Book Review - Coupling Up by Jo Lyons

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Title: Coupling Up

Author: Jo Lyons

Format reviewed: Ebook 

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Boldwood Books

Publication Date: 15th May 2026

Rating: 5 Stars

A brilliantly funny, feel-good romantic comedy from Jo Lyons, perfect for fans of Portia MacIntosh, Abby Jimenez and Love Island! ☀️🏝️❤️‍🔥

The most adventurous thing unlucky-in-love primary school teacher Libby has done this year is buy an air fryer. So when she finds herself trading places with her twin sister during the summer holidays, to be a contestant on reality TV show Love on the Island, she is way out of her comfort zone.

Jetting off to a villa in Mexico full of promiscuous muscle-mountains coupling up with glamorous women with frozen foreheads and hidden agendas, and a she-devil executive producer hellbent on exposing her to ridicule, should be her worst nightmare but somehow Libby does end up catching feelings... for the one guy who is forbidden fruit. Gorgeous, sexy, show producer Cameron.

Suddenly Libby’s summer is picking up. But she’ll be kicked off the show and lose her chance with Cameron unless she learns how to become a crazed, fame-hungry, media whore… and fast.

Yes, love is about staying true to yourself. But it’s also about taking risky leaps of faith.

And if true love is the prize, has she got what it takes to win? 💘

Perfect Holiday Reading

Completely fabulous

So So Funny

An absolute joy to read

Totally devoured this

Do I really need to say more?

Ok then! 

Libby the girl who is not a fan of Love on the Island, agrees to swap places with her twin sister and star in the latest series, a decision made after she has just lost both her job and boyfriend. 

As someone that still hasn't jumped on the Love Island bandwagon, I totally get and agreed with everything Libby thinks about these sort of shows. 

But I do love reading about fictionalised versions of car crash TV, and this one has it all and is set in Mexico too. 

There is the producer Cameron, who Libby may actually be attracted too, unlike the men in the villa that she is meant to be "dating".  

We have a big scary boss lady, that is definitely a work place bully. 

And then we have the other girls and boys in this show, and what a mixed bag they are and i could see it all oh so clearly. 

I read this book in a few short hours and couldn't get enough of it. It had everything I wanted and more for a book set in this sort of world. 

Jo Lyons is certainly fast becoming one of my favourite authors.  Keep them coming please. 

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

Book Review - Wed Or Alive by Portia MacIntosh

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Amazon UK

Title: Wed Or Alive

Author: Portia MacIntosh

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley 

Publisher: Boldwood Books

Publication Date: 28th April 2026

Rating: 4 Stars

Sometimes love shows up in cowboy boots 🐎❣️

Whitney’s life is not going to plan. Her romantic comedy novel isn’t selling, her career feels stuck, and by the time she realises she’s in love with her best friend and roommate, Andy, he’s back from his work trip with a fiancée - and a wedding date that is alarmingly soon.

Enter Jake: a cowboy with his own problems, including a country estate he’s desperate to buy and an owner who doesn’t trust developers - or men without roots. When a viral moment throws Whitney and Jake together, they strike a deal. Whitney gets the real-life love story publishers want. Jake gets to look like a committed, family-minded man who belongs at Rosewood. All they have to do is pretend they’re in love.

As Andy’s wedding approaches, Whitney uncovers a plot twist that could change everything for him - but the romcom she’s acting out with Jake is starting to feel dangerously real.

Falling for your best friend is complicated, but riding off into the sunset with a cowboy is pure fiction… Right?

If you are a massive fan of Portia MacIntosh like me, then don't read the blurb, just buy this.  I've only just looked at the blurb ahead of writing this review, and am very surprised at just how much of the story it seems to give away. 

Which is about to make this a lot trickier as the book really gets going in my eyes around the 50% mark although it was completely enjoyable before that,  and the majority of the blurb is covering things from that bit onwards!!

This though has plenty of Portia's trademark humour in it, and omg Jake the cowboy was enough to melt me. 

He is absolutely wonderful, and J J one of Whitney's best friends is totally fabulous.  She is likened in the book to Samantha Jones from Sex and the City and I would definitely agree with that.

This was very enjoyable, really amusing and contains one of my favourite tropes too. What more could a girl want. 

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

Book Review - The Cornish Beach Hut Wedding by Jane Linfoot

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Title:  The Cornish Beach Hut Wedding

Author: Jane Linfoot

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: One More Chapter

Publication Date: 30th April 2026

Rating: 5 Stars

A second chance for forever?

