Book Review - Christmas at Lock Keeper's Cottage by Lucy Coleman

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Title: Christmas at Lock Keeper's Cottage

Author: Lucy Coleman

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Boldwood Books

Publication Date: 3rd September 

Rating: 4 Stars

Join us for Christmas in the Cotswolds in this perfect festive escape, from the bestselling Lucy Coleman.

Imogen Tolliman never knew her mother. And when an accident robs Immi of her father too, she goes to live with her grandfather, Tollie, in his picturesque lock-keeper’s cottage by the Aysbury marina.

Tollie is the star of the Santa Ahoy Special each Christmas – a festive boat ride along the canal that enthralls both children and adults alike. And as Immi grows up, she starts to appreciate the magical community she is lucky enough to live in.

When Immi meets Gray Adams, she instantly realises he’s someone special. And as their relationship gets serious, they start to plan for the Christmas to beat all Christmases.

But as the day approaches, and the romantic snow showers turn into blizzards, their dream of a Christmas to remember, looks set to be one they’ll never forget - for all the wrong reasons. Can they salvage the festivities, or will old secrets that are finally uncovered turn Immi’s life upside down forever?

Let Lucy Coleman transport you away to a dreamy Cotswolds Christmas full of snowflakes and secrets, log fires, mistletoe, friends and much-loved traditions. Perfect for all fans of Trisha Ashley, Holly Martin and Sue Moorcroft.

What an eventful Christmas that was, well nothing is ever smooth running in fiction! And this really had all manner of drama, revelations and even had me gasping in shock right towards the end of the story. 

Yet I also feel there are possibly some loose ends, to the extent I wonder if there will be a sequel, as I would happily read more from Immie, Gray and everyone in Aysbury, which have become like my family over the last few days while I have been reading this.

I absolutely adore the the idea of the Santa Ahoy Cruises on the the canal, especially the ones featuring rather special Little Stars.  Tollie makes a fabulous Santa, and Immie is a rather great elf. 

Immie is such a lovely and kind hearted character, she is happy to put everyone else first, even if it does end up with her putting on Christmas dinner for perhaps more than would have been anticipated, and she does panic quite rightly. 

There is also an unlikely friendship struck up with Mrs Price, who is such a revelation as the story progresses. 

And then there is Gray, who clearly loves Immie, and although I didn't feel like you got to know him that well, when we did see him, I really did like him, and they are well suited. 

This is heartwarming, festive, and just an all around good story to read, with plenty going on both with regards Christmas, and also the sense of community, and friendships.  I'd certainly welcome a return to Aysbury in the future. 

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

Book Review - That Night in Paris by Sandy Barker

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Title: That Night in Paris

Author: Sandy Barker

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: One More Chapter

Publication Date: 15th April 2020

Rating: 4 Stars

Note to self: don’t sleep with your flatmate after a curry and three bottles of wine… especially if he’s secretly in love with you and wants you to meet his mum.

Cat Parsons is on the run. She doesn’t do relationships. After ten years of singlehood even the hint of the ‘L’ word is enough to get Cat packing her bags and booking herself onto a two-week holiday.

A European bus tour feels like a stroke of genius to dodge awkward conversations at home. But little does Cat realise that the first stop will be Paris, the city of love itself. 

Joined by new friends, Cat has got two weeks, eight countries and a hell of a lot of wine ahead of her. As they discover hidden treasures and the camaraderie of life on the road, will Cat find a new way of looking at love? 

Discover the beauty of Europe’s most romantic cities in this uplifting and laugh-out-loud novel for fans of Samantha Parks, Alex Brown and Mandy Baggot

If you want a whistle stop tour around part of Europe then this is certainly the book for you.  For me it has re-affirmed something I have always suspected I would not enjoy doing a coach tour for myself, if I'm going to fit in multiple cities in one trip, give me a cruise ship to travel by, but not a coach! 

However reading about someone else's coach trip starting in Paris, taking in the South of France, Florence, Rome, Switzerland and more over a short space of time is really entertaining. 

Especially given Cat had always sworn she would never take this sort of holiday, but books it last minute while fleeing from a love-struck flatmate.  

