Book Review - All I Want For Christmas by Karen Swan

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Title: All I Want For Christmas

Author: Karen Swan

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Pan

Publication Date: 10th October 2024

Rating: 5 Stars

Three first dates and an art-world mystery – it's going to be a busy Christmas for Darcy. All I Want for Christmas is the Sunday Times bestselling cosy winter romance from Karen Swan, author of Christmas By Candlelight.

Can she find love this Christmas?

Christmas in Copenhagen is a magical time of year but Darcy Cotterell isn’t feeling festive. Newly single, again, she's not even going home for Christmas. Instead she will be spending her holiday finishing her art history PhD. Her best friend, Freja, has other ideas. She signs Darcy up to a dating app, determined that she won't be lonely this Christmas.

Darcy agrees to three dates – but her mind is on work, not play: an unknown portrait by Denmark’s greatest painter has been found and she is tasked with identifying the woman in the painting. During her research, she encounters sexy, arrogant lawyer Max Lorensen – who happens to be bachelor number one! The attraction is instant but, knowing they must work together, they abandon the match. Or try to. But their feelings are undeniable - until Darcy discovers Max has an agenda . . .

It wouldn't be Christmas without a cracking new festive book from Karen Swan, and this year's is as brilliant as ever! 

What an utterly absorbing story this was, I was engrossed in the mystery at the heart of it, and just how Darcy was going to work out who the subject of a hidden painting was, and then bringing them to life, all with a seemingly impossible time frame. 

Set to a Copenhagen backdrop, this was a fascinating story, that offered moments of great levity with Darcy's dating exploits.  She is on a new app, and her picks are not the best, although it does turn out she will be seeing a lot more of one of them, whether she intends to or not. 

Also set in the art world and acedemia, this just combines all matter of worlds in a way that was compelling to read.  I was never completely sure how things would turn out, and I was overall astounded by some of the revelations. 

I also loved the descriptions of the Christmas markets and various Danish festive traditions that are also featured in the story. 

It's a fabulous book, and was joy to read it. 

Thank you to Pan and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - You Had Me At Chateau by Portia MacIntosh

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Title: You Had Me At Chateau

Author: Portia MacIntosh

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Boldwood Books

Publication Date: 15th September 2024

Rating: 5 Stars

This writer's retreat has a plot twist...

Romantic comedy writer Amber Page is stuck in a rut.

After her editor tells her she needs to "up the spice" in her books (literally Amber's worst nightmare...), she is at a crossroads with what to do with her career.

When the opportunity arises to go on a writer's retreat at an exclusive château in the beautiful French Alps Amber reluctantly agrees, hoping a change of scenery will help with inspiration.

But while she tries and fails to spice up her writing - with the unhelpful guidance of the eccentric romance writers at the château - she meets two leading men who cause her own real-life romantic comedy to unfold...

A laugh-out-loud love triangle, forced proximity romantic comedy from million-copy bestseller Portia MacIntosh.

Utterly hilarious as you have come to expect from Portia MacIntosh. 

So many memorable and funny moments and the whole writer's retreat was certainly different to what I would have thought! Makes me wonder which authors the author was modelling the participants on. 

From moments with lingerie, massage oils, a bathroom and a whole lot more, this is just brilliant.  Especially with Amber being a rom-com writer, who would love to swivel genre slightly, but instead her editor is insisting on spice - and it is very clear that Amber can't write spice, but she does want to include dead bodies! 

That's before you take into account a chapter that I can only imagine was in part modelled on the three Christmas dinner episode of Vicar of Dibley.  Amber loves her food,  but her bottomless pit may have have met its match with all the amazing food mentioned this story. 

With an absolutely stunning backdrop - the French Alps, this a fabulous wintery book, with plenty of com and some rom, that I enjoyed every last second of. 

Already can't wait for the next book from this author (luckily I don't have to wait for too long as she is a writing machine!). 

Thank you to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - Escape For Christmas by Phillipa Ashley - Blog Tour

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Title: Escape For Christmas

Author: Phillipa Ashley

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Penguin

Publication Date: 7th November 2024

Rating: 4 Stars

Sophie used to adore everything about Christmas. Hot chocolate and velvet bows, fairy lights and mince pies.

Until the December her fiancé jilted her.

Since then, Sophie opened Sunnyside Hotel, a quaint guesthouse nestled deep in the Cumbrian countryside.

And, though it might be winter at Sunnyside, it’s never Christmas.

Marketing her hotel to those who wish to avoid the festivities, Sophie is busy preparing for a season full of joy and laughter, but without the tinsel and mistletoe.

Yet, as she finds herself growing closer to her gorgeous neighbour, Brody, her heart begins to melt.

Will this Christmas bring the touch of magic Sophie needs to give love another chance?

What an enjoyable story.  I absolutely loved Sophie's little hotel in the Lakes, Sunnyside.  And I especially loved her idea of offering an Escape for Christmas that isn't your typical Christmas break - she was offering Paella, Flamenco and no turkey! 

