Book Review - Christmas at Black Cherry Retreat by Angela Britnell

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Amazon UK

Title: Christmas at Black Cherry Retreat

Author: Angela Britnell

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Publisher supplied copy

Publisher: Choc Lit

Publication Date: 3rd December 2018

Rating: 4 Stars

What if you had nowhere to call home for Christmas? 
When Fee Winter books a winter break at the remote Black Cherry Retreat in the small town of Pine Ridge, Tennessee, it’s with the idea that the peace and quiet will help her recuperate from her hectic life as a photographer.

But what she didn’t bank on was meeting Tom Chambers and his huge, interfering yet lovable family. With them, could Fee finally experience the warmth and support that’s been missing from her own life – and maybe even find a place to call home in time for Christmas?

Oh I do love a Southern American drawl on a sexy man in a book, and Tom Chambers has that and the typical good manners too in spades.  I warmed to him almost instantly. 

Fee on the other hand although I felt for her, I really was unsure about her at the start, but as the book progresses and she starts to open up, she really grew on me and I loved her by the end. 

Neither character has had an easy run of things recently and both have something major in common, but apart from that they are as different as chalk and cheese. But yet there is definitely an attraction between them, which is rather obvious quite early on. 

I absolutely loved the setting of the Black Cherry Retreat and of the town of Pine Ridge which appears to be run by the Chambers family - there are so many of them, and they are like a community in their own right.  What a range of personalities, but its clear they all look out for one another, even if they can be a bit on the nosy  / gossipy side! 

The location was perfect, and so so pretty,  I loved every aspect of it - well apart from the lack of wifi as that would have driven me mad!  Quite a few of the family are in law enforcement, which did lead to a couple of rather dramatic scenes. 

However its not just drama driving this book, its good characterisation, lovely writing and a great emphasis on relationships both family and romantic.  There is an adorable child,  great sorrow in the past and a few moments that had a happy tear glisten in my eye. 

Please don't be put off by Christmas in the title - this can easily be read throughout the year, the Christmas element is really rather small - I would say Autumn would be more apt as it takes in from Halloween, and Thanksgiving too.  Which is a shame as I was hoping for a greater festive feeling. 

All in all I did really enjoy this book,  I always seem to love the heroes this author writes, and Tom is incredibly easy to fall for.  An incredibly pleasant story, that kept me entertained while I was reading. 

Thank you to Choc Lit for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - Here Comes The Best Man by Angela Britnell

The Amazon Purchase link below is an Amazon Affiliate link.

Amazon UK

Title: Here Comes The Best Man

Author: Angela Britnell

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Choc Lit

Publication Date: 10th July 2018

Rating: 4 Stars

Being the best man is a lot to live up to …
When troubled army veteran and musician Josh Robertson returns home to Nashville to be the best man at his younger brother Chad’s wedding he’s just sure that he’s going to mess it all up somehow. 

But when it becomes clear that the wedding might not be going to plan, it’s up to Josh and fellow guest Louise Giles to make sure that Chad and his wife-to-be Maggie get their perfect day. 

Can Josh be the best man his brother needs? And is there somebody else who is beginning to realise that Josh could be her ‘best man’ too?

I'd forgotten how much I love a book that features a good American southern man, with manners, calls people Ma'am and felt like a cowboy without being a cowboy.  It has been ages since I read a book with that sort of leading man, and I am so glad I now remember just how much I enjoy them! 

Josh is wonderful, he is reluctant to even be at this brother's wedding to start with, let alone be the best man in a week of wedding festivities, until he meets Louise. 

Louise is Maggie (the bride's ) godmother's assistant and as a result is an invited guest of the wedding, and she is determined not to fall for anyone, let alone the black sheep of the family. 

I loved both Louise and Josh and all their various interactions.  They both have quite a bit of depth to them, and although this is reasonably short book there is a good amount packed into it. 

This is a direct sequel to The Weeding Reject Table which I read a few years ago, but as the focus of this book is not the same main characters, I can say it definitely works as a standalone. Although I couldn't remember specifics from the first book, there were enough prompts / hints at what happened that you can get a good idea of what the key bits from the first story may have been - although I would recommend reading it too. 

There are great interfering manipulative relatives, much humour, some fabulous chemistry and did I mention how much I fancied Josh for myself?   