It doesn't take too long for Cat to make some wonderful new friends on this trip and with that we have her bus posse, 4 women all on the trip for different reasons and we get to know them all really well, as what else are you going to do on a coach of hours at end, than talk to people! 

The accommodations again would have put me off the trip and Cat didn't seem that impressed with them either, but past that we get wonderful descriptions of each place they visit.  There is the echoes of past loves, a blast from the past that becomes rather key,  

Let's just say there is a gorgeous Frenchman that really affects Cat's "lady bits" (the author's words not mine, and was a phrase used rather a lot), but the chemistry between them is amazing even if Cat is trying to delude herself. 

Some of the cities we get more from than others, but I'd say we get a decent feel for each place, especially the ones where  Cat and her bus bestie Lou decided to fit in as much as humanly possibly in a tiny amount of time. 

I really enjoyed this story, and love Sandy Barker's way of writing about different places.  I'm already keen to see what the author will write next. 

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

Book Review - Love Songs For Sceptics by Christina Pishiris

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Title: Love Songs For Sceptics

Author: Christina Pishiris

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Publication Date: 28th November 2019

Rating: 4 Stars

My brother’s getting married in a few weeks and asked for help picking a song for his first dance. I suggested Kiss’s ‘Love’s a Slap in the Face’.

It didn’t go down well.

When she was a teenager, Zoë Frixos fell in love with Simon Baxter, her best friend and the boy next door. But his family moved to America before she could tell him how she felt and, like a scratched record, she’s never quite moved on. Now, almost twenty years later, Simon is heading back to London, newly single and as charming as ever . . .

But as obstacles continue to get in her way – Simon’s perfect ex-girlfriend, her brother’s big(ish) fat(ish) Greek wedding, and an obnoxious publicist determined to ruin her career – Zoë begins to wonder whether, after all these years, she and Simon just aren’t meant to be.

What if, despite what all the songs and movies say, your first love isn't always all it's cracked up to be? What if, instead Zoë and Simon are forever destined to shuffle around their feelings for each other, never quite getting the steps right . . .

With a smart, relatable central character and razor-sharp wit, Love Songs for Sceptics is perfect for fans of Mhairi McFarlane, Lucy Vine and Lindsey Kelk. 

Full of humour, loads of music references, two utterly gorgeous guys, and all manner of diva rock stars, this is one hell of a story. 

There is plenty going on at all times, various sub plots, and for me the biggest storylines are will Zoe get the interview with the reclusive star she idolises that will save the magazine she is the editor of.  And will Zoe decide that Simon or Nick is the actual love of her life - they both have their good points! 

I loved that Zoe was Greek, her brother is getting married and there are references all over the place to My Big Fat Greek Wedding.  I enjoyed Zoe getting to know her sister in-law better, and also the other key women of the wedding party, for a few really fun gatherings.  Who knew ukuleles could be so much fun, or easy to play. 

Zoe and Simon have known each other for ages, they are even both official members of the same fan club. I loved that element to the story, it kept cropping up and making me smile! 

There is a whole host of emotions experienced as you read this story, and there are few tougher issues touched on, delicately.  

A really enjoyable and impressive debut novel. 

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

Book Review - The Accidental Life Swap by Jennifer Joyce

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Title: The Accidental Life Swap

Author: Jennifer Joyce

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: HQ Digital

Publication Date: 1st September 2019

Rating: 4 Stars

Sometimes one moment can change your life forever…

Rebecca Riley has always been a bit of a pushover. When her glamorous boss, Vanessa, asks her to jump, she doesn’t just ask how high… she asks if her boss would like her to grab a coffee on the way back down!

So whilst overseeing the renovation of Vanessa’s beautiful countryside home, the last thing Rebecca ever expected was to be mistaken for her boss – or that she would even consider going along with it! Far away from the bustling city and her boss’s demanding ways, could she pretend to be Vanessa and swap lives, just for a little while?

Very enjoyable story about discovering what you are truly capable of, even if it takes partially impersonating your boss to do so. 

