Book Review - From Here To Nashville by Julie Stock - #HolidayReading Mexico

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Title: From Here To Nashville

Author: Julie Stock

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Author supplied copy

Publisher: Clued Up Publishing

Publication Date: 16th February 2015

Rating: 5 Stars

Two worlds, 4,000 miles apart. Is their love strong enough to keep them together?

Rachel Hardy dreams of being a successful country music singer in Nashville's Music City, four thousand miles away from her lonely life in Dorset. When Jackson Phillips, an independent record label owner, encourages her band to audition for a nationwide 'Open Mic' competition, she decides they have nothing to lose.

But when she starts to fall in love with Jackson, the stakes suddenly get higher and she finds herself with a great big dilemma on her hands. Should she abandon her dream and take the easy way out or should she leave the life she has always known behind and take a gamble on a man who has personal demons of his own?

Follow Rachel and Jackson as they learn to trust in love again to see whether their music really can unite them.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this whirlwind romance.

If you love instant chemistry and a story that builds on a first meeting at rather quick speed, both in terms of romance but also in terms of dreams possibly coming true then this is definitely the book for you. 

I loved everything about Rachel and Jackson's story,  the way Rachel could suddenly have her dream of going to Nashville fulfilled and a whole lot more besides. 

Of course it isn't plain sailing at all, and there were times where I was frustrated by both of our leads. 

I love Julie Stock's writing style and the way she tells a story. to the chemistry between her characters.  

Its just a lovely upbeat escapist read that I was hooked on, and found myself turning the pages far too fast!

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

Book Review - The Cornish Confetti Agency by Daisy James

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Title: The Cornish Confetti Agency

Author: Daisy James

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Author supplied copy

Publisher: Self published

Publication Date: 12th March 2020

Rating: 5 Stars

The first in a new sun-filled series from the author of the Villa Limoncello trilogy.

Welcome to The Cornish Confetti Agency!

When the grand finale of Lexie Harrington’s catwalk show ends with a disastrous twist on the ‘ice bucket challenge’, she knew her highly-strung boss would fire her on the spot. What she wasn’t expecting was to bump into her fiancé cosied up with an attractive blonde in the restaurant opposite their apartment!

Desperate to escape her heartbreak, Lexie flees to her childhood home of St Ives to hold the fort at The Cornish Confetti Agency for her best friend Freya, leader of the yummy mummy network and firm believer in ‘happily ever afters’. Little did she know that delivering a Caribbean-themed wedding in sunny Cornwall would rival the fashion industry for drama, tantrums and mysterious goings on.

Who is responsible for dousing the bridesmaid’s dress with tomato ketchup? Or hiding the bride’s beloved Jimmy Choos? Or attaching googly eyes to everything in sight?

The perfect Cornish wedding? Is there such a thing for The Cornish Confetti Agency?

What a treat of a book this is. Enjoyable and made me smile from the first page to the last. 

I was catapulted into Lexie Harrington's rather calamitous life, and it sure did make for an entertaining story. 

Nothing seems to go smoothly for Lexie, nor those around her, as she tries to escape her recent heartbreak by fleeing to Cornwall and helping out the Cornish Confetti Agency on a rather fabulous sounding Caribbean themed wedding. 

It soon becomes apparent that someone is trying low levels of sabotage but I'll leave you to find out for yourself who is doing it and who the targets are.  It's a fun taking on amateur sleuthing as Lexie and Theo (the local journalist), team up to try to investigate, while making sure the wedding stays on track and goes ahead as planned. 

I loved the descriptions of the wedding, how the venues were to be decorated, I enjoyed seeing just ideas Nadia, the groom's mother would make next, as nothing seemed to be up to her standards  I loved the interactions between the guests, and also the clear initial connection between Lexie and Theo and found myself willing them to act on it. 

If you are a fan of books featuring weddings, light mystery elements, plenty of fun to keep you smiling and generally a good upbeat feel to a story, then this is certainly the book for you. And most excitingly of all, it's the first book of a new series, so I can't wait to see how the series progresses from here. 

