Let me start off by saying that I haven't read a who-dunnit style thriller in a very, very long time, but I saw a couple of fellow book bloggers review this book recently, despite it being a couple of years old now.

It's also my first read by this author too, and you might be sat there thinking err, right but why does this matter but let me tell you that personally, and I'm not sure if other readers follow the same suit, but the first book I read by any author is usually make or break on weather or not I'll pick up any more books by the same author.

So, the story follows Jemma, who is on her dream honeymoon on a luxurious island in the Maldives with her newlywed husband, Jamie. But one night, Jamie disappears, and there is absolutely no trace of him. Of course, nothing is as it seems and everyone is suddenly a suspect... even Jemma.

First off, this book starts off soooooooo painfully slow that it's almost at the point of being tedious. Up until the second half of the book, I was bored. Like, on the verge of DFN bored. The only reason I kept on going with this book is because this was my commute read, and if I didn't have to dedicate only 20 minutes or so at a time reading this, I would have probably gave up on it well before the half way point.

There are only so many descriptive passages I can read about the ocean and the beautiful setting of the Maldives that I can take before I'm over it. One of my biggest pet peeves is when books are TOO descriptive. Okay, granted, set the scene and paint the picture, but please, leave enough for my own imagination to come up with the rest. And for the love of all things holy and good in books - please don't give me a page long description of what the waves sound like as they crash upon a sandy beach.

The first half of the book is set in alternating chapters between the past and the present - the past being the very tedious and not-at-all engaging story of how Jemma and Jamie end up getting together, and the present being Jemma on her husband-less honeymoon. The middle section of the book is set in different POVs and the last part of the book, well, did the author just give up because there seemed to be no structure to the chapters whatsoever?

As for the characters, I did not care for any of them. Jemma, being the forefront of this story, is so self absorbed and, dare I say it, a complete brat. I had no sympathy for her whatsoever. She was selfish and destructive and only interested in what the world thought of her and no-one else. Jamie lacked any personality whatsoever that he might as well have been an actual real life potato. I genuinely did not care about him, or what had happened to him. I didn't care about Dan, Jamie's brother, either. And Chrissy & Kenny... why were they even in the book? My mind is stumped on why they needed to be in there. Chrissy especially - there was a whole section of the book dedicated to her POV and, well, her character amounted to absolutely nothing.

The redeeming factor of this book was the last half of it, when the pace seemed to really pick up and we actually got some decent storytelling, even though it was a bit over-the-top-would-this-ever-really-happen kinda storytelling. I will even go as far as saying that I enjoyed the last half of this book, and would have preferred it if the story started here and we could just skip 90% of the first half. If I'm being completely honest, and there are no spoilers here, I kinda semi-guessed the outcome, but I was still surprised when the big reveal happened.

I didn't not enjoy this book, but I had to get the the second half of it to reach that point, but at the same time, I'm not going to go and rush out to buy any more books from this author anytime soon.

And I'll be writing the Maldives off my list of honeymoon destinations.

Verdict: ★★

We've all been there. Hit a bit of a reading slump. Not been in the mood to pick up a book, or not knowing what book to pick up to begin with. When you haven't read a book for a while & generally just haven't been on top of your reading game, it's hard to get back into the swing of things. I've put together a little list of ideas that help me get back into reading when I want to pick up a book but am unsure where to start.

Stick with authors and genres you know and love
If you're trying to get back into reading, then now probably isn't the right time to pick out a thriller book if you're used to reading chicklit. Stick to authors whose writing style you are familiar with, or genres that know you enjoy, and then who knows, perhaps when you have got your reading bug back, you can read a different genre to what you're used to and branch out a bit more!

Set aside reading time
If ~ like me ~ you are a bit (alright, a lot) strapped for time, then it's important to set aside allocated time for you to sit down and enjoy your book. I usually read in bed for 30-45 minutes at a time, and not only does it help me wind down after a long day, but its my time and it's what I look forward to at the end of the day!

Join a book club
None of my friends are bookworms like I am, so I struggle to find someone to encourage me to pick up a book. I'm part of a book club on Instagram and it's such a refreshing way to engage in natter about what books we are loving (and equally, not loving) and everyone keeps each other motivated to want to read, which is great if you've found yourself in a bit of a reading slump. I've discovered so many wonderful books & authors I would probably have never have considered by joining a book club!

Create a distraction free environment
This kind of goes hand in hand with setting aside reading time, but it's important to set aside time for yourself with no distractions. When you have a toddler in tow like I have, it's near impossible to sit down and enjoy reading a chapter or two without being asked a million times for a snack or leaping from your seat to stop said small human from pulling over the 5th houseplant of the day. This is why I choose to read before bed; because I know that my toddler is in bed, the housework is done, the dogs have been walked and there is literally nothing else for me to do!

Listen to audio books
If you're really, really strapped for time, then perhaps listening to audio books is the way to go. You can listen to them on your commute to and from work, when you're popping to the shops, or plug your earphones in when you're doing the housework or when you're cooking tea. I think I'll always prefer to have a physical book in front of me, but if I had no other choice then I'd go down the audio book route - and they're great just to listen to with minimal effort and could help you get out of that reading slump & you don't have to do much except press a button!

Give up on books you're not enjoying
The last thing on earth that is going to help you get out of a reading slump is reading a book you aren't enjoying. There's absolutely nothing wrong with not finishing a book if you're not enjoying it. I can't even count the amount of books I've started reading because the blurb sold me (or let's face it, the cover was pretty) and it's turned out to be nothing like I expected. I often find that if I finish a book that I haven't enjoyed, it puts me more into a reading slump. Give up on a book you're not enjoying and move on to something else.

These are the things I do to help my get my reading bug back. Hopefully someone finds these useful as well.

Last month I set myself 4 books to read and I feel like that was a comfortable amount, so I have done the same this time around too.

The first book I've picked out is House of Salt and Sorrow by Erin A. Craig. This is a fairly new release and I think it is the author's debut novel. I've heard amazing things about this book already. It's a retelling of "The 12 Dancing Princesses" fairytale and it sounds amazing. I've heard it's a little creepy in places too - perfect for this time of year!

The second book I've chosen is The White Road by Sarah Lotz. I've had this sitting on my self for a while now and I'm trying to do this thing where I actually read the books I have on my bookshelf - even the ones that have been overlooked for a short while. This again sounds like a good concept and one that I've also heard has an eerie, spooky feel to it.

The third book is completely opposite of the other two, and that's An Autumn Crush by Millie Johnson. I'm trying to read one chick-lit book a month because I have SO many of them and I figured this was the best fitting one for this time of year!

The fourth and final book is Birthrights by Carly Rheilan, which was very kindly sent to me by the author. From what I can gather, this is a who-dunnit and mysterious book based around a doctor and her medical patients. It sounds really interesting and not like anything I've ever read before!