Late to the Party

Playing Nice by JP Delaney Published by Quercus Books Release Date: 28 July 2020 ISBN: 9781529400878 * Thank you to Quercus Books and NetGalley for sending the ARC in return for an honest review. Pete Riley answers the door one morning to a parent’s worst nightmare. On his doorstep is Miles Lambert, who breaks the devastating news that Pete’s two-year-old, Theo, isn’t Pete’s real son – their babies got mixed up at birth. The two families – Pete, his partner Maddie, and Miles and his wife Lucy – agree that, rather than swap the boys back, they’ll try to find a more flexible way to share their children’s lives. But a plan to sue the hospital triggers an investigation that unearths disturbing questions about just what happened the day the babies were switched. And when Theo is thrown out of nursery for hitting other children, Maddie and Pete have to ask themselves: how far do they want this arrangement to go? What secrets lie hidden behind the Lamberts’ smart ...

When the May box was announced and the theme of 'Spring' was revealed, I was (as ever) really looking forward to this box arriving. And the contents are even better than I could have hoped for! The Skin Organics Clean Beauty Box is a Bi-monthly subscription service offering a selection of five full/deluxe sample sized natural beauty, skincare and makeup products.  100% natural, organic, non-toxic, eco-friendly, cruelty free, ethically sourced and often from up and coming British Indie Natural Beauty brands, the products chosen are free from Parabens, Petrochemicals, PEGs (petroleum-based compounds), silicones, Sodium Laureth or Lauryl Sulphate, Phthalates, Propylene Glycol , Synthetic Colours and Fragrances, Triclosan,  Formaldehyde, Toulene, Benzophenone/PABA, Petroleum/Mineral oil, Alcohol, Urea, PEG, PG/BG, Dioxin, Aluminium, DEET, Camphor, Talc and Carmine. A Bi-monthly subscription costs £25.00   BUY HERE This month's box contains five pr...

The Bubble Workshop I've missed browsing idly round shops during the lock-down but one of my greatest pleasures is browsing online for little treats. Sandra, Beauty Balm Blog , ever an inspiration for green beauty buys, recently shared some of her purchases from The Bubble Workshop, so of course, I had to make a little purchase for myself! They have a gorgeous selection of hand made soap and bath bombs, with a choice of sizes and gift sets. My package came in a neat little letterbox sized box, so this would make an ideal treat or gift to send to a friend. I picked up a couple of different soaps to try out, opting for smaller sizes as I prefer smaller, hand-sized bars of soap in the bathroom. I couldn't resist picking up one of The Bubble Workshop's latest creations - the Galaxy Soap . It's a vegan, cold-pressed soap made with coconut and olive oil to give a great lather. It smells absolutely delicious and is scented with cherry and sanda...

Devoured by Anna Mackmin Published by Propolis ISBN: 978-0992946067 1973. Swallow's Farmhouse in deep, rural Norfolk is home to Your People, a commune of free-thinkers and poets seeking a better way. But beneath the veneer of a nurturing, alternative lifestyle, an atmosphere of jealousy and threat is pushing utopia towards the brink of its inevitable collapse. Raising herself amidst the chaos is a twelve year old survivor, desperately preoccupied with her transition into womanhood. With her mute sister, beloved dog and the re-defining force of her emerging appetites, she marches resolutely towards her future, venturing - with hilarious and horrifying results - through the minefield of an adult world built on hypocrisy and misplaced ideals. Devoured is Theatre Director's Anna Mackmin's first novel. Mackmin herself was raised in a commune in Norfolk during the 70s and, although most of the events in Devoured were made up, she does share some similarities wi...

