Book Review - The Cliffhanger by Emily Freud

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Title: The Cliffhanger

Author: Emily Freud

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Quercus

Publication Date: 8th May 2025

Rating: 5 Stars

STRAY TOO CLOSE TO THE EDGE . . .

New York-based writers Felix and Emma have it all. As the husband and wife team behind the bestselling Morgan Savage thrillers, their meteoric rise to global literary fame seemed unstoppable.

Until Felix messed up.

AND SOMEONE'S GOING TO GET HURT.

Now, the couple has been exiled to the south of France. Their sentence: a long, hot summer to cure their writers' block - and save their marriage.

But as tensions rise beneath the sweltering sun, Felix and Emma become trapped in a deathly plot of their own making . . .

I've been left reeling from the completely unputdownable conclusion to this book. I never saw any of the ultimate twists coming, but I knew I wouldn't be able to stop reading until I had finished the book.

Although whether reading in bed at 3am is going to affect my sleep is another matter.

I was intrigued from the start of this book,  but although I didn't think I was hooked that early on, I did keep reaching for my kindle to read more. 

I'm not normally a fan of a book within a book but this one worked really well, I just couldn't work out the clues to where the parallels may be. 

I wouldn't say that that Emma and Felix are particularly likeable, but they were certainly intriguing and flawed and all the more fascinating for it.

The setting was atmospheric,  rather creepy but in the south of France. 

This was a sublime piece of writing,  that I'm delight I was able to devour in under a day.

I think this may cement Emily Freud as an auto read author for me.  Just brilliant.  

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

Book Review - Escape to the Northern Lights by Carrie Walker

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Title: Escape To The Northern Lights

Author: Carrie Walker

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Aria

Publication Date: 6th November 2025

Rating: 4 Stars

Packed with humour, romance and a love affair with nature, Escape to the Northern Lights is a story of transformation, second chances and finding home in the most unexpected places.

High-powered lawyer Sara thought she had life figured out – until her whirlwind marriage ends in divorce, her dream promotion slips away and a burnout diagnosis forces her to take a break.

Desperate for a reset, she books a four-week spa retreat in Norway, imagining a luxurious escape. Instead, she finds herself in the rugged wilderness of Firefly Forest, knee-deep in reindeer droppings and stuck with an annoyingly bohemian – and ridiculously attractive – outdoorsman, Henrik.

What starts as a nightmare turns into a journey of self-discovery as Sara swaps designer heels for bare feet, legal briefs for tree-hugging, and fleeting flings for something far deeper...

What a fabulous advert for the wilds of Norway, and for retreats in forest, with outdoor activities, no wifi and really a return to nature and to destress.  The Norwegian tourist board I feel would be rather happy with this book and it certainly has made my inner wilderness fan want to travel and experience some of this for myself. 

Sara books a retreat at Firefly Forest, convinced it was meant to be a luxury resort with every mod con etc... but she messes up the booking and ends up at Firefly in Norway instead, and then can't easily change plans due to extreme weather warnings. 

Left with no option, she attempts to take part in the various activities and slowly you can see a transformation in Sara, and her willingness to be open to some new experiences.  From tree-hugging, to thermal springs to huskies, there is something for everyone, and it sounds like a fabulous break. 

Admittedly the really rugged Henrik might have had something to do with Sara's new feelings towards everything.  

There is just so much to love in this story, and I was enjoying every single word of it.  It was a pleasure to read, and I was hooked on it. I am just really enjoying every book I've read so far from this author and already curious to see what fabulous location her next story will be set in.  Bring on more armchair travel and escapism! 

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

Book Review - Christmas at the French Repair Shop by Sophie Claire

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Title: Christmas at the French Repair Shop

Author: Sophie Claire

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Publication Date: 9th October 2025

Rating: 5 Stars

❄️ Can they patch up their broken hearts this Christmas?❄️

Christmas in the picturesque village of Willowbrook should be dreamy - twinkling fairylights, snow in the air, and a busy time for Amélie in the repair workshop she owns, restoring furniture and mending treasured objects for locals to give as Christmas gifts. But in the tiny community, Amélie keeps bumping into her ex, Jack - and it's killing her festive feeling.

Jack and Amélie were perfect for each other... until one day they weren't. And when Jack's attempt at reconciliation goes wrong, he finds himself locked in Amélie's van.