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

Book Review - The Royal Bodyguard by Lindsay Emory - #HolidayReading Mexico

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Title: The Royal Bodyguard

Author: Lindsay Emory

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Headline Eternal

Publication Date: 12th November 2019

Rating: 5 Stars

Let Lindsay Emory whisk you away on another romantic, glamorous and royal adventure in The Royal Bodyguard!

Filled with all the intrigue, romance and mystery that made readers fall in love with The Royal Runaway, this is perfect for fans of The Princess Diaries and The Royal We with a splash of James Bond and The Bourne Identity. Now optioned for film!

When Princess Caroline of Drieden of the Royal House Laurent eloped with a race car driver, she forfeited her royal title and her family.

Now a widow and exiled from Drieden, Caroline is working as a journalist, writing exposes under a pen name. When, one day, she catches sight of her sister Thea's ex-fiancé, she's stunned - Christian is supposed to be dead. Here could be the scoop of the century.

But Caroline's plans to uncover Christian's deception are foiled by the arrival of Hugh Konnor - her former bodyguard and Caroline's first - unrequited - love. When Hugh stubbornly refuses to leave her side, Caroline can't deny they make a good team.

As they unravel a web of deception that could bring down the House of Laurent, Caroline must decide how far she's willing to go to protect a family she feels deserted her - and whether the man who swore to guard her body can safely hold her heart.

As a massive fan of The Royal Runaway, I was incredibly excited to read this new Royal book, and it did not disappoint one bit. 

I just wish I'd read them closer together as some of it may have been easier to catch up with, but other than that this could easily be read as a standalone.

This time its Caroline in the spotlight, and we see just what a disgraced Princess of Drieden really gets up to. 

I loved the continuation of a story-line from the first book, while also giving this book a slightly different feel and perspective, given this is not your typical dutiful princess. 

And since she has been living in exile, a whole bunch of familiar faces suddenly arriving in town is not what she wanted, much less when the plot thickens and all manner of lives may be at risk. 

I enjoyed her interactions with the troublesome bodyguard that she propositioned many years ago, and it was fun to see how that bit of the story played out. 

I really did love every last second of this book, that is fast paced, and keeps you on your toes, while you try to work out just who may or may not be double crossing each other. 

It was also interesting to see more of the family from the non royal side of the family, and I loved the references to American women wanting to marry their own Prince, a clear nod to Harry and Meghan. 

Thoroughly enjoyable and I'm sure this isn't the last we have seen of Drieden or this particular royal family.  Just please don't make us wait as long for the next book. 

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

Book Review - The School Run by Helen Whitaker

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Title: The School Run

Author: Helen Whitaker

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Trapeze

Publication Date: 8th August 2019

Rating: 4 Stars

Two mothers. Two daughters. One school place.

Imogen and Lily are old friends - they've shared hangovers, unsuitable boyfriends and wild nights out together. But now they're mums, and their partying days are behind them.

When a place comes up at one of the best primary schools in the area, both women want it for their daughters. From faking religious beliefs to bogus break-ups, Imogen and Lily will go to any lengths to secure the perfect school for their children - and so will all the other mothers.

Will their friendship survive the strain? Will their marriages take the pressure? And when a sexy new vicar arrives on the scene, will the mothers' keep focus for long enough to keep their eyes on the prize?

A story that I think will feel familiar to many parents, of just what other mums get up to to try to secure a place at the school of their choice. 

From shenanigans with regards moving closer and closer to the school, or inching inside the catchment area, to possibly playing lip service to a religion you don't believe in, to doing everything in your power to be known to be a joiner inner within the school community.  Just a hint at what may be in store as Imogen and Lily try to get their daughters one of the few available spaces  at this Oftsted Outstanding school 

This take place over the course of the year, from Enid and Winnie's first day at pre-school, and most of the focus is on the two women who at one point used to be friends,  and their antics, as well as the other mothers to see just what life is like on the school run itself. 

The playground politics are in force even amongst parents of  3 year olds at pre-school and it amuses me just what they will try.  It was a shame I felt that I didn't really get to know the children's personalities that much, but that all changes with the parents. 

