Q&A - Would You Rather? with Isabella May - #RRR10thBirthdayCelebrationWeek #Giveaway

 Back in 2018 I came up with a set of interview questions which are meant to be a lot of fun for the author and I hope you will enjoy too.  I only ever used them a handful of times, in what was a semi regular feature at the time. 

So as part of my 10th Birthday Celebration Week, I found a new willing volunteer to answer these, and I really hope you will enjoy. 

Welcome to the blog Isabella May! 

1) Would you rather live under the sea or in space? 

Oh, gawd. That's a toughie. I think I'll plump for space. The bottom of the sea is too mysterious a place for me. Too many weird creatures (not that there wouldn't be aliens in space) plus I am really bad at swimming under water.

2) Would you rather only read your genres you write in, or all other genres for the rest of your life? 

My genre. A life without any romance books? Unthinkable! I would feel a bit sad, though, because I love a cosy crime and I even have my occasional psychological thriller moments. But nowadays there are so many subgenres within romance, so I think I'd survive. Just about.

Totally agree there, a life without romance books would be completely unthinkable! 

3) Would you rather ride a camel or an elephant? 

I've ridden a camel once before and that was anxiety-inducing enough. If I could go back to the same placid camel who was very kind to me in the desert of Dubai, then I'd do that!

4) Would you rather eat sweet or savoury food?  

Hmm... I wonder? I have yet to write a savoury Foodie Romance so I'm going to have to go with sweet. 

5) Would you rather pick all future books to read by their covers only, or their blurbs? Blurbs. Definitely. Never judge a book by its cover and all that!

6) Would you rather go skiing or sit by a beach on holiday? Well, I live a 5 minute walk from the beach. It gets very hot and crowded from May through to October so as the mountains of the Sierra Nevada ski resort are less than 2 hours from me, I will choose those. Plus there's all the après-ski hot chocolate and cake. Not quite the same on the beach with all the sand getting in them!

7) Would you rather go to the cinema or the theatre? THEATRE. Every time. It's like therapy. Especially musical theatre. My happy place :-)

Oh I know what you mean, also being a massive musical theatre fan! 

8) Would you rather read ebooks, audiobooks or physical books? 

ebooks indoors, physical books outside. I am yet to try an audiobook. I need convincing as I tire easily listening to people yacking away on the radio. Sometimes their voices can be grating too, so I tend to switch off or fall asleep. I know it's not the same thing but Jackanory bored the heck out of me as a child. The narrator would need to have a seriously compelling voice.

9) Would you rather be rich but unhappy or poor and happy? 

Oh, poor and happy. Definitely. As long as there's a library!

10) Would you rather play or watch sports? 

Depends on the sport. Most of the time I am happier watching, though. Especially if it's a cricket match with my boy in it!

11) Would you rather always have to tell the truth, or always have to lie? 

The truth would let a lot of skeletons out of a lot of closets for a lot of people... so I'm going to have to say lie. I know that's awful, but there it is!

12) Would you rather only be able to whisper the whole time, or shout the whole time? 

I was too quiet all through my school years and sometimes into my 20s and 30s so I'll embrace the not giving a f*ck attitude of the late 40s, step into my female power and SHOUT.

13) Would you rather always be late or always be unprepared? 

Fashionably late is always perfectly acceptable!

14) Would you rather have your own luxury car, or private plane? 

Private plane would be lush. I live just 10 minutes from an airport too, so very handy! I promise I'd plant trees to make up for my carbon footprint...

15) Would you rather be aged 10 or 30 forever? 

30. I think? Yeah, let's go with 30, but with the benefit of hindsight!

16) Would you rather look like a fish or smell like a fish? 

OMG, this is hilarious. I'm going to say smell like one because I'd just buy loads of gorgeous perfume to drown the awful pong out. Whereas, if I looked like a fish, I'm not sure that any amount of plastic surgery could rescue me. In fact, it would probably give me even more of a trout pout.

17) Would you rather be an only child or have siblings? 

I have a younger sister but I always wanted an older brother (too) to protect me from the bullies so I'll go for siblings... as long as they are nice!

18) Would you rather lose your keys or forget your mobile phone? 