Dames and Dimes - Choc Orange Shimmer Massage Bar £8.00 for 50g When I heard that Dames & Dimes had released some new massage bars, I knew I had to try one straight away. And of course, my first choice was going to be the Choc Orange Shimmer Massage Bar (others are Original, Buttercream Vanilla and Coconut and Lemongrass). What is it? Handmade massage bar, rather cutely shaped liked big slabs of chocolate. Made to relieve dry, parched and itchy skin; improves skin elasticity and can help reduce the appearance of stretch marks. Naturally sourced mica pigment helps to impart a subtle healthy and shimmering glow on the skin. Ingredients Theobroma cacao (organic unrefined cocoa) seed butter, Butyrospermum parkii (organic unrefined shea) utter, Shorea stenoptera (organic illipe) seed butter, Camellia oleifera (organic unrefined camellia) seed oil, Citrus sinensis (organic sweet orange) peel oil, Synthetic fluorphlogopite (mica) CI 77891, CI 77491, ...

Gallows Rock by Yrsa Sigudardottir. Published by Hodder & Stoughton (Release date 23 July 2020) ISBN:  978-1473693395 * Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton for providing a digital reading copy. On a jagged, bleak lava field just outside Reykjavik stands the Gallows Rock. Once a place of execution, it is now a tourist attraction. Until this morning, when a man was found hanging from it... The nail embedded in his chest proves it wasn't suicide. But when the police go to his flat, a further puzzle awaits: a four-year-old boy has been left there. He doesn't seem to have any link with the victim, his parents cannot be found, and his drawings show he witnessed something terrible. As detective Huldar hunts the killer, and child psychologist Freyja looks for the boy's parents, the mystery unfolds: a story of violence, entitlement, and revenge. This is the fourth in the Freyja and Huldar series but the first book I've ever read by Yrsa Siggurdardottir. ...

Deviant Skincare Who? Deviant Skincare  are an Indie Skincare brand with the message that they want to desegregate beauty - to deviate from gender specific, age specific and trend driven product development and marketing - hence the name Deviant. " Skincare should simply be the harmony of   purpose and formula: meaningful products, with potent, efficacious ingredients that truly benefit skin". Gentle Resurfacing Liquid £34.00 for 100ml This was a brand new release when I bought it back in late November. It was a complete impulse purchase considering that I'd not tried any Deviant skincare before. The Gentle Resurfacing Liquid is a n exfoliating formula combining a unique cocktail of AHA’s (Mandelic, Lactic, Glycolic, Malic and Citric), BHA (Salicylic Acid) and PHA (Gluconolactone) to gently dissolve the bonds binding dull, dead cells to skin’s surface. It stimulates cell renewal which in turn improves the complexion, softening fine lin...

All of those plans and big ideas I had at the beginning of lock-down and... well, they didn't amount to much! Hanging out with the family, sleeping, working (from home), eating, TV, nature, walking, skincare and reading have pretty much been the constants to my lock-down life. But reading has featured very heavily - so I though I might just start introducing a few posts about reading and books. I'm still keeping this blog primarily as a skincare blog but thought I might try my hand at branching out a bit. I'm reading the equivalent of a book every two days. I usually have a physical book on the go at all times, but I've turned to Kindle and e-books during the lock-down which is a new thing for me. Not that I'm at all sniffy about e-books but I do prefer the real thing. But I took to Kindle on my iphone much better than I thought I would, so I always have an e-book on the go as well. This is my current 'To be read' pile. This isn't ...

Bespoke Aroma Spa - Warm Oil Face Mask (for mature skin) £16.95 for 50ml What is it? An oil-based face mask for mature skin. Blended with nurturing oils such as organic argan oil, jojoba oil, camellia oil and rosehip oil. Scent and Texture Soft velvety balm texture that melts on contact with skin.  The scent is sweet citrus. Ingredients persea gratissima (avocado) oil, caprylic/capric triglycerides (coconut) oil, camellia oleifera (camellia) seed oil, argania spinosa (argan) kernel oil, simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) seed, euphorbia cerifera (candelilla) wax, rosa canina (rosehip) oil, tocopherol acetate (vitamin E), citrus aurantium dulcis (orange) peel oil, lavandula angustifolia (lavender) oil, citrus aurantium/parfum (neroli light) oil, botswellia carterii (frankincense) oil, tocopheryl acetate (vitamin E), pelargonium graveolens (geranium) oil. Allergens found naturally occurring in essential oil: limonene, linalool, citral, geraniol, citronello...