Ten years ago Maeve would have given anything to be standing side-by-side with Lando Nancarrow, she in a flowing white bridal gown and he in a sharp tux that emphasized just how handsome he is. But after one unforgettable night at her beloved Cornish beach hut, Lando disappeared and Maeve was left alone… until the surprise arrival of their daughter months later.

Now, with Lando’s return, Maeve finds the dream she’d long given up on coming true as she’s talked into posing as the ideal bride to Lando’s dashing groom in a campaign to promote her new beach hut weddings venture. With their undeniable chemistry evident in every single look of love for the camera, is it possible that a true ‘I do’ could finally be on the horizon for Maeve and Lando?

Ooh not only is this a new St Aiden novel, but it also features heavily The Little Wedding Shop by the Sea, and as a massive fan of all of these books, I was utterly delighted to see Jess, Poppy and Sera again, as well as mentions of characters from many other books of this series. 

As a Jane Linfoot fan all of this pleased me a great deal before I even got too far into this latest totally standalone novel. 

I loved Maeve and Lando's story,  both hearing about them from 10 years previous, and also getting to know them now as fully grown adults. 

Maeve was a daughter, Nemmie as a result of one night with Lando 10 years ago, the night before he went off on an adventure with her brother, and she hadn't seen him since.  So Lando is unaware that he is a father. 

As fates would have it, they literally run into each other in a fun meet cute style situation and then are thrown together a lot over the summer, will both of them fighting all manner of emotions towards each other. 

Add in the newest wedding venue in town a lot of different brides and situations, plus the fact that Nemmie and the other kids her age in the complex family set up that Maeve has, being totally wonderful, and incredibly clever and determined and you have all the elements of a fabulous book. 

Add in some humour with some wedding dress mishaps, and a couple of large dogs too and this is an absolute joy to read. 

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

Book Review - Stranded in Paradise by Portia MacIntosh

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Amazon UK

Title: Stranded in Paradise

Author: Portia MacIntosh

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley 

Publisher: Boldwood Books

Publication Date: 26th January 2026

Rating: 5 Stars

Two rival colleagues. One tropical storm. Now they're stranded in paradise.

From the moment Cleo met Lockie, her infuriatingly charming co-casting producer on hit reality show Welcome to Singledom, he’s been getting under her skin. Their job? Casting singles for the ultimate island romance. Their problem? They can’t agree on anything.

Now, the cameras are ready to roll, and the contestants—well, most of them—are en route. But when the threat of a tropical storm delays half the cast, launch night turns into a total disaster. With no Plan B, Cleo and Lockie are forced to step in as contestants. Just for 24 hours until the real stars arrive.

Simple, right? Except tensions are sky-high and sparks are flying for all the wrong reasons! All they have to do is couple-up and get voted off - but there’s a storm coming, so leaving the island might not be so easy. Cleo’s used to pulling strings behind the scenes, not falling headfirst into the drama.

But when the cameras stop rolling, will their fake fling fade with the credits—or could it be Cleo’s most unexpected plot twist yet?

Escape to paradise with a laugh-out-loud, gorgeous forced proximity with your rival romance from MILLION-COPY bestseller Portia MacIntosh

Until about 5 mins before I started writing this review, I knew this book to be called A Shore Thing.  I must say that I heartily prefer and agree with this new title Stranded In Paradise, which is a far more accurate title as to what's inside these pages. 

As at the heart of this we have a a reality dating show on a Caribbean island where the comms go down due to be a big tropical storm.  And most of the contestants hadn't arrived yet, so the two casting directors Lockie and Cleo are forced to take part as contestants. 

Lockie and Cleo though have been at loggerheads with differing approaches to how they wanted to cast this latest season of Welcome to Singledom, even though their first meeting gave total vibes between them! 

This is enemies to lovers at it's best, plus it has added jeopardy of being on a deserted island with survival vibes. Had this any other author I would have probably expected a body count to start appearing in these circumstances, but instead this was as I hoped another totally fabulous rom com from the pen of Portia MacIntosh. 

I couldn't read this fast enough, the pages just kept on turning and I was loving every single second of it.  I even loved the other contestants on the show, who initially a few of them seemed rather annoying but by the end I had a soft spot for all four of them. 

This is fast paced, incredibly enjoyable and just a pleasure to read.  

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

Book Review - Is That You, Beth Cherry? by Lucy Dillon

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Amazon UK

Title: Is That You, Beth Cherry?

