This book was incredibly surprising! It’s so much more than your average love story and actually gave me chills in parts. I loved the characters, loved the setting of Cyprus (I love Cyprus anyway!) and just generally enjoyed the whole thing. The cover is stunning, the way it’s written is amazing and I just found it so different to other things I’ve read before. Go read this!

Unfortunately I had to DNF this book as it was starting to put me in a reading slump. The synopsis intrigued me, hence why I requested this, but I just felt like it was going to end up be a very predictable book (according to other reviews I am correct) and I just felt like it wasn’t going anywhere exciting.

Whew... Unfortunately, I just couldn’t bring myself to finish this. While the synopsis drew me in and I really liked the atmosphere of this book, everything else was really out of place for me. The characters seemed really overthought and unrealistic and the dialogue was extremely strange to read. The mystery also didn’t seem mysterious because so much was revealed right at the beginning and I just had to desire to continue. I probably would’ve ended up enjoying this if it had been a little more contemporary as opposed to the mystery it was trying to be. I ended up calling it quits at 40%.

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I wondered if the exotic setting might detract from the story when I read the “back cover” of this book. But the author strikes a skilful balance across character development, strong plot line and magnificent portrayal of what was, to me, an unfamiliar context. This book took the idea of star crossed love into the realms of mystery and many, many twists and turns. You can tell the author took care and pride in their research - it’s a polished product.

Very readable with lots of tense action and suspended thrills. Highly recommended for a holiday or some pure escapism during the pandemic.

I read this fine novel on a cold winter's day in England with snow on the ground but soon the golden sun of the Mediterranean which permeates every page warmed me.
Cyprus in 1982, an island still struggling with the aftermath of civil war. A young English woman finds herself a pawn in a deadly feud between two families. Only the love of one man can save her.
Sheila M. Bear man's debut novel is hypnotic, intimate and compulsive. It is a tale of grief, hidden truths and dark obsessions. It is breathtakingly good.

I absolutely love a good fictional crime thriller. After being hooked by the tag line on the cover, I really tried to give this one a chance. But I felt like the writing was a bit all over the place. I think if it had been more succinct in what it was trying to say, I would have stuck it out. Hopefully other readers will enjoy this one more than I did.

I just loved this book. This was a fun book to read! I really enjoyed the whole story.
The Bileklers are hiding a dark secret and Namik’s family lie at the heart of it. Has she made a mistake becoming involved with Namik, and are their lives in danger?
This was a quick book I finished in about a day. Looking forward to reading more from this author