Book Review - Family Ties for the Village Midwife by Tilly Tennant

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Title: Family Ties For The Village Midwife

Author: Tilly Tennant

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley 

Publisher: Bookouture

Publication Date: 9th March 2026

Rating: 5 Stars

As the clouds chase the sun across the Lake District hills, and the warm breeze hints at spring on the way, midwife Zoe Padbury is counting her blessings. Until a surprise arrival changes everything…

Zoe Padbury is a big believer in second chances. She’s been so happy since she started over in the village of Thimblebury. Especially now she’s moved into Hilltop Farm with her boyfriend Alex and can be on hand to help his daughter when her baby arrives.

All that changes when Zoe’s father arrives, arm in arm with his newly pregnant fiancée Chantal. Chantal is bowled over by Thimblebury’s picture-perfect charm, and before Zoe’s had a chance to draw breath, they’ve made plans to get married in the old stone church, make Zoe their future baby’s midwife and move into the cottage next door.

Worried about her mum’s broken heart and how Alex feels about having her family so close by, at first Zoe doesn’t notice that Chantal’s brother has also moved in and is determined to make trouble, ruining the lives of the people who have made her feel so welcome. With the villagers up in arms about his behaviour, Zoe is torn in two. Can she protect her new life and love without losing her family?

Fans of Jessica Redland and Shari Low will adore this funny and romantic page-turning read about family, trusting your heart and seizing that second chance.

I am absolutely loving this series, and from the second I started reading this, i felt wrapped up in Zoe's life again as though I had never been away. 

It was so good to be back in Thimblebury, amongst Zoe and her friends and all the expectant mums.  And also the latest dramas in the surgery she is attached to. 

But what really brings the drama this time, isn't all the births (although one of them was rather problematic and scared me), but rather Zoe's family.  Her mother isn't coping with the fact that Zoe's father is moving on and now has a pregnant girlfriend, soon to be wife.  Add in Zoe's dad wanting to get married in her local church, and then decides to move into the village and things start to get dramatic. 

Especially with Chantal's brother on the scene.  I really didn't take to him at all and for good reason.   

Although this could probably be read as a standalone, I definitely felt the benefits of having read the previous books of the series, as I felt so much more immersed in this world of Tilly Tennant's.  I am loving this village so much, and was very happy to see how Billie's pregnancy was progressing. 

And there is a new expectant mother who was in a tricky situation, and I enjoyed seeing how Zoe was trying to help her. 

I'm completely invested in the lives of so many of these side characters now, that I am already looking forward to the next book in the series. For there has to be a next book, as the ending of this one didn't give me anywhere enough sense of the stories being completely told!  I can't wait for more. 

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

Book Review - I Know How This Ends by Holly Smale

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Title: I Know How This Ends

Author: Holly Smale

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Penguin

Publication Date: 14th August 2025

Rating: 5 Stars

If you could see your future, how would you live now?

Margot Wayward is in manically gleeful self-destruct mode. Following the implosion of a ten-year relationship, she’s wilfully derailing her successful career, joyfully taking down men on dating apps, and living in total chaos.

Until one day, when Margot has a vision of herself with a man she’s never met before. She doesn’t believe in fate. But when Margot meets single-dad Henry, the vision comes true: exactly as she’d foreseen it.

As her future continues to reveal itself, a glimpse at a time, Margot realises she knows exactly what’s going to happen, and when. And there’s nothing she can do to change any of it.

So Margot has to decide how to live, how to love again, and how to be herself… Because if you can’t change your destiny, how on earth do you live your present?

What a unique idea this is.  I absolutely loved it.  I was very happy to suspend reality while Margot starts having visions of what appear to be her future. 

And then as a result of these visions, she starts making decisions to try to get this to become a reality. Although she's unsure whether things would happen regardless.  

And even before that we have Margot attempting to self destruct, as we get to know her recent dating history, and how badly she was treated by her ex. There are so many decisions that seem to be really bad from Margot, it makes a great change when she  starts trying to trust these visions. 

Margot is a meteorologist, and is used to forecasting the weather, but her career starts to take some rather interesting turns. There is also a message in this to all influencers to check the validity of a product and company before you start promoting it. 

I loved the way Margot thinks, and was amused by her at the same time. I also enjoyed getting to know Henry. 