For Rebecca Riley has a massive confidence problem, she dreams big, but ultimately seems to be lacking a backbone to stand up to anyone. Hence why her boss Vanessa forces her to suddenly become the project manager for her new property in Little Heaton. 

Rebecca is normally Vanessa's PA at an events management company and dreams of stepping up to be an event manager, but first she needs to make sure the renovations are done in time for the house warming party, and standing up to a group of builder. 

Due to a slight misunderstanding on first meeting the builders they believe she is Vanessa, and suddenly Rebecca is channelling her inner Vanessa. 

What I really enjoyed the most about this book, is the animal sanctuary that is next door to Vanessa's property.  There are some really adorable animals in it, and Stacey and Oliver who run it are key people that I loved getting to know.  Any scenes involving the sanctuary are just a joy to read. 

My other favourite bits are the series of board games the Rebecca and Oliver play, being a board game fan myself.  I would have loved to have joined in with them, as I'm as competitive as them both!! 

On the whole this is a lot of fun, and the main hook of how long can Rebecca keep up the pretence and what will happen if the truth comes out, is very enjoyable and kept me reading on and on. 

A really entertaining novel from the always pleasing to read Jennifer Joyce. 

Thank you to HQ Digital and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily., 

Book Review - The Last Act of Adam Campbell by Andy Jones

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Title: The Last Act of Adam Campbell

Author: Andy Jones

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Publication Date: 28th May 2020

Rating: 4 Stars

A year can go quickly. Particularly when it's your last.

Adam had a good life: a job he enjoyed, a nice house, a loving partner and a bright six-year-old daughter. Then he cheated on his partner. Then she kicked him out of their home. And then he was given approximately twelve months to live.

Despite the devastating news, Adam is determined to turn his life around before it finally runs out. Help comes in the form of an ex-junky, a cantankerous train driver, a nun experiencing a crisis of faith, and a teenager intent on losing her virginity - all living on borrowed time, all desperate to feel alive before their time is up.

I'm really not sure what to say about this book.  Don't get me wrong its incredibly well written, and given the way it ends I'm feeling oddly uplifted (which based on the epilogue possibly shouldn't be the case),  but at the same time. I thought it was a book with its ups and downs. 

I loved the beginning third, and the last quarter or so, but the section in the middle of the book, honestly just dragged for me, coupled with the in depth details of all the various symptoms the characters have, of their side affects from the medication, and I felt ill in parts just reading it. 

For its a book that centres around a group of people who are facing their own impending mortality, all diagnosed with Cancer, and with limited amount of time left to live.   They first meet in a support group to deal with this, but it progresses from there into so much more. 

I loved seeing how the group came together and just what they were working on even if some of the Shakespeare quotes and references went over my head completely. 

As warped as this may sound I kept reading to see just how many of the group would be alive by the end of the book and just how things would turn out in all of their lives.    Such a varied group of people, and we get to also know their families too, it just shows that Cancer takes no prisoners, it's not selective and can affect anyone. 

I really did care for some of the main people, and there were moments of light relief, bits to make you smile, as well as potentially be quite emotional. 

Certainly a well written book that has crept under my skin more than I would have anticipated, even while reading it, and a change in direction from what I recall the authors previous books to be. 

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

Book Review - Willow's Wedding Vows by Debbie Viggiano

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Title: Willow's Wedding Vows

Author: Debbie Viggiano

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Author supplied copy

Publisher: Self published

Publication Date: 28th April 2020

Rating: 4 Stars

Wedding vows have never been this personal…

Willow has been living with marriage-shy Charlie for more years than she cares to remember and is old-fashioned enough to want a wedding band and a loads-of-sex honeymoon before stretchmarks and nipple shields.

So when the once-wary Charlie surprisingly goes down on one knee, Willow doesn’t question why her boyfriend is suddenly so keen to rush her into saying “I do”.

The first clue comes as Willow is zipped into her Cinderella dress, the second as she bobs into the wedding car, and the third as the Roller swings towards its fairy-tale destination… leaving a shell-shocked Willow desperately trying to figure out what to do next.

A bride can do anything she wants on her wedding day, but nobody expected her to do this…

I had two main thoughts the whole way through this book. 