An incredibly enjoyable novella from an author I always tend to enjoy reading that will delight many I think. 

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

Guest Post - Angela Britnell's Danish Adventure - Bookish World Cup - Denmark

‘You’re going to Denmark.’ In 1981 my twenty-one year old self heard those words and pictured exciting times ahead without any clue how exciting they would actually become. Nowadays people frequently attempt to guess how a girl from a small village in Cornwall ended up living in Nashville, Tennessee but they’re always wildly wrong!

A little scene-setting here. At eighteen I joined what was then the WRNS - Women’s Royal Naval Service - because I couldn’t decide on a career choice, wanted to travel and liked the uniform! I became a Writer (does anyone see a premonition there?) which was the navy’s name for a secretary. Fast forward five years and I’d worked several interesting jobs in the UK and was due a foreign assignment when my boss called me into her office and uttered the fateful words ‘You’re going to Denmark’. 

 My knowledge of Denmark extended to the fact that Copenhagen had a famous Little Mermaid statue and an amusement park called Tivoli Gardens, the country was supposedly teeming with blond hunky men and um…that’s where Danish bacon comes from. Jump ahead six months and I arrive in Viborg, a small town on the Jutland Peninsula a long way from Copenhagen, to work at a NATO Headquarters. I soon discovered that the blond hunks are mostly found in Norway or Sweden, the sort of Danish bacon we eat in England is all exported therefore you don’t find it in Denmark and then came the totally unexpected kicker… within weeks I’m swept off my feet by a tall, dark handsome American naval aviator. On our second date he astonished me by cooking us a delicious meal and determined not to be found wanting I foolishly offered to make Cornish pasties when we went on a picnic. Although the filling tasted fine my homemade pastry was hard enough to use as cannon fodder but he ate every scrap and came back for more. How could I not fall in love?

And Denmark? Although it’s missing the full Scandinavian quota of blondes, there are no stunning fjords and almost anyone can take a leisurely stroll up Himmelbjerget, once measured as the highest point in the country at 147 m (482 ft) until beaten by an equally unpronounceable spot, the country has an awful lot going for it. There’s a quiet beauty about Denmark, the people are exceptionally friendly and most of them speak good English (crucial when learning Danish is beyond challenging), the food is delicious, the pastries outstanding, the quality of life is exceptional (see all the charts where it’s regularly at or near the top) plus it’s a great starting point for travel around northern Europe.

I will always be grateful to the anonymous person working at the drafting office at HMS Centurion whose job it was to match people to available jobs and by a stroke of good fortune, or the fact they wanted to finish early on a Friday and threw darts at a map, sent me to Denmark. Thanks to them I’ve now been married to the aforementioned American for thirty-five years and we’ve raised three outstanding sons who’ve now given us two of the most perfect grandchildren on the planet! I’ve travelled extensively and enjoyed experiences I could never have imagined growing up. So I’ll raise a glass of schnapps and say skål in a toast to Denmark, the small country with a big heart that will always hold a part of mine. 

Thank you so much Angela for sharing with us how a job move to Denmark worked out so well for you.

Amazon UK

Being the best man is a lot to live up to …

When troubled army veteran and musician Josh Robertson returns home to Nashville to be the best man at his younger brother Chad’s wedding he’s just sure that he’s going to mess it all up somehow. 

But when it becomes clear that the wedding might not be going to plan, it’s up to Josh and fellow guest Louise Giles to make sure that Chad and his wife-to-be Maggie get their perfect day. 

Can Josh be the best man his brother needs? And is there somebody else who is beginning to realise that Josh could be her ‘best man’ too? 

About Angela Britnell

Angela grew up in Cornwall, England and returns frequently from her new home in Nashville, Tennessee to visit family and friends, drink tea and eat far too many Cornish pasties!

A lifelong love of reading turned into a passion for writing contemporary romance and her novels are usually set in the many places she's visited or lived on her extensive travels. Thanks to over three decades of marriage to her wonderful American husband she's a huge fan of transatlantic romance and always makes sure her characters get their own happy-ever-after.

She is a member of the Romantic Novelists' Association, the Romance Writers of America and the Music City Romance Writers.

