Book Review - Playing For Keeps by Bella North

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Title: Playing For Keeps

Author: Bella North

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Bookouture

Publication Date: 27th April 2026

Rating: 4 Stars

It’s all fun and games until fake starts to feel like forever…

My life revolves around two things: football, and family. Romance? Not so much. But my fans have other ideas. And they’ve turned my easy-going life into a nightmare with their campaign to find me a wife…

My childhood best friend Serena thinks it’s hilarious. She’s always wanted the big, swoony love story, but instead, she has a controlling ex she can’t shake breathing down her neck. And then the solution to both our problems hits me: a fake romance. ‘Settling down’ with Serena will get the fans off my back, and having a muscly football player on her arm should be enough to warn off her ex. Plus, we’re best friends, so what could go wrong?

Our first date is set for the city’s annual charity ball. I’m smug as I imagine how easy my life will be after tonight. Except, when my lips touch Serena’s in front of the flashing cameras, when I hear her soft sigh as I dip her lower, something like panic creeps through my chest. I’m not meant for love—letting people down runs in my genes. I can’t do that to Serena. I won’t.

As the story we’re spinning gets bigger, so do the feelings I’ve worked so hard to chase away. We want completely different things. But I can’t stop wondering: do we both want the one thing that counts—each other?

Playing for Keeps is a fun, steamy, friends-to-lovers sports romance, perfect for fans of Liz Tomforde, Stephanie Archer and Elsie Silver. The third in the Oakwood Ranch series, it can also be read as a standalone.

How are we up to the third of these Oakwood Ranch books already, I swear the first one only just came out the other day! 

It was wonderful to be back on the ranch amongst familiar characters, and for us to finally see if Serena and Chase will ever get together. 

Of course nothing is ever straight forward, despite it being clear they may have had secret (ish) feelings for many years, and when they both need a partner to help solve some problems, it is suggested they may wish to fake date! 

And from there things get very interesting.  We learn all about Chase's insecurities, and Serena's long held dreams and to say in that respect they might be incompatible would be an understatement. 

But they are also best friends, and I loved the will they, won't they of this pair. 

At the same time I also enjoyed the depth of each character, Serena with her highly problematic ex, and Chase and his feelings of abandonment. 

I love the banter of Chase and his brothers in text messages and also loved Serena and the other leading ladies of this series close friendship.  Was good to catch up with everyone, and I now just have one big question on my mind.  Will Mama get her own book, we need more from her. 

A thoroughly enjoyable series, from an author who shines no matter what genre she turns her hand to. 

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

Book Review - Don't Fall in Love With Me by Paige Toon

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Title: Don't Fall In Love With Me

Author: Paige Toon

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Penguin

Publication Date: 23rd April 2026

Rating: 5 Stars

What if the person you love the most is the one you can’t have?

Grace has loved Jackson since she was fifteen – when they spent every childhood summer exploring France's breathtaking Ardèche region together. They were best friends, until life took its course and Jackson married someone else.

Years later, Jackson re-enters Grace’s life with an irresistible offer: her dream job in the very town where their story began. And he’s newly single.

As memories from those idyllic summers flood back, Grace encounters an old friend Étienne, who proposes a plan to help make Jackson jealous. But as their scheme unfolds, Grace finds herself questioning if the sparks between them might not be so pretend after all…

Unbeknownst to Grace, Étienne is harbouring a secret that could shatter her world.

Will learning the truth finally set her heart free?

Or is this the beginning of a love story bigger than she ever imagined?

How I loved this book, I couldn't read it fast enough. 

I am always a fan of Paige Toons' books, and this is another excellent addition to her body of work.

I loved the setting of the Ardeche in France, and getting to know the two men that feature prominently within this story.  I was never completely sure which way Grace would lean in the end. 

We have Jackson who Grace has been in love with for most of her life, who has offered her a dream job, and she is determined not to let him back into her heart.  Confusing things is Etienne, a man she met one summer when she was 17 and never seen since until she runs into him in a bar. 

And well Etienne seems to have some beef with Jackson and is competitive and so the games begin, with Grace seemingly at the centre. 

But as we get to know everyone better, it becomes apparent there are other factors at play and I knew who I wanted her to be with, but wasn't sure, as it could have swung either way. 

Add in getting to know Grace's gran Mellie, and also Jackson's grandpa Albert, as well as various other people in the town, and you have a beautifully written, lovely summery story,  that takes in summers past and present and was just a pleasure to read. 

I thoroughly enjoyed every moment I spent between the pages of this novel. 