1 - how on earth does the title fit what I'm reading? Well let me assure you it will in time make some sense and when it does I was practically cheering!

2 - I could barely believe what an utter tosser (OK insert much ruder stronger words to really get the drift) that Charlie is.

He is an utter nightmare of a man, not someone you would really want yourself or your friends to spend any time with.

Yet he somehow successfully keeps this part of himself hidden from Willow.

Ah Willow she has been with Charlie many years, and just wants to marry him. She at times seemed completely oblivious and far too trusting even when it was clear she should at least second guess herself.

OK so I wasn't keen on most of the characters in the book, but at the same time I enjoyed seeing just what a mess they could get themselves into.

I was curious about just how everything turned out and although I may not have liked Charlie at one point I did very almost feel sorry for him... well fleetingly!

Definitely an entertaining story that I did very much enjoy reading.

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

Book Review - The Summer Villa by Melissa Hill

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Title: The Summer Villa

Author: Melissa Hill

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: HQ

Publication Date: 14th May 2020

Rating: 4 Stars

Three women. One summer reunion. Secrets will be revealed…
Villa Dolce Vita, a rambling stone house on the Amalfi Coast, sits high above the Gulf of Naples amidst dappled lemon groves and the fragrant, tumbling bougainvillea. Kim, Colette and Annie all came to the villa in need of escape and in the process forged an unlikely friendship.

Now, years later, Kim has transformed the crumbling house into a luxury retreat and has invited her friends back for the summer to celebrate.

But as friendships are rekindled under the Italian sun, secrets buried in the past will come to light, and not everyone is happy that the three friends are reuniting… Each woman will have things to face up to if they are all to find true happiness and fully embrace the sweet life.

An epic summer read about food, friendship and the magic of Italy, perfect for fans of Jill Mansell and Sheila O’Flanagan. 

It feels like it's been forever since I last read a book by Melissa Hill, so I was delighted to get the chance to read this one.

Set both 6 years ago and in the present day,  we see how the lives of 3 women change, from their first summer together at the Villa Dolce Vita.

We have Kim, who is trying to escape from being a pawn in her parents empire. Annie who has had a tough time and is only in Italy thanks to an incredible gesture.  And Colette who is talking a much needed holiday after helping her mum for years.

All very different but a friendship forms between them that lasts longer than the first summer. 

I loved being able to sit in my garden and escape in my mind to Italy, to the Amalfi coast and had a wonderful time doing so.

This was a really enjoyable story to read,  and I thoroughly enjoyed my time in the pages of it.

There is so much more to this book than meets the surface which builds up to an exciting climax.

Thanks to HQ and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - My Year of Saying No by Maxine Morrey

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Title: My Year of Saying No

Author: Maxine Morrey

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Boldwood Books

Publication Date: 16th April 2020

Rating: 4 Stars

Lottie Wentworth has never been more pleased to hear Big Ben ring in the new year and wave goodbye to The Year of Saying Yes!

When a long-term relationship ended, her best friend’s scheme to get Lottie back in the swing of things seemed like a good idea. She’s kept her promise to Jess to see it through but, as a lover of the quiet life, Lottie couldn’t be happier to say hello to a brand new year – The Year of Saying No!

Unfortunately, the one thing she still seems unable to say no to is the crush she has on her best client and now friend, Army veteran, Seb Marshall. But she’s working on it, and with rescue dog Humphrey at her side, she knows that she’ll manage just fine.

Lottie’s decision to stop trying to please everyone has brought a sense of relief beyond what she had expected. Her actions and determination have also begun to send ripples throughout her life and those closest to her, bringing about changes none of them could have expected.


But will all those changes be for the good?

Another very enjoyable story from Maxine Morrey. 

There were many many occasions where I wanted to either slam Seb and Lottie's heads together, or lock them in a room - either way for them to work out what I'd realised very early on that they would be made for each other!! 

Despite the characters not really wanting to admit to their true feelings, much less act on them, the rest of the book did nothing but please me greatly. 