Driving to her aunt's house in the South of France, Amélie thinks she's finally going to get some peace over the festive period, but like it or not, she'll now be spending Christmas trapped on holiday with Jack. Could it help unwrap the secret to why they split up? Or will it be a gift they'd rather exchange?

Curl up with your perfect Christmas read from Sophie Claire. A wonderfully cosy, second-chance enemies-to-lovers festive romance, perfect for fans of Phillipa Ashley, Jo Thomas and Sarah Morgan.

Oh I really really enjoyed this story, from start to finish. 

I loved that Jack and Amelie's love language is clearly practical jokes, so even though they are broken up as we start the book, they keep pranking each other, and are thus still in each other's lives.  

They are both struggling to move on, and Amelie is convinced that Jack betrayed her in the summer, and she is rather private when it comes to her childhood and family. Whereas Jack is far more open and always happy to talk about things. Even their attempts at dating others go awry when they discover the nature of the constant one upmanship of practical jokes.   Some of which are really funny. 

I also loved hearing all about Amelie's repair shop and the stories behind some of the items brought in.  Amelie specialises in carpentry, but her aunt Josie's shop in the South of France is even closer to the one many will be familiar with from the BBC programme. 

Once the action moved to France, I was beyond hooked, I was enjoying this book so much, and was loving seeing how things would change between Amelie and Jack.  As well as seeing things like the Christmas markets, as well as accompanying them broccanting.  

This was just a a highly enjoyable book that I immensely enjoyed.  I definitely felt transported to France and got a real feel for the area, as well as real fear for Amelie at a B&B they stopped in to break up the journey.   

I love Sophie Claire's writing style and found this was a nice and quick book to read, where the pages just turned effortlessly, and the next thing I knew I was a lot further on than I thought I was, oblivious to the world around me. 

This is a joy to read this festive season.  Just hope the wait for the author's next book isn't as long as it was for this one. 

Thank you to Hoddder & Stoughton and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - Just A Taste by Anise Starre

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Title: Just A Taste

Author: Anise Starre

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Publication Date: 23rd October 2025

Rating: 4 Stars

A Christmas romance featuring a personal chef who is snowed-in with her least favourite client – a sexy but miserable technopreneur.

The only thing personal chef Noelle Jones loves more than cooking is Christmas. She has a roster of extremely wealthy clients, including the elusive and stoic Alexander Hoxton.

When he asks her to cook a last-minute business meal he’s having, offering triple her pay for the short notice, Noelle jumps at the chance. It’s easy money, one of her favourite dishes and she'll still have plenty of time to get to her family’s annual Christmas reunion.

But, when a sudden blizzard leaves Noelle snowed-in with Alexander, she quickly realises he wants absolutely nothing to do with anything festive. Stuck with a veritable grinch, she’s sure this Christmas is about to become one of her worst . . .

Well this was my first book I've read from Anise Starre and based on this it certainly won't be my last. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this modern day Grinchy, forced proximity romance, with added excelled foodie descriptions. 

Noelle is as her name suggests, a massive fan of Christmas, and is determined to cook for Hoxton's Christmas party, and then head off to her family for the festive period.  However by the time its time to leave, her car won't start and its snowing heavily. 

Despite having worked as Hoxton's chef for a few years now, it's not an easy working relationship, so the thought of asking for favours from him doesn't sit well with Noelle.  Add in the fact that Hoxton is not a fan of Christmas at all, and also tends to value solitude gives you all the ingredients for a rather spicy holiday romance. 

Oh I failed to mention that there is clear chemistry on both sides even if they try to ignore it! So only the inevitable could possibly happen. 

It is a running joke throughout that Hoxton is Grinch like and he does have his reasons for it, and thus I loved his development over the course of the book, and seeing how he grows as a person was wonderful to see. 

I loved how there is a definite message of Christmas is whatever you make it, and that it doesn't matter if you go all out mega Christmassy, or just small and understated, that it's a time to spend with people close to you.  

This is a book that left me a warm fuzzy feeling and a heart that has grown a few more sizes itself! 

Thank you to Simon & Schuster for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - Christmas on Fifth Avenue by Julie Caplin

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Title:  Christmas on Fifth Avenue

Author: Julie Caplin

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: One More Chapter

Publication Date: 23rd October 2025

Rating: 5 Stars

Welcome to New York, where the Christmas lights dazzle, the snow is falling and love is just around the corner…

❄️❄️❄️❄️

Evie Green's Christmas dream turns into a nightmare when a viral video makes her the laughing stock of the internet. But then a 5 star hotel sees a PR opportunity and invites her to New York for a Christmas she’ll remember forever.

