Luke Harkness, Author at Luke’s Blog

20Jul 2024 by Luke Harkness 6 Comments

Let’s talk about my blog for a minute!

Features, Opinion

Back in May, it would have been three years since I started my blog. I started it in May 2021 during one of the many lockdowns we had here in the UK. I started it because I thoroughly enjoyed writing and I thoroughly enjoyed reading and so I thought I could combine the two of them by creating a blog and hey, if it ended up making me thousands of £ a month that would be great too! (it hasn't.) For a long time, I had a lot of passion for it - I enjoyed writing my reviews and coming up with new article ideas that could bring in a wealth of new views and viewers each month. However, over the past few months, my priorities have realigned as times…

15Jul 2024 by Luke Harkness No Comments

Never Lie by Freida McFadden book review

Book reviews, Mystery, Thriller

Never Lie is now my fifth Freida McFadden book, but only my second that wasn't in the Housemaid series. Therefore, I'm really starting to get a feel of the formula that McFadden likes to go with and decide for myself if i'm going to continue with her future books (I have others sitting on my TBR shelf). Please note that this article contains affiliate links. This means if you choose to purchase any products via the links below, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. These affiliate links do not affect my final opinion of the product. Never Lie is about Ethan and Tricia, two newlyweds who are visiting a large house they're interested in buying. However, after the person who is supposed to show…

14Jul 2024 by Luke Harkness 1 Comment

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir book review

Book reviews, Sci-Fi

Have you ever started the audiobook of a book and within the first fifteen minutes or so you know you’re going to thoroughly enjoy it already because the narrator or bloody awesome and the writing itself lends perfectly to them? Well that was Project Hail Mary for me! Please note that this article contains affiliate links. This means if you choose to purchase any products via the links below, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. These affiliate links do not affect my final opinion of the product. In fact, I think I only picked up the physical copy of Project Hail Mary once during my time with it became Ray Porter, the audiobook narrator was so perfectly depicting how I wanted the character to…

14Jul 2024 by Luke Harkness No Comments

No One Saw A Thing by Andrea Mara book review

Book reviews, Thriller

A lot of my reading choices come from having a TBR that’s honestly too large to choose from and so me relying on people across social media to help me choose. This is how No One Saw A Thing by Andrea Mara became a book I picked up and read. Please note that this article contains affiliate links. This means if you choose to purchase any products via the links below, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. These affiliate links do not affect my final opinion of the product. No One Saw A Thing tells the story of a woman who is happily taking her children on the underground when she somehow lets both of them get on the carriage without her. When she…

12Jul 2024 by Luke Harkness No Comments

The 7 books I read in June and what I thought of them

Features, Monthly Round Ups

Every month I read some books and at the end of every month, I then pop on here and write out a short intro (that's what you're reading now) and then the list of books along with the summaries from my reviews of them. Please note that this article contains affiliate links. This means if you choose to purchase any products via the links below, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. These affiliate links do not affect my final opinion of the product. I read seven books this month, which I think is a pretty good showing. One of the books I read was fantastic and another few were brilliant too - as, I feel, is the case with most months to be fair.…

10Jul 2024 by Luke Harkness No Comments

Powerless by Lauren Roberts book review

Book reviews, Fantasy, Romance

Quite regularly at the moment a book deemed to be in the “romantasy” genre will go viral on TikTok or Instagram (often both). Every single damn time, I try and stop myself from going to read it because I know that this genre isn’t for me - I can’t do the cheesy character interactions and therefore lack of real fantasy world building. Please note that this article contains affiliate links. This means if you choose to purchase any products via the links below, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. These affiliate links do not affect my final opinion of the product. However, with Powerless by Lauren Roberts the stars aligned as it was only £4 on Amazon, the audiobook became available on Libby and…

08Jul 2024 by Luke Harkness No Comments

The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell

Book reviews, Historical Fiction

The Marriage Portrait was kindly sent to me by a follower on social media who said they thought the front cover was great and sounded quite interesting. It covers the story of Lucrezia who, at the age of 16 is married off to Duke of Ferrara, Alfonso. Please note that this article contains affiliate links. This means if you choose to purchase any products via the links below, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. These affiliate links do not affect my final opinion of the product. It tells the story of Lucrezia's time with Alfonso as she grows to know him more and suspect he may have dark intentions that she wasn't initially aware of. He has a portrait commissioned of her to "celebrate…

05Jul 2024 by Luke Harkness 2 Comments

The Rose Code by Kate Quinn book review

Book reviews, Historical Fiction

I bloody love historical fiction and so when we went to Bletchley Park at the start of June - the site where Alan Turing and many other important folk helped reduce World War 2 by years by solving the Enigma Code - I knew I wanted to pick up a book based on those events. A quick scour in the gift shop and a peak on Goodreads led me to The Rose Code by Kate Quinn. Please note that this article contains affiliate links. This means if you choose to purchase any products via the links below, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. These affiliate links do not affect my final opinion of the product. The Rose Code is the story of three Wrens…

27Jun 2024 by Luke Harkness 4 Comments

The 11 best books of 2024 (so far)

Features, Recommendations

It looks like we're about halfway through the year now. I'm not 100% sure when the official halfway date is, but about June/end of June seems about right. Please note that this article contains affiliate links. This means if you choose to purchase any products via the links below, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. These affiliate links do not affect my final opinion of the product. Therefore, I wanted to write something about the best books I've read so far this year. I wanted to try and narrow it down to just a few but after going to my bookshelves and picking some out, I ended up picking out 11! The list of books below are in no particular order at all -…

26Jun 2024 by Luke Harkness No Comments

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver book review

Book reviews, Historical Fiction

Demon Copperhead was one of the novels that my followers across social media suggested I read throughout 2024. It's a book that before reading it I'd heard a very 50/50 response to. The comments were either "too long and depressing" or "absolutely brilliant" so I knew what I was getting in for. Please note that this article contains affiliate links. This means if you choose to purchase any products via the links below, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. These affiliate links do not affect my final opinion of the product. Something I didn't know until the last minute either was that this is a modern loose retelling of David Copperfield, a book I've not actually ever read so information of which meant little…

Author: Luke Harkness