Set in the gilded opulence of the Roaring Twenties comes a unique, transporting and thrilling homage to the world of The Great Gatsby, in which murder comes to visit the world’s most beloved literary characters. As well as an addictive and immersive murder mystery, The Gatsby Gambit is also a clever examination of class, social structure and what it meant to be a woman in the 1920s, from an exciting new voice. 1922: You are cordially invited to summer at the Gatsby Mansion in West Egg, with the most illustrious – and the deadliest – guest list. Freshly twenty-one and sporting a daring new bob, Greta Gatsby– younger sister to the infamous Jay– is finally free of finishing school. An idyllic summer stretches ahead of her at the Gatsby Mansion, the jewel of West Egg.
But when Greta arrives at the secluded white-stone estate bathed in the late-afternoon light, she finds she isn’t the only visitor. Jay is hosting an intimate gathering of New York’s fashionable set: Daisy and Tom Buchanan, along with his brother Edgar, Nick Carraway and Jordan Baker. That evening, the guests enjoy a candelabra-lit dinner party. That night, they dance to the lilt of the gramophone. The next morning, one of them is missing. Murder has come to West Egg, the warm breeze tainted by scandal, betrayal and secrets. Turning sleuth isn’t how Greta meant to spend her summer – but what choice does she have when one of them could be next?
A thoroughly enjoyable murder mystery set in a wealthy household in America. The Gatsbys are not rich by birth, but rather through hard work and sheer grit. A brother and sister team, Jay and Greta now mix with the upper echelons of society, though there are always people not there who like to remind them they are not the same at the other monied families. The story centers around a summer where Greta finally finishes all the schooling her brother provided, and she is looking forward to the future. When she arrives, she is a bit disappointed to find the house already full of some of her brothers wealthy friends, apparently here to stay for a little while. After accepting she is not getting time with her brother alone, first, she settles into her first day home. Peace is not longlasting as the body of one of the guests is discovered, and what ensues is a journey to try and find the truth. Was it suicide or murder? I wasn’t sure I would get into the story, initially, and it’s quite a long book, however within a couple of chapters, i was hooked, and i read it all within three days! I enjoyed the twists and turns as different pieces of evidence were unravelled, and I found myself doubting the character of several of the people. The final conclusion was not something I anticipated at all. All in all, a jolly good read!
About the Author
Claire Anderson-Wheeler grew up in Dublin, Geneva, and Brussels. She studied Law at Trinity College, Dublin, and holds a Masters in Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia. She works in Publishing and this is her debut novel. Claire first read The Great Gatsby on holiday when she was fourteen, and has revisited it often since. She currently lives in Boston with her partner.
I’ve devoured the previous books in this series and this was no different! Our resident nosy parker, Jodie is all set for her dream wedding to Nathan, except it’s like cases seem to follow her wherever she goes, and a murder on the first night ends up with their wedding as a sideshow to an investigation, because, quite frankly neither Jodie, nor Nathan, can stop themselves! Another great read, though, and it’s always fun with a series , to be able to catch up with all the characters. There were certainly some twists and turns throughout the story, and there was lots packed into what was essentially just a few days in the story. Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins, One More Chapter, for an ARC.
I’ve loved Nina Kaye’s previous novels, so I was excited to read this new book of hers (and also rather pleased to know there was a second part to the story coming not long after. The story centres around Emma, a young woman embarking upon a celebration for her birthday, however circumstances change rather suddenly, leaving her without her boyfriend, and stuck in a convenience shop, trying to find a bottle opener to drink her sorrows away. What follows is a string of events that somehow lead to her winning a substantial prize on the Lottery. Oh, and not to mention Jamie, a certain young man who just pops up in all scenarios, annoying the heck out of Emma! How do you deal with a win of that magnitude after a real personal blow? Emma lives the life of a millionaire for a week, treating herself as well as her friends, before being sensible with her winnings, and all sorts happen in the short 5 days of the week. I loved all the characters in this story, from Emma herself to her friends Cat and the rather outspoken Amber! Emma has an older friend, Lottie, whom she trusts more than her own parents, and her interactions throughout the story were brilliant. I think we all need a Lottie in our lives. We don’t really get to know James that well, but the times he shows up, I got to know enough to warm to him, and I was urging Emma to open her mind and eyes to the great person he was! (Unlike the ex, Dave, who , lets fact it, is a right idiot) That ‘will they/won’t they?’ romance thread runs through the story, and the conclusion is perfect, though frustrating as it is right at the end, and now I have to wait to hear more about that part of the story. Impatiently waiting, Nina!