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

Book Review - One Week In Paradise by Anise Starre

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Title: One Week In Paradise

Author: Anise Starre

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Publication Date: 31st July 2025

Rating: 5 Stars

Seven days can change a lot.

When disgraced influencer Bailey Clarke is invited to go on an all expenses paid trip to a couples only resort in Jamaica, she's ecstatic. It’s the perfect opportunity to rebuild her brand. The only problem is . . . she's not currently in a relationship.

Enter the effortlessly handsome Caspian 'Cash' Reid, her brother Dane's best friend. He's never seemed to like Bailey, but when Dane jokingly suggests Cash accompany her to Jamaica and get a free holiday, Bailey is shocked when Cash agrees. It’s only one week in paradise and their agreement is simple enough: Cash will be her fake boyfriend all in the name of content.

But Bailey has secrets, and the closer they get to one another, the closer Cash gets to unravelling her shameful past. As the lines blur between their fake dating agreement and their real feelings, will Bailey let Cash into her life or will she let her past destroy her future? 

I totally whizzed through this book, I started reading it as I started dinner, and two hours later I appear to have reached the end, and I couldn't put it down at all.  This is wonderfully quick and easy to read, and the chemistry between Bailey and Cash is incredibly hot. 

I loved the Jamaica setting for this influencer trip, and it's good in a way to see that even influencers get anxious about what they are posting, especially after a viral video that didn't overly show Bailey in a positive light. 

But everyone should be allowed to make a mistake, it's just harder when there are cameras everywhere nowadays. 

I loved seeing the dynamics between Bailey and Cash, and there are some totally sizzling scenes between them while they are being a fake couple for the sake of this opportunity for Bailey.   I do love a book with a bit of fake dating, and really enjoyed that element of this. 

This was such an enjoyable story to read, it gave me great amounts of pleasure, and it's such an accomplished debut novel.  It's actually though the second book I've read from this author and I am already looking forward to reading more from her, given how much I've enjoyed this one. 

What an entertaining story.  I loved it a lot. 

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

Book Review - Gracie Jenkins Runs a Marathon by Penny Mirren

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Title: Gracie Jenkins Runs A Marathon

Author: Penny Mirren

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Avon

Publication Date: 11th September 2025

Rating: 5 Stars

Gracie Jenkins thought her days of adventure were behind her. Settled into the familiar rhythms of small-town life, aged 72, she never imagined she'd lace up her trainers for anything more than a stroll down memory lane.

But when a long-forgotten postcard sparks a fire within her, Gracie embarks on an extraordinary journey and sets out to conquer the ultimate challenge: training for a marathon.

As Gracie's steps turn into miles, she discovers strength she never knew she had and a community she never expected to find. But it's not just about crossing the finish line—it's about rediscovering herself along the way.

Can Gracie prove to herself, and her loved ones, that age truly is just a number?

The feel-good novel that proves life can begin at any age…all you have to do is get up and go! Perfect for fans of Mike Gayle and Clare Pooley.

What an inspirational read, I wish I had even half of Gracie's energy at times.  

I was totally hooked on this story from the first few pages, and found it really easy to read, even though it does touch on tricky topics at times. 

I loved the new community that Gracie found, and seeing how her relationship with her sister changes as the story goes on. 

I enjoyed Andrew's inventions, and the good natured banter between Eugene and Harold while playing board games in the Be Together cafe.  The whole community feel of this initiative was heartwarming to see. 

You don't need to be a runner, or sports fan to be able to enjoy this.  On the whole there isn't too much technical detail about long distance running but more some of the other benefits, and the finale section itself, I just couldn't put down for 26.3 miles! 

With a cast of memorable characters, this was a highly enjoyable and entertaining story from the first to the large page.   I already know I'll be keen to read whatever this author writes next. 

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

Book Review - Head Over Wheels by Leonie Mack

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Title: Head Over Wheels

Author: Leonie Mack

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Bedford Square

Publication Date: 19th June 2025

Rating: 4 Stars

Love is an endurance sport…

Recovering from a bad crash and a broken heart, Australian road cycling star Lori Gallagher gets back into training with the help of a coaching app and an anonymous training partner she knows only by his avatar and his voice. But with her career dependent on regaining her fighting spirit, she ditches her online friend to focus on the road. Then she hears his voice - on her team training camp.

Sébastien Franck is stunned to discover his goofy training partner is ‘Top Gun’ Gallagher, the most ruthless rider in the women’s peloton. She’s already ghosted him online and, with his career on its last legs, he’s sure she won’t want anything to do with him. But Seb and Lori’s online chemistry transfers seamlessly into real life and they sleep together - a no-strings opportunity to get it out of their systems before the start of the season.

