Book 2 in the Georgina Garratt series.

I dived right into this book as soon as i finished book 1. This is turning in to what i know is going to be an adictive series. I am loving the characters and it's great seeing Georgina growing into a strong independant woman.

These stories are not only gripping, but easy to follow. The story lines believable and some great characters.

Following on from book 1, book 2 has you hooked just as quickily. So easy to get lost in as once you start reading you really do not want to stop.

I love Sam Michaels books they are so gritty and real and Rivals did not disappoint.

Nobody is perfect, which makes the characters relatable and her writing style is fluid and easy to follow.

Book 2 in the Georgina Garrett series and we are back in Battersea with Georgina and her crew. Yet again Sam Michaels has written a super gangland crime thriller that just keeps getting better and better. The characters are wonderful and I love how they develop as the series progresses. Now straight onto Book 3 Vixen.

Rivals bt Sam Michaels.
Geogina Garrett #2.
Brilliant read George is back and we carry on from trickster. You do not want to mess with George. But idiots will still try. But George now Georgina has taken over Billy wilcox business. She is one tough lady. I liked her. Cant wait for the next book. I do love this series. 5*.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and author for this ARC.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author, and it is the second in a series. I’d recommend you read these books in the correct order. I was really taken with this book, thought it had a strong story with a feisty main character who was really likeable. The story was fast paced and thrilling. I struggled to put it down and read it in just over a day. It really held my attention and was the kind of book for me where I had to keep reading as I desperately wanted to know what happened next. Will definitely read Sam Michaels first book now. I’d recommend it for fans of Martina Cole, Jessie Keane, Jacqui Rose.

Rivals is a fantastic book that everyone should read and buy. This is a fantastic gripping series. It is well written and has great characters.

This is the second book in the Georgina Garrett series and it certainly did not disappoint. The book is set in the 1930's and Georgina has become the new boss of the Battersea Gang. Not everyone is pleased with a female taking charge and with rival gangs trying to steal her turf, Georgina has a lot to tackle.

Sam Michaels has created a brilliantly addictive thriller which will appeal to fans of Martina Cole and Kimberley Chambers. Totally gripping from start to finish. A well deserved 5 stars.

Thank you to Aria, Netgalley and the author for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Review
Great book! If you like Martina Cole, you’ll love this. It’s gritty and holds no punches. You feel all of the emotions that Georgina Garratt, the protagonist is feeling.

She has taken over a gang in 1930s London; her patch being in Battersea. But she comes up against rival (hence the name of the book Rivals) gangs who try to encroach on her territory. She’s also managing a team of men which they initially struggle with. However, she is able to prove herself time and time again, no matter what is thrown at her.

I enjoyed the book very much. Some parts made me wince (especially when Georgina is told that she may wish to clean her shoe!!). I also enjoyed the author’s writing style; I’ll certainly be wanting to read more of her books.

I rate this book 5 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟.

Thanks
Thank you to the author Sam Michaels and publishers Aria Fiction for an advanced copy of this ebook in exchange for an independent review.

A chilling series this episode was tense full of characters that come alive .An edge of your seat thriller that kept e racing through the pages #netalley#aria

The indomitable Georgina Garrett is back in Rivals, the second nerve-twisting and heart-stopping novel by fast rising star Sam Michaels. Gritty, gripping and compulsively readable, Rivals is another brilliant read you will find absolutely impossibly to put down.

Georgina Garrett is a woman in a man’s world. Having had her fair share of knocks and heartaches, Georgina has pulled herself up from her boot straps and not let anything or anybody stand in her way of achieving her goal and becoming the boss of the Battersea gang. Georgina had been single-minded in her pursuit to rise to the top of her game and she had refused to take no for an answer. However, Georgina soon realises that she should not get too comfortable on her throne as the queen of the Battersea gang because she has made many enemies who would do whatever it takes to topple her and destroy her. Georgina needs to watch her back, keep her friends close and her enemies even closer because the alternative simply does not bear thinking about…

In the 1930s, Georgina is the exception and not the rule. Women were meant to be chained to the kitchen sink by domesticity not become gangland bosses, but Georgina is no ordinary woman. She is the queen of all she surveys and is determined to stay at the very top of her game. However, her enemies are plotting and scheming to break her down and take over her turf. There is nobody Georgina can trust or rely upon as she is surrounded by untrustworthy men who let her down time and time again – such as her alcoholic father who has surrendered to the seductive spell of alcohol.