If I've only forgotten my phone (and not lost it), that's OK. It would probably do me good to live in the moment! On the other hand, getting new keys cut can be a hellish and frustrating experience. Especially here in Spain.

19) Would you rather have free books for life or free food for life? 

I'm going to say food because I would feel awful for not paying authors for their work. Not that I shouldn't skip paying farmers etc. You're making me feel guilty with these questions!

20) Would you rather give up social media or alcohol? 

Alcohol. I don't drink much and we have some excellent cocktail bars in Malaga city, where the mixologists could whip me up some convincing mocktails!

Thank you so much Isabella for humouring me with these questions. I hope everyone has enjoyed these answers as much as I have. 

Now for a bit about Isabella, and also a giveaway! 

Isabella May lives in (mostly) sunny Andalusia, Spain with her husband, daughter and son, creatively inspired by the mountains and the sea. She grew up in Somerset on Glastonbury's ley lines and loves to feature her quirky English hometown in her stories.

After a degree in Modern Languages and European Studies at UWE, Bristol (and a year working abroad in Bordeaux and Stuttgart), Isabella bagged an extremely jammy and fascinating job in children's publishing... selling foreign rights for novelty, board, pop-up and non-fiction books all over the world; in every language from Icelandic to Korean, Bahasa Indonesian to Papiamento!

All of which has fuelled her curiosity and love of international food and travel - both feature extensively in her romcoms.

Isabella is also a Level 4 Pranic Healer and a stillbirth mum.

You can follow her Foodie Romances and Cricket Romances at the following hang-outs:

www.isabellamayauthor.com

TikTok - @isabellamayromances

Instagram - @isabella_may_author

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/IsabellaMayAuthor/

Giveaway to Win a signed copy of To The Honeymoon and Back by Isabella May (Open INT)

When TAYLOR’s husband cruelly laughs at her anaphylactic shock during their honeymoon visit to Heavenly Devonly Honey Farm, she files for immediate divorce. It shouldn’t take a stranger to call an ambulance! Even if he is the swoonworthy Devonshire TV chef, ZACH KNIGHT.

Weeks later, sworn off men for eternity, travel journo Taylor reluctantly finds herself back in the West Country to work on a UK holiday assignment: destination Woolacombe. But when Zach just happens to embark on a coastal tour of Devon to promote his latest cookbook, Taylor has her work cut out in more ways than one. He’s the last person she expects to raise her antennae when she checks into her hotel room to find that it's been double booked by the two of them... and there is nowhere else to stay in town.

The harder Taylor tries to bee-hive as their agendas outside the bedroom mysteriously fuse, the more Zach is bee-witched.

But can she give into temptation without getting stung again?

A steamy and tasty meet-cute romance with a peanut sensitive protagonist and a golden retriever lead male.

Giveaway open Internationally, all options are voluntary, but please do what they ask, as I will be verifying the winner. Giveaway closes 23:59 14/4/25. Winner will be announced on twitter and emailed, and they will need to reply within 7 days, or forfeit the prize, and I will re-draw for a new winner.  Good luck everyone!

Book Review - What If I Never Get Over You by Paige Toon

 The Amazon Purchase link below is an Amazon Affiliate link.

Amazon UK

Title: What If I Never Get Ove You

Author: Paige Toon

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Penguin

Publication Date: 10th April 2025

Rating: 5 Stars

Three days to fall in love. Six years to try to forget.

Ellie didn’t expect to fall in love while travelling in Europe. But she also didn’t expect to meet a man like Ash.

Three blistering days in Lisbon is all it takes to form an unforgettable connection – deep enough for them to plan to meet again in Madrid. But Ellie arrives late, and Ash is nowhere to be found.

Six years later, the memory of Ash and their time together still burns deeply in Ellie’s heart. She hopes that her dream job as a gardener on a grand estate in Wales will bring the fresh start she desperately needs.

But when Ash unexpectedly crashes back into her life, Ellie is forced to question if the universe has other plans...

I was completely enchanted by this book, and from the clear connection Ellie and Ash have from their very first meeting. 

And I absolutely adored the days the spent in Lisbon, and how Ash was inspiring Ellie to try to take control of her life and to stop being a people pleaser.  They were even both travelling for similar reasons, which in Ellie's case I figured out the truth very early on. 