Yet Lori’s year begins with disaster, while Seb finds the best form of his career. As the Tour de France approaches, Seb expects himself to crack and let his team down. Lori is torn between family loyalty to her brother and her feelings for Seb - not to mention the complex dynamics of a sport where teamwork and individual achievement are sometimes at odds.

Now, she faces the mental fight of her life: how much is she willing to sacrifice for love - or to win?

It doesn't seem to matter what type of romance Leonie Mack turns her hand to, she seems to excel. And this being her first sports romance, had me intrigued. 

I'll admit I'm not the biggest watcher of road cycling, I prefer pretty much all other forms of it, including the cyclocross that was mentioned as part of Seb's history, over the long road races, but I totally appreciate the skill involve, the stamina, and the tactics etc.. 

Even more so having read Head Over Heels, where we have Lori back in the saddle after a pretty bad injury but having the most random and to be honest rather funny bad luck this season, and Sebastien to the new boy the team who is hoping to just have one more season before he retires from the sport. 

What neither is expecting is that they had spent months training together at opposite sides of the world, on Zpeed, a coaching system for exercise bikes, that they were both using to start preparing for this season.  And had formed a rather intense friendship while being anonymous. 

So it's unsurprising when they finally meet there is a fission of chemistry, but Lori can't afford to be distracted, although that is easier said than done. 

I was amused by the pranks pulled on Seb at training, as the new guy, but then impressed with not only how he deals with them but also how he performs in his races. 

There is a fair amount of road racing action in this book, some of it I was far more invested in than others, largely depending on how our main characters were doing, or whether I'd heard of the race before!  

This had elements of fake relationship, almost forbidden love as they really shouldn't be involved while on the same team, and plenty of humour as well as fabulous chemistry.  

I really enjoyed reading this, and I'm already looking forward to hopefully reading the next book in this series. 

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

Book Review - The Afterparty by Ruth Kelly

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Amazon UK

Title: The Afterparty

Author: Ruth Kelly

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Pan

Publication Date: 23rd October 2025

Rating: 3 Stars

She was your best friend. Now she's missing. And everyone suspects you.

People drift apart. You and Georgie were inseparable once; she knew you better than anyone. But that was then.

Now, out of the blue, Georgie's back. She's inviting you to a glamorous New Year's Eve afterparty in Amsterdam - a chance to relive the good old days and the fun you used to have.

You go. You laugh. You remember.

But then Georgie vanishes.

And just like that, you're the prime suspect.

She knows all your secrets – the ones you've managed to bury. But as the clock ticks and the accusations mount, you're left with one terrifying thought: how well do you really know her?

From bestselling, Richard & Judy book club pick author Ruth Kelly, The Afterparty is perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell and Sarah Pearse.

I went into this really wanting to love it as much as I had enjoyed my previous encounter with this author, and don't get me wrong this is a perfectly good book. 

It's just that I really disliked pretty much all the main characters, and there is an unreliable narrator nature to Becca too,  Will the true crime detective tik tokker - ugh his attitude to everything just sucked. He sounded totally authentic for the sort of character he was, but not someone I would have wanted to ever meet. 

I was never completely sure what to believe, and I was totally shocked by some of the revelations.  I just though that the book just didn't grip me how I wanted it to, and just found it harder to reader than I would have liked.  Almost certainly a me issue rather than the book itself. 

I liked the seedy Amsterdam setting, and the initial reunion between Becca and Georgie and their night out was initially fun. 

Just overall I felt a bit flat reading this I'm afraid. 

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

Book Review - The Getaway by Rona Halsall

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Title: The Getaway 

Author: Rona Halsall

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Boldwood Books

Publication Date: 25th July 2025

Rating: 5 Stars

The most twisty psychological thriller, guaranteed to leave readers’ pulses racing! Perfect for fans of K.L. Slater, Claire Douglas, and Freida McFadden ☀️📚

Would you swap houses – and lives – with a stranger? 👀

Maddie and her long-term boyfriend, Tom, dream of a life living and working abroad, though right now they’re settling for a lovely vacation in the sunny European beach town.

When Maddie is befriended by a lovely-seeming couple, who are living the digital nomad lifestyle, they make her an offer that feels hard to refuse…

Swap houses, swap lives – just for a couple of weeks - and see if living abroad is a lifestyle that would really suit them.