Author: Lucy Dillon

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Publication Date: 9th July 2026

Rating: 4 Stars

Beth's life, like the unfinished screenplay on her laptop, is stuck between chapters.

Since her breakup with Fraser - which was not part of the script - she's retreated into a lonely WFH world of sweatpants, disordered hours and comfort eating. The one luminous constant in her life is her love for her rescue dog, Tomsk, and his for her.

When Beth's house share falls apart, she is thrown a lifeline by the least likely person: Fraser's mother Martine, who offers Beth and Tomsk a temporary space above her garage in which to start over. Returning to Longhampton, scene of her happiest memories with Fraser and his family, feels like a second chance: might this be a sign that she and Fraser are meant to be?

But when Beth is recruited as a writer for a project called The Story of Your Life, she starts to gain more perspective on her own life. Run by the local retirement community, some of the stories she hears are heartwarming, some are heartbreaking. All of them, Beth notes, reveal a little more than the teller realises. And when she is sent an anonymous story of first love that threatens to destroy more than one family's identity, Beth has to decide: is it sometimes better to keep a secret than reveal the truth?

It took me a while to properly get into the story of this book, possibly my fault for not double checking the blurb before hand,  so took me a while to work out exactly why Beth Cherry seemed unhappy and disconnected from a fuller life. 

Once I was invested in the story though I loved it, and I thoroughly enjoyed Lewis and Rosemount Care Home.  He is one of life's best people, and is attempting to turn around a care home in disarray, and is a many that really does care about his resident's happiness.  He is also rather naive with regards to his heart, and seeing how his fledgling friendship with Beth develops is rather sweet. 

Especially since Beth is completely oblivious, and seems to be spending her time wishing she was still with Fraser, who she split with years before, but is suddenly back involved in his family's life at any rate. 

It was though the storylines involving Rosemount and its residents that stole my heart.  There is a life story project being set up and Beth is volunteered to help out with it and some of the stories are just so mesmerising. 

I also enjoyed getting to know Martine, Fraser's mum who offers Beth a much needed lifeline, and I loved learning about her life too. 

This is a story of rediscovery for Beth, as she finally starts to come back to life properly.  I loved her feisty side and the book had a wonderful conclusion. 

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

Book Review - The Sunshine Teashop by Jaimie Admans

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Amazon UK

Title: The Sunshine Teashop

Author: Jaimie Admans

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Boldwood Books

Publication Date: 30th April 2026

Rating: 5 Stars

Welcome to Thimblenouth: where the kettle is always on and fresh starts and unexpected love are waiting. 🧁🫖

Dolly Lymford is having one of those days…The kind that starts with dreams of opening a café… and ends with discovering your boyfriend kissing your best friend!

Heartbroken and with nowhere else to go, Dolly accidentally-on-purpose borrows her now-ex-boyfriend’s campervan and drives until the road runs out. This leads her to Thimblenouth, a picture-perfect Yorkshire Dales village where life moves more slowly and the kettle is always on.

After literally bumping into gorgeous local builder Reece Sterling, Dolly begins to feel something she hasn’t in a long time: safe. She also rediscovers her love of baking, filling the campervan with the scent of warm scones and freshly brewed tea. And Reece is always around to share a lemon pie or two...

When Dolly has an idea to open her own pop-up café, Reece is all too happy to help. And as the summer sun begins to warm everything it touches, Dolly wonders if she's finally found a place to call home... maybe even with Reece.

But can she really build a future on borrowed wheels?

A warm, uplifting story of fresh starts, village kindness, and finding love where you least expect it — best enjoyed with tea and cake. 🍰

This was a ray of sunshine, that was totally able to brighten up a cold and rainy day for me!  It was a complete and utter joy to read, while I was at day 1 of Queens, waiting for the rain to stop and the tennis to start. 

To say I managed to read the whole book before the majority of the tennis did begin, may give an idea as to how miserable the weather was that day! But thankfully i couldn't have found a better book to pass the time, if I had tried! 

Even on the tube on the way there, I was trying my hardest to not completely and utterly laugh out loud, at various ridiculously funny moments that totally tickled my funny bone, and would have got me some rather odd stares! 

It was a delight to read, Dolly "borrows" her new ex's campervan, and takes it somewhere she hopes no one will notice her, and her initially lime green van.  A hope that would have possibly been more likely had she not injured someone on her first night! Thankfully Reece is very easy going, and tries to look on the bright side of life - even when he has a tent pole in his leg! 