I found this was an absorbing book to read that I kept needing to pick up and that I read it incredibly quickly. I was just enjoying it so much 

Once again another fabulous book from Holly Smale.

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

Book Review - The Lake by Catherine Cooper - #HolidayReading Dom Rep

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Title: The Lake

Author: Catherine Cooper

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: HarperCollins

Publication Date: 6th November 2025

Rating: 5 Stars

Still waters hide dark secrets …

A remote Scottish lake

The guests arriving at Creaglie Castle are expecting discreet luxury, panoramic views, and perhaps a glimpse of one of its infamous ghosts.

No means of escape

When a violent storm severs all contact with the mainland, it’s not the spirits they need to fear…

Trust no one

As the past resurfaces and trust vanishes, it's clear that not everyone will be leaving Creaglie Castle alive.

Will The Lake give up its secrets, before somebody else dies?

Atmospheric, claustrophobically creepy, addictive, compulsive and brilliant are just some of the adjectives that spring to mind about The Lake. 

It's definitely another triumph for Catherine Cooper and this is a book I read over the course of an evening. 

It is also a book that I was so engrossed in that I jumped when someone wanted to talk to me,, at which point I noticed the weather outside was matching the book, and then I jumped again when something near me went bang. 

Turns out books filled with ghosts and raging storms, will make this reader extra jumpy and unsettled.... not sure  I want to go to sleep, as I suspect this book could infiltrate my dreams too. 

Creaglie Castle is steeped in history and also a large number of unfortunate deaths, and thus tends to be considered rather haunted. 

Amongst the view points we get the most intriguing ones of all, some of the stories of the women who were married to the current Laird, Alistair.  To say I was not a fan of this Laird would be an understatement. 

And during the launch weekend of a new ghost hunting enterprise, there are multiple deaths while the castle is totally cut off, and I certainly hadn't figured out who was going around murdering others. 

A completely addictive read, and I'm already curious as to what delights the author will have for us in her next book! 

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

Book Review - Totally Fine by Nick Spalding - #HolidayReading Dom Rep

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Title: Totally Fine

Author: Nick Spalding

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing

Publication Date: 15th October 2025

Rating: 5 Stars

He’s fine. Totally fine. Panic attacks? Insomnia? Just stress. Probably. Maybe. He’s…totally fine!

Meet Charlie King. He’s doing great! Honestly. A fantastic job, two solid best mates and a girlfriend who might just be The One. Life is good. Perfect, even.

So why is he waking up in a cold sweat? Why does his heart keep trying to punch its way out of his chest? Charlie should probably see a doctor. That’s what everyone keeps telling him. But it’s not that bad. He just needs a decent night’s sleep. Other than that, he’s Totally Fine.

Except for that car crash a few months ago—the one he barely remembers. The one he hasn’t thought about at all.

Not even once. Not until now…

Can Charlie fix himself—and his two equally deluded best friends—before his job, love life and future unravel completely? Or will his relentless insistence that he’s Totally Fine be the very thing that breaks him?

A wonderful look into male mental health and why men are adamant they don't need a doctor and that they are totally fine, when the rest of the world can see them spiral. 

Even with that as the main theme for this book, it is still a story filled with Nick Spalding's typical humour and some of the situations Charlie and his friends find themselves in are hilarious. 

I was practically laughing out loud at their attempt to use a very small amount of magic mushrooms! 

And some of the descriptions early on of the events that Charlie is planning are brilliant and so vivid I could see everything unfold. 

While at the same time we gradually start to understand what is causing Charlies' health decline, which is revealed slowly, all the while he is adamant that he is totally fine. 

And his girlfriend Annie is a stand up comedian and especially the one set we are treated to was intentionally very funny. 

I feel like the characters although perhaps a bit over the top in what they do, are definitely relatable to. 

This is another fabulous book from an auto read, don't even look at the blurb author for me! 

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - How Simi Got Her Groom Back by Sonali Dev

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Title: How Simi Got Her Groom Back

Author: Sonali Dev

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing

Publication Date: 3rd March 2026

Rating: 5 Stars

Two sisters. One fake marriage. Zero chance of keeping the truth hidden.