Released March 27th, 2025
Releasing 1st April and there will be a Blog Tour post!
What a lovely story filled with cake, castles and love! Bella and Adam are very different characters who meet in Spain under extraordinary circumstances. Their whirlwind romance leads to a quick proposal, and all seems terrific until they arrive back home in Scotland, where Adam learns some sad news about his father. The thing is, he’s not told his now fiance much about his life, and he is a Laird and has his own castle (that the whole family refers to as a house). The way Bella and Adam fall in love is cute, and how Bella, a free spirit, deals with the possibility of a future very different from anything she has ever imagined is a great story. There’s not one, but two Dowager Lady Lowbridges to contend with, as well as a small, tight-knit community in the village of Lowbridge, where Adam’s family lives. Bella tries her hardest to ingratiate herself into the day-to-day running of the castle, offering so much to help the family get out of a tight spot. It is great to see how her character deals with the future looking very different from what she ever thought. An excellent cast of characters, including Poppy, the castle ghost, brings more flavour to the story. Of course, there is plenty of mention of food and cakes in particular, which I always enjoy. Looking forward to reading what comes next!
Published 27th March, 2025
Blog Tour post on 4th April!
Blog tour and review on 7th April!
Blog Tour on 14th April!
So, tell me what you have been reading, and what caught your eye from the above!
Today, I am so happy to have a returning writer friend, Nina Kaye, visit my blog, to talk about writing and her newest release, Lucky Number.
Hello, and welcome to But I Smile Anyway again, Nina! Let’s get you set with a drink, first. Tea, coffee, hot chocolate, or maybe a masala chai? I know there was planty of champagne in the book, so have some bubbles chilling in case you wanted to indulge!
If we’re going masala tea, I can offer you some homemade pakoras as I have recently mastered the art of frying the softest, yet crispiest ones, or a slice of Victoria sponge.
Hi Ritu, thanks so much for having me on your blog again. As it’s on offer, I’d love a glass of fizz. And maybe some freshly made pakoras too. I think that will make a delicious combination!
Savoury is definitely a good bet!
We spoke about how you became a published author the last time you visited, and that was very much all about your traditionally published route. This book, Lucky Number, and the sequel are being self-published. What made you go this route instead of submitting to other publishers? (I went in the opposite direction, going from self-published to a small, women-run indie press!)
Great question! It might seem like an odd move but it’s actually been a very deliberate one and I am by no means walking away from the traditionally published route. I guess if I were to put label on my situation, I’ve gone ‘hybrid’. Lucky Number was the first book I ever wrote. It’s also what I call ‘my rehab book’ because I started writing it as a way of rebuilding my cognitive capabilities after a significant health event in my life (it was basically ‘physio’ for my brain). So, it has great personal meaning to me and I always wanted it out in the world. I actually self-published it back in 2016 (or thereabouts) and then took it down from Amazon six weeks later because I was offered representation by a literary agent (I was also querying at the time). However, despite it being the book that got me an agent, it was never bought by a publisher because it didn’t sit cleanly within any genre. I did get great feedback on it though, and that spurred me on to write more books and eventually become successful in getting traditionally published. Anyway, what started out as one book – originally called As Luck Would Have it – has turned into a two-book series (Lucky Number and Another Lucky Number), and as these stories still don’t sit cleanly within a genre, I decided that I wanted to put them out there myself and have a proper stab at the indie publishing route this time. Though I love being traditionally published author and all the opportunities and learning that comes with that, I’m someone who enjoys being creative without boundaries and this independent approach allows me more of that. I’m also a doer and being in control of my own destiny quite suits me. I’ve enjoyed taking these stories in the direction I wanted them to go, managing the design of my covers and creating my promotional posts such as the one for my cover reveal. In fact,
I’m currently doing the same with a children’s book I’ve written, the main characters of which are based on a couple of clay models I also made during my ‘rehab’ period. I will self- publish that too, hopefully this spring. Ooh, that sounds interesting! I’ve got a couple of texts that I have written which Id love to be picture books, but am floundering with, as I am so not an illustrator!
