#TeamBATC2024Showcase

It's hard to believe but it was nine years ago that I went to my first ever Team Books and the City do and where I met both Milly Johnson and Heidi Swain for the first time, I remember it was called a Spring Blogger evening and I'd never blogged in my life but that night when I got home my daughter helped me set up a blog and since then I've never looked back. I've got the fabulous SJ Virtue to thank for all those brilliant events and really for all the lovely blogger and authors and general book loving people I've met since then who have now become great friends and it's always a pleasure to catch up with them.

The  #TeamBATC2024Showcase was just as spectacular with thirteen authors and over 100 guests including 70 who were there on zoom. The evening started with quick hellos to some of the fabulous friends I've met over the years and then we get to help ourselves to the incredible stash of books on a table which was also laden with food and drinks including some delicious book themed cupcakes. I would have taken a photo but my cupcake disappeared in seconds and was totally delish.

Once we had settled down we were introduced to all of the authors and they each described their book and then read a chapter from it. There was alot of intrigue as we were left hanging at the end of every chapter we heard knowing that we just wanted more. Some of the readings had us all in stitches as did SJ when she told us what she thought of Poldark's headwear...

It was such a lovely, fun and bubbly atmosphere and I was glad my husband met me afterwards to help me carry my books home.

Lovely Heidi Swain signing my book sample

From left to right, 

Dawn Crooks, Isabelle Broom, Me and Maureen Stapleton

I will do my best to link to every book that was discussed on the night and I would just like to say another huge thank you to Sara-Jade Virtue and the whole of the Books and the City Team for all their hard work and suffice to say we are in for another amazing year of books from S & S.

***********

Alina Khawaja  

Beverly Kendall                                       

              

Eva Verde                                                

Heidi Swain

Helen Fisher

Holly Hepburn

Julie Haworth

Laura Wood

Lauren Bravo

Lucy Vine

Rachel Hore

Rebecca Ryan

Sharon Gosling

Every Smile You Fake by Dorothy Koomson

Please take care of my baby. But don't try to find me. You'll put him in danger. x

Profiler and therapist Kez Lanyon is shocked when she finds a baby on the backseat of her car, with an unsigned note asking her to take care of him.

Kez has a pretty good idea who the mother is - Brandee, a popular social media star with a troubled background, who once lived in Kez's house.

Brandee recently dropped out of the limelight and if the internet rumours are true, Kez knows Brandee's life is in danger.

Kez is torn. Should she simply take care of the baby as she's been asked, or should she risk her whole family by using contacts from her previous job to save this young woman?

Time is running out for Brandee. Can Kez find her before it's too late?

                                                                        *****

Title:  Every Smile You Fake

Author: Dorothy Koomson

Published By:  Headline Review

Publication Date:  15th February 2024

Links:  UK:   Amazon    US:   Amazon

WHSmith

Waterstones

                                                                       *****

Our Review

This book is completely unique in the clever way that it’s written and covers so many issues which interlock with each other. 

It’s so topical and highlights many of the negative effects that social media has had on society and the world around us. It shows how the internet has aided and abetted racism, sexism and misogyny and the detrimental affect that has on society and families. It’s actually terrifying how our young people can be manipulated into thinking whatever the heads of these organisations want them to think due to their unfettered access to them. 

The book begins with two points of view, Brandee with two e’s is an influencer, a young woman who was exploited by her mum as a child because her mum put every aspect of her life on the internet for likes. 

Kes is Brandee’s boyfriend’s step mum. Her background is extremely interesting, she is a trained profiler and can read people from their body language. 

The timeline goes from present to the past where Kes's life unfolds. For example in the past her job as a therapist is plodding along nicely until one particular couple come to her for marriage guidance and she recognises the husband from years before. Her life changes significantly from that point and she goes on to have a lovely family. 

But when Brandee leaves her baby in Kes’s car and goes missing, Kes tries to do as Brandee asks by not looking for her but eventually finds herself racing against the clock to find her again and her whole life begins to implode as her past catches up with her. 

Full of shocks and surprises, this raw, emotive and chilling book was another hard hitting, psychologically thrilling page turner from Dorothy Koomson which will have you outraged and desperate to know what will happen next. I guarantee you will be thinking about the issues raised in this book for a long time after you’ve finished. 

Sincerely

Book Angel x

About the Author

Dorothy Koomson is the award-winning author of 15 novels and has been making up stories since she was 13 when she used to share her stories with her convent school friends. Her published titles include: Tell Me Your Secret, The Brighton Mermaid, The Friend, When I Was Invisible, That Girl From Nowhere, The Flavours of Love, The Woman He Loved Before, Goodnight, Beautiful and The Chocolate Run.

Dorothy’s first novel, The Cupid Effect, was published in 2003 (when she was quite a bit older than 13). Her third book, My Best Friend’s Girl, was selected for the Richard & Judy Summer Reads of 2006 and went on to sell over 500,000 copies. While her fourth novel, Marshmallows For Breakfast, has sold in excess of 250,000 copies. Dorothy’s books, The Ice Cream Girls and The Rose Petal Beach were both shortlisted for the popular fiction category of the British Book Awards in 2010 and 2013, respectively.

Dorothy’s novels have been translated into over 30 languages, and a TV adaptation loosely based on The Ice Cream Girls was shown on ITV1 in 2013. After briefly living in Australia, Dorothy now lives in Brighton.

In 2019 Dorothy was awarded the Image Award by The Black British Business Awards to celebrate and honour her achievements.

For more information on Dorothy Koomson visit www.dorothykoomson.co.uk