Georgina can sense that those closest to her are becoming uneasy. They are questioning whether she is up to the task of ruling the streets of Battersea and whether a man would do a much better job, leaving her even more determined to prove her detractors wrong. Georgina does not let anybody tell her what to do and she will do whatever it takes to prove that she is the equal of any man.

Georgina wants to change the face of Battersea forever – and she is just getting started…

Fasten your seatbelts because Rivals is a jaw-dropping page-turner you are sure to lose sleep over. Brilliantly written, action-packed and full of jaw-dropping twists and turns that will leave you on the edge of your seat, Sam Michaels deftly and expertly blends suspense, intrigue and danger in an unputdownable read that is wholly mesmerizing.

Gutsy, captivating and spine-chilling, Rivals is another spine-chilling tale featuring the fabulous Georgina Garrett, who is a heroine you simply cannot help but admire or root for.

Evocative, enthralling and immensely enjoyable, miss Sam Michaels’ Rivals at your own peril!

A definite 5 star for this fabulous sequel. I thought the original Georgina Garrett book was a corker but this one manages to smash it even more! A really exciting series that is darkly thrilling and dangerous, I eagerly await the next instalment.

Sam Micheals is a new author for me and I went into this story not realising it is the second book in the series, which did confuse me at the start of the story. Never the less once I got my head round the background from the previous book I soon settled into a deeply gripping story.

The author takes us back to the 1930s and we follow a story about gang rivals has we follow Georgina on an eventful action packed journey.

With it being a gangland story it is full of characters that you will love and hate. Georgina is a strong character full of determination.

And I especially love the fact that it is set in the 1930s it reminded me of Lesley Pearse’s books. No mobile phones, computers technology etc. Keeping things very simple which made me feel totally in the story and what it would of been like to live in that era. This story gets you thinking about how things aren’t actually that different to now! Read this and you will know exactly what I mean.

Now I am left waiting for the next book and I am definitely going back to read book one to find out what happened first.

Thank you to Aria for a copy and inviting me to take part on this tour.