But why on earth would Paige Toon give her characters a nice easy time of it, for after a missed meeting in Madrid, and seeing in snippet form what Ellie does after she heads home heartbroken, fate steps in. 

And wow I just loved it any time Ash and Ellie were together, there is just something about this couple that I totally adored.  

This was such an easy book to read, I was lucky to even notice my tube had stopped at the end of the line on my way home as I was so absorbed. There are so many ups and downs, and I loved all of the various settings of the book. 

Paige Toon has just such a way with words that absorbs me into the pages and won't let me go from start to finish. And this is possibly one of my favourite books of hers (but I might say that every time as she is that good!). 

What a wonderful love story.  Truly adored every second of this. 

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

Fab Firsts - Q&A With Liz Mistry - #RRR10thBirthdayCelebrationWeek #Giveaway

Continuing my Rachel's Random Reads 10th Blogiversary celebrations, I thought I would get a willing volunteer for my Fab Firsts feature. 

This was a semi-regular feature, that is highlighting books that are firsts. When interviewing authors, it was about about their first book, as well as other firsts in their lives.

And in a total first for me, given this feature originally ran over the course of 2017, which was in fairness 8 years ago, both me and today's guest Liz Mistry had totally and utterly forgotten that Liz had in fact been one of my very first guests on this, back in January 2017, in the run up to the release of her second book.   The original can be found here. 

So for the first time, welcome back to Liz Mistry, my first recurring guest on this, and she has definitely been busy in the past 8 years with definitely more than two books now released (I know I've organised blog tours for many of them!). 

So in a first of total memory loss from me...here is Liz Mistry once again!!! 

Hi everyone, I’m Liz Mistry and I write Scottish and Yorkshire based crime fiction. A Scot by birth, I’ve lived in Bradford for 35 years and am the author of 2 Bradford based series (Gus McGuire series & Nikki Parekh series) and a new Scottish series - The Solanki & McQueen series set in West Lothian.

1) Can you tell us a bit about your first book?

My first published book was my DI Gus McGuire book, Unquiet Souls. It is set in and around Bradford and has themes of human trafficking, organised crime and of course murder!!!! Gus himself is still one of my favourite characters to write. He’s vulnerable yet strong, clever yet unlucky in love, loyal yet reserved and he is inspirational to his team. His team are another reason to love writing Gus because they are so different to him and this makes him shine through more as a main character who relies on his friends in times of need.

2) What was your original inspiration to become a writer, and to write your debut?

I’ve always written. Since being a kid at school writing was my escapism, although I kept that very secret because it didn’t seem likely that a working-class Scottish kid from a small village would ever be published. However, after suffering from anxiety and clinical depression for most of my life, I came through a particularly bad spell and with the help of a therapist decided that doing an MA in Creative Writing might be therapeutic for me. By the end of the MA, I had finished Unquiet Souls and had a publishing deal at the ripe old age of 52

3) How long did it take you to write your first book?

Unquiet Souls was in the works for over fifteen years before I finally managed to finish it and get it out there. My subsequent books have taken much less time to write (No more than 6 months each)

4) If you could do anything differently in retrospect, what would you change about your debut, or how you went about writing it?

Of course, my writing is continually developing, so apart from a rewrite which would be too hard to do, I think I would have given myself more faith and forced myself to get the novel finished and hopefully published, earlier. I wouldn’t have let the whole imposter syndrome thing take hold and I would have worked harder on my mental health thus making me able to write more effectively. 

5) Was your first book self or traditionally published, and how did you go about making that decision?

Unquiet Souls was traditionally published by Bloodhound Books, then later I got my rights back and the whole Gus McGuire series is self- published, although my Nikki Parekh and Solanki and McQueen series are published by Harper Collins

6) Do you have any tips for other first time authors?

The best tip I can give you is to get that first draft finished. Don’t spend too much time finessing those first few chapters (you can do that later) - get to the end of the book and then go back and edit it. You’ll feel such a relief to know you can make it to the end of a novel and that is inspiring. 

7) First book you bought?