Reading the acknowledgements and seeing when you wrote this book made me pause to think. Writing is so healing, and you call this your rehab book. Did you feel the positive effects on your mental health as you wrote? (Again, I have recently been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, which is nothing compared to what you went through, but I really get the cathartic feeling you get from writing.)
I’m sorry to hear about your diagnosis, Ritu. Living with chronic illness is tough and it can be quite isolating. I hope you are getting enough support. I’ll answer your question more generally rather than just honing in on that period in my life. Writing definitely helps with my mental wellbeing. I’m a pretty content person actually, despite my health challenges, and I think part of the reason for that is because I’ve found that creative outlet. I’ve spent a lot of time on understanding myself and what matters to me and I think it really helps that I’m living my life in alignment with that. Also, writing works as a distraction from the constant pain and unpleasant sensations in my body. Being totally honest – and I know I don’t just speak for myself when I say this – some aspects of being an author are actually detrimental to mental wellbeing, and I know there are a lot of writers out there who struggle. I think it’s important to acknowledge this. I found myself struggling at a point as well and wondering whether it was worth continuing. With my health situation, I need to be very careful about how much stress and other negative feelings/experiences I subject my already challenged body to. But I’ve managed to get on top of that (for now anyway) so at the moment,t ‘authoring’ is very much a positive and therapeutic process that I can lean into and gain the therapeutic benefits from. It’s about making sure the positive outweighs the negative.
And how is your health now?
It’s an ongoing battle, I won’t lie. Day to day, I live with chronic pain and fatigue, brain fog, digestive issues, an overreactive central nervous system… and lots more symptoms! There are still too many days when I have difficulty walking, I fall down or where I lose control of my body entirely and my muscles spasm so badly that I’m wailing in agony. But I’m in a much better place than I was ten years ago and I appreciate that every single day. I know it could be a lot worse because I’ve been there.
Right now, we need to talk about Lucky Number! Where did you come up with this idea of an unexpected win?
Gosh, I can’t remember now! It’s so long ago. I think it was just an idea that came to me and I ran with it. It’s not based on a personal experience sadly. Sorry to disappoint you. I think we all wish that could be something we were able to experience personally, lol!
Emma really had a run of bad luck at the beginning, and there were several mishaps throughout the book. Do you think your life’s ups and downs were reflected in that part of the story?
That’s an interesting question. No, I don’t think so. There wasn’t any clear inspiration from my own life in the way that there was with my chronic illness-themed book, Take A Moment. I was really just working with the age-old question of ‘can money buy happiness?’ and trying to portray that it obviously helps, but it doesn’t solve the difficult stuff. Basically, the things that you can’t use a bank card to fix. Emma, my main character, had to go through some lows initially for her win to be seen as the answer to her problems and then again later for that age-old question to be properly explored and answered with my interpretation of it.
Emma has a wonderful group of friends around her, from the calm and careful Cat to the firebrand Amber. Every girl needs friends like them! But my favourite had to be Lottie. I love the idea of having an older friend, and I have had several myself, whose wisdom was invaluable. Was Lottie based on anyone you know?
Oh, that’s a surprise! I adore Lottie, but I hadn’t expected her to be your favourite character. It’s a really nice surprise. What’s particularly interesting about it too is that Lottie wasn’t in the first iteration of the book. I introduced her during a structural edit after it was suggested to me that I could add some emotional depth to the story. She’s not based on anyone I know but I liked the idea of bringing in an elderly character because older people can too easily be overlooked and dismissed when they have so much to offer the world, in particular their wisdom. I wanted to show how a relationship like that – between an older and younger person – can be mutually beneficial. I think those people from the older generations have so much to give, and it’s up to us to spend time with them, chatting, and to encourage the younger generations to realise the value of their older relatives. 🙂
Even though romance wasn’t the only premise in the book, it was a thread that ran through in the form of James. I LOVED the little twist revealed at the end, regarding her lottery numbers! Who is the inspiration for James?