We really get to know Imogen and Lily in alternating chapters and I loved seeing everything they were up to, and their relationship dynamics too. 

There are all sorts of great sub plots present and I really enjoyed the writing.  I think if I was a parent myself, I may have connected with some of the story a bit more, but i could definitely empathises and I wanted to know how things would turn out. 

A really good debut novel, and I'll be interested to see what the author writes next. 

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

Book Review - The Single Best Thing by Elaine Spires

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Title: The Single Best Thing

Author: Elaine Spires

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Author supplied copy

Publisher: Self Published

Publication Date: 14th February 2020

Rating: 5 Stars

Almost four years have passed since Melv followed Eve back to England refusing to throw away their long awaited chance of lasting love and happiness. Much has happened in that time. No longer a tour manager for Travel Together, Eve is enjoying unexpected success in her new career. Has she forgiven him for hurting her so deeply? Was her love for him simply enough? And what about her own dark secret?

Provoking smiles and tears this glimpse into Eve’s future brings the Singles’ Series to its final conclusion.

This is the ending that fans of the series has been crying out for since finishing Singles, Set and Match. 

Ah to have a book that has just brought the series to such a wonderful conclusion.  Having read the entire series I am in no position to say whether this can be read as a standalone, but I would say if you have read any of the previous books, which are brilliant, then you need to see just how it all turns out. 

This though is a tricky book to review as I don't want to give away any spoilers and its so short, there isn't much I can safely comment on.  

I will say though from the first few pages, I realised I was doing nothing else for today until I had devoured the book. I literally couldn't put it down, and had a massive smile on my face throughout. 

At points I really wasn't sure just how Eve and Melv's story would finally conclude, and with the way it was built up, I certainly didn't see that coming. 

The book is a mix between Eve's life now in 2023, and her having flashbacks to key moments from the past few years since Singles, Set and Match finished, to now, catching us up on what has been going on.  It's very cleverly told, and with chapter headings telling you month and year its easy to follow. 

I love, love, loved this novella, I'm sad that it really is the end of a series that I've been thoroughly enjoying while at the same time curious to see what Elaine Spires will write next. 

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

Book Review - The Cottage on Wildflower Lane by Liz Davies

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Title: The Cottage on Wildflower Lane

Author: Liz Davies

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Author supplied copy

Publisher: Self Published

Publication Date: 14th February 2020

Rating: 5 Stars

Esther's life isn’t perfect (whose is?) – but she’s happy enough living in her little flat with her boyfriend, Josh.

But that’s about to change.

Bored out of her mind in work, she wishes that something, anything, would happen to liven her life up.
Unfortunately, her wish comes true when Josh calls her from the airport to tell her he’s going to work in a bar in Spain, and she’s not invited, Esther is devastated, and her unhappiness is compounded when she discovers she can actually view the bar via a webcam link and watch him chatting up other girls.

But when she inadvertently clicks on a link to another webcam which shows a pretty cottage and the rather hunky man who lives in it, her interest is piqued and she wishes she could get to know him.

Wishes don’t really come true, though – do they...?

Incredibly lovely story, that really does highlight how easy it could be to become hooked on watching strangers via webcam! 

Ok it's not exactly as creepy as it sounds, well apart from the webcam that Esther finds that is focusing on a home, and being streamed online, she is guessing without the owner knowing.   And its this handsome stranger on webcam that is far healthier for her to obsess over, than the other one she is watching of her ex-boyfriend who called from the airport to let her know he was moving to Malaga, to work in a bar!   

For of course the bar has a webcam, so she is able torture herself watching Josh with other women. 

The set up to the romance in this book was fabulous,  as everything was being put into place, as a reader I was waiting and imaging that first meeting.  There is a great set of coincidences involved and it really is amusing and just slightly different. 

Before that there are a few attempts at internet dating for Esther, and let's just say I'd definitely not want to go near the second man she meets through the site. But it did make for an amusing chapter!! 

I found this to be fabulously quick and easy book to read, it pretty much took me two tube journeys and dinner in a restaurant to read, give or take 10 mins to finish it once I got home.  I was very into the story and just enjoying the writing.  