I loved the idea of Lottie's year of saying no - well saying no to things she really doesn't want to do, and it's lead to her family viewing her differently and i loved the way it inspired positive changes in her friends lives too. 

One thing Lottie though did say yes to, was getting a rescue dog, and Humphrey is just adorable,and he's not even the only dog in this story.  I do love dog loving humans!

I really enjoyed Lottie and Seb's interactions, they have such a great connection between them, and I was willing them to see sense continually. Their friends and families were also characters I really liked. 

I always enjoy books from this author, and this was no exception.  I seem to have scrambled my brain so I can't get my thoughts in order, but I do really recommend it,  it's great to while away a few hours from the current horrors of the real world situations.  Pure fun escapism. 

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

Book Review - Make Do and Mend a Broken Heart by Katey Lovell

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Title: Make Do and Mend a Broken Heart

Author: Katey Lovell

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Quercus

Publication Date: 9th January 2020

Rating: 4 Stars

When you know how, you can make anything from scratch, including a new life after love...
When Leanne and Richard bought a dilapidated old seaside cottage to renovate together as their forever home, their future was full of hope and promise.

But heartbreak was just around the corner: fast forward a few months and Richard is gone. With his death, Leanne finds herself stony broke, faced with an uninhabitable home and lacking even the basic skills to do it up herself.

With the help of the friendly woman who runs the library and the reluctant assistance of the man who works in the local hardware shop, the cottage is lovingly restored. But broken hearts aren't so easy to fix... are they?

A really lovely heartwarming story, about moving on after becoming widowed. 

For Leanne didn't really have much choice, she needed to move into cottage that she had bought with Richard, believing it to be their forever home, just months after he dies, as circumstances meant she couldn't stay living where she was. 

On getting to Seaglass Cottage by herself it soon becomes apparent that although it will look fabulous once its done up properly, that its kind of a wreck, but with no money, she has to try to do something. 

Meeting the locals in the village and starting to feel some sense of community is great for her, and soon it becomes apparent that Leanne is far more resourceful than she thought, and really is able to make do, and learn new skills. 

I really enjoyed seeing how Leanne was able to turn things around, this is not a sad book mired in grief, rather a hopeful one of how you can turn your life around, from the most terrible of situations. 

It's just such a cosy story, I loved seeing how Leanne developed, how she coped and all the new friends she was making.  There are two special mentions I'd like make - Milo is utterly adorable and always a joy to see him in scenes,  and also I really really want to visit the ice cream parlour on the beach front, what delicious sounding flavours there are. 

I really enjoyed reading this, and am delighted to see that Katey Lovell had in fact released a new book. I just hope the wait isn't as long for her next one. 

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

Book Review - The Stranger's Wife by Anna-Lou Weatherley

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Title: The Stranger's Wife

Author: Anna-Lou Weatherley

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Bookouture

Publication Date: 16th January 2020

Rating: 4 Stars

Beth and Cath are leaving their husbands.

This is a story about two very different women.

One is wealthy and having an affair with a man who gives her the kind of love that her cold, detached husband does not.

One is living hand to mouth, suffering at the hands of a violent partner who would rather see her dead than leave him.

You may think you know these women already and how their lives will unfold.

Beth will live happily ever after with her little girl and her soulmate.

Cath will go back to her abusive husband.

And these two women will never cross paths.

But you will be wrong.

On the 3.15pm train from London to Bristol, Beth and Cath are about to meet and discover they share one shocking thing in common.

A clever, engrossing and absolutely unputdownable page-turner of a read about what really lies beneath the surface of a marriage. Fans of Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train will be hooked on The Stranger’s Wife.

What a gripping story that certainly had me stumped.

There was always something about Beth Lawler that meant you weren't getting the whole truth but at no point could I have guessed the directions this story went in. 

I was hooked as everything started to come together.

I loved the police team, and also Catherine's story was gritty and real.

Another incredibly good book from this talented author. 