The Naik sisters escaped their traumatic past in Mumbai to come to the States, but their journeys have been vastly different. Simi is working toward a bright future as a pediatric nurse in a small town in Kentucky when Rupi shows up at her door in distress, on the run, and as always, dragging trouble in her wake.

With Rupi’s safety in jeopardy, the sisters hatch a desperate plan to keep her in the country: Rupi must get married—and fast—even if it means Simi recruiting the man she’s been secretly dating as her sister’s groom. A perfect plan? Not quite. But there aren’t many alternatives.

As the big day inches closer, Simi and Rupi face a storm of wedding shenanigans and romantic surprises, not to mention sisterly jealousies. As the stakes and tensions rise, will their secrets tear them apart or will they find a way to risk everything for love?

I'm always a big fan of fake dating, so equally enjoy the idea of a fake marriage. But these are circumstances that I could never have dreamed of, but yet it's a sign of just how strong the love between Simi and Rupi really is.

For Simi is allowing her boyfriend Prem to marry Rupi, in order for her sister to get a green card, and Simi's own green card application is having a few issues itself. 

This is an eye opening story about the realities of immigration in America, and about how hard it must be for people to come to a new country, while fearing for their lives, or freedom back in their own country, 

It's a story of family love, even more so than romance, both from the sisters, but also of Prem's family the Guptas, who embrace Rupi as their own.  And Rupi who has never known these sorts of feelings has no idea how to cope with anything. 

There is plenty of arguing between the siblings, but at the same time, when you learn about their upbringing, and then just what Rupi has been subjected to since arriving two years ago in America, well my heart had to go out to them. 

It's no wonder the only way they believe they can keep each other safe is with this scheme, as what is clear is they dare not return to India.   Simi though struggles with her decision. 

I loved literally all the members of the Gupta clan, from the adorable baby triplets, to N&N, to Baba and especially Prem's mum too.  They are all just wonderful people and although some of the story felt a tad confusing at times, mainly in terms of who knows what, and who is meant to know what element of the truth etc...  it is absolutely wonderful. 

I was hooked on this story, This is the first book I have read from this author but I'm fairly confident it won't be my last. I think many people would certainly benefit from the messages  and sentiment of this story. 

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

Book Review - The French Guesthouse by Isabelle Broom

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Amazon UK

Title: The French Guesthouse

Author: Isabelle Broom

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Publication Date: 6th November 2025

Rating: 4 Stars

Sometimes the only way to rebuild is to face the past you tried to escape...

On the night Fliss loses everything - her beloved hotel ravaged by fire and fiancé exposed as a cheat - she receives devastating news: her estranged mother has died. They hadn't spoken in fifteen years and Fliss has stayed away for her own self-preservation.

Summoned to a dilapidated guesthouse in France for the reading of the will, Fliss is stunned to discover she has been left all her mother's possessions. But the inheritance comes at a price - both literal and emotional. Sharing the house is Etienne, her mother's grief-stricken, wine-soaked partner, and his guarded yet magnetic nephew, Benoit.

As Fliss begins restoring the guesthouse, she unearths long-buried secrets about her mother, their past and the true cost of her long absence. But to move forward, cure her guilt and claim the love and happiness she's never thought she deserves, Fliss must first reckon with the hardest question of all: can she forgive?

I really felt for Fliss, what an opening to the book she has.  Her hotel being set alight, discovering the cause of that involves her fiancée cheating, and then hearing that her mother has died all at the same time. 

Now Fliss hasn't been in contact with her mother for many years with good reason, as you discover when you learns more about her,  but regardless as per instructions she sets off to France for the will reading, and discovers she has inherited a property. 

Just that she has to share it with Benoit, and Benoit's uncle is a sitting tenant. Etienne is heartbroken over the death of Fliss's mum, and Fliss initially struggled with Etienne, and the idea she may need to stay in France for a while to get this property saleable. 

What follows is a story of Fliss learning more than she ever knew about her mother, which included the heart breaking truths of just why Lilah was like she was.  And Fliss needs to learn to come to terms with so much, all the while fighting attraction for Benoit, while she is still engaged to a scumbag (not that she quite sees it like that). 

I really enjoyed getting to know all of these characters and their back stories so much.  I did at times struggle with Fliss, but ultimately did like her in the end.  I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the town in France, in addition to the people that are helping on the house. 