Enter Noah Sanderson, a disgraced soccer star seeking anonymity. Forced to fake a festive romance for the cameras, sparks fly – but not the twinkling Christmas kind!

As Fifth Avenue sparkles in all its holiday glory, can The City that Never Sleeps show these two frosted hearts that, maybe, the best love stories are the ones you never see coming.

Don't miss this cozy Christmas spin off series from the million-copy-bestselling author of the Romantic Escapes series! Each book can be read as a standalone.

Dear Santa

I have been a very good girl this year, and have just finished reading this most amazingly fabulously festive book, that has inspired me to realise what I really want this year, is to spend Christmas in New York. 

If at all possible I would love to stay at the Plaza like Evie and Noah do, and to be able to experience so many off their Christmas movie moments, that they were able to recreate.  As I'm also a massive fan of a festive film, and there are so many iconic scenes in this book. 

And if you could conjure me up a Premiership footballer to spend my time with too, that would be even better.  For that's what Noah is (well he needs to rehabilitate his image), and a fake dating even just for the cameras scenario is one I could totally get on board with. 

I would absolutely love to meet the wonderful team at the hotel who go the extra mile to ensure their guests have a great time, and end up feeling like part of the family.

I would love to visit the Christmas all year around shops,  in addition to the iconic Tiffany's.  Seeing the pair of them shop in Christmas markets, recreate that scene from Big in FAO Schwarz and a whole lot more was just a joy and things I would love to experience for myself.  

This would be the most amazing present for this romance and  Julie Caplin adoring bookworm!  I am in awe at how much detail there is, the delicious sounding foods, and how alive New York felt as though its a character itself. 

As much as I love armchair travel and pure escapism Santa, which this book has in spades, experiencing it in real life really would be a dream come true. 

So please prove you are real, and have elves just like the one Evie becomes in one of her experiences, and get me onto a plane to New York (or a sleigh ride over there would be fabulous too with the reindeer!). 

One last small request Santa, if you could ensure that everyone has a copy of Christmas in Fifth Avenue in their stockings this year that would be amazing, as this is such a wonderful Christmas romance, that would help bring smiles to loads more people and not just me.  

Thanks so much, your true believer

Rachel! 

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

Book Review - The Cottage on Christmas Gardens by Holly Martin

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Title: The Cottage On Christmas Gardens

Author: Holly Martin

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Author supplied copy

Publisher: Self Published

Publication Date: 7th November 2025

Rating: 5 Stars

It’s the most wonderful time of the year in the gorgeously festive seaside town of Lovegrove Bay, where the snow is sparkling, hot chocolate is flowing and romance is about to set hearts on fire. From multi-million bestselling author Holly Martin comes the hottest love story this Christmas.

For the longest time love has been complicated for Alex Campbell. After she lost her husband Liam in a tragic accident, she’s devoted herself to raising their daughter Zara alone. Falling in love again felt impossible, until she met Liam’s brother Quinn…

Not only is Quinn a handsome, talented artist, he’s been there for Alex and Zara every day since they met, even moving to beautiful Lovegrove Bay to be close to them. But while falling for your dead husband’s brother is less than ideal, she’s convinced he doesn’t feel that way about her. Which is just as well because Alex has a secret, a guilt she’s carried for years, a truth about the night Liam died that she’s been too scared to tell anyone, most of all Quinn.

So when the pull of mistletoe and the magic of the festive season prompt Alex to finally dip her toe back into the dating world, the last person she expects to be against it is Quinn. Could he have feelings for her too? And could they even be together if he does? Alex doesn’t have the answers but if she can find the courage to take a chance on love maybe all her Christmas wishes will come true…

Curl up and fall head-over-heels with this deliciously romantic holiday tale, perfect for fans of Jill Mansell, Sarah Morgan and Sue Moorcroft.

It is always a treat to be able to dive into a new festive Holly Martin book, and this lived up to my expectations and even more. 

I hadn't even paid any attention to the blurb, or anything, so was pleasantly surprised to see it was set in Lovegrove Bay, and is the second book in this series, given how much I had enjoyed the previous book earlier in the year. 

Not to worry though this can easily be read as a standalone novel. 

And omg Quinn is just heart meltingly fabulous,  I fell for him so fast, and just really hoped that he and Alex would manage to get together.  But it's a bit of a complicated situation, and not everyone feels the same way as I do about a potential coupling between them both. 