Ah, James. Yes, he’s quite the catch. I have my own James (my husband) and in the Acknowledgements I’ve made it clear that he’s not the inspiration for the love interest in Lucky Number who shares his name (not entirely anyway!). I got lucky in love not long before I became unwell and I’m grateful every day that the universe brought my James to me before all that happened. Otherwise, we might never have had the chance to meet and my life might be very different now (in a bad way). I think some of my husband’s positive qualities have come through in the character of James, but he’s definitely not a carbon copy. The reason they share a name is because my James was there for me through the most difficult time of my life. He was basically my hero. So I named my male main character in Lucky Number after him. I did wonder about changing the name at one point, especially as the male main character in One Night in Edinburgh is called Jamie, but the book has so much meaning for me that I couldn’t bring myself to do it.
And, I have to say that I am so looking forward to the second installment! You’ve left me truly wanting more! Can you let us know when to expect the next book, Another Lucky Number?
That I am so pleased to hear! And the good news is you don’t have long to wait. Another Lucky Number will be out in the summer, though I’m still to nail down the exact date.
I am ridiculously excited to read it, so I’ll try not to wish the time away too quickly, lol! But, Peeps it is a fantastic read, and I hope you do get clicking on the buy link down below!
Thank you so much for coming to visit, again, Nina!
Thanks, Ritu, I enjoyed answering these questions!
And so to the Blurb!
Her numbers have come up, but can money really buy her happiness?
Emma is stuck in a rut. Her boss is a bully, she’s missed out on a promotion at work and her partner is a sanctimonious git – not that she knows it until he heartlessly dumps her, leaving her homeless. In an unexpected twist of fate, Emma finds herself with a winning lottery ticket. She thinks a bulging bank balance will make all her problems disappear, and the first thing she’s going to do is have some fun by living like a millionaire for a week.
With romance off the agenda for the foreseeable future, a newly carefree Emma embarks on the experience of a lifetime. But between a series of run ins with a handsome yet irritating stranger and finding herself involved in one disaster after another, her life is soon unravelling again.
Will Emma realise that money doesn’t solve everything? And can she untangle herself enough from the mess she’s in to take a chance at real love?
Nina Kaye writes warm, witty and uplifting reads with a deeper edge. She has previously published Stand Up Guy, Just Like That, One Night in Edinburgh, Take A Moment and The Gin Lover’s Guide to Dating. Nina lives in Edinburgh with her husband and much adored side-kick, James. In addition to writing, she enjoys swimming, gin and karaoke (preferably all together in a sunny, seaside destination).
My Blog Tour visit for Under One Sky By Zoe Folbigg.
From bestseller Zoë Folbigg comes this beautiful, romantic tale of finding love in the most unexpected places. Under the midnight sun of Arctic Norway, Cecilie goes online looking for friends, and stumbles across Hector Herrera. They start chatting and soon realise that they might have just fallen in love. But there’s a Hector lives thousands of miles away in Mexico. And he’s running from a tragic past.
Cecilie’s whole life has been anchored by sticking to what she knows and her job at the cafe in the town in which she grew up. Can she really make a leap of faith for someone she’s never met? And will Hector break free to change the path he’s on?
An unforgettable story about two people, living two very different lives under the same sky, and whether they can cross oceans, seas and fjords to give their love a chance.
Told from the viewpoint of three characters, this story is set in multiple locations, from Arctic Norway, Mexico and England. Cecilie is a young woman who has never veered further than the country she was born in, Norway. She leads a self-contained life and is happy not to be too involved in anyone else’s life. She strikes up an online friendship with Hector, known as The Mexican by many in Cecilie’s life, but this becomes something more profound. Then there is British Kate. A woman who is struggling in her marriage, with a man who doesn’t appreciate her, and with a tenuous connection to Hector. There is a lot of time hopping within the story which can get a little confusing, but essentially, we are following how Cecilie and Hector met in a chatroom, how their relationship developed and all that happened in between. Kate’s chapters did feel a little redundant, as she is not really involved in Cecilie and Hector’s story, per se, until the end of the book. Maybe she deserves her own story. Many thanks to Boldwood Books for an ARC.