I loved the dynamics between Reece and Dolly, and how he is able to keep her calm and stop her from catastrophising!  

And Dolly is somehow able to bake in this campervan, and starts to make all sorts of retro bakes, which she is then encouraged to sell. 

There is a lovely community in the village and I loved the trio of gossip's attempts to find out info about Reece from Dolly! They are relentless but in a good way! 

This is another fantastic book from an author that always makes me smile.  I couldn't get enough of this story, and I say it really did brighten up what could have been a truly boring day otherwise!  I will though suggest have snacks while you are reading, as it could make you hungry - but perhaps after the first bit, as the descriptions around Dolly and Reece's first meeting may unsettle a stomach! 

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

Book Review - The Sweet Life Cafe by Helen Rolfe - #HolidayReading Tunisia

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Amazon UK

Title: The Sweet Life Cafe

Author: Helen Rolfe

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Boldwood Books

Publication Date: 17th January 2026

Rating: 5 Stars

Only a taste of home can heal old wounds ❤️‍🩹🧁☕️

When sisters Addie and Susanna receive invitations to a memorial for their Aunt Gayle, they’re heartbroken to learn the woman who raised them has passed away. But arriving on Anchor Island, they’re met with the shock of their lives: Gayle is alive and well, busily preparing her own 'Celebration of Life' at her beloved pudding bar, The Sweet Life Café.

Agreeing to stay for the event, the sisters begin sorting through their late father’s belongings, reopening wounds they thought long buried, and forcing them to reflect on their lives since leaving the island. Addie is struggling as a single mother, torn between love for her son and doubts about the life she can give him. Susanna’s marriage is crumbling, and being back on the island only reminds her why she couldn’t wait to escape.

But as Gayle prepares gooey brownies, steaming lattes and delicious cakes for her customers, and for her big event, she is hiding secrets of her own – including one that could change everything the sisters thought they knew about their family...

A story of reuniting a separated family by way of a living funeral. 

Gayle hasn't seen her nieces since Addie was old enough to leave Anchor Island and the rift in the family pains her. 

She's also suffering ill health and thinks a living funeral should be a way of hopefully attracting Addie and Susanne back home. Only the invite was missing a key word and the siblings get a rather big shock instead. 

Addie and Susannah have always been incredibly close, possibly not always in the healthiest way,, and they have never really been totally fair to Aunt Gayle. 

There is also Gayle's Sweet Life Cafe which sounds wonderful, and is key to so many key events in their various lives. 

It's a story about forgiveness, and understanding and family, and it was interesting to learn just why the siblings have such differing views of their own father. 

I loved Anchor Island, and getting to know various people on it, and also getting to see how the siblings lives change as a result of this one trip. 

A really uplifting read, and I would expect nothing less from this talented author. 

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

Book Review - The Last Stage of Grief is Murder by Tam Barnett

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Amazon UK

Title: The Last Stage of Grief is Murder

Author: Tam Barnett

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Boldwood Books

Publication Date: 4th January 2026

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Time won't heal his broken heart, but revenge might...💔💀

Ivor has never loved anyone the way he loves Becky.

Then his world collapses – Becky is found dead.

Consumed by grief, Ivor is determined to find out what happened.

What he discovers is darker than heartbreak: controlling lies, family secrets and a past that refused to stay buried.

But Ivor has his own demons. And as his obsession with the truth deepens, his heartache for Becky curdles into something far more dangerous. Murder.

This was an interesting story, that for me took a while to really get going. 

I struggled to properly connect to Ivor, he is a significantly bigger drinker than I am, and the more we learn about Becky from her diary entries, the less sympathy I had for her. 

And I always struggle a bit when there are two main characters I'm slightly disconnected from. 

That being said, I was keen to find out the truth about what happened to Amy, Becky's twin all those years ago, and in doing so, I had even more characters to not like (and I wasn't keen on a few of them to start with). 

The story is told as the present day time line from Ivor, who is still in love with Becky despite them being split up, but he is hopeful they will get back together, until she turns up date.  And he becomes completely obsessed and unhinged and is convinced she was murdered, he seems convinced he knows who by and then tries to prove it. 

While at the same time very slowly learning more about Becky, and how he didn't know her properly at all. 

And we also get Becky's diary entries from her first meeting of Ivor up until the day of her demise, and it charts their relationship 

What is very clear is there are many untruthful characters, and almost as many booze addled ones! 