Alex's back story was intriguing and I really did feel for her, and daughter Zara. Zara is one incredibly smart child, and thankfully still believes in the magic of Christmas. 

Lovegrove Bay has a bit of a mystery, with a mysterious bauble gifter. These baubles keep appearing all over the town and seem to be found by people that have a connection to the design on it.  They sounded fabulous and although I was fairly sure I knew who it was, I still enjoyed the mystery of St Nick.  Especially once they start messaging Alex and giving her clues, as she is trying to unmask them privately at least. 

This is a story that is just full of festive feels and gorgeously romantic moments, so everything i would anticipate from a Holly Martin story.  And this just was a lovely easy to read book, the I devoured.  I loved every moment from it, another total triumph from this author.  

Thank you to the author for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - Christmas with the Princes by Hannah Langdon

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Title: Christmas with the Princes

Author: Hannah Langdon

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Storm Publishing

Publication Date: 23rd October 2025

Rating: 5 Stars

A swoon-worthy tale of second chances and Christmas magic that will have you believing in holiday miracles!

When Laura Wilde arrives at the snow-dusted English estate of Lyonscroft for Christmas, she's fleeing her sister's wedding chaos and seeking refuge in her job as a private nurse. But this enchanting manor holds secrets – not least why the devastatingly handsome heir, Nick Prince, seems determined to keep everyone at arm's length...

Nick wants nothing more than to escape Christmas and sell the family estate, but Laura's arrival changes everything. As she cares for his beloved grandmother, the spirited Princess Marilise, Laura finds herself caught between two worlds: the warmth and wisdom of an extraordinary woman with stories to tell, and the guarded heart of a man with a past he doesn’t want to talk about.

But when Laura transforms the cold, unwelcoming house into a magical Christmas wonderland, something shifts. Between unexpected dog rescues and stolen moments under the mistletoe, Laura must decide: will she play it safe and stick to her carefully ordered life, or risk everything for a love that could heal them both?

I was incredibly saddened to hear the news earlier this year that Hannah Langdon has passed away.  I have enjoyed every single one of her books and thankfully this was no exception. 

And what a Christmas book this is, I was definitely feeling really festive as I was reading it and wondering why I hadn't put my tree up yet! 

Laura is hired to be a nurse carer to Nick's grandma, Marlise who is a real character.  She is a canny older lady who knows everything that is going on at the estate and is just sorry that her son, Nick's father was such a horrible unfeeling person which has led Nick to be conflicted as to whether he wants to keep Lyonscroft. 

Also living there are various other family members and Laura gets very quickly integrated into their family life, and I found this story really found its stride when 8 year old Sofia arrives.  She is Nick's niece, and her mum has abandoned her for the extended holiday season. 

They way they all try to make Sofia welcome is really endearing, and they have the idea of making the house into an advent calendar of sorts, with a pick me up sort of gift for a member of the family.  It could picture it so clearly. 

Slowly Laura manages to melt the grinch's (Nick's) heart and more and more Christmas festivities are embraced and it was lovely to see Nick's inner child emerge. 

However both have been burnt by people in the past, and thus it is hard for them to know who they could possibly trust, and I was never completely sure I would get the ending I was hoping for. 

This is a very heartwarming and Christmassy book and that enjoyed every word of. 

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

Book Review - Christmas at the Movies by Anne Marie Ryan

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Title: Christmas at the Movies

Author: Anne Marie Ryan

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Orion

Publication Date: 9th October 2025

Rating: 4 Stars

A Christmas film festival. Can this be their second shot at happily-ever-after?

Every December, Sarah and James run a festive film festival in their struggling indie cinema. But this year, Hollywood comes Plumdale when a film crew shoots a movie in the village!

Close to her breaking point, Sarah jumps at the exciting opportunity to work with the handsome and charming director on the script. Screenwriting had been her dream until she put it aside to help run the cinema and raise her children in the Cotswolds.

Worried that he took his wife for granted, James decides to put the festival together on his own, choosing films to remind her of everything they've shared and how much he cares. But with the community and Sarah enthralled by the movie production, James is going to need a Christmas miracle to save both his marriage and the cinema...

Charming, funny and heartwarming, Christmas at the Movies is the perfect Christmas romcom full of community and endearing side characters.

If you are a lover of films and Christmas books then you will absolutely adore this story. 

Sarah and James are obsessed with films, and own an independent cinema that shows indie films, that is struggling a bit financially.  From their first meeting, films have been present in their lives at all they key moments. 