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

Book Review - Unexpected Lessons in Love by Lucy Dillon

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Title: Unexpected Lessons in Love

Author: Lucy Dillon

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Transworld Digital

Publication Date: 5th December 2019

Rating: 4 Stars

Jeannie always wanted to fall in love, and now she’s finally got the whirlwind romance she dreamed of. Dan’s gorgeous, he’s a successful young vet, and he flew her to New York and proposed on Brooklyn Bridge. Jeannie has to remind herself this is actually her life. It seems too perfect, too magical, to be real. Yet it is.

But now she’s on her way to the wedding she can’t shake off the tight sensation crushing her chest. Is it just nerves . . . or is this all happening a bit too fast?

Jeannie has one last chance to shout, ‘Stop!’ But just as she grabs it, a twist of fate throws everything she knows into the air like confetti. What Jeannie learns about Dan, about her own heart, and about the power of love itself, will change her world for ever . . .

I've always said that Lucy Dillons' best books are ones that featured our four legged canine friends, and this is no exception.  Amongst the themes in this book there is a strong anti puppy farming message, and watching Rachel, Natalie and Jeannie help three rescued families of dogs from a puppy farm, learn to trust humans and how to just be dogs is incredibly heartwarming. 

Although it's not the key story line it was the one that I definitely enjoyed the most.  The main thrust of this book is about Jeannie and Dan, who in the opening pages are meant to be getting married, after a whirlwind relationship and engagement. 

However things aren't quite as they seem, and from the moment of the unfortunate accident just before Jeannie get's to the church, everyone's lives start to change. 

And Jeannie has a chance to through the people she meets in her new town, get to make brand new friends and re-evaluate just what love and what a marriage really is. 

It's a story about re-evaluating life, love, learning more about loved ones,  and with a wonderful array of dogs.  It's a really just lovely book that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. 

Thank you to Transworld Digital and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily,. 

Book Review - Messy, Wonderful Us by Catherine Isaac

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Title: Messy, Wonderful Us

Author: Catherine Isaac

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Publication Date: 5th March 2020

Rating: 4 Stars

From Richard & Judy Book club author Catherine Isaac comes the emotional and uplifting story of love, loss, friendship and a letter that changes everything.

In late 1983, a letter arrives from Italy, containing secrets so unthinkable that it is hidden away, apparently forever. More than three decades later, it is found . . . by the last person who was ever supposed to see it.

When Allie opens an envelope in her grandmother’s house, it changes everything she knows about her family - and herself.

With the truth liable to hurt those she loves most, she hires a private detective to find out what happened to her late mother in the summer before Allie was born. Taking leave from her job as a research scientist, she is led to the sun-drenched shores of Lake Garda, accompanied by her best friend Ed.

But the secrets that emerge go far beyond anything they were expecting. Now, 

Messy really is just the word to describe the family and friend dynamics in this book.  The further in you get into the story, the more you realise nothing is quite as it seems. 

There are secrets spanning three generation of Allie's family and you slowly get the real story filtering through in amongst the present day activities. 

In addition to Allie, we get chapters from Ed's point of view. He is Allie's best friend and again we get their story from childhood to present day story told interlinked with the current action. 

i was taken completely by surprise from most of this story, and it take in some tough issues too, which added another dimension to it. 

There is a big mystery that leads Allie and Ed, to Italy, and I loved the whole section in Italy. Including seeing Lake Garda and then Portofino. The scenery was described so well, I could have been there. 

The characters all seemed really realistic and there is no doubting that the book is well written.  I did find the timeline jumping back and forth was confusing at first with no real indicators, but I soon got into the swing of the book. 

This is a book that certainly kept me on my toes and I really did enjoy it. 

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

Book Review - The Summer House in Santorini by Samantha Parks - #HolidayReading Mexico

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Title: The Summer House in Santorini

Author: Samantha Parks

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: One More Chapter 

Publication Date: 7th August 2019

Rating: 4 Stars

One summer in Greece will change everything…

Anna’s running away. From a failed relationship, a dead-end career and a complicated family life.

On the island of Santorini, with its picturesque villas, blue-tiled roofs, and the turquoise waters of the Aegean lapping at the white sand beaches, Anna inherits a less-than-picturesque summer house from her estranged father.