Another really entertaining story from Liz Davies. 

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

Book Review - Summer Under The Stars by Catherine Ferguson - #HolidayReading Mexico

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Title: Summer Under The Stars

Author: Catherine Ferguson

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Avon

Publication Date: 13th May 2019

Rating: 5 Stars

Daisy’s had a tough year. After losing her mother and struggling with a job she hates, she really needs a break.

So, when her boyfriend suggests a summer getaway, Daisy jumps at the chance, organising a romantic trip to her friend Clemmy’s new glamping site. What better to help her heal than long walks in the fresh air and sipping prosecco under the stars?

But Daisy didn’t realise Toby hates all things outdoorsy – he’s far more bothered about working on the WiFi than walking in the wilderness. And when Toby isn’t there for Daisy when she needs him most, she starts to question whether he really is The One… especially with writer Jake distracting her from across the lake.

Will this be the relaxing getaway Daisy was hoping for? Or is this summer destined to end in disaster…?

Daisy's boyfriend is a nightmare, He clearly doesn't care about her, is ungrateful for the surprise trip and amusingly doesn't like the countryside. 

I say amusingly as the scene with the bee is hilarious, as are his attempts to rid the glamping yurt from all creepy crawlies!

While Daisy absolutely loves being in and amongst the great outdoors, and is generally having a really tough time of it, after her mother died. 

She did though pick this glamping spot for their week away with an ulterior motive, which really does drive the story and add a great deal of depth to it. 

I also loved that Poppy and Roxy from previous Catherine Ferguson books were featured, I always love catching up with old characters even in passing, when a fan of an author. 

I found this to be a very quick and incredibly enjoyable book, and I loved every second of it. 

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

Book Review - Taken by M. A. Comley

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Title: Taken

Author: M. A. Comley

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Author supplied copy

Publisher: Jeamel Publishing Limited

Publication Date: 17th March

Rating: 5 Stars

A past that comes back to haunt you...

Jaime Connor and her family venture out for the day, only for it to end in disaster.

A chance encounter with two teenagers puts Jaime's life in mortal danger.

Why was Jaime abducted?

During the investigation, DI Kayli Bright and her partner, DS Dave Chaplin, uncover shocking revelations about Jaime's family.

Will Kayli succeed in saving Jaime from the clutches of her abductors? And will she be able to put a stop to their heinous crimes in this cat-and-mouse thriller?

I think I'm completely out of original superlatives to describe any of this authors books. She has done it again with another breathtaking story, that had me completely on the edge of my seat. 

This is only the second book in the Kayli Bright series that I have read, and it really does seem to have a different feel to the others.  I'm really enjoying discovering just what sort of DI Kayli is, and getting to know her home dynamic too. 

At no point during the story did I come up with the reason for the abductors to be doing what they did, they were continually one step ahead of me and the police,  with the exception that as a reader I was treated to occasional chapters focusing on what they were up to. 

I actually felt slightly bad for one of the bad guys, which is a rather unsettling feeling, but once you've read this you'll understand why. 

Not necessarily the smartest or most dastardly of M. A. Comley's villains, they still lead the police on a merry dance and without a doubt are dangerous. 

Simply put, a thrilling book that I was hooked on.

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

Book Review - My Sardinian Summer by Michael Uras

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Title: My Sardinian Summer

Author: Michael Uras

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Hodder & Stoghton

Publication Date: 19th March 2020

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Giacomo is stuck in a funk he can't shake - and a translation of Moby Dick he can't finish. When he's summoned home to Sardinia, to say a final goodbye to his dying grandmother, he's offered the perfect opportunity to escape.

On the noisy, sun-drenched island, Giacomo reconnects with long-lost friends and overbearing relatives, relives the childhood he once couldn't wait to leave behind, and rediscovers new joie-de-vivre within him. Never mind that he's making no progress on his translation. . .

When the time comes to leave once more, Giacomo wonders: has he fallen back in love with his home-island? Or has he been hiding from something which he needs the courage to return and confront?

But most importantly - is his grandma really as ill as she's claiming to be?