After all not everyone is a fan of Christmas, but she has her reasons for wanting to not be festive this year.  But yet fate has other plans for her. 

The entire break with the guests was brilliant, I loved getting to know the various guests both paying and completely unexpected.  To say things didn't go quite according to plan, would be an understatement. And just about everything made me smile. 

I also really enjoyed her neighbour Brody who really is s knight in shining armour on multiple occasions and I had a real soft spot for Jingle, Belle and Harold - some of our four legged friends in the story. 

The setting is gorgeous and I really hope the author will return there in a future book as all the characters wee meet are fabulous.  

This was just really entertaining, and I definitely enjoyed my time between the pages of this book. 

Thank you to Penguin and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - A Very Irish Christmas by Debbie Johnson

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Title: A Very Irish Christmas

Author: Debbie Johnson

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Storm Publishing 

Publication Date: 30th October 2024

Rating: 5 Stars

One part American sugar, two parts Irish spice. Cassie O'Hara is about to discover the recipe for the sweetest Christmas…

When New York-born Cassie O'Hara decides to use the money her sassy Irish nana Nora left in her will to book a month-long stay in a quaint country village, she's expecting a cozy cottage, steak-and-ale pie and plenty of Christmas cheer. Instead, she gets a draughty disaster covered in dust, a temperamental stray dog and two devastatingly handsome men vying for her attention…

There's Charles, the dashing English aristocrat with an enormous manor house and a heart of gold. And Ryan, a curly-haired Irish handyman with a past he won't talk about and an accent that makes her weak at the knees.

When Charles enlists Cassie's event-planning expertise to save his family estate, she finds herself working shoulder to shoulder with Ryan, breathing new life into Bancroft Manor. As village life weaves its spell, Cassie uncovers some intriguing secrets about Nana Nora's past. With her return ticket looming and her heart pulling her in unexpected directions, can Cassie find the love and belonging Nana Nora always wanted for her?

A laugh-out-loud romantic comedy filled with Irish charm, festive flirting and enough Christmas spirit to warm even the coldest of hearts. Perfect for fans of Sophie Kinsella, Catherine Walsh and anyone who believes in the luck of the Irish…

This was a great big warm hug of a book, as I have come to expect from the queen of comfort reads.

Once again Debbie Johnson has conjured up a magical sounding setting that I never want to leave,  and really hope might be the start of another series. 

I absolutely loved Cassie, Ryan, Eileen, Charles and Eejit, and everyone else too. 

And the New Yorker in England for Christmas staying in what is known as Little Ireland is a lovely touch.

Plenty of Irish slang and colloquialism added to the quaintness of the village. 

There is a wonderful community spirit and this really is the best place for Cassie to heal after some recent tough years. 

This is a beautifully heartwarming story that I couldn't get enough of,  and the pages just seemed to whizz past. 

An absolute pleasure to read. 

Thank you to Storm Publishing and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - The Getaway by Nicola Martin - #HolidayReading Cyprus

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Title: The Getaway

Author: Nicola Martin

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Raven Books

Publication Date: 7th November 2024

Rating: 4 Stars

Welcome to Keeper Island, the private Caribbean paradise where the cocktails are chilled, the guests are not, and new manager Lola is hoping nothing messes up her badly needed fresh start.

Her previous job in Hong Kong ended in tears – and quite a lot of blood – so she's come to Keeper to lie low, as well as to provide the gold-star service the resort's spoiled one-percenters expect. Her only connection to her previous life now is her old mentor and new boss, Mike Moxham.

But nothing is that simple, and no secret is truly safe forever. When Moxham is found dead less than a day after her arrival on the island, the rules Lola uses for working with the super-rich quickly become rules for survival:

Be prepared for anything.

Trust no one.

Because she might be next…

Bella Mackie meets Below Deck in this twisty escapist thriller – as gulpable as rum punch and just as deadly

I do love an destination thriller and this one really had me scratching my head 

I had absolutely no clue who could be trusted, nor who may actually be behind the sinister goings on, on remote Caribbean Island, Keeper Island. 

Lola is on the run, and I'm not even fully convinced at times I trust her, and she shows us the seedy underbelly of what life is like working behind the scenes at an ultra luxury hotel. 

There were some guests that definitely amused me far more than others.

And amongst the staff, I didn't get great vibes from that many of them, but I did love sound of the hotel at least for the guests. 

This was twisty, it was gripping and it was a really great read.  Fabulous summer holiday reading! 

Thank you to Raven Books and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - The Killer in the Cold by Alex Pine

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Title: The Killer in the Cold

Author: Alex Pine

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Avon

Publication Date: 7th November 2024

Rating: 4 Stars

Chilling truths are buried in this snow…

When a body dressed in a Santa Claus suit appears in the snow just outside a small village in Cumbria, DCI James Walker is the first to appear on the scene. Almost a year has passed since something so tragic has happened in the close-knit community, and James is hopeful that it’s just an accidental death.