About the Author
Zoë Folbigg is author of Amazon number-one bestseller The Note, based on the true story of how she met her husband on her daily commute and Amazon Prime’s biggest selling Kindle book of 2018. Zoë has written for magazines and newspapers in the UK and around the world; she wrote a weekly column in Fabulous magazine documenting her year-long round-the-world trip with ‘Train Man’ – and now lives with him, their sons and their cat Margot in Hertfordshire. Her seventh book Five Days is out 26th July 2024. You can follow her on Instagram @zoefolbigg
Today, I am thrilled to be on the blog tour for The Ick by Holly Muculloch.
The Blurb
Girl meets boy. Girl gets the ick. Girl moves on.
Gem has a chronic case of the ick. Luckily for Gem, these icks are actually her intuition in disguise, warding her off of greater red flags which would surely develop later… or that’s Gem’s theory. Her best friend, Shanti, doesn’t buy it. In fact, in her training to become a Clinical Psychologist, Shanti decides to design her graduate study around Gem. To see if the ick is real, she challenges Gem to look past her intuition and date someone for an unimaginable six weeks, all for a fee of £5,000.
And who better to test the hypothesis than Atlas. He eats soup for lunch, wears a gigantic rucksack and winks at the end of cringy jokes – all impossible to look past. But, despite Gem’s best efforts, he’s also, she hates to admit it, quite funny, attentive, and kind (and not to mention extremely good looking). And whilst her gut shouts at her to run away, one date becomes, two, three, four, before she stops counting all together.
Can Gem do the impossible and start falling for Atlas? And what happens when he finds out she’s being paid to date him?
The Ick is a hilarious romance about the judgements we pass, the insecurities we harbour, and those relationships that force us to embrace vulnerability whole-heartedly.
Can I say that one thing this book didn’t give me was the Ick? It starts as a mild-mannered story, with Gem, our FMC, who finds it hard to commit because each time she meets a date, something inevitably puts her off, be it food, clothing, or a specific behaviour… also known as The Ick. She marks down the first date of the book… because he ate soup for lunch! Gem lives with her best friend, Shanti, who is training to be a clinical psychologist. She thinks there are commitment issues and that these ‘icks’ are more of an unconscious attempt to never say yes. And so, the central part of the story starts. Gem is signed up for a clinical study for Shanti’s thesis and has to date one person for a long time, despite ‘icks’ to see what happens. Enter Atlas. – Okay, so he entered earlier. He’s the soup eater. But what a wonderful character! He is that pure, gorgeous specimen, and you know he is just right for Gem. Only, can she get over the ‘ick’? And the side characters are just as great. Uncle Mick, who is like a surrogate father figure; Jay, the miserable corner shop owner who despite not uttering a word through the book, has his presence, and Shauna, the attitude-filled young footballer. I enjoyed reading this book because it goes deeper than the fundamental Ick issue. Gem’s background and her relationship with her mother all contribute to how she is right now.
Author Bio
As the fourth child in a busy household, Holly was often left to entertain herself. She wasn’t cool enough to hang out with her oldest siblings, and she wasn’t a good enough goalie to hang out with her younger sibling. Luckily, she quickly found the world of books and since then, she has never looked back. As a kid, Holly often went to sleep with at least four books underneath her pillow just in case she needed them. And she often did. Books have saved her time and time again.
After a stint working at a literary agency, then a stint working at a big four publisher, and then a stint working as a book buyer, Holly made the terrible decision to become a management consultant. After four years, and still no idea what the job actually entailed, books saved her once again. She wrote her first novel Just Friends (published by Transworld in 2020) when she needed to escape. Her second novel, The Mix-Up followed in 2021.
She is currently working as a freelance editor and writer, and lives in the outskirts of Oxford with her dog, who she lovingly named Schitthead (Ted) after the best TV programme known to man. She is fuelled by baked goods and a need to make people laugh.
If you want to get to know Holly (and Ted) better, follow her over on Instagram (@by.holly.mcculloch) where she mainly shares dog photos and curates memes.
