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VBT# The Single Father - Jade Lee Wright

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Review: The Single Father - Jade Lee Wright - October 2026 Being part of the Zooloos Book Tour family has given me the chance to read some of Jade Lee Wright’s earlier titles, and I’ve enjoyed every one. This latest caught my eye straight away because I have a soft spot for any book with a Nanny or Au Pair at its heart. Funnily enough, I very nearly became a Nanny myself! I was all set to head to Nanny College in Wellington until my Dad hired a career counsellor to talk me out of it. I’ll never know whether I’d have been any good at it, but I do love living vicariously through fictional ones. Matilda, or Tilly, has just lost Marc, the love of her life, and is trying to find her footing again. She takes a position as a Nanny in the Peak District, an area she and Marc always dreamed of visiting, hoping for a fresh start. There she meets Edward and his two children, Sage and Ryan. Everything goes beautifully at first, until a hike takes a terrifying turn and Tilly is pushed. She wakes...
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Review: Pieces of the Night - Jennifer Hartmann

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Review: Pieces of the Night - Jennifer Hartmann - April 2026 There is something rather lovely about settling into a chunky book on a long bus ride home, knowing you have hours of uninterrupted reading ahead of you. Pieces of the Night by Jennifer Hartmann was my Intercity Bus companion on the journey from Hamilton to Tauranga after heading up for the 5SOS concert, and honestly, what better way to spend the trip than getting lost in 600+ pages of angsty New Adult romance? Jennifer Hartmann is an author who knows how to deliver the angst, the emotions, and those deliciously complicated relationships that have you feeling all the things. If you've read her work before, you'll know she's not afraid to put her characters through the emotional wringer, and this book is another fabulous example of why readers keep coming back for more. First, though, can we take a moment to appreciate this COVER? Because, much like Dream On, this one had me experiencing a total cover crush. You kn...
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Review: The Woman in Me - Britney Spears

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Review: The Woman In Me - Britney Spears - October 2023 Some books you read, and some books you simply sit with. The Woman in Me was the second kind for me, and I’m so glad I picked it up. I read most of it on the Intercity bus from Auckland back to Hamilton, still buzzing and a little hoarse from the 5SOS concert the night before. Is there a better way to pass a bus trip home than a cuppa from the stop, a warm jumper, and a book you can’t put down? It’s such an easy read, and I whizzed through it with the countryside rolling past my window. Now, I’ll be honest: I already knew a good deal of what’s in these pages. Like most of us, I’d followed the headlines over the years. But there is a world of difference between hearing a story about someone and hearing it from them. My heart went out to her, truly. By the final chapter I loved her music and loved her even more, and I hadn’t expected that. The book is a brave and astonishingly moving story about freedom, fame, motherhood, surviva...
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Review: The Kings of Kearny - Navessa Allen

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Review: The Kings of Kearny - Navessa Allen - February 2026 Some books sit on the shelf for months, giving you the quiet side-eye every time you walk past. The Kings of Kearny was one of those for me. So when I found myself facing a long bus trip up to Auckland to see 5SOS, I decided it was the perfect moment to finally pick it up. A bus, a bag of snacks, a good book and a concert waiting at the end? Hard to beat, really. I’ll be upfront: I went in with low expectations. I didn’t enjoy Lights Out, so I was a little wary of giving this author a second chance. But oh my goodness, I’m so glad I did, because this book was awesome. It also reignited my love of motorcycle club novels, which I hadn’t realised I’d been missing until I was knee-deep in leather jackets and clubhouse drama. The story is set in a small Texas town run by a motorcycle club. Krista works at the local bar, where she sees plenty of locals come and go, but on the nights Jakob walks in, the whole place changes. Known ...
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Review: Dream On - Jennifer Hartmann

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Review: Dream On - Jennifer Hartmann - August 2025 I’ll admit it straight away: I adore Jennifer Hartmann, so I was practically bouncing in my seat when I got my hands on Dream On. Her books are always lovely chunky reads, and that made this the perfect travel companion for my bus ride up to Auckland to see Hilary Duff. Four uninterrupted hours-  Bliss. And can we talk about that cover? Total cover crush. It’s so beautiful that I kept pausing just to look at it. Honestly, it deserves pride of place on the shelf. The story follows Stevie St. James, a small-town dreamer with stars in her eyes, and Lexington Hall, the golden boy of Hollywood. They first collided on the stage of their high school musical, and something sparked. Then it all fell apart, leaving Stevie’s dreams in pieces. Fast forward four years and Lex is a household name, turning their past into a television sensation while Stevie is still haunted by what they lost. When he turns up with an offer to fake a romance and...
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Review: Releasing 10 - Chloe Walsh

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Review: Releasing 10 - Book #6 Boys of Tommen Series - Chloe Walsh - May 2025 Releasing 10 is the sort of book that needs a cuppa and a box of tissues within reach. Lizzie Young has spent her whole life feeling like too much of everything. Diagnosed with bipolar disorder at a young age, she has never quite fit in with her family, her friends or her community, and with so few people in her corner she carries her burdens alone. Then along comes Hugh Biggs, a kind boy on the school bus with an old soul and a sharp mind, who sees something in Lizzie he simply can’t resist. He wants to be her everything and to share the weight she’s been carrying. And oh, how she wants that too. Their chemistry is electric and their bond feels soul deep, a love that couldn’t be broken, except by the truth. What this book gave me, more than anything, was insight into Lizzie. I came away understanding her so much better, and OMFG, my heart totally broke for her. All the hard topics in this book are handled...
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Review: A Thousand Perfect Lies - Monica Murphy

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Review: A Thousand Perfect Lies - Monica Murphy - March 2026 Last year, I decided it was going to be my Monica Murphy year, and I happily worked my way through her Lancaster Prep series. Oh, how I fell in love with her writing! So when I spotted a brand new release from her, there was no question that it was going straight onto my reading pile, and I’m delighted to say it didn’t disappoint. If you’re a fan of Karen McManus and Sara Shepard and their twisty YA thrillers, pop the kettle on and settle in, because A Thousand Perfect Lies is right up your street. The story centres on Billie, whose parents divorced when she was young. Billie stayed in the US with her mum, while her sister Izzy went off to the UK with their dad. The sisters built separate lives, but they kept their bond alive through phone calls, weaving in and out of each other’s days. Now Izzy needs her sister more than ever. She’s lying in a coma, her best friend is dead, and the police believe Izzy is the murderer. Bil...
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