I was always a library goer, even form an early age, but at holiday time we went up to Nairn camping and we visited the Nairn Bookshop. Most of my holiday money as an early teen was spent on Agatha Christie books

8) First prize you won?

I didn’t win many prizes, but I really wanted to win the handwriting prize at primary school - an unlikely endeavour as my handwriting was (and still is) atrocious

9) First pet?

Ringo the canary. We got him form my uncle who bred them and he was all yellow with a little brown round his head which looked like a Beatle’s haircut - hence the name Ringo

10) First choice of alternative career if you weren’t an author?

After having my kids, I wondered if I should have been a midwife rather than a teacher

11) First toy that you recall loving?

I had a doll called Sally who I couldn’t sleep without. My dad often had to make a trip back to my granny’s house to collect her if I’d forgotten her. Funnily enough I reference Sally in The Blood Promise which is the first in my Scottish series and has many wee references to my past throughout

12) First time you were really scared?

I remember sitting on the loo when I was a kid (maybe around 5 or 6 yrs old) during the adverts from the Cliff Richard show on TV when I am sure (convinced even to this day) that a curly haired monster was tapping on the window. For months afterwards,

Thank you so much Liz, it's fascinating to see how far you have come over the past few years, and that is one really excellent tip for new first time authors. It is always a pleasure to have you on the blog. 

About Liz Mistry

Liz Mistry moved to West Yorkshire in the late 1980s. Her gritty crime fiction police procedural novels set in Bradford embrace the city she describes as ‘Warm, Rich and Fearless’ whilst exploring the darkness that lurks beneath. Yet, her heart remains in Scotland, where childhood tales of bogey men, Bible John and grey lady ghosts fed her imagination.

Her latest work, The Solanki and McQueen crime series is set around West Lothian, where she uses the distinctive landscape, historic heritage and Scottish culture as a backdrop to her gritty yet often humorous stories.

Struggling with clinical depression and anxiety for many years, Liz often includes mental health themes in her writing. She credits her MA in Creative Writing from Leeds Trinity University with helping her find a way of using her writing to navigate her ongoing mental health struggles. The synergy been creative and academic writing led Liz to complete a doctorate in creative writing researching the importance of representation of marginalised groups within the genre she loves.

Her husband, three children and huge extended British Indian family are a constant support to her. In her spare time, Liz loves visiting the varied Scottish and Yorkshire landscape, travelling, listening to music, reading and blogging about all things crime fiction on her website blog, The Crime Warp.

You can connect with Liz here:

Website:          lizmistry.com/

X (Twitter):     LizMistryAuthor

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LizMistrybooks

Instagram:       @liz.mistry

That's not all - Liz is very kindly giving away a paperback copy of The Blood Promise the first in her Scottish Solanki & McQueen crime series, plus a selection of other goodies to one winner based in the UK. 

A deadly gift

Imogen Clark wakes up on her 16th birthday to find her parents dead at the breakfast table, along with a message from their killer.

A twist of fate

Detectives Jazzy Solanki and Annie McQueen join the investigation, but the more they discover, the more Jazzy suspects that the killing is a twisted message for her. Jazzy shares the same birthday as Imogen, and believes that this is more than a coincidence.

A race to catch a killer

When Jazzy discovers the connection between the killer and the stalker who has been following her for years, she is forced to confront the dark past she was desperate to keep hidden. She must stop at nothing to solve the case, before she becomes the next victim…

Link https://amzn.eu/d/7inAutY

So if you would like to win - please do enter this giveaway! 

Giveaway open to UK, all options are voluntary, but please do what they ask, as I will be verifying the winner. Giveaway closes 23:59 12/4/2025. Winner will be announced on twitter and emailed, and they will need to reply within 7 days, or forfeit the prize, and I will re-draw for a new winner.  Good luck everyone!

Book Review - Couples Retreat by Lorraine Brown - #HolidayReading Gambia

 The Amazon Purchase link below is an Amazon Affiliate link.

Amazon UK

Title: Couples Retreat

Author: Lorraine Brown

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Orion

Publication Date: 25th April 2024

Rating: 4 Stars

Two writers.

One pressing deadline.

No time for romance...

Scarlett and Theo have one bestselling novel to their names: the psychological thriller they wrote together years ago. None of the books they've written separately have sold anywhere near as well...

