Book Review - Magical Beginnings in Little Beaubrook by Bella Brightside

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Title: Magical Beginnings in Little Beaubrook

Author: Bella Brightside

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Author Supplied copy

Publisher:  Self published

Publication Date: 5th March 2026

Rating: 5 Stars

'I haven't lived an extraordinary life, but I will always, always remember I once had an extraordinary love.'

Hidden away in the English countryside, a village like no other is waiting to be found...

In Little Beaubrook, the mists are parting to reveal a manor that glows gold and quaint thatched cottages waiting for the right people to bring them back to life. On moving in day, a diverse group of new neighbours find they have more in common than they could have imagined. Each one has suffered heartbreak in their own way, and all have signed a mysterious contract with some very unusual stipulations - including purchasing a cottage for just one pound.

As Chair of the commonhold association, Albie Curville is determined to unite them to fulfill his late wife's dying wish, using her wise rules for living to bring them together. But as time runs short and his own secret threatens to be revealed, will they be able to overcome their pasts and save Little Beaubrook - a community built on kindness, friendship, and a manor with a history of helping those most in need?

Escape to this enchanting lost village and immerse yourself in a heartwarming story of love, found family, second chances and the power of community to heal.

What an utterly heartwarming, charming and just slightly magical novel.  

I started reading this before I went to bed one night and quickly realised I should read at least one chapter from each of the main characters just to start getting to know our cast, and that then quickly turned into well I may as well read another one from each just to really get the various people straight in my mind.  It's a large varied cast but they all have their reasons and needs for moving to Little Beaubrook. 

And Albie is at the heart of it, trying to honour his late wife's wishes, and also tries to live his life by her rules for kindness. 

There really is a hint of magic in this, as the house and then the village which they are trying to restore, is doing its own part, very subtly.  It just shows that houses can really be sentient and also absorb previous resident's energies. 

Toni's story is told via diary entries, and perhaps has the most character development of everyone, as she slowly starts to heal and gain confidence again.  But everyone has something they are trying to find, rediscover about themselves, or a way of coming into their own.   And although a very different group of strangers at the start, all living in apartments in the same building, Albie is instrumental in starting to turn it into a real community. 

There is plenty of depth to the characters, and ultimately it's a book that made me smile a lot, and also made me hope that humanity could all be a lost more like the characters in this book.  Kindness whether to yourself or to others if a philosophy that many more people should live by, and is especially relevant in the troubled times we find ourselves in. 

I loved every second of this book.  Just wonderful. 

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

Book Review - Lift Me Up by Milly Johnson

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Amazon UK

Title: Lift Me Up

Author: Milly Johnson

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Purchased

Publisher: Amazon Original Stories

Publication Date: 1st May 2026

Rating: 5 Stars

A heartwarming story from Sunday Times bestseller Milly Johnson. Tam Remington had her life planned out. Until a conversation in a broken lift—with her worst enemy—changes everything.

For a decade, Tam has quietly held YorkMart together whilst others took the credit, making herself smaller in the process. When she’s briefly promoted to acting Managing Director, she finally has a chance to shine—until her promotion is snatched away and handed to Jack Cesaroni—the man brought in to do the job that should have been hers.

Tam expects nothing but disappointment from Jack. But when they’re trapped in a lift between floors thirteen and fourteen, he sees what no one else has: Tam is exceptional. That single word of recognition sparks something Tam thought she’d lost—and an unexpected connection she never saw coming.

Now Tam faces an impossible choice: stay being the smaller version of herself she’s become used to, or take a leap and reclaim the vibrant, authentic woman she once was—and discover how wonderful it could be if she lets someone see the real her…

For fans of Jenny Colgan and Jill Mansell, this enemies-to-lovers story shows sometimes you need to get stuck to find your true self.

What a totally charming short story. 

The more Tam described her relationship with Harris, the more I wanted to knock some sense into her.  

I loved the conversations between Tam and Jack in the lift,  I loved how unfiltered she was being, in part due to fear and in part because she was convinced she was about to lose her job once they actually got to the meeting she was headed to. 

I really felt for Tam, and for anyone who identifies with her, as she is a wonderful person, just overlooked continually. Something far too many women can relate too. 

This was a lovely enjoyable bite sized read from one of my favourite authors.  Short stories  and novellas take a lot of skill to feel like a complete story, and this one certainly did.  There was character growth, there was hints of the author's normal humour, and it had heart in abundance.   

I devoured this in about an hour and it's certainly scratched the itch for a new Milly Johnson novel until the next full length one is released. 

Book Review - The Other Lizzie Bennet by Rosie Green

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Title: The Other Lizzie Bennet

Author: Rosie Green

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Author supplied Copy

Publisher: Self Published

Publication Date: 31st January 2026

Rating: 5 Stars

There's 'pride' and 'prejudice' in the air! Lizzie Bennet, new recruit at the Little Duck Pond Café, is well used to people teasing her about her name. Actually, she rather likes the fact she shares it with one of author Jane Austen's most popular heroines. But her life is about to become complicated by a very annoying stranger . . . She thinks he's a pompous stuffed shirt. He thinks she's too judgemental. But with an intriguing mystery to solve together, can love blossom?