This is a tricky book for me to review - you may not think so if you know how tempted I am by anything with an exotic location, a holiday feel to it, and a gorgeous cover - obviously all the elements that first attracted me to the book. 

And I can definitely say that is is an interesting read, each time I picked up the book I was happy to be between the pages although it didn't really call to me in between. The writing is good and I feel I have learnt a lot from reading the story, about life in Sardinia especially for locals in a small village.   

About family life in Sardinia, and also about the work of a translator.   Which did amuse me as the first thing I noticed on opening it, was that it is a translated piece of fiction itself, and the main character is a translator. 

I loved his description of his job as a nearly man - someone who says nearly the same thing as the original author.. but not quite identical.    The theme of nearly runs through the book quite a lot. 

Yet there are no chapters, lots of paragraph breaks, but no actual chapters which I found to be disconcerting.  And if feels as though the chain of thought dots about seemingly at random.  One minute we are perhaps in the hospital at Giacomo's grandma's bedside,  the next its gone off a tangent as perhaps a memory is introduced, or something about a friend or acquaintance. 

In some ways it felt disjointed, but in others possibly a bit eccentric.  There were characters of course to get to know, and I did feel as though I knew Giacomo's family quite well by the end of the story. 

I have probably missed a key point in the book, as I'm just not sure it worked for me. but I can easily see how others will probably like it.   I suspect that Giacomo translating a new version of Moby Dick with regular references to it were off-putting for me, as I've never read Moby Dick. Equally I've never heard of half the literary works that are mentioned even in passing, and thus a connection to the story fully was just out of my reach. 

An interesting book that I am glad I had the opportunity to read even, and I loved getting an insight into Giacomo's little portion of Sardinia. 

Thank you to Hodder and Netgalley for this copy which i have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - Hattie's Home For Broken Hearts by Tilly Tennant - #HolidayReading Mexico

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Title: Hattie's Home For Broken Hearts

Author: Tilly Tennant

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Bookouture

Publication Date: 10th July 2019

Rating: 4 Stars

Escape to the daisy-strewn windswept Dorset cliffs, to the donkey sanctuary at Sweet Briar Farm, where Hattie Rose is about to find, that in this world, the most unlikely opposites can sometimes attract …

Hattie was once thrilled to call the beautiful city of Paris her home. But when her heart is broken by her boyfriend and she loses her dream job, she bids farewell to the city of love and hurries home to Gillypuddle, a sleepy village on the Dorset coast. But as she returns home she finds her parents struggling to cope with a terrible family tragedy.

In a desperate search for a new start, Hattie takes a job at the donkey sanctuary nearby on Sweet Briar Farm where Jo, the taciturn owner, certainly loves her animals far more than humans. Hattie can’t help but fall in love with the donkeys (and the opportunity to get close to dreamy Canadian vet Seth) but Jo is harder to get to know and when she finds her boss sobbing in her sleep one stormy night, she knows that her new friend is hiding a dark secret.

And when handsome newspaper reporter Owen does some digging into Jo’s past he finds something that connects her to Hattie on a whole new level. Can Hattie trust what Owen says, especially when he seems intent on standing in the way of her blossoming romance with Seth? And can Hattie help Jo to start healing and the donkeys of Sweet Briar Farm?

A beautiful story that will melt the hardest of hearts. If you love Jenny Colgan, Lucy Diamond and Josie Silver you will be enchanted by this life-affirming read that reminds you that home is wherever the people you love are.

I really enjoyed getting to know Hattie, and seeing just why she decides to work at a donkey sanctuary, with a woman who the locals have nicknamed Medusa. 

It is clear that Hattie has a very big heart and loves animals, and that she would love to make the sanctuary a success, if only Jo wasn't so set against all of her ideas and suggestions. 

There are a couple of love interests too, a journalist who has some interesting ideas for dates, and the incredibly sexy vet. 

This was a charming story, filled with some laughs, some interestingly named children, great characters, adorable animals and just a great feel to it. 

I had a lovely time reading this book, and I can't wait to see what Tilly Tennant writes next. 

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