Now at risk of being dropped by their respective publishers, their agent tells them that working together is the only way to save their careers and sends them off on a writers' retreat in the south of France.

It wouldn't be the worst way to spend a summer--except that they've accidentally been booked on a couples retreat instead, and spending so much time together stirs up some very inconvenient feelings!

With their careers on the line and a pressing deadline, romance is the last thing on their minds...

This was one rather amusing book. 

I enjoyed the South of France setting, and the fact that Scarlett and Theo who clearly have issues with each other have not only been forced to write a second book together, but been tricked into going on a couples retreat too. 

This is forced proximity, that includes a variety of exercises designed for romantic couples like the others on the retreat and seeing Scarlett and Theo so uncomfortable at any sort of therapy was entertaining. 

I loved seeing how their dynamics changed as the story developed. 

This is the first book I've read from this author and it's one I truly enjoyed. 

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

10 Years of Rachel's Random Reads! Happy Blogiversary to me! #RRR10thBirthdayCelebrationWeek #Giveaway

I can't believe it, but 10 years ago today, I made my first post on Rachel's Random Reads, totally terrified as to what anyone may say about my thoughts on a book.  Initially I didn't even tell anyone in real life that I had become a blogger, as I was convinced I would give it up within a month or so, as was predicting negative feedback. 

Well my fears were unfounded, and what I did find is one of the most supportive communities of people about - both on online and in real life too.  The book community rocks, and if you are reading this, then you are part of that community and all I can say is THANK YOU!

This has to be the first time in my adult life I have stuck at anything solidly for 10 years, and I'm honestly not sure I'd ever be able to go back to reading books and not then trying to write some thoughts about it.  It's become part of me. 

It's thanks to the blog that I now have an awesome job organising blog tours, so its really safe to say that over the past decade my life has definitely changed. 

And because I think 10 is a big number, a big milestone and something worth celebrating, well this week on the blog I have extra posts each day, where I have resurrected old features from the first few years of the blog (when I had more time to be creative), and there are all sort of fab interviews coming over over the rest of the week - and each 10th Birthday post also has a giveaway attached to it, including this one a bit further down.   

Don't forget to check out yesterday's giveaway and post for my Rachel Reads Randomly feature which was part of my life for 98 weeks (plus a few weeks off for holidays and such) - so definitely over two years, and I'd love this new edition to get some love! 

In the past 10 years:

I've read over 3100 books

This is post 3544 onto the blog

I've set up my own business Rachel's Random Resources

I've met numerous authors and bloggers and been to a large number of book events, book launches and tonight will be at Waterstones Piccadilly for Paige Toon in conversation with Beth O'Leary. And its always a joy to see Paige (my review of her new book is scheduled for Thursday which is publication day!). 

I have people that I count as friends, and I'll never ever forget Alison Daughtey-Drew (Ali The Dragon Slayer) who was one of my biggest supporters for at least the first half of this blog's life, until her health unfortunately declined). 

I'm very grateful to Laura Bambrey who was the person who finally persuaded me to set up my blog in the first place. 

And I'm immensely grateful to each and everyone one of you that has ever read any of my blog posts, and even more so the occasional person that interacts with them, ensuring that I know I'm not talking into a black hole! 

And I'm also continually in awe of all authors and the simply amazing job they do coming up with amazing stories for us all, even when there are totally rubbish things happening in book world. 

It has been an absolutely amazing 10 years.... let's hope I'm making a similar post in another 10 years time! 

And for those of you who saw the word giveaway higher up and have skimmed to find it... here you go! 

The lovely Colette Kebell has kindly donated a prize bundle of...

Win two sets of Hotel Chocolat chocolates, a fancy notebook and your choice of these Colette Kebell books (UK Only)

• The Retail Therapist
• Blue and Green Should Never be Seen! (Or so Mother says)
• I Don't Do Mondays!
• Arbitrage
• Confessions from the Cotton Fields
• Confessions of an Italian Priest
• Confessions of a Lustful Lawyer
• Wings of Eros

Giveaway open to UK, all options are voluntary, but please do what they ask, as I will be verifying the winner. Giveaway closes 23:59 14/4/25. Winner will be announced on twitter and emailed, and they will need to reply within 7 days, or forfeit the prize, and I will re-draw for a new winner.  Good luck everyone!