It's weird, I'm not a historical type of person, the only Austen I've ever read was Pride and Prejudice for GCSE English, over 20 years ago, but when you give me a book full of Austen fans, I tend find it extra special to read. 

And that is certainly the case in this latest book in Rosie Green's long running series.  Featuring a brand new character of Lizzie Bennet, she is intrigued when one of her regular customers gives her a bit of a mystery to solve, featuring a box of found in an attic that was dating back to Regency times. 

As she tries to discover more about the contents of this box and just whether it means what she really hope it means, along side Dante who she had met a few times, but never in circumstances that made her look great,  they start to really get to know each other. 

Lizzie though has a boyfriend in Wyatt who is larger than life, and is determined to make the local Regency Romp festival a big success.  But the more I saw of Wyatt the less I liked him. 

I loved this story a  lot, with very few mentions of the regular cast of characters this perhaps more than some of the others in this series can totally standalone and be a good introduction to the this author and series. 

I really enjoyed getting to know Lizzie, and also learning about her homelife, as her family is trying to get used to life without her dad, and coping in very many different ways.  

This was another fabulous book in this series, and once again manages to feel fresh too. 

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

Book Review - How Can I Resist You? by Jeevani Charika

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Title: How Can I Resist You?

Author: Jeevani Charika

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: HQ

Publication Date: 6th November 2025

Rating: 5 Stars

Vidya isn’t in Waterloo Bay for a holiday. Officially, she’s visiting the beautiful, quirky seaside town for work – but unofficially, she’s on a mission. One of her colleagues hooked up with her sister at a party, and now her sister is pregnant. As the sensible one in the family, it’s Vidya's job to find out who he is.

But there’s a catch: all she has to go on is a vague description of a chest tattoo. Vidya has just two weeks to glimpse her colleagues shirtless without getting fired, but crazy hotel guests, malicious seagulls and her pesky day job keep getting in the way.

And then there’s Leo, the most frustrating, patronising, handsome man she’s ever met…

Perfect for fans of:

💗 Forced proximity

💗 Office romance

💗 Small town

Vidya is on an seemingly impossible mission with her new work assignment. Not only  does she have to work with Leo who no one in the company seems to want to work with, and Chase, she also has to try to work out just who impregnated her younger sister with a one night stand and Vidya's works's Valentine's party. 

But Udeni can't really remember much about the man she slept with, other than a tattoo and some vague personality markers, and which work team he was part of. 

So Vidya needs to find out all about Chase without giving away the real reason as they are fairly sure it can't be Leo, and another friend is doing the same with Piotr who is the other possible father. 

What doesn't help is they have a mountain of work to do, and Vidya is very quickly realising she might be a teeny tiny bit interested in Leo,  but she needs info on Chase.  And it all gets rather confusing for them as no one seems to be able to articulate themselves. 

I really fell for Leo myself, he can be slightly awkward at times, but he is adorable with it, and I really enjoyed seeing how everything played out. 

What was really lovely to see is just how strong the relationship is between Vidya and her sister.  And the more I got to know both ladies, the more I liked them. 

I love this author's writing style and found this was a really fast book to read. Another fabulous story from her.  

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

Book Review - Forty Love by Jane Costello

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Amazon UK

Title: Forty Love

Author: Jane Costello

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Publication Date: 5th May 2026

Rating: 4 Stars

It's never too late for a comeback!

Single mum Jules lives next to a tennis club, but has no plans to play. Especially when her old school crush, handsome doctor Sam Delaney, returns thirty years after he left and is now displaying a killer forehand in direct view of her bedroom window.

But when she's hit by an unprecedented wave of anxiety - brought on by her 19-year-old daughter's solo trip around the world - she's in urgent need of a distraction and rashly agrees to join an amateur women's tennis team. They are desperate for players. The fact that she doesn't really play doesn't seem to matter . . .

As rallies are hit and friendships are formed, Jules is astonished to find herself in the grip of a passionate, all-consuming relationship . . . and not only with the tennis. But will these sexy encounters she keeps stumbling into with Sam put her on course to a devastating double fault?

What a lovely book this was.  

I really enjoyed getting to know Jules and see her slowly come out of her shell and despair of an empty nest, as she rediscovers her love of Tennis. 

If you don't know much about tennis, or the scoring has always confused you, don't worry there isn't too much match play itself, but it centres around the friendships that can be formed when you are playing a sport and some of the training. 

I enjoyed getting to know Jules and her new friends, and the reintroduction of Sam into her life was fun to see.  It's clear she has some sort of attraction to him, like she did as a teen, but life is significantly more complicated now, and she is unsure whether to trust her heart. 

I also really loved getting to know her daughter who is on a gap year trip, and keeps updating her mum with her antics, and give or take almost setting off on the whole trip without her passport, and some of the updates really were entertaining, even if they caused Jules to panic more. 

Jules; work isn't going as well as it could be, and that storyline I was also rather invested in, and was curious to see how it would all turn out. 

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this, and it's another really good book from Jane Costello. 

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

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.