Book Review - Happy Christmas Eve by Jackie Ladbury

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Amazon UK

Title: Happy Christmas Eve

Author: Jackie Ladbury

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Publisher supplied copy

Publisher: Ruby Fiction

Publication Date: 15th October 2019

Rating: 4 Stars

All I want for Christmas is you … or you?
Eve Halligan is back in her hometown for Christmas after a whirlwind few years touring with her band, the Molotovs. A lot has changed since she left, but two things have stayed the same. One: Eve is head-over-heels in love with Lucien Malikov, the Molotovs’ bad boy lead singer. Two: Lucien is completely indifferent to her.
Still, Eve dreams that this could be the Christmas where she convinces Lucien that they’re made for each other. But when childhood friend and local caterer Theo Wright comes back into her life bringing with him festive cupcake and sausage roll conundrums, Eve begins to question whether her Christmas dreams have been wasted on the wrong man …

What a sweet romance, featuring Eve who has been in love with Lucien for her whole life and is suddenly becoming unblinkered to just what sort of a man he really is,  and Theo her home town best friend. 

Lucien really is a nasty piece of work, I didn't take to him or his family at all, and really wasn't sure why Eve had been pining for him for so many years, other than the fact that love really is blind. 

Whereas Theo I fell for instantly, he felt like the boy next door, was a talented baker, and left me with a craving for cupcakes.  He also had a slightly hidden depth that surprised me.  

It took a short while for me to get to know Eve and when I did I really liked her, and felt for her. She is without a doubt a talented singer / song writer not that anyone really knows it and has such a kind heart that she is taken advantage of a lot.  

Set in the run up to Christmas, this is about discovering if you have the courage to go for what you really want in life, to make changes, and about reconnecting with old friends. 

It was a enjoyable novella to read,  with lovely short chapters to keep you hooked on reading just one more, and was a lovely story to enjoy.  

Thank you Liz at Ruby Fiction for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - Maybe Baby by Carol Thomas

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Amazon UK

Title: Maybe Baby

Author: Carol Thomas

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Publisher supplied copy

Publisher: Ruby Fiction

Publication Date: 2nd April 2019

Rating: 5 Stars

Just when you thought you had it all worked out …

Best friends Lisa and Felicity think – maybe, just maybe – they finally have everything sorted out in their lives.
Lisa is in a happy relationship with her old flame, and busy mum Felicity has managed to reignite the passion with her husband, Pete, after a romantic getaway.
But when Lisa walks in on a half-naked woman in her boyfriend’s flat and Felicity is left reeling from a shocking discovery, it becomes clear that life is nothing but full of surprises …

Sequel to The Purrfect Pet Sitter

Incredibly entertaining, this book has everything,  animals, humour, romance, an old flame and a pregnancy test! 

I mean what better mix can you think of, I loved being back with Lisa, Nathan and Felicity and her tribe of children. However this can easily be read as a standalone book, as you don't need the prior book to be able to follow this one. 

I don't really want to say much about the plot, but expect some laughs, some aww moments,  some well I wish these characters would see some sense moments, a trip abroad,  and just some witty dialogue.  

It was lovely to see that Lisa is now a far more competent pet sitter than she was, but she now has something even bigger in her life, that could be about to change everything for her.  In the meantime, Felicity is determined to take up running, if for no other reason than time away from her brood. 

I found this to be an incredibly quick and enjoyable book to read, the pages just flew by and I read it pretty much in two sittings.  The writing flowed well and I really enjoyed all the characters both human and furry! 

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

Book Review - One Summer Weekend by Juliet Archer

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Amazon UK

Title:  One Summer Weekend

Author: Juliet Archer

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Ruby Fiction

Publication Date: 19th June 2018

Rating: 4 Stars

One summer weekend can change everything … 

Alicia Marlowe’s life as an executive coach is well under control – until she meets her new client, Jack Smith. Jack’s reputation precedes him and Alicia knows immediately that he spells trouble. Not least because he reminds her of someone else – a man who broke her heart and made her resolve never to lower her guard again.

Taking Jack on as a client is a risk, but one that Alicia decides to take for the good of her career. As long as she keeps him in his place, she might just make it through unscathed. But Jack has other ideas – including a ‘business’ trip to the Lake District. One summer weekend with him is all it takes to put Alicia’s carefully organised world in a spin …

Let me start by saying what a gorgeous cover, I love it so much and it really does give a great feel for one of the two main settings for this book..the other is far more industrial and not as picturesque as the Lake District! 

This is a rather short novella, but within it, there is a great deal of character development, and we get to delve into their pasts too, as well as get a hint of what the future may bring.  

It is clear from the start that there is some sort of chemistry between Alicia and Jack but Alicia for many reasons is determined to keep her relationship with Jack professional at most, non existent if at all possible. 