And in between the present day storytelling chapters, we get chapters highlighting their story to this date, including things like their meet cute, their wedding, children and various health struggles of family members.  

But things could be about to change when a festive film is being shot in the village, but anything that sounds too good to be true, really does tend to be.   

I loved the sense of community in Plumdale, I loved that they had a highly sensitive child and seeing how he is dealing with the move to high school.  As well as his older sister's attitude and first possible crush / love.  It's a real family affair this story and I really enjoyed getting to know all of them. 

And with the way James uses this years Christmas Film Festival, it is one of those books that will certainly leave you smiling and a believer in romance. 

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story, which I found highly entertaining and really enjoyed all of the characters present. 

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

Book Review - 12 Ways to Kill Your Family At Christmas by Natasha Bache

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Title: 12 Ways To Kill Your Family At Christmas

Author: Natasha Bache

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: One More Chapter

Publication Date: 9th October 2025

Rating: 5 Stars

All Olivia wanted was one last miserable Christmas with her husband’s awful family before moving to Australia. She didn’t expect a murder.

Now the snow has cut them off and she’s stuck in a stately country house, with her increasingly deranged relatives and the rising suspicion that someone is picking them off one by one.

As the bodies pile up and the festive façade starts to crack, Olivia must survive the season, or, at the very least, get through lunch without anyone else choking on a sprout.

Sharp, smart and deliciously twisted, this is Christmas with all the trimmings: cold cuts, warm lies and at least one suspicious pudding.

I've literally just finished reading this and I'm reeling.  I did not expect that outcome for one minute, the author has played a total blinder with this book, where you are left guessing right until the end. 

I kept having different suspects in mind, but then they unfortunately died which led me to then think it must be another person, but then they died. 

For this isn't just a cleverly titled book, with a clear reference to the 12 Days of Christmas, it really is a guide of 12 different ways a large and extended family could die, especially if there is a massive inheritance being screwed around with. 

We know from the prologue that a diary has been found with confessional details, and after each murder we get treated to the relevant bit of the diary, which has been written so well, that it kept pointing me in different directions. 

I can't say many of the characters were overly likeable, but many of them were really enjoyable to dislike! And seeing the descent into suspicion, relative madness, denial and the insistence the appearances must be kept, and having various festive events happening while family members just happen to be dying with alarming regularity is somewhat disturbing and addictive to read. 

This was the first book I have read by this author, but if this the direction her writing is now moving in it will certainly not be the last.  I was hooked from the first to the last page, and I couldn't devour the story quick enough. 

This was brilliant, what an impressive book, and I think I may need to take a few moments to breathe before I consider reading anything else, as this might have fried my head a bit! Superb! 

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

Book Review - The Secret Mistletoe Promise by Cressida McLaughlin

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Title: The Secret Mistletoe Promise

Author: Cressida McLaughlin

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: HarperCollins

Publication Date: 6th November 2025

Rating: 5 Stars

Is a new beginning waiting for her this Christmas?

When Imogen leaves her fiancé at the altar and escapes to her grandmother’s cottage by the sea, the only thing she wants to do is disappear.

But in a village curious about their new arrival, Imogen finds hiding out harder than expected, especially with the charming local baker Dexter around to distract her.

As secrets unravel and the festive season draws near, Imogen wonders if she’s been running from the wrong things all along.

Will the runaway bride find her happy ever after under the mistletoe?

It has been fabulous being back in Mistingham, and amongst some familiar faces from the previous book set here.  But rest assured it is definitely a standalone novel, and our main characters are completely new. 

In fact Imogen is a runaway bride on Halloween, and is escaping to her grandmother's cottage in Mistingham for refuge. Bridie unfortunately wasn't attending the wedding due to a family rift with her daughter, which the more you hear about Imogen's parents, the more its understandable. 

Before she has even reached her gran's house, Lucy and Aubergine come across her, and then Lucy insists on running to get her dad, Dexter to come to the rescue in the form a lift! 

I adored Dexter from that first meeting, he is the beating heart of the village, everyone absolutely adores him, and its also rather clear that there is something between him and Imogen, even if she isn't quite ready to admit any feelings. After all she is coming to terms with jilting her fiancée at the alter! 

I really enjoyed how Imogen was getting stuck into village life,  and how she starts to get to know everyone.  And is even integral to locating Felix a few times (a rather mischievous pet goat!). 