If you'd like to find out more of what Angela gets up to (Advance warning: this may include references to wine, chocolate, Poldark and the hunky Aidan Turner) check out www.angelabritnellromance.com or follow her on www.facebook.com/angelabritnell, www.twitter.com/angelabritnell and on Instagram as Angela Golley Britnell.

Book Review - You're The One That I Want by Angela Britnell

Amazon UK

Title: You're The One That I Want

Author: Angela Britnell

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Choc Lit

Publication Date: 13th September 2016

Rating: 5 Stars

What if you didn’t want to fake it any more?

When Sarah, a teacher from Cornwall, and Matt, a businessman from Nashville, meet on a European coach tour, they soon find themselves in a relationship …

Except it’s a fake relationship. Because Matt is too busy for romance, and Sarah is only trying to make her cheating ex-husband jealous … isn’t she?

As Matt and Sarah complete their tour of Europe, they do all the things real couples are supposed to do – from visiting fairy-tale castles in Germany to recreating the scene from Romeo and Juliet in Verona. And, of course, for every picturesque destination there’s a loved-up selfie and Facebook post to match.

But as their holiday comes to an end, Sarah and Matt realise that they’re not happy with their pretend relationship. Perhaps, they want the real thing.

He is a computer geek from Nashville. 
She is a primary school teacher from Cornwall. 

He struggles to communicate with people, and a coach trip across Europe is not his idea of a good time. 
She is struggling to come to terms with an ex-husband, and is delighted to be on this coach trip. 

One whistle-stop coach trip across Europe, one agreement between two single people to give false impressions to their loved ones, two meddlesome mothers and a chirpy tour guide on a coach, gives the main ingredients to the wonderful romantic novella You're The One That I Want. 

Even if I had been given this book blindfolded with no clue, with the wonderful mix of Nashville gentleman, with his Southern drawl, and a girl from Cornwall, it would have been easy to guess this is another of Angela Britnell's gems. 

This is the fourth book in her Nashville Connections series, and each one can easily be read as a standalone, as Nashville is just a theme that connects each book, rather than it being a series that continues on from each other. 

I will admit my first reaction on seeing the title of this book has been to have the iconic Grease song running through my head, pretty much throughout the story as I was reading it. And it seemed quite apt as even while Sarah and Matt are trying to fool people they are just friends, its obvious that there is a clear chemistry between them, even if they are from completely different worlds. 

The coach trip itself gave quick tourist insights into each of the stops, and although I do like visiting lots of countries in a short space of time I would always take a cruise ship, over a coach personally! This book definitely backs up that opinion of mine, as there is a lot of sitting about on coaches unsurprisingly in a big tour group, with plenty of organised trips, that rarely give enough time to get a real feel for a place. This though is to be expected when going to 7 countries in 10 days. 

You're The One That I Want was a treat to read, a book that I thoroughly enjoyed, by an author that I am really loving ever book I read of hers. 

Thanks so much to Choc Lit and Netgalley for this review copy. This was my honest opinion. 

Book Review - Love Me For A Reason by Angela Britnell

Amazon UK

Title: Love Me For A Reason (Nashville Connections Book 3)

Author: Angela Britnell

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Choc Lit

Publication Date: 24th March 2016

Rating: 4 Stars

Love doesn’t always have to make sense … 
When Daisy Penvean meets Nathaniel Dalton whilst visiting a friend in Nashville, it seems there are a million and one reasons for them not to be together. Nathaniel’s job as a mergers and acquisitions manager means sharp suits and immaculate hair, whereas Daisy’s work as a children’s book illustrator lends itself to a more carefree, laidback style. And, as Daisy lives in England, there’s also the small matter of the Atlantic Ocean between them. 

But when Nathaniel’s job takes him to London to oversee the merger of a small publisher with a large American company, he and Daisy meet again under very different circumstances. Because Daisy works for the publisher involved in the deal, and if Nathaniel does his job, it could mean she loses hers 

Really enjoying the Nashville Connections books that I have read so far, and this one is a full novel instead of novella. It was a pleasure to read, and get to know all about Nathaniel and Daisy, and felt as though I really knew them, and their families by the end of the book. 

Nathaniel is an incredibly handsome accountant who has a liking for good suits, cleanliness, order and precision. His life is very ordered and structured until  he meets Daisy. Daisy, is a children's book illustrator, the baby of her large family and is a much more relaxed sort of person. 