There are some lovely characters, and this was a highly enjoyable book. 

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

Book Review - Paradise by Julie Cohen - #HolidayReading Dom Rep

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Amazon UK

Title: Paradise

Author: Julie Cohen

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Orion

Publication Date: 20th November 2025

Rating: 4 Stars

Katie never stops moving - constantly changing her address, her boyfriends, her life. But every June, for a month, she goes back to Maine. To the old lake house her family calls Paradise.

But one day Katie wakes up in a hospital bed in Maine, with no memory of the last eighteen months. From her current boyfriend to the global pandemic, Katie is lost. And everything at Paradise has changed, too... including her best friend in the world, Nic.

Nic puts down deep roots. She still lives in the house where she grew up. She's the memory keeper of her family. And she's been in love with her best friend Katie for almost her entire life. Now Katie's claiming not to remember the night that destroyed their friendship forever. Is her amnesia real? Or does she just want to forget?

And how can either of them move on, if only one of them remembers the truth?

A beautifully written book. 

Katie is in an accident and as a result loses the last 18 months of her life. She doesn't recognise her boyfriend, she can't recall a falling out with her best friend, or her father's health issues.  She also can't recall a pandemic. 

Admittedly many of us probably wish we could forget Covid, and I'm not sure how was the story progressed, i really enjoyed the reminders of lockdown and how bad the world was in 2020. 

But other than that it was a very absorbing story,  where I was fascinated by what Katie was experiencing. 

I was also interested din the chapters from Nic's point of view, and just what her story entailed. 

There are all manner of big scary issues dealt with in this book sensitively and i believe realistically, and with compassion. 

This is a brilliant piece of writing, that totally transported me to summertime in Maine and although not the sort of ending I would perhaps prefer, it did leave me feeling hopeful. 

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

Book Review - Escape to Seahaven Bay by Nicola May - #HolidayReading Dom Rep

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Title: Escape to Seahaven Bay

Author: Nicola May

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Storm Publishing

Publication Date: 16th February 2026

Rating: 5 Stars

The heartwarming new novel from the author of the million-copy bestselling Cockleberry Bay series

Seahaven Bay has always been a place where the sparkling tides bring laughter, love and a lot of fun. But when Rita Jory’s beloved husband Archie dies in a tragic accident, she’s left alone on their failing Cornish farm with nothing but her grieving heart, a mountain of debt and some very badly behaved goats. Faced with selling the home she loves or finding a way to make it pay, Rita has a moment of desperate inspiration. She decides to transform her beloved Seahaven Farm into a place where broken souls can heal by the sea.

With help from her sharp-tongued mother-in-law, loyal best friend, daughter and new friends, the rundown farm soon blossoms into a haven of healing, creativity and community. Rita dares to believe her future might still shimmer with possibility – and even admits her growing attraction to Jago, the gorgeous neighbouring farmer with whom the Jorys had a decades-long feud.

But just as Rita begins to find peace, long-buried secrets about Archie’s past begin to surface, forcing her to question everything she believed about the life they built together.

Rita must discover the truth and decide if she’s ready to open her heart again – to love, to hope, and to the possibility that even after loss, life can still be full of surprises.

A tender, uplifting and hilarious tale of resilience, friendship and finding light in the darkest moments, perfect for fans of Jill Mansell, Jojo Moyes and Amanda Prowse.

What an absolutely brilliant start to a new series.

I loved Rita right from the start,  and when you add in her best friend Kelly, and also Jilly Cooper from reformed Pilates, you have a totally hilarious trio of women guaranteed to make you laugh. 

Rita needs to make her farm start earning more money after she was left in debt when hubby Archie died. And decides to set up a retreat. 

I loved seeing how everything comes together,  and the first set of various guests that come for the month long retreat which offers rest,  relaxation, and various woo woo options.

And then there is the mystery of the will and also just why is there a feud with the neighbouring farm.  Add in her mother in law Hilda and you have all the elements for a fabulous story. 

And the best bit is this is the first of a new series, so at some point I'll be able to return to these characters.

I also liked a cameo of a character from a different series from this author. 

I was completely engaged from start to finish and think this may just be the beginning of a new hit series for this always talented author.

Oh and I loved the goats too, especially Camilla!