Unfortunately I wasn't too interested in either of their jobs which made the initial part of the book a bit slow but it is vital set up for their weekend away in the Lake District which is what I really wanted to read about.   I loved everything about the weekend and the descriptions of the landscape gave me a great picture in my imagination. 

I am really keen for their to be a sequel to this book as I would love to get to know these characters more.  This may have been the first book I have read by Juliet Archer but i'm sure it won't be the last. 

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

Book Review - The Purrfect Pet Sitter by Carol Thomas

Amazon UK

Title: The Purrfect Pet Sitter

Author: Carol Thomas

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Ruby Fiction 

Publication Date: 24th April 2018

Rating: 4 Stars

Introducing Lisa Blake, the purrfect pet sitter! 
When Lisa Blake’s life in London falls apart, she returns to her hometown rebranding herself as ‘the purrfect pet sitter’ – which may or may not be false advertising as she has a rather unfortunate habit of (temporarily) losing dogs! 

But being back where she grew up, Lisa can’t escape her past. There’s her estranged best friend Flick who she bumps into in an embarrassing encounter in a local supermarket. And her first love, Nathan Baker, who, considering their history, is sure to be even more surprised by her drunken Facebook friend request than Lisa is. 

As she becomes involved in the lives of her old friends Lisa must confront the hurt she has caused, discover the truth about her mysterious leather-clad admirer, and learn how to move forward when the things she wants most are affected by the decisions of her past.

Once I got into the groove of this book, I thoroughly enjoyed it.  This is a book about regaining old friendships, old flames re-appearing and how to move forward with your life.  

For a book about a pet sitter there seemed to be a disappointing amount of animals featured, with predominately just one dog that was key to the story, as is Lisa's friendship with Jack's owner Winnie, For Winnie is one of very few new friends that Lisa has made since returning to her childhood town. 

We also get to know Felicity with her four children, which added a nice bit of contrast to Lisa's rather more solo story, but it wasn't until their stories interlink that I really felt the book started to get going. At which point I enjoyed the various dynamics a lot more and there are some utterly hilarious scenes. 

The Purrfect Pet Sitter is a good story that I was really entertained by on a wet and windy bank holiday weekend. It took me on a lovely journey of personal growth and even features a couple of gorgeous men too.   

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

Book Review - The Best Boomerville Hotel by Caroline James

Amazon UK

Title: The Best Boomerville Hotel

Author: Caroline James

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Ruby Fiction

Publication Date: 13th March 2018

Rating: Five Stars

Let the shenanigans begin at the Best Boomerville Hotel …

Jo Docherty and Hattie Contaldo have a vision – a holiday retreat in the heart of the Lake District exclusively for guests of ‘a certain age’ wishing to stimulate both mind and body with new creative experiences. One hotel refurbishment later and the Best Boomerville Hotel is open for business! 

Perhaps not surprisingly Boomerville attracts more than its fair share of eccentric clientele: there’s fun-loving Sir Henry Mulberry and his brother Hugo; Lucinda Brown, an impoverished artist with more ego than talent; Andy Mack, a charming Porsche-driving James Bond lookalike, as well as Kate Simmons, a woman who made her fortune from an internet dating agency but still hasn’t found ‘the One’ herself. 

With such an array of colourful individuals there’s bound to be laughs aplenty, but could there be tears and heartbreak too and will the residents get more than they bargained for at Boomerville?

It has been absolutely ages since I was last fortunate enough to be able to read a new Caroline James. Was it worth the wait though?  Yes 100% definitely this was fantastic, just a shame I now have to wait for the author to write another! 

All of this authors books are standalone and this is no exception but at the same time fans will recognise assorted characters from previous books, and I was delighted that we had more of Hattie and Jo's story. 

The Boomerville Hotel is set in the Lake District and is a hotel with huge grounds that has been opened up to give the Baby Boomer generation a new lease of life, with all manner of creative courses, some more normal than others!   

Over the course of the story we hear a lot about the various course, but not only that their tutors and all the guests at the hotel.  And what a varied bunch they are.   Where else but in fiction would you find such an eclectic mix of clientele - from a modern day looking James Bond, the titled eccentric brothers Sir Henry and Hugo, a down on her luck artist and Kate who is the other main character in the book. 

I absolutely loved hearing the antics of all of these characters, and when the tutors include a Shaman who seems to have rather impressive mystical qualities you know you are in for a book that is incredibly entertaining. 

There are so many funny moments that I wouldn't want to spoil them for you. It is always nice to read a book full of characters that are older than me, as it gives me great hope that my life could become a lot more exciting as I age disgracefully! 

There is certainly romance occurring all over the Boomerville Hotel, but I challenge you to at the start correctly predict the pairings that may occur - I would hazard a guess that you will be wrong about most of them. This really is one of those expect the unexpected sort of books, which makes it all the more entertaining. 

Absolutely adored this latest book from the author, and already want to read the next book by her, which probably hasn't been written yet! 