But as soon as they’ve handed keys over to their home in London, it becomes clear the couple aren’t who they’d seemed to be. And Maddie and Tom’s dream getaway is about to become a nightmare they could never have imagined…

Well I read this in an evening, without the intent to! I wasn't planning on spending most of my evening absorbed in a book, but well when a story is this good that does kind of happen! 

I was totally and utterly hooked and I started this book with dinner and finished it at about 3am - not willing to go to bed until I had complete resolution. 

This book is that good, I kind of groaned at Maddie's naivety.  Honestly who doesn't know if something sounds too good to be true you really should run in the opposite direction. But other than that I really didn't expect how anything was going to turn out, and just was open mouthed as more and more revelations occurred, to the extent I really wasn't sure who to believe. 

What I do know for sure is offering to house swap for a few weeks, with people you only met a couple of weeks ago, for the first time, really is probably not a good idea.  I've also learnt from this that you really shouldn't trust anyone, and definitely need to google everyone in your life just in case of skeletons! 

This is only the second book I've read from this author and given how much I have loved both of them I am now wondering why I haven't read more, something that I suspect will be rectified in the future. 

What a fabulous book, and I adored the descriptions of digital nomad life, and of Split Croatia (where I spent a lovely day in port on a cruise over 10 years ago and really do want to revisit eventually). 

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

Book Review - The Chalet Girl by Victoria Prince

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Amazon UK

Title: The Chalet Girl

Author: Victoria Prince

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Michael Joseph

Publication Date: 17th November 2025

Rating: 4 Stars

Welcome to Kristalldorf…where the world’s richest residents hold the sexiest secrets.

Emmeline Everly is Kristalldorf's latest resident. She might be living in the world's most exclusive ski resort. But she's firmly downstairs. Where Emme sees all the dirty laundry behind the glossy exterior.

Emme vows not to get involved, that is until Tristan du Kok. When Kristalldorf's notorious bachelor turns his eye on her she's heading down a slippery slope.

Should Emme say yes to steaming up a gondola and bare herself to the man everyone says not to touch with a ski poll? Or will the ride be just too wild...

Perfect for fans of RIVALS, BRIDGET JONES and Danielle Steel, Victoria Prince is an exciting new voice in romance!

Although I'm not a fan of being cold, the more books I read set in the rich and famous parts of ski resorts, the more I am totally convinced that I would love the apres-ski side of things, especially when there are irresistibly attractive bad boys which ooze sexual chemistry! 

And wow is there sex and chemistry and spice on offer in this book. It's overflowing with it. This is not a book for prudes, or those that get upset when fidelity isn't a high priority for many characters. 

However I was totally there for it, and some of the scenes were very hot. 

Emme is new to the ultra rich resort of Kristaslldorf, and the amount of information given to her very early on, which doubles as an info dump for the readers, as to who is who, and what past or present scandals could be afoot.  She is there to be a nanny to the Harrington's  children, and she soon makes friends with a few other workers around the resort. 

Oh and there is that clear attraction to the resort's bad boy, but she can't help herself and doesn't think it will ever be anything other than one-sided. 

It took me a while to get into the swing of this, as there were so so many characters to get to grips with, but once I was used to both this and the author's writing style, I was hooked. 

I was very much enjoying all of the goings on in this resort, including the descriptions of just how the other half live. This is a level of luxury that most of us will never experience, but it also goes to show that just because you are mega rich doesn't mean that life is without it's issues. 

I'd say there are very few truly happy characters in this story, but I was there for all of their flaws and also the inherent danger of just trying to ski. 

This was highly enjoyable, and I am curious to see what the author will write next.  I am hoping for a return to this setting and characters! 

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

Book Review - Wicked Women by Angela Marsons - Blog Tour

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Amazon UK

Title: Wicked Women

Author: Angela Marsons

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Bookouture

Publication Date: 14th April 2026

Rating: 5 Stars

The woman is lying on her back, eyes closed, face still. The blood from the single stab wound in her chest has pooled on the ground, interrupted only where her killer stood to watch her die…

Detective Kim Stone knows from the moment she looks down on Ashley Reynolds that this is no ordinary crime. No one has a bad word to say about this loving wife and mother. So why did someone murder her, and wait to make sure she was dead?

Ashley was a social worker, and some claimed she tore families apart. But her husband is also acting strangely, planning to take their daughter and leave town. Did the threat to her come from home or work?

Then another woman is killed in the same cold, calm way. Nadine was a honey trapper, and the men she tricked blamed her for destroying their marriages. Someone clearly believes Ashley and Nadine were wicked… and that wicked women deserve to die.