There is an instant attraction between them, and I had a very strong feeling about the ending early on in the story. However I thoroughly enjoyed all the bits leading to the end, including some shocking family revelations for Nathaniel, a colleague with a jealous streak for Daisy to contend with. 

This is a lovely story about how two quite different people, can put asides their differences and just give into their base instincts. The book takes place between Nashville and also Cornwall and gives a decent sense of both places. 

Love Me For A Reason is book 3 in the Nashville Connections series and like the others this is completely standalone.  It's a transatlantic romance that I really enjoyed reading. 

Thanks to Netgalley and Choc Lit for this review copy. This was my opinion. 

Guest Post & Giveaway - The story behind The Wedding Reject Table by Angela Britnell - RNA Awards Week

Thank you Rachel for asking me to be a part of your RoNA Nominations feature this week. I’m still shocked at being included on the shortlist with such a great group of authors and am super excited about going to the awards ceremony on 7 March in London. And yes, I have a new dress and shoes!

My nominated book, ‘The Wedding Reject Table’,  has an interesting background. It started life as a very short story (500 words) that I wrote for my publisher, Choc Lit, as one of the free Treats they send out to readers. Somehow after it was published my main characters, Maggie and Chad, kept nagging me to tell the rest of their story. They insisted on being given a proper happy-ever-after and if your characters talk you had better listen to them! The story quickly came together and became the second in my series of ‘Nashville Connections’ novellas with ‘What Happens in Nashville’ being the first. You can’t go wrong with yummy men from Nashville as your heroes with their delicious Southern drawls, old-fashioned good manners and cowboy boots! 

So many people asked to see Maggie and Chad get married in Nashville that for the first time ever I’ve written a sequel and ‘Here Comes the Best Man’ is with my publisher at the moment. Of course it features a wedding but this story proved to be another case of the characters taking over. Chad’s brother, Josh got a brief mention in ‘The Wedding Reject Table’ but he’s a very persistent man and wouldn’t leave me alone. The army veteran hasn’t had an easy time of life and he told me in no uncertain terms that it was about time for things to get better for him. I hope I’ve done him justice and that he’ll find his own happy ever after with a certain English lady.

Another of my ‘Nashville Connections’ novellas will be coming out soon. ‘European Speed Date’ is the fun story of Sarah and Matt who meet on a European coach tour – think on the lines of ‘If it’s Tuesday it must be Belgium’, an old romantic comedy but given a modern twist.

There are lots of incredible books on the RoNA shortlists so check them out and perhaps find some new favourite authors. If you enjoy my books I’d love to hear from you! 

Giveaway to win an e-copy of The Wedding Reject Table (Open Internationally)

Angela Britnell has kindly offered an e-copy of The Weddding Reject Table to one lucky winner. 

Giveaway open everyone, all options are voluntary, but please do what they ask, as I will be verifying the winner. Giveaway closes 23:59 12/3/2016. 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.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About Angela Britnell

Angela grew up in Cornwall and returns frequently from her new home in Nashville, Tennessee to visit family and friends, drink tea and eat far too many Cornish pasties! A lifelong love of reading turned into a passion for writing contemporary romance and her novels are usually set in the many places she's visited or lived on her extensive travels. Thanks to over three decades of marriage to her wonderful American husband she's a huge fan of transatlantic romance and always makes sure her characters get their own happy-ever-after. She is a member of the Romantic Novelists' Association, the Romance Writers of America and the Music City Romance Writers. If you'd like to find out more of what Angela gets up to (warning this may include references to wine, chocolate and the hunky Aidan Turner) check out www.angelabritnellromance.com or follow her on www.facebook.com/angelabritnell and www.twitter.com/angelabritnell


I loved hearing about the story behind The Wedding Reject Table and I'm really next Nashville Connectors novellas and hopefully the sequel too. Thank you for giving away an e-copy too.

Congratulations to Angela Britnell on her nomination for the RoNA Rose Award. Which of these books did you love? Which do you think should win the award?

Book Review - The Wedding Reject Table by Angela Britnell - RNA Awards Week

Amazon UK

Title: The Wedding Reject Table

Author: Angela Britnell

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Purchased

Publisher: Choc Lit

Publication Date: 1st July 2015

Rating: 5 Stars

Once on the reject table, always on the reject table? 

