “Familiar” book tour by Love Books Tour – Great reviews!

My latest paranormal thriller book Familiar is currently doing the rounds in Love Books Tour’s book tour. Readers are kindly posting their honest review of Familiar through the week (October 12th – October 18th).

Some of the reviews have already come in – really great reviews so far.

Check them out below.

To kick off the book tour – Karenandherbooks

“I am so pleased to be kicking off this tour. This book was amazing. It had me gripped and was just brilliant. Its unlike anything I’ve ever read before and the twists – wow.

Arabella is a psychic medium. She doesn’t get a minutes peace.

She is the host of the spiritual tour ‘Familiar’ where she connects with loved ones who have passed.

The house she lives in has a horrific history which comes to light when the previous owner shows himself.

On her fifteen year anniversary show she is alerted to something awful but can she work out the clues in time to save the victims and how can she get people to believe when they are not open to paranormal activity.

I felt every emotion felt in this book. When Arabella is occupied and has the visions you can see everything she sees.

The descriptions of the bodily changes when a passed loved one is near sounds only too familiar and I now hope that my loved ones are near when i feel these changes.

The story takes a dramatic twist towards the end which I didn’t see coming or even think if when I was reading. I was completed invested in these characters and cant wait to read more by this author.

Well deserved ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐”


2nd book review – @Snipnstuff

“This is the first book I’ve read in a while where I looked over my shoulder when I went to bed. My heart was pounding most of this book and I HAD to know what was going to happen next. One of my quickest reads and a solid 4/5 stars. After reading Familiar I’m sold on the idea of reading his debut novel ‘Deception’.

T.J Blake is an author to be adored, but not trusted. Familiar had me unsure of what was going to happen next and I was constantly on edge. I could not pry this book out of my hands.

This psychological thriller used the unique narrative of a psychic medium! Arabella is such a beautifully written character, I connected with her on so many levels.

READ THIS BOOK!”

⭐⭐⭐⭐


3rd book review – Jrw1904

“📚 This was a perfect book to read in October. Spooky, creepy and believable.

Arabella’s world sucked me in from the very start. I enjoyed the way the tension between her gift, her celebrity and the scepticism of the police was built up, and the jumping back in the time line added to this. 📚

I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it for anyone who enjoys a creepy thriller with a strong female lead 📚”

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


4th book review – Rajiv’s Reviews

“I always love reading a good ghost story filled with suspense, crime and horror, and this book did not disappoint.

The author made the story so atmospheric and creepy. You know that feeling you get after reading a really good spooky story? Where you feel there is some presence in the room just in the corner of your eye? The after-effects of the tale messing with your mind? Familiar did that for me!

Moreover, I loved Arabella as the main character. If there was such a person in reality, I would have regularly watched her “Arabella Investigates” series. I also liked the relationship between Arabella and Barnes and was SO happy that the author did not build an unnecessary romance between them. Similarly, there are some very creepy characters like Cassy and Dean that raise the suspense of the story.  Also, there are many twists and turns that keeps the reader on their toes. Up till the end, I had no idea who the person spying on Arabella was, and I enjoyed how it all connected.

However, probably the only downside I see to the story is the side plots. While I loved the main theme of the story, where Arabella is trying to solve the investigation, there are quite a few side stories which digressed from the plot. For instance, I liked Yvonne’s ‘exorcism’ story, and Mikey and Aaron’s storyline when she bumps into some stranger. But I thought they had no connection to the plot and could have been avoided.

Apart from that, this was a fabulous creepy, suspense, crime, supernatural thriller which was a lot of fun to read.”


There’s still more reviews to come, but thank you to all of you reading and having read Familiar.

Holiday Reading – 6 Book Reviews!

I spent 2 weeks chilling in the Lanzarote sun – eating, drinking beer and watching the World Cup. Not only did I gain loads of weight, but I also read a fair few books on my dinky little Kindle.

Without further ado, here are my book reviews of those I read:

Sleep Tight by Rachel Abbott: ****

Sleep Tight by Rachel Abbott

Olivia is known to the police. But what happens in this will keep you guessing right until the end!

You’re thrown into the mix with someone who is known to Detective Chief Inspector Tom Douglas. Olivia Brookes has called the police due to her husband and children disappearing.

In an interesting turn of events, the case ends, but commences once again two years down the line in much weirder circumstances. Tom Douglas is put on the case to solve another issue around this family.

I don’t want to reveal any outcomes as I think it’ll ruin your reading experience. You can, however, guarantee a very mysterious read which draws you in, boggles your mind and keeps you guessing.

****

Behind Close Doors by B. A. Paris: *****

Behind Closed Doors B A Paris

I read this on holiday along with 7 other books. This was the best read… proving anything can happen behind closed doors!

Anything could be happening behind closed doors right now – at your neighbours’ home, a place of work or even behind a closed door in your own home!

Behind Closed Doors was an exhilarating experience. It’s clichĂŠ to say, but I couldn’t put the book down.

Everything seems pleasant for Grace. She has a handsome and wealthy husband, and an adorable sister. Although all seems great from the outside, we know that something isn’t quite right; we have the intel of her mind and narrative.

Grace and her husband Jack speak fondly of each other. Individually, they are two likeable and strong characters that people desire to be like. So, what’s their secret to happiness? It’s much darker than you think.

Check out this book. Following Grace was a dark, twisted and psychological test!