I read, reviewed and loved the first book in the Georgina Garrett series called 'Trickster' and I couldn't wait to get my hands on a copy of the second book in the series called 'Rivals'. Well ladies and gents, the wait is temporarily over because 'Rivals' was released on 3rd October 2019. I was lucky enough to have a sneaky peek at an early review copy and blimey oh riley I thought that 'Trickster' was good but believe me 'Rivals' is even better and blows 'Trickster' out of the water. I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'Rivals' but more about that in a bit.
I took to the character of Georgina Garrett from the start even if she did scare the crap out of me. I certainly wouldn't want to cross her or have my back to her because she would probably stab me in it. Georgina is head of a female gang but she is as hard as nails and tougher than any man. For a number of years Georgina was made to live as 'George' by her father, who had wanted a boy. So although Georgina is a female, she has some very masculine personality traits. It's as if she has two personas - George who is a bit of a lad and Georgina who is one of the girls. Georgina acts tough but at the same time underneath her very tough armour exterior she is just as vulnerable as the next person. Georgina takes care of those she loves but upset her at your peril, because she will make your life a misery. As I say she scares the crap out of me.
It didn't take me long at all to get 'into' this book. In fact by the time I got to the end of the first page, I felt as though I had reunited with old acquaintances. I just had to remember who was who and what link they had, if any, to Georgina. However that didn't take me long to remember either. Reading 'Rivals' became seriously addictive and I refused to be parted from this book. As soon as I started to read I knew that was me set for the day. I had to binge read the book over the course of a day because I had to discover how the story panned out and what implications that meant for Georgina and her crew. The pages turned over increasingly quickly as my desperation to finish the book grew and grew. At one point the pages were turning over that quickly that it was almost as if they were turning themselves. Then all of a sudden the book was at an end, which I was disappointed about. No, I don't mean that I was disappointed with how the book ended because that couldn't be further from the truth but I was enjoying the author's writing style, the characters and the storylines so much that I just wanted the book to continue. For me, 'Rivals' is the true definition of an unputdownable pageturner.
'Rivals' is brilliantly written but then I wouldn't expect anything else from Sam Michaels. She grabs your attention in a similar sort of way to grabbing somebody by the throat and once Sam has your attention she won't release it or you until you have turned the back cover as it were. She drew me into the story from the first word on the first page and I was gripped by the story until the very last word on the very last page. Sam describes things so vividly and so realistically that I felt as though I was part of the story myself.
Reading 'Rivals' was much like being on one heck of a scary and unpredictable rollercoaster ride with more twists and turns than you would find on a 'Snakes & Ladders' board. Just when you thought that you could gather your thoughts and catch a breath then off the story would go again. There were a couple of moments which nearly had me diving for cover behind a cushion because certain characters frightened me and I dreaded to think what they were capable of. See I told you I was a scaredy cat wimp.
In short, 'Rivals' is another fantastic book by Sam Michaels and I definitely recommend her books to other readers, but particularly to those readers who like books written by Martina Cole, Kimberley Chambers, Jessie Keane etc. I can't wait to read what Sam Michaels comes up with next. Here's hoping that we don't have too long to wait. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

Rivals is the second book in the Georgina Garrett series. Georgina is now the leader of Wilcox gang. But this is a male dominated world and other rival gangs are not happy with her status. They do not want a weak woman running the show and they will try anything to get her off her perch. But there is a difference, Georgina although she is a tough woman, and it shows if someone double crosses her she also cares about her family and her workers. She takes over running the brothels and the protection rackets and takes care of her family. The others in the Wilcox gang start to respect her.
When the rival gangs are closing in, she devises a plan to play at the own games to get what he wants and let them show that she is not to be messed with.
This is another gripping, gritty addictive thriller from Sam Michaels. I loved the characters, and the plot and it had it had lots of twists and turns. This another five star read.

Rivals follows on from events in the first Georgina Garrett book, Trickster, and in order to bring new readers up-to-date there are by necessity references to key events in the previous book.  Therefore, although Rivals can be read as a standalone, I'd recommend readers who might want to follow the series to start with the first book.  I haven't read Trickster and I'll confess it took me a bit of time to work out the different relationships and who did what to whom in the first book.   

In Georgina Garrett the author has created a powerful woman who is ruthless towards her enemies and will do whatever it takes to protect her family.  She's certainly not afraid to take on the men at their own game. In fact, at times she feels the need to go beyond what they might be prepared to do to counteract the prejudice she experiences. 

The world Georgina inhabits contains some distinctly unsavoury characters and even some of the more likable characters have secrets they will protect at all costs.  It's a world of rival gangs out to protect their patches and involved in activities such as extortion, prostitution, illegal gambling, drugs, alcohol and weapons smuggling...and more besides.  Although Georgina reins in some of the more distasteful elements of the Wilcox operation, she's still up to her neck in some pretty nasty stuff.  And she's not afraid to get her hands dirty when necessary.

With all the twists and turns of the plot and the action-packed confrontations between rival gangs, there isn't much space for the reader to get a sense of the period (the 1930s), aside from a few mentions of the depression, the rise of Hitler and German rearmament.  However, I guess murder, extortion and protection rackets go on regardless of the political backdrop.     