Book Review - The Secret Ingredient by Sue Heath

 The Amazon Purchase link below is an Amazon Affiliate link.

Amazon UK

Title: The Secret Ingredient

Author: Sue Heath

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: One More Chapter

Publication Date: 18th January 2024

Rating: 5 Stars

It’s been three years, two weeks and one day since Kate Shaw’s life changed forever. Three years, two weeks and one day that Kate has been angry – with herself and life.

But today is different. Different because Kate has finally taken the step she’s been avoiding…back into the kitchen. Now, what begins as a (disastrous) attempt to make pancakes becomes a culinary journey that is not only a love letter to someone so important to her, but also an unexpected means of connection to a community she never knew she had…

How on earth has a book this fabulous been sitting on my kindle unread for over a year? That really shouldn't happen, as it really is a wonderful story. 

At points I was on the verge of tears (not great when you are on public transport), but equally there is plenty in this to make you hungry, and also to smile too. 

It's definitely a change of direction for this author, hence her new pen name, but I needn't have worried as the writing is still fabulous, and I really loved seeing all these characters and just how the grew and bonded together, thanks to Charles and Mary. 

It really is a story that brings a street together, and shows you how important it is to surround yourself with people that care for you, and to have good neighbours (and I'm writing this having just watched the Neighbours 40th anniversary tour - so that seems fitting!). 

Kate is the lynchpin of this novel, although we do get chapters from pretty much all the other characters at times during the story, but Kate is definitely the main character.  She is still coming to terms with the loss of Eddie, three years on, but has realised she needs to make changes in her life, to see if she can start living again. 

And one of those is to try to learn how to cook, as he was a fabulous cook, and Kate figures she will feel closer to him, if she tries it herself.  And her first attempt at making pancakes and level of description of where it went wrong, is memorably brilliant. 

There are all manner of characters at various stages in life and they are being brough together by this book's Secret Ingredient, and it was utterly delightful to see. 

I thoroughly enjoyed every second I spent between the pages of this novel. 

Thank you to One More Chapter and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Rachel Reads Randomly - Vote #99 - #RRR10thBirthdayCelebrationWeek #Giveaway

 

If you were following me back in 2015 - 2018 you may recall I used to have a weekly feature where you got to decide one of the books I read that week.  However it was always one of the favourite things I had on my blog - so this week I'm bringing this and some other features back for 1 week only in order to celebrate my 10th Blog Birthday which is tomorrow. 

Given I ran this for 98 weeks over a three year period, I do miss this, but I do wonder if I could run a modified version of this in the future - well it will depends on if I think there is still any interest! 

Below is my initial theory for this feature, and then a bit further, what you are all waiting for... This week's vote! Enjoy!

I am also awful at deciding what book to read next, as I often have about 10 titles or authors jumping into my brain at any time, shouting at me to read them, and I tend to worry I have made the wrong decision while reading a perfectly good book. I am hoping this will save me having to make at least 1 choice a week, while possibly providing a review to the site of a book you all either love or are curious about yourselves. 

So what I am proposing, is my lovely loyal readers of Rachel's Random Reads, select one book for me to read a week, and I will post the review the following week. 

This week's random numbers are...

And the books these numbers correspond to are...

So the 5 choices with my gut feeling responses are:

2 - The Saturday Place by Alice Peterson - It has been absolutely ages since this author last released a book and I'm very keen to read this (so why it's been on my kindle for over a year is beyond me!

7 - Something In The Air by Helen Rolfe - I have been absolutely loving the previous books in this series so definitely need to read this before another one is released! 

32 - Ms V's Hot Girl Summer by A. H. Cunningham - I read one book from this author last year, that I clearly enjoyed enough to request this one on Netgalley. I think this will be spicy and possibly with an exotic location if I recall!

36 - A Greek Island Gift by Mandy Baggot - Ah the queen of the Greek romances and one of my auto read authors. I know this book is due out towards the end of the month, and I always need more hot Greek book boyfriends! 