*****

The Break Down by B. A. Paris: ***

The Break Down B A Paris

After Behind Closed Doors I had high hopes…

After Behind Closed Doors I had high hopes. Sadly, The Break Down didn’t live up to that standard.

Cass is on her way home from a night out. It’s stormy, her husband tells her not to go back through the woods. She does though. On route, she drives by a car. Has it broken down? Someone is sitting inside but they don’t respond to Cass pulling over. So, Cass continues and arrives home safely.

Cass hears the news that someone died in the woods the same night she passed through it. Consumed by guilt that she didn’t get out the car, Cass can’t ignore her guilty conscience. Even worse, she can’t tell anyone that she saw the woman before she died.

And ever since, Cass is being harassed… she receives calls and forgets things, just like her mother did!

It’s full of twists and it’s methodically planned. However, it is slightly far fetched and I was underwhelmed by the end.

***

Survivor by K. R. Griffiths: *** (3.3 stars)

Survivor K R Griffiths

A book which took too long to get going… But once it did, I thoroughly enjoyed it!

This horror thriller was a little bit of a weird read for me. The main reason being that, for me, it took way too long to get going. I got to around the half way mark and stopped reading. A couple of days later I picked it up again and loved it.

Although Clive is a dark and twisted killer, I quite liked him – he made me laugh. The author did well to make sure that Clive had both a false and accepted personality combined with his real and dark fantasies (which quickly become a reality). It was great to experience Clive. I began to like Clive most after his clever and witty moves outside the coffee shop!

If I didn’t stop reading this it would be a 4 star, but because I struggled to get into the story from the off, it has to be a 3 star.

***

She Did It by Mel Sherratt: ***

She DId It Mel Sherratt

In the world of business, can you trust anyone?

In the world of business, can you trust anyone? You don’t truly know anyone, even those who you think you have a friendship with.

She Did It offers the view of the two main characters, Esther and Tamara. Tamara hires Esther, little does Tamara know who she has hired.

They both have secrets and there’s no telling what is going to happen between these two very different people.

My criticism being that the plot is quite basic and that it doesn’t hit the highest of heights. From psychological thrillers I expect deeper meaning and especially a personal connection with the main characters.

All in all, a book which made me want to finish but didn’t grip me.

***

The Torment Of Rachel Ames by Jeff Gunhus: *****

The Torment of Rachel Ames Jeff Gunhus

This was tormenting for me let alone Rachel Ames!

A novella which hooks you and ensures sure you read it until the end. It’s dark, it’s creepy and it has a cunning end. I swear there were some parts of this book where I was a bit creeped out and it wasn’t meant to do so. It truly is harrowing.

I was reading this with no idea what was going on. I couldn’t decide on whether this was going to be a horror kind of ending or a dark fantasy ending. It’s a clever story which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Rachel isn’t the typical kind of protagonist you might follow in a book, but that’s simply another element to this book which makes it what it is. There is a lot of underlying genres and themes in this book, which you can piece together after the end.

This was tormenting for me let alone Rachel Ames!

*****

 

The last book I started whilst away was Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn – I will be publishing my review of this one soon!

Have you written or read a book that you thought was amazing? Recommend it to me!

My Holiday Readings: Karin Slaughter and Liz Jensen

Karin Slaughter – Cop Town & Blindsighted

Cop Town

Blurb: Atlanta, 1974: As a brutal murder and a furious manhunt rock the city’s police department, Kate Murphy wonders if her first day on the job will also be her last. She’s determined to defy her privileged background by making her own way—wearing a badge and carrying a gun. But for a beautiful young woman, life will be anything but easy in the macho world of the Atlanta PD… – Goodreads

I did like this story. It was a solid detective novel which was hard to put down at times, however it didn’t blow me away. I had a lot of suspicions as I read the book, a lot of which turned out to be the sneaky twist inserted by Karin Slaughter.
An average read. 3/5.

Blindsighted

Blurb: A small Georgia town erupts in panic when a young college professor is found brutally mutilated in the local diner. But it’s only when town pediatrician and coroner Sara Linton does the autopsy that the full extent of the killer’s twisted work becomes clear.

A typical Karin Slaughter novel in all the right ways. This was much better than Cop Town in my opinion, but I thought that it was slightly too graphic and violent. The murder at the beginning of the book is certainly not a murder for the faint hearted to read. It did affect me in such a way that it had me thinking and imagining the feelings and the pain of the murder itself; I often thought about the circumstances and imagined how it would feel.
It was a good book with a good set of twists and turns and an element of difference throughout the book. I thought that it was a little too graphic at the beginning, but still had me wanting to read more. 4/5

Liz Jensen – The Rapture

Blurb: It is a June unlike any other before, with temperatures soaring to asphyxiating heights. All across the world, freak weather patterns—and the life-shattering catastrophes they entail—have become the norm. The twenty-first century has entered a new phase.

I liked the characterisation in this, and I enjoyed following the story of Gabrielle and Bethany; I liked the relationship between them too. Although not always pleasant, you could tell that Gabrielle did care about Bethany.
I feel that to enjoy this book you have to be in the right mind set. You need to be open minded and accepting of Bethany.
Overall it had many questions form as you progressed through the book, and it certainly got you contemplating throughout the book.
A decent read, I would give it a 3.5/5

I would probably recommend Blindsighted and The Rapture to friends, and potentially Cop Town if you’re a fan of detective kind of novels.

If you’ve read them, do not hesitate to let me know what you thought of them.