But when a third woman is murdered, Kim and the team can’t find anything that even the sickest mind would find fault with. Certain that time is running out, they search desperately for something that links their victims.

And then Kim realises something that chills her to the bone. Because if she’s right, the worst danger is yet to come…

A brilliantly gripping crime thriller about secrets and revenge that will have you gasping at the final reveal. Fans of Karin Slaughter, Val McDermid and Robert Dugoni will love Wicked Women.

Angela Marsons has done it again. Another phenomenal book in this amazing series, that keeps you guessing right until the end. 

And if you have read any books in the Detective Kim Stone series that sentence alone should be more than enough of a review,  as this is more than up to the normal level of the series, and I could barely put the book down.  In fact I was rather happy that there was suddenly a nice day of decent weather and I spent an afternoon in the garden, devouring this book without another care or thought in the world. 

And if you haven't read anything from this author before, where have you been for the previous 23 books?! This is a truly excellent series and you have totally been missing out. 

Do I really need to say much more to convince anyone?!

... fine then... 

What a brilliant plot this has, I am totally loving Kim's gut instinct more and more with each book, as well as the fact she cares so little about things like obeying her superiors, in favour of doing what she believes is right. 

And the little girl Ava, whose mum was the first murder victim, totally got under my skin, and into my heart. And into the hearts of the whole team, who are not only trying to find out who killer her mother and why, but also trying to ensure Ava isn't put into the care of people that shouldn't really even have the children they do have. 

There is also a side case that Kim is involved in, that has deeply curious as to just what is the root of a very longstanding family feud, when even Bryant thinks she should stay clear. 

I really enjoyed seeing another side of Stacey and Devon in this book too, as they go above and beyond.  And Penn continues to grow on me too, and some of his intuition is brilliant as well. 

This is such a close knit team, and I always enjoying seeing how their minds work, as they attempt to solve a case. 

I shall finish with my bi-annual plea to Angela Marsons to write faster, I don't want to wait for the next book!  I love the series that much! 

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

Book Review - Mending Lost Dreams at the Highland Repair Shop by Kiley Dunbar

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Amazon UK

Title: Mending Lost Dreams at the Highland Repair Shop

Author: Kiley Dunbar

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Boldwood Books

Publication Date: 22nd November 2025

Rating: 4 Stars

Curl up with this BRAND-NEW heartwarming, romantic and inspiring Highlands-set story that will leave a smile on your face 💗🏔️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Perfect for fans of Jenny Colgan, Veronica Henry and Heidi Swain.

Every book in the Highland Repair Shop series can be read as a standalone.

🧵🪡 Welcome to the Highland Repair Shop, where mending broken things – be they clocks, compasses or hearts – is a way of life.

After a gruelling few years in city hospitals, trainee doctor Alice hopes a new, small-town post will bring quiet to her racing mind. Instead, she finds a place brimming with eccentricity and curiosity, and people who seem to see straight through her carefully controlled facade.

Murray has returned to his hometown with a broken heart and his tail between his legs. Volunteering at the family-run repair shop is meant to be temporary... until a chance encounter starts to crack his emotional armour.

Meanwhile, mountain ranger Finlay lives for solitude and the wild and rugged scenery. But when a broken compass draws him reluctantly into town life, he finds himself pulled not just into a community project, but into the kind of tangled feelings he’s spent a lifetime avoiding.

As a new garden is built and winter weather rages, lives will be patched, polished and set on entirely new courses. Can these lonely hearts be mended, and finally find happiness and love?

I'm really starting to feel right at home in Cairns Dhu and the Highway Repair Shop.  It's such a wonderful Scottish setting and I am really enjoying getting to know all of the characters. 

The focus this time is on Alice who is new to town, and is the new doctor, she has only just qualified and she seems to be struggling with her mental health a bit, while trying to keep that hidden. 

Alice is hoping that a quieter pace to life than from the big city is just what she needs, but isn't expecting to be taken into the hearts of the whole community so fast. 

We also get to know Finlay the rather standoffish ranger a whole lot better and he intrigued me a lot.  As did Murray who we met briefly in the previous book. 

I enjoyed getting to see a variety of repairs in the repair shop, as well as how the shop and community continues to mend hearts. 

What I really adored was a friendship growing between Shell and Jolyon, two of the children in this book, both with their own problems, but the way they treat each other is just so heart meltingly adorable that I would love to see more from both of them. 

There is even a rescued family of dogs to root for in this, that I would have loved for myself. 

I am loving this series a lot and already can't wait to read the next book.  

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