Book Description
Have you ever wanted something so much you'd do anything to get it?
I wanted her from the moment I laid eyes on her. I promised to do anything to make her mine. But like a caged bird all she wanted was to fly away.
Have you ever wanted someone so much you'd do anything to keep them?
When you love someone, you should never let them go.
BLOG TOUR REVIEW
Review for 'If I Can't Have You' by Louise Mullins.
Read and reviewed for Louise Mullins, Dark Edge Press and Zooloo's Book Tours.
Publication date 2nd January 2023. .
This is the first book I have read by this author. It is also the third book in the 'DI Emma Locke' series but can be read as a standalone.
I was originally drawn to this book by its beautiful eye catching cover and its intriguing synopsis and title. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Dark Edge Press. I have yet to read a book published by Inkubator that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).
This novel consists of a prologue and 77 chapters. The chapters are short in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!
This book is based in Wales 🏴, UK 🇬🇧. The bonus for me of books that are partly or fully based in the UK is that I live in the UK and have sometimes visited places mentioned in the book which makes it easier to picture. I actually live in Wales so am looking forward to seeing if I recognise any places mentioned.
This book is written in a mix of third and first person perspective and the protagonists are Laura, PS Tomos and DI Emma Locke. The benefits of books written in first person perspective are as long as they are well written it makes you feel that you are being spoken to by the protagonist and it can create more of a bond between yourselves and them. If there are several protagonists you also get to see more of what is going on. The benefits of third person perspective with multiple protagonists are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything. To have the benefit of both first and third person perspective ensures you don't miss out on anything.
Wow!!! This book is fantastically written and had me hook, line and sinker from beginning to end. The descriptions were so in depth and vivid that the hair on my arms was standing on the ends and my heart was pounding throughout. The synopsis, title and cover were perfect for the storyline.
I was absolutely absorbed throughout this page turner. It is filled with tension, suspense and omg the twist!!! One of the most gripping unputdownable nerve wracking psychological thrillers I have EVER read!!! You lady have one hell of a talent and I cannot wait to get hold of your previous and future books. I cannot remember the last time I was so hooked by a book but you managed that big time!!! The storyline is filled with shocks, suspense, tension and so much more! There was so much going on and it was very fast paced and kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. I loved the fact thay it is set in Wales being a Welsh girl myself. Louise's writing style and depth had me so engrossed that when I looked up it took me a moment to realise I was even reading!! Clear your schedule before you start as I read this in one sitting as I could not put it down!! I was absolutely hooked!! I would absolutely love to see this turned into a movie!!!! This is a fantastic book in what promises to be an explosive and addictive series and I am looking forward to reading the first two books and any future books. I loved the multiple narrators and the past and present time lines and they were all weaved together perfectly to give us the whole picture of what is going on. It is extremely fast paced and with the chapters being so short I just couldn't do 'just one more chapter' and ended up devouring it in a few hours.
Clear your schedules before even looking at the first page as you will not be able to put this book down!!!!
Although this is the third book in the series I had would have had absolutely no problems reading it without the others. Any details or events that have previously happened are mentioned in just the right amount of detail to let a new reader know what has happened and yet not too much to bore a previous reader.
It is set over multiple time lines. When books show what has happened in the past and what is happening in the present I find it really helps the reader (if it is well done) understand why things are happening and what has lead to the present activities and decisions. It also shows the bigger picture.
It is always worrying when starting a new series as you have no idea who the characters are. It is very important for me to bond with not only the lead protagonists but also any characters that may make repeat appearances during the series too.
I was completely invested in both the storyline and the characters. Each of the characters had their own unique personalities and I felt differently about each of them. I absolutely adored PC Tomas who was compassionate, caring and so likeable. He just jumped out of the pages for me and I love that he is so committed and dedicated to his cases. The fact that he has PTSD and Dyspraxia but is sill such a strong character made me love him even more. I haven't actually read a book that mentions Dyspraxia so I actually gave a little whoop when I read it. I have dyspraxia myself and it doesn't seem to be well known, especially as much as dyslexia which people ask if I mean instead of Dyspraxia so a HUGE well done to Louise for bringing this up. The fact I have read hundreds of books and this is the first I have read with it in is really quite shocking. I also really liked Tomas's wife Sarah who is wheelchair bound but refuses to be pandered to. Dafydd (Tomas) and Sarah make a great partnership and I really hope to see more of them in the previous and future books. We don't actually meet Emma Locke until approximately half way through the book which I thought was quite surprising considering it is "her" series. I must admit it did take me a while to warm to her and I found that I liked Tomas more. However, once I did warm up I found her to be a complex and likeable character and I enjoyed discovering her life outside of work. I absolutely loved the fact that the Polsa is Zoe O'Farrell who I'm actually on this book tour for. So chuffed (and just a mega bit jealous) that she is a named character in a book. Well done Zoe!!! These characters and more make a fantastic team and I am looking forward to meeting each and every one of them again in the next book in what promises to be an explosive series!!! All in all a great mix of characters that worked well with this storyline.
Congratulations Louise on a true page turner! This may be the first book I have read by you but it most definitely will not be my last!! Here's to your next success 🥂
Overall an absolutely heart racing, page turning unputdownable addictive psychological thriller!!!
Genres covered in this novel include Mystery, Women's Psychological Fiction, Thriller, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Police Procedural, British Detective Stories, and Psychological Fiction amongst others.
I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of 'Gone Girl' , 'The Girl on The Train', 'The Wife Between Us', Liane Moriarty, Lisa Jewell and anyone looking for an explosive thriller filled with bombshells you won't see coming!!
252 pages.
This book is just £1.99 to purchase on kindle, free on kindle unlimited and £9.99 in paperback (at time of review) via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!
Rated 5/5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.
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Author Bio
Dubbed the Queen of Domestic Noir, Louise Mullins' titles often delve into the darker aspects of the human psyche where more often than not somebody a little close to home knows more than they're willing to admit. All her novels aim to bring light to social issues, and so far she's covered the following subjects: addiction, suicide, grief, psychopathology, child abuse, serial killers, missing persons, rape, kidnapping, murder, domestic violence, cults, drug smuggling, human trafficking, and arms dealing.
Louise Mullins writes full-time using the experience she gained in a prior life working in the field of forensic mental health, working with offenders and survivors of serious crimes.
She lives in Bristol, England, with her husband and three children.
You can contact Louise Mullins on GoodReads, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to keep updated with her latest releases using the following links:
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