When Ivor though isn't in a drunken mess, he has some sparks of being a really nice guy,  and I enjoyed the way he was trying to help one of his colleagues. 

As Ivor moves through the stages of grief, the story comes full circle back to the prologue and title! But I'll leave you to discover just what he does.  I will say the last chapter or so was quite surprising and I enjoyed the way the book was left. 

Honestly I've definitely enjoyed this authors other books more, there is nothing wrong with this one, it's still good and I was happy to read it, but it didn't hit all the right spots for me. 

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

Book Review - The Floating Copenhagen Café by Annabel French

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Amazon UK

Title: The Floating Copenhagen Cafe

Author: Annabel French

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Avon

Publication Date: 2nd July 2026

Rating: 4 Stars

Escape to the dreamy canals of Copenhagen this summer! ☀️

Can summer love last forever?

Milly is reeling from a recent heartbreak when she’s offered the chance to go to Copenhagen for a gorgeous summer and help revive an idyllic, but struggling, cafe on the canal. She jumps at the chance for fun drama-free, solo summer floating along the Danish canals.

The only problem with her plan? Theo: the café's beautiful but brooding chef who challenges her at every turn.

As they work together and their fiery connection grows, Milly wonders if she might have finally found everything she’s been looking for. Their sizzling attraction is undeniable, but Milly and Theo have both been hurt before, and Milly worries that their carefully guarded hearts might be closed to love forever.

As summer draws to a close, Milly must decide, will she fight for their relationship or retreat to her carefully curated life in England?

Lose yourself in the latest destination escapist romance, perfect for fans of Cressida McLaughlin and Julie Caplin.

I have been transported into the heart of Copenhagen in this story, and really felt as though I travelled there alongside Milly.  

As she discovers the various areas of the city I was discovering it too, and could picture it all so clearly.  I've been to the city once before so a few bits felt familiar but the rest was a joy to travel around. 

Milly is on a sabbatical from work, but has agreed to advise on her best friend Ada's investment in a floating Cafe that is predominately run by Theo.  Only Theo hasn't been told and is initially opposed to the idea. 

What is very quickly apparent though is that Theo is a wonderful chef who specialises in pastries, open sandwiches and intriguing flavour combinations. 

I was in awe of the ideas for the cafe, and of the writing both about the food and the location. 

I am really enjoying this series of floating locations, and this one certainly was another excellent addition to the series.  I loved the romance, the destination, the food and the characters.  It was a lovely summery read. 

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

Book Review - The Last Place You Look by Nikki Smith

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Title: The Last Place You Look

Author: Nikki Smith

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Penguin

Publication Date: 2nd July 2026

Rating: 5 Stars

Leo thought he knew his wife. Until she disappeared.

Leo Kennedy has it all: money, looks, the perfect marriage and luxury homes in the UK and South Africa. But when his wife Addison goes missing, his immaculate life detonates.

48 hours later, Leo arrives at their safari lodge to retrace her steps. Only there's no sign of Addison. Instead, Leo is met with a scene of blood and chaos, and on the wall a missing poster, with his face, his name and his details.

His wife may be missing, but someone wants Leo gone too . . .

From the author of The Beach Party comes a deliciously dark sunlounger thriller, perfect for fans of Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl and Lucy Clarke's The Hike.

Once again Nikki Smith has transported us to a wonderfully exotic destination, and then made sure we all know just how dangerous it really is!  Half set in the UK and half set in South Africa at a wildlife lodge, this is a story that had me at times on the edge of my seat and had at least one WTF moment! 

In fact I'm still reeling from the finale section, where I literally didn't expect or predict anything that we were presented with.  It was totally fabulous and seeing how all the various thread actually intersected in more ways than I would have ever imagined. 

What starts to become really apparent quite early on is that you can never really truly know everything about your partner, and that secrets can exist even in the best of marriages.  It's just sometimes they are more dangerous than others. 

From the prologue, and in fact the blurb we know that when Leo gets to South Africa he is presented with a horrifying sight, from there we get lots of the lead up to his arrival in South Africa, which was really interesting. 

I can't say I particularly loved Leo, he definitely had some unlikeable traits, but once we get chapters from Addison's point of view too, I could say the same about her.  

What I completely loved were some of the descriptions of the African savannah, and of the animals, and later on just how dangerous the area is, before you add in humans potentially doing stupid or dangerous things. 

Another totally brilliant thriller from Nikki Smith, the queen of the destination thriller.  Wonder what country she will try to put us off travelling too next year! 

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