Described by the publishers as 'perfect for fans of Peaky Blinders, Martina Cole and Lesley Pearse', Rivals will appeal to readers who like their crime thrillers dark, violent and populated with ruthless individuals.

This book is absolutely brilliant I couldn't put it down it's a must read book I can't wait for the next book hope the wait isn't to long

What a brilliant book, well written. I loved the characters. I enjoyed every page. This is the 2nd book, the first being trickster.

The book is set around London, mainly Battersea. in the 1930's Georgina Garrett is the new ruthless stunning looking boss of a gang, much to the disgruntled men around her. She is a strong woman who will not be beaten down by any man.
Rival gangs are trying to muscle their way in, seeing her as a mere weak woman who should no way be in charge of a criminal gang but she is standing firm, she has to prove herself to her men punching one of them in the face does the trick. She takes over protection rackets and brothels. She has complete loyalty and love for her family and her close friends, but anybody that crosses her soon knows about it and she deals out revenge with violence.
In Trickster, her dad Jack taught her everything she knows and more, but he has turned to the bottle so is no support to her at all, but she still loves and looks out for him. She has surrounded herself with her Gran Dulcie, Jane Wilcox, Fanny Mipple, and Widow Molly Wilcox, whose husband Billy is the gang leader Georgina has taken over from after his early demise. These women are also known as Maids of Battersea. She is fiercely protective of them and will stop at nothing to look after them.

I loved this book from the very first page and found it addictive and gritty. Watching crime lords lock horns and try to outdo Georgina is intoxicating. If you want a good old London crime book. This is for you. Well done Sam, It's a cracker. Thank you, NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. xx

What appeals about this story is its commitment and honesty. Georgina is a relatable, remarkable, yet ruthless character, who you would want on your side. Her love for her family and friends shines through, even though she commits and sanctions unspeakable acts as the head of a south London crime gang in the 1930s.

When her newly acquired gangland empire is under threat from men who think she should know her place, she only has one response; be better than them, and fight back. She symbolises the female fight for equality. The crimes are gritty, but the story is one of family, and this is why the protagonists are likeable.

A clever plot with plenty of depth and hidden twists complements the complex characters well and makes this a page-turning-chapter of a compelling crime series

I received a copy of this book from Aria via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Bold, powerful and very exciting .. a fantastic sequel to Trickster!

It was obvious from the first book in this stunning series that Georgina Garrett had great ambition, and this is where we begin to see how she is going to achieve her aims. With gangs from surrounding areas trying to take over her 'manor', Georgina decides now is the time to make her play for power and beat them at their own game. With others depending on her, it's more important than ever that she establishes herself as an equal and not a pushover - female or not . . .

This is a knockout read - in more ways than one! Seamlessly continuing on from the first, the original story came flooding back very quickly as I began to turn the pages on my kindle. Georgina is a strong personality who inspires the women surrounding her to channel their inner steel core and show no fear - even when they are quivering like jelly on the inside. Not everyone masters this, but then not everyone has to cope with what this group have thrown in their path. This is a real page turner - fast moving, heart pounding and attention grabbing from an author who writes about the period with style and panache. The gritty crimes are beautifully balanced with superb characters and a fantastic story line which makes this a complete read all of it's own whilst leaving plenty of scope for the next novel to advance the tale. A really engrossing and rewarding read, completely worth all five stars and a firm recommendation to add this one as soon as you possibly can!

My thanks to publisher Aria for my copy via NetGalley and to Vicky Joss for including me in this Blog Tour. This is my honest, original and unbiased review.

I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.

Georgina is now the boss of Battersea gang but not everyone is thrill about that. I love that she doesn't back down even when she faces tough choices I love when she punch the guy in the face and everyone decides to stand by her.

There were a lot in this book but I didn't get lost that saying something because sometimes I read a book and have a lot going on in it, it seems the authors forgot who the main characters were.

I love how she loyal to Nan and her friends how even though her father is a mess she still there for him this was great second to the first book Trickster.