When Maggie Taylor, a cake decorator, and Chad Robertson, a lawyer from Nashville Tennessee, meet at a wedding in Cornwall it’s not under the best circumstances. 

They have both been assigned to ‘the reject table’, alongside a toxic collection of grumpy great aunts, bitter divorcees and stuffy organists. 

Maggie has grown used to being the reject, although when Chad helps her out of a wedding cake disaster she begins to wonder whether the future could hold more for her. 

But will Chad be strong enough to deal with the other problems in Maggie’s life? Because a ruined cake isn’t the only issue she has – not by a long shot. 

I first discovered how much I liked Angela Britnell last year, and had been waiting for an opportunity to read another by her. The Wedding Reject Table doesn't disappoint, its a lovely romantic story, with humour, and wedding cake!

Maggie and Chad are from different worlds, one is a cake decorator in Cornwall, and the other a lawyer from Nashville with an impressive family background. Maggie has a sister who can be a bit difficult, and I spent part of the story intrigued as to the reasons behind the family dynamic. 

Chad and Maggie have a clear instant attraction to each other, and over the course of the meal at a wedding, where they have both been assigned to the reject table, they start to get to know each other a bit. Of course they spend more time trying to sort out a slight disaster than sitting at the table, and its through that they bond.

All the talk of wedding cake was really making me hungry, and I do like a book where food features quite highly. I loved the creative solution Chad came up with for the wedding cake problem too. 

There are a couple of other very interesting people at the rejects table, Maggie's godmother, who is a wily older woman, who tries her hardest to scare Chad off, and Tonya who thinks she should be holding top place in Chad affections. 

I thought that The Wedding Reject Table was a well crafted novella, with a bit of depth and I started to feel a connection to the characters. Highly enjoyable and definitely recommended. 

Congratulations to Angela Britnell on her nomination for the RoNA Rose Award. Which of these books did you love? Which do you think should win the award?

Book Review - Sugar and Spice by Angela Britnell - Cornish Week

Amazon UK

Title: Sugar and Spice

Author: Angela Britnell

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Purchased

Publisher: Choc Lit

Publication Date: 1st April 2014

Rating: 4 Stars

The Way to a Hero’s Heart… 

Fiery, workaholic Lily Redman is sure of two things: that she knows good food and that she always gets what she wants. And what she wants more than anything is to make a success of her new American TV show, Celebrity Chef Swap – without the help of her cheating ex-fiancé and producer, Patrick O’Brien. So when she arrives in Cornwall, she’s determined to do just that. 

Kenan Rowse is definitely not looking for love. Back from a military stint in Afghanistan and recovering from a messy divorce and an even messier past, the last thing he needs is another complication. So when he lands a temporary job as Luscious Lily’s driver, he’s none too pleased to find that they can’t keep their hands off each other! 

But trudging around Cornish farms, knee deep in mud, and meetings with egotistical chefs was never going to be the perfect recipe for love – was it? And Lily could never fall for a man so disinterested in food – could she?

Lily Redman is a chef, and also does TV. She is currently working on confirming the line up of Celebrity Chef Swap, a programme where chefs will swap kitchens. She is going to make this an international show and comes to the UK to try and convince some people to take part. She is also trying to get away from her ex manager and fiancee Patrick. 

Lily arrives and heads to Cornwall, where she then decides she will need a driver to get her around not only Cornwall but also the rest of the UK as she has a lot to fit in, in a short space of time. Betty, the woman she is staying with, recommends Kenan Rowse for the job. 

Kenan is an ex-soldier, having served in Afghanistan, but is now back and looking for work. He agrees to be Lily's driver, but the job is a lot more than he bargained for. There is a simmering attraction between the pair the whole time, despite them being complete opposites. 

He is the strong, silent type and Lily loves to talk. Lily is also a complete foodie and Kenan just sees it as fuel, which is a perception Lily is determined to change. 

At the base of his book there is a story about food and about love. The food descriptions are nice, but didn't really make me too hungry, but everything else I thought was really good. There are lovely descriptions of Cornish farms and cooking, including the Cornish Pasty! 

Both Lily and Kenan's exes appear, mainly to cause trouble, and to add to the drama of the book, as well as the will they get together or not vibe. 

I found this to be a largely enjoyable book, full of some incredibly sweet moments, and I think I fell just a little bit in love with Kenan.