But when he uncovers the body, he discovers something that chills him to the bone. The man, a former police officer, was murdered. And it’s not long before another body appears.

Time is ticking as James races to uncover the killer’s next victim, before they strike again. But can James find them before the snow washes away the evidence?

From the master of wintery crime, comes a thriller that will chill you to the bone…

You know it is the start of the winter reads season when you see a new Alex Pine has landed on your Kindle. 

For James Walker lives in the worst place to live in the UK at Christmas, as for now five years in a row there have been murders at Christmas in and around Kendal, and James has had to work to solve them instead of spending time with his young family. 

And this was a particularly tricky case for him as the dead bodies are former colleagues of the police. Which adds an even more personal dimension to the whole investigation.  Add in they are in a small village where everyone knows James and wants more info from his (or his long suffering wife), and it makes for a really tricky case. 

There is very little to go on, plenty of suspects, various potential motives, but a lack of cold hard evidence, which means the pressure is on for the team. 

As interesting as this case was, I found it wasn't as gripping to me as previous books in the series. It's a really good book still, just didn't quite capture my imagination in the same way, which is probably on me and not the author. 

Regardless I did really enjoy it, and I totally gobsmacked by the final third of the book where things suddenly ramp up and get a whole lot more compelling and I had never suspected the actual murderer. 

it's another very readable book in this series. But please never let me move to a small village in Cumbria, it sounds rather dangerous and I like Christmas! 

Thank you to Avon and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - The Secret Santa Project by Tracy Bloom

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Title: The Secret Santa Project

Author: Tracy Bloom

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Harper Collins

Publication Date: 10th October 2024

Rating: 5 Stars

A name drawn from a hat

Someone you barely know

A Christmas you’ll never forget

___________________________________

This December, Jolene can’t wait for the office Secret Santa moment — the festive present-swapping exercise made up of unlikely pairings and inappropriate gifts.

But this year, her colleagues are in need of more than a novelty wine glass and a box of Celebrations to get their tinsel twinkling.

So Jolene’s a woman on a mission, and she’s hatched a secret plan to make this their best Christmas ever…

Hilarious from start to finish! 

This was Tracy Bloom at her comedic very best! But in amongst the humour there is a heartwarming story about a group of people that work in a council accounts department, who have been tasked with trying to work out the real value of Christmas and whether they can cancel it the next year. 

Jolene is excited for her first ever job in the adult world of work, only to get to the office on her first day and it not really being anything like she imagined. Not only that she is my sort of person being a Disney and Christmas loving adult - something her new colleagues weren't as sure about. 

But Jolene does come up with a great concept for the office - a secret santa project where her idea is for them to all do one good deed for their chosen person to help make their Christmas, and to spend no money doing so. 

We get chapters from all of the characters points of view, and get to really know all of them quite well, and it was interesting to see how their lives connect away from the office in ways they aren't even aware of. 

I really enjoyed seeing all of these characters develop over the course of the story and I was totally invested in all of their lives. 

A fabulous assortment of down to earth, relatable characters, set to a backdrop of Christmas, and the possibility of Christmas magic.  

Good seasonal fun that I totally adored. 

Thank you to HarperCollins and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - The Trial by Jo Spain

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Title: The Trial

Author: Jo Spain

Format reviewed: Ebook 

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Quercus

Publication Date: 25th April 2024

Rating: 5 Stars

2014, Dublin: at St Edmunds, an elite college on the outskirts of the city, twenty-year-old medical student Theo gets up one morning, leaving behind his sleeping girlfriend, Dani, and his studies - never to be seen again. With too many unanswered questions, Dani simply can't accept Theo's disappearance and reports him missing, even though no one else seems concerned, including Theo's father.

Ten years later, Dani returns to the college as a history professor. With her mother suffering from severe dementia, and her past at St Edmunds still haunting her, she's trying for a new start. But not all is as it seems behind the cloistered college walls - meanwhile, Dani is hiding secrets of her own.

Wow, well that got under my skin and totally hooked me in. 

I'm not necessarily a fan of books with detailed medical research as frankly it goes over my head, but the story around the clinical trial at the centre of this book was utterly compelling reasoning. 

Dani has always been haunted by what happened ten years ago with Theo, even more so when she is back at the same college, in her new job and reminders are absolutely everywhere. 

There are so many layers to this fascinating story, which is told in dual timeline, both featuring Dani's time at this college - both as a student and now as a professor.  And I felt for her a lot during the book, she's really not had an easy time of it since the events in 2014 that kicked everything off. 

There are secrets galore, and I was totally hooked, to the extent I ignored real life for a couple of hours in order to finish the second half of the book in one sitting.  I had to know how things were going to turn out and I was definitely in for some surprises.

Another brilliant book from the always talented Jo Spain. 

Thank you to Quercus and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.