Such a gorgeously festive story, sprinkled with mistletoe, snow, a chance at a brand new life, romance, and a whole lot more. I adored every word of it, and couldn't get enough of the story.  I really hope there will be another book in this series next Christmas, as they are just so lovely. 

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

Book Review - A Touch of Magic at the Comfort Food Cafe by Debbie Johnson

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Title: A Touch of Magic at the Comfort Food Cafe

Author: Debbie Johnson

Format reviewed: Paperback

Source: Purchased

Publisher: One More Chapter

Publication Date: 25th September 2025

Rating: 5 Stars

It’s autumn at the Comfort Food Café and the leaves are golden, the lattes are spiced and love might just be brewing for one new resident…

🍁🎃🍁🎃🍁

Reclusive author Sarah is seeking refuge in the quiet village of Budbury, and the last thing she needs is a fake boyfriend. Except that’s exactly what she gets – and the fake boyfriend just happens to be gorgeous, rugged Aidan, complete with an easy charm and an old soul that makes him seem like he’s just stepped straight out of the pages of a novel. Using him to keep her nosy family at bay, he’s happy to do her a favour in return for help with his rather unusual dog-sitting predicament.

But nothing in Budbury stays pretend for long. Especially not when there’s a hint of autumn magic in the air, with a sprinkle of Halloween mischief.

Full of heart, humour and a touch of spooky charm, this is the perfect cosy read for autumn nights.

Warm hug of a book, ideal for this time of year. 

This is as warm, cosy, heartwarming, charming and as irresistible as all the others in this series. And it was such a quick read, given how absorbed I was by the pages. 

I know it's a good book when I have read 200 pages between two tube journeys without being sure exactly where I was on the journey, especially in paperbacks which I tend to be slower with! I just had to keep turning the pages. 

There is something ever so wonderful about Budbury and all of the regular residents. I enjoyed seeing more of Cherie and the whole Comfort Food Cafe gang.  And for those of you new to the series, all the various relations between the main characters do get explained, and I  always love seeing how previous main characters are now getting on. 

Sarah has a very good reason for wanting to retreat to her new cottage in Budbury, and to ideally not be an active part of the community.  She is rather reclusive, but that is impossible when you are surrounded with well meaning friendly people that just want to help you.  Add in Aiden who is gorgeous, younger than her, and has some absolutely wonderful dogs and you have a mix for a really comforting escapist read. 

I loved Aiden and his dogs (which I will let you discover for yourself, but they aren't your most typical breed), and the fact he was willing to help Sarah out and pretend to be a fake boyfriend, is just another level to his fabulousness. 

This is a series that I have always loved and will continue to love for as long as the author is happy to continue writing for it.  More please! 

Book Review - Murder On An Italian Island by T. A. Williams

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Title: Murder On An Italian Island

Author: T. A. Williams

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Boldwood Books

Publication Date: 5th August 2025

Rating: 5 Stars

A holiday island…

When private investigator, Dan Armstrong, and his girlfriend, Anna, are invited to the gorgeous island of Elba for a much-needed break, he jumps at the chance. The thought of sun-drenched shores makes Dan promise Anna he won't “play detective” for a whole week…

A luxury hotel…

Their luxurious hotel, with its wonderful food and picturesque seaside views, seems the perfect escape, especially with Dan's best friend Virgilio and his wife joining them. But the calm shatters with a sinister encounter and a sudden, suspicious death...

A decades old case…

Virgilio’s past connection to the victim casts a long shadow, pulling Dan into a decades-old case. But beneath Elba’s beauty lie secrets and resentments. The victim was universally hated, but was his death the result of foul play or just a tragic accident?

With his faithful canine companion, Oscar, Dan must unravel the island's mysteries, a task that soon takes a decidedly personal and unsettling turn.

Well this is a series that is continually going from strength to strength, and I once again was loving every word of this book. 

It's amazing how much death and murder appears to follow Dan around, even when he is meant to be on a relaxing break with Anna, Lina and Virglio on the island of Elba. 

But this time he pretty much has to get involved as the local police are suspecting someone close to Dan and he needs to clear their name as well as trying to solve the case. 

I have to say I had absolutely no sympathy for the dead in this book, truly despicable people, that needed to be taken out of society in some way shape or form. 

The food descriptions are delicious, and I really felt as though I was in Elba alongside the characters. 

This was an addictive book to read, and is another fabulous story for Dan and Oscar. Oscar really is my favourite ever fictional dog! 

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