As she rebuilds the house, she rebuilds her life, uncovering family secrets along the way that will change everything. She soon starts to fall for her little slice of paradise, as well as for gorgeous, charming Nikos.

Will Anna lose her heart in more ways than one?

Brimming with secrets and sunlight, this is the perfect holiday read for fans of Alex Brown, Jill Mansell and Sue Moorcroft.

I adored all the descriptions of Santorini, the Greek food, the landscapes and most of all the Summer House itself. 

Anna was not expecting to inherit this summer house from her estranged father, who she has been brought up to hate. Much less does she have any desire to go to Greece, meet her paternal grandparents and sort this inheritance out. 

But after she discovers her boyfriend cheating on her, and loses her job, off to Santorini is a far better plan. 

It's a story of a woman falling in love with not only a man, as there is of course a Greek Adonis figure to drool over, but of her falling in love with a country, although admittedly neither of those are quick. 

As Anna renovates the house ready for a sale, she makes some very good new friends, discovers the truth about her father, and starts to learn more about herself too. 

A very enjoyable debut novel, and I'm looking forward to seeing what the author writes next. 

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

Book Review - A Dream of Italy by Nicky Pellegrino

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Title: A Dream of Italy

Author: Nicky Pellegrino

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Orion

Publication Date: 26th March 2019

Rating: 4 Stars

Live your dream of Italy...

Here is your chance to buy your own home in southern Italy for less than the price of a cup of coffee. The picturesque mountain town of Montenello is selling off some of its historic buildings for just ONE EURO each. The only conditions are that purchasers must renovate their new home within the next three years and that they plan to contribute in a meaningful way to this small community.
To be considered as a future resident of Montenello contact the town's mayor, Augusto Rossi. Live your dream of Italy for just one euro.

When the Mayor of a picturesque Italian town launches a new scheme to rejuvenate the community, his advertisement is read with interest and excitement by many. Zara is in her thirties and desperate to get on the property ladder. Tim and Lynda are retiring and need a project. Some are looking for a peaceful bolthole. Others hope to make a profit, start a business, escape a dull life or an unhappy relationship. And there is someone who just might be hiding their true motivation...

Their lives are about to change forever - but can they make their dream of Italy into a reality? A deliciously escapist summer read.

Have you ever wanted to get on the property ladder? Ever wanted to buy a house in Italy? How about if it was only €1?

In theory I'd love to have seen the advert from the mayor of Montenello, in his efforts to revitalise the local community.   For just one euro, you could purchase a house that needed large amounts of renovations, and need to be able to contribute to the local community. 

It's a wonderful idea, and until last year I'd never seen a book featuring this sort of plot, but this is now the third I've read, so at the back of my mind were unfair comparisons, as they are all incredibly different. 

I loved the location for this book, a small hill top town, near to Puglia. And applicants that were chosen to move into the town, all had completely different reasons for taking the plunge. 

Each chapter is split into sections between the three hopeful new residents of the town, and also the town's mayor, all nicely labelled and allowing you to get to know all the key people really quickly and easily. 

I loved all of the delicious descriptions of Italian food, there are a couple of small restaurants that made tasty sounding food that had my tummy rumbling.  Added to the picturesque and vivid descriptions of the town itself, I felt as though I was there, soaking in the sun, looking at the crumbling buildings and eating the meals alongside our intrepid characters. 

From the moment I started the book I was hooked, I just love Nicky Pellegrino's writing and this was no exception.  It is full of love for a small town in Southern Italy and I enjoyed everything, from the initial discussions about the advert for these houses at only a Euro, to the first views of their assigned properties and then just trying to work out if this was a completely mad idea or not! 

I also really enjoyed the story-lines involving the mayor's assistant, who is rather wily and clearly knows more about everything than he tries to let onto immediately, the re-discovering of Italian roots, the regeneration of this town. But most of all i adored Donna Carmela, the mayor's mother, who is a master matchmaker, wonderful cook and just all around friendly person full of great advice.  Donna brought a great warmth to any scene she was in. 

Another incredibly enjoyable book from an author who I always love to read.  If you have ever dreamt of owning your own corner of Italy, then this is certainly the book for you too!! 

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