37 - Booked For Summer by Kathryn Freeman - Another favourite author, another book I can't wait to read as and when I get to it, and another author who tends to write some very hot scenes!! 

Well I have no idea how anyone is meant to pick between these, I'm very excited by all the possibilities and I wouldn't even know how to predict what might win this. Years ago I normally had a gut feeling or two but I literally have no idea.   And yes this is the sort of dilemma I have practically every time I pick my next book - my kindle is full of fabulous books! 

So what would you like me to read this week, and if all goes according to plan I will post the details of how the vote was split, and the review on Monday next week (but if work derails my reading, it may be a day or two later.. been a while since I tried to do this!). 

And authors, if its your book up on this feature, feel free to take part, vote for yourself, or stir up excitement amongst your fans! 

Pick your favourite or the one you most want me to review, or just the one you are curious about, and leave me a comment below, or on twitter (I'll copy and paste those onto the comments here so I can count accurately), before midnight on Wednesday. 

I look forward to seeing what I will be reading over the weekend, courtesy of you all. 

And because I'm celebrating 10 years of my blog all week, I'm also going to give you all a giveaway too. 

Giveaway to Win your choice of one of these five books in paperback (Open to UK Only)

Winner is free to pick whichever book they wish to read of these five books - The Saturday Place, Something In the Air, Ms. V's Hot Girl Summer, A Greek Island Gift and Booked For Summer.  Book will be ordered via Amazon, and in the case of three of these books, will be pre-ordered so you will get it once its available (later this month). 

Giveaway open to UK, all options are voluntary, but please do what they ask, as I will be verifying the winner. Giveaway closes 23:59 09/04/25. Winner will be announced on twitter and emailed, and they will need to reply within 7 days, or forfeit the prize, and I will re-draw for a new winner.  

Good luck everyone.

Book Review - Murder in Verona by T. A. Williams - #HolidayReading Gambia

 The Amazon Purchase link below is an Amazon Affiliate link.

Amazon UK

Title: Murder in Verona

Author: T. A. Williams

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Boldwood Books

Publication Date: 3rd November 2024

Rating: 4 Stars

A tragic accident?

When Italy’s greatest opera singer, Rodolfo Argento, is killed in a terrible car accident, the police initially rule his death a tragic accident or suicide. But his elderly mother, Violetta, believes this to be poppycock! Her son was a brilliant driver and had too much to live for. She suspects foul play and turns to Private Investigator, Dan Armstrong to discover the truth.

A cheating spouse?

So Dan and Oscar travel to Verona, the city of Romeo and Juliet, to find out what really happened. There Dan discovers Rodolfo’s private life could have come straight out of a Shakespeare play. Although now happily married, Rodolfo was a man with a reputation to rival Casanova, his past strewn with heartbroken women. Could his death have been a star-crossed lover determined to get revenge?

A family feud?

Or does the truth lie much closer to home? With his large inheritance still to be settled, the motive for Rodolfo’s murder could simply be greed. As Dan searches for suspects while staying at the Argento Opera Academy (where people randomly launch into operatic arias.) life for Dan is complicated by the fact that Oscar has a habit of joining in with the singing…

Can Dan solve the case before he and his tone-deaf dog get thrown out?

A gripping new murder mystery series by bestselling author T.A. Williams, perfect for fans of Death in Paradise, Lee Strauss and Beth Byers.

Another delightful book in this fabulous cozy crime series. 

The more I see of Oscar the more I'm convinced he might just be a human turned into a dog! He has so many people like qualities as well as being a faithful companion and excellent judge of character. 

So it was fabulous to see he gets a girlfriend for this book, and after all 2 labs are even better than 1! 

More relevant to the actual main plot of the book and Dan is asked to investigate the death of an opera singer in Verona, which just so happens to be the city that he and Anna are due to visit very soon to watch an opera! 

Like Dan, I'm not an opera buff, so mentions of various famous pieces of music went a bit over my head.

But I did totally enjoy seeing him work with the local police in order to discover the truth. 

I really enjoyed the journey this took me on, and it's always lovely to see a new part of Italy through the steady hand of T. A, Williams. 

Highly entertaining as I have come to expect.  

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

Book Review - He's A 10 by Jessica Yale - #HolidayReading Gambia

 The Amazon Purchase link below is an Amazon Affiliate link.