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

Cover Reveal - The Best Boomerville Hotel by Caroline James

She's back..........

....and with a brand new book, and a brand new publisher too...

.. its the one and only Caroline James and the long awaited (by me at least) new book The Best Boomerville Hotel.

I feel like I have been waiting ages for this, and today I am finally able to reveal the cover and blurb of this new book.

I know I will be first in the line on publication day to pick up a copy (ok I will have it on pre-order, or more likely also have a review copy but you know what I mean!)

So here it is............

Let the shenanigans begin at the Boomerville hotel …

Jo Docherty and Hattie Contaldo have a vision – a holiday retreat in the heart of the Lake District exclusively for guests of ‘a certain age’ wishing to stimulate both mind and body with new creative experiences. One hotel refurbishment later and the Best Boomerville Hotel is open for business!

Perhaps not surprisingly Boomerville attracts more than it’s fair share of eccentric clientele: there’s fun loving Sir Henry Mulberry and his brother Hugo; Lucinda Brown, an impoverished artist with more ego than talent; Andy Mack, a charming Porsche-driving James Bond lookalike, as well as Kate Simmons, a woman who made her fortune from an internet dating agency but still hasn’t found ‘the One’ herself.

With such an array of colourful individuals there’s bound to be laughs aplenty, but could there be tears and heartbreak too and will the residents get more than they bargained for at Boomerville?

‘Britain’s answer to the Best Marigold Hotel! Book me in for Sharing with the Shaman and Clairvoyance in mid-life – this book is fabulous!’

Nikki Ashton, Amazon best-selling author

PUB DATE:
13 March 2018

CATEGORY:  Contemporary/Romantic Comedy

The Best Boomerville Hotel Links:

Amazon: http://mybook.to/TBBH

Kobo:  https://goo.gl/VRh2XT

Ibooks/Google:  https://goo.gl/2aq7sz

Itunes:  https://apple.co/2lZrl6F

So what do you think? 

This is the first book being published under the new Ruby Fiction imprint from Choc Lit which makes it extra special.  I literally can't wait much longer to read this, but since I wil  have to, find out a bit more about Caroline James, and also see what the real advance readers think of the book...

Caroline James has owned and run businesses encompassing all aspects of the hospitality industry, a subject that features in her novels. She is based in the UK but has a great fondness for travel and escapes whenever she can. A public speaker, consultant and food writer, Caroline is a member of the Romantic Novelist’s Association and writes articles and short stories and contributes to many publications.

Her debut novel, Coffee, Tea, The Gypsy & Me is set in North West England, at the time of a famous gypsy horse fair.  The book went straight to number three on Amazon and was E-book of the Week in The Sun.

So, You Think You're A Celebrity...Chef? was runner up the Winchester Writers festival for best TV Drama and takes a light-hearted look at the world of celebrity chefs as they battle it out for fame and fortune. Coffee, Tea, The Caribbean & Me was runner up at The Write Stuff, LBF, 2015 and is an Amazon best-seller and top recommended read by Thomson Holidays. Jungle Rock, a romcom novella set in Australia, revolves around a TV game show.

In her spare time, Caroline can be found trekking up a mountain or relaxing with her head in a book and hand in a box of chocolates.

Caroline James Links:

www.carolinejamesauthor.co.uk   

Twitter:@CarolineJames12 

FaceBook:  Caroline James Author 

 The Best Boomerville Hotel – Comments from advance readers

‘Britain’s answer to the Best Marigold Hotel! Book me in for Sharing with the Shaman and Clairvoyance in mid-life – this book is fabulous!’ Nikki Ashton, Amazon best-selling author.

‘A lovely addictive read and one that I would recommend.’ Stephanie O’Neill, Ireland

‘Caroline’s characters shone their magic brightly and kept me hooked, evoking strong emotions. A triumph, I absolutely loved this book.’ Nicky Clifford, Author.

‘I really wish I could check into Boomerville and participate in the courses. I loved this book, it is a great read. Thanks to the author for bringing the crazy characters to life - I can’t wait for the next book.’ Ronnie Montgomory, London.

‘A coming of age book for those of a certain age.’ Ann Magbanua, Philipines.

‘I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Good to read about middle-aged people falling in love and reinventing themselves. Highly recommended.’ Tracey Owen, Cumbria.

‘Boomerville gripped me from the start with twists and laugh out loud moments. I loved it and hope we see more adventures in the future.’ Lisa Stewart, Southampton.

‘Caroline is a wonderful storyteller and I felt enveloped in a cocoon while reading Boomerville.’ Therese Ferguson, Author, USA.

‘I need to go to a place like this! Quirky characters, right up my street, I really enjoyed the story.’ Cal Sleath, Birmingham.

‘Caroline’s best book yet. I loved the characters and the Lake District setting was gorgeous. Boomerville is a wonderful journey.’  Amanda Williams, Wales.