Hello my bookish lovelies! Today is a very special day for damppebbles. Today marks the start of #R3COMM3ND3D2019 which I am so very excited about. I have loved sharing your 2018 posts over the last year (apologies for the delay to MANY of you!) but it’s time to wave goodbye to #R3COMM3ND3D2018 and give a big, welcoming bookish hug to this years #R3COMM3ND3D which I already know is going to be incredible! And to prove my point, I am delighted to welcome one of the loveliest book bloggers out there to damppebbles today to kick this show off – the lovely Lynne at Fictionophile. Lynne is a blogger I have huge respect for so if you’ve not come across her blog before then please subscribe – you won’t be sorry.

So, what is #R3COMM3ND3D2019? It’s about sharing the book love. It’s a chance for authors and book bloggers to shout about three (yes, *only* three) books they love. They can be written by any author, in any genre and published in any way (traditionally, indie press or self-published). But there is a catch. All three books must have been published in 2019. To make things interesting I have added a couple of teeny, tiny rules this year which are; 1) the book must have first been published in 2019 and 2) special editions and reissues do not count. I like to keep you lovely people on your toes 😉.

So exciting! Here are Lynne’s choices…

Scared To Breathe by Kerena Swan
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. It was a perfect blend of psychological thriller and gothic suspense – written in a way that held me spellbound throughout.

The setting, the beautiful old Cotswold manor, was well described. I could picture every nook and cranny of the house and grounds.

The characters were written sympathetically, causing the reader to become invested in the story-line and the protagonist’s experiences. I particularly enjoyed reading about Tasha’s friendship with the octogenarian Bob and his dog, Bonnie.

Kerena Swan is a ‘new to me‘ author, but I plan to follow her work in further novels. A suspense-filled thriller, “Scared to Breathe” is a book I can, and will, highly recommend.
Lynne’s Review of Scared To Breathe

The Widows (Kinship) by Jess Montgomery
I never cease to marvel at all the research that must have been done to make a book like this possible. It is obvious that Jess Montgomery didn’t stint on her meticulous research. She crafted two fictional woman who became flesh and blood to the reader. Vividly described places and situations expound on the extreme poverty and resilience of the coal mining families in the 1920s.

The women overcome the odds in a time when women had little, if any, socioeconomic power. These women will remain in my memory for a very long time.

This fiction debut by author Jess Montgomery proves that she has a writing talent to be reckoned with – and should be a firm favorite of all lovers of historical fiction. Highly recommended.
Lynne’s Review of The Widows

The Binding by Bridget Collins
I think I’ll remember this novel for quite some time – but probably not for the reasons I would normally. It was a lengthy book that held my interest. It was exceedingly well written, and it was a genre that I don’t normally enjoy. With themes of innocence and altruism, perversion and depravity, it will hold appeal for countless readers. The historical aspect of the novel highlighted the chasm between the social classes and the eternal problem of powerful people preying upon those who are vulnerable.

All in all, I really enjoyed this reading experience and would recommend this book. Readers who enjoy historical fiction, and historical fantasy fiction will be most enthralled by Bridget Collins debut adult novel.
Lynne’s Review of The Binding

Thanks so much, Lynne. Excellent choices and I’ve made a couple of additions to the terrifying TBR.

If Lynne has managed to tempt you, or if you would like to find out more about the books she recommends, please see the following links:

Scared To Breathe by Kerena Swan
The Widows by Jess Montgomery
The Binding by Bridget Collins

About Lynne:
Book blogger, retired library cataloguer, new grandmother, from Nova Scotia, Canada.

A Message From Lynne:
I have read 58 books as of June of this year. The majority of those were published before 2019 so please feel free to visit my blog for reviews of many backlist titles that I have thoroughly enjoyed.

Thanks so much to Emma for hosting this blog series. She is a prime example of how supportive the book blogging community is [DP: Aw, thanks for your kind words, Lynne ❤️]

Lynne’s Blog and Social Media Links:
| Fictionophile | Twitter @fictionophile | Instagram @fictionophile56 |

If you’re a book blogger or an author and you have three books published this year which you want to shout about then please complete the following form (or click this link: https://forms.gle/PE483qCyrKEgV5Uq6)