Amazon UK

Title: He's A 10

Author: Jessica Yale

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Penguin

Publication Date: 30th May 2024

Rating: 5 Stars

Will Genie, Head of Player Care at Covenly FC, put her job on the line when she falls for their controversial new number 10 Tony Garratt?

Genie Edwards, Head of Player Care at Covenly FC, loves her job. Even if the club doctor is her ex-husband.

When Covenly qualify for the Champions League, they're determined to stay there and smash their record transfer fee to bring in renowned 'Number 10' Tony Garratt, who urgently needs a career boost after recently being snapped falling out of nightclubs during a very public break up. When Tony is late to his first ever press conference, it looks like some things never change . . .

But soon Genie begins to suspect there may be more to this rough diamond than meets the eye - will she put her career on the line and take a second chance at love?

Or was everyone right about Tony all along?

I absolutely loved this book, and it's definitely one for Football fans...  well actually most of it is behind the scenes stuff, so you don't need to know the offside rule to be able to enjoy this. 

In fact at times it felt reminiscent of Dream Team (still wish Sky would schedules repeats!) - with us getting to know one part of the cog that goes into running a football club. 

Plus new signing Tony, who the more I saw of him the more I really loved him. He is a bit old school regarding banter which is something I quite enjoy. 

And player care manager Genie catches his eye almost instantly. 

Genie is lovely, and I love any and all insights into club setups. 

I was loving every word of this and could picture everything so clearly. 

Just incredibly enjoyable. 

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

Book Review - The Silver-Haired Sisterhood by Judy Leigh

 The Amazon Purchase link below is an Amazon Affiliate link.

Amazon UK

Title: The Silver-Haired Sisterhood

Author: Judy Leigh

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley 

Publisher: Boldwood Books

Publication Date: 2nd December 2024

Rating: 5 Stars

Five years after seventy-something Tess jetted off to Paris with her best friends, Jen, Rose, Della and Pam - the Five French Hens - for Jen’s hen do, a lot has changed. Prospective groom Eddie has been given the heave-ho, Tess’s husband has been sent packing and the Hens are making the most of their golden years.

But Tess is stuck in a rut. Rather than embrace her independence, she watches on as Rose wows Paris, Jen explores Iceland and Pam heads to Greece. But when tragedy strikes Della, Tess is shaken into action. They both need a change of scenery and longing to see the Northern Lights, they head to the Highlands of Scotland and the magical Isle of Skye.

There Tess and Della get more than they bargained for. Along with stunning scenery and breathtaking history, they find new friends, grand adventures and even romance. And when they’re joined by the other Hens, together they start plotting a fabulous new future for them all.

Travel with Judy Leigh to the magical Highlands in this uplifting, joyous and funny tale of friendships and new beginnings. This is the perfect feel-good story for all fans of Maddie Please, Dawn French and Caroline James.

Years ago when I read and reviewed Five French Hens, I said I would love to see a sequel.  Well the sequel now exists in the form of The Silver-Haired Sisterhood and I am as delighted with this book as I was with the first one. 

Although admittedly I can't really remember most of the details many years on from the first book, so it can definitely be read as a standalone.  I did though remember Della, and it really was good to catch up with all of these hens. 

Now in their late 70s, and getting in at least one case rather close to the big 8-0, it's fabulous to catch up with these ladies and see how their lives have developed further.  And they are still up for adventures

Which is what led Tess and Della to head up to the Isle of Skye for a pre-Christmas holiday, only for the hotel that looked amazing on the website to not quite match the reality.  By which I mean, the owner wasn't expecting them, is suffering his own heartbreak and has more or less given up. 

Della and Tess although they were hoping for a relaxing break, jump into action and their holiday becomes a whole lot busier. But they do get to go one some trips, with the rather memorable Murdo. 

i really don't want to give too much away so won't say much more of the plot but would like to stay just how enjoyable this was. I was loving every second of this book, and the characters have found their way into my heart to stay. 

And once again with a Judy Leigh novel I am inspired to know that my life won't be over too soon and that you can still have a rich and fulfilling time, even well past retirement age!   Absolutely adored this book. 

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