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

Book Review - Too Glam To Give A Damn by Clare Carver - Blog Tour

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Amazon UK

Title: Too Glam To Give A Damn

Author: Clare Carver

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: One More Chapter

Publication Date: 12th March 2026

Rating: 4 Stars

Sofia, Maddie and Charlotte are sixty, sexy and ready for a Greek Odyssey! To celebrate five decades of friendship, they are headed off for three weeks of Greek island hopping, soaking up the sun on sparkling beaches and chasing adventure.

From the outside, they haven’t a care in the world; three still gorgeous women on holiday together in the Mediterranean sun. But each one is holding onto something they don’t want their friends, or the rest of the world, to know.

It was always going to be a trip they’ll never forget, but perhaps not for the reasons they expect…

This is a standalone – a brand new story with new characters, and readers do not need to have read Still Got It to read this gorgeous new title in The Greek Getaways Collection!

Well I always enjoy a trip to the Greek Islands, and so a book featuring three different islands, a group of three friends who are all needing this holiday for different reasons, and a whole lot of sun, sea and food, makes for a highly enjoyable time. 

Of course between the sightseeing, our three friends Sofia, Maddie and Charlotte are all hiding various things that have been happening in their lives over the past year or so, and they sort of know they will reveal all at some point during the trip, but when is the question. 

Thankfully the reader is let into the gist of the secrets at least, although not necessarily all the details initially.  They are all going through big life changes and this is a holiday to try to make big decisions for all of them. 

I especially loved Maddie, seeing her confidence grow as the story progresses.  She is grieving her husband who passed away the previous year, and has been struggling with the unfairness of it all.  As the holiday starts she is drinking a lot, and doesn't seem to to want to do much more than eat and drink.  As the holiday progresses, well let's just say this is someone who blossoms between the pages. And her first aid abilities came in handy more frequently than you may expect, including one rather more dramatic sequence. 

I definitely felt as though I was transported to Greece, and I was kind of aware that the third island was related to the author's previous book, with characters from it, but it didn't detract from this story, so I'd say it does work as a standalone book.  

I enjoyed getting to know Sofia, Maddie and Charlotte, and really felt for them and the decisions all three ladies need to make. 

I thoroughly enjoyed my time spent with these characters. This was the first book I've read from this author, and it hopefully won't be the last. 

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

Book Review - If I Had My Time Again by Linda Green

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Title: If I Had My Time Again

Author: Linda Green

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Boldwood Books

Publication Date: 13th March 2026

Rating: 5 Stars

💫 How would you live your life differently, if you had a second chance?

Emily, Carl and Jules have all ‘gone before their time’. After dying on the same day in Halifax, West Yorkshire, they each wake up in a room in a hotel on the outskirts of town. They’re instructed to meet in the basement headquarters of film production company ‘End Credits’, where no-nonsense producer Suzi tells them their lives have been secretly filmed and they must edit their own biopic before they are able to move on.

There are only three rules: they can’t prevent their own deaths or anyone else’s, they can't kill anyone but they can make a director's cut - one change which will alter everything that comes after.

With the chance to undo their regrets and explore life’s infinite possibilities, what will they choose?

I don't think I've ever felt on the verge of tears so many times in one novel as I did in this one. 

I have been totally broken by this, but have ended up completely surprised by one of the endings more so than the others that has left me feeling oddly uplifted. 

Especially as we know all three main characters are dead at the start of the book, and we  meet them in the afterlife.  Now this is the sort of concept that would normally have me running miles away from a book, but given I have read almost every Linda Green novel to date, I trusted that I was reading something in a safe pair of hands. 

And I really was, she has a way of writing which really resonates with me and that a few of her books have tended to stick in some way shape of form to me a lot more than most other authors I have read.  And this I suspect is going to be one such book. 

I have no idea how to describe the contents of what I have just read, other than definitely unique, and completely amazing.  

Of all the various theories there are out there about what happens when you die, I really really like Linda Green's ideas in this book, and really hope she is some sort of all knowing person, and that this is the reality. As that would be awesome. 

Although it would raise an interesting question of what on earth would my life highlights be, and what sort of director's cut would I make for my own life. Which I think would make for an interesting book club discussion. 

I think I've just about felt every emotion there is during this book, I definitely feel as though I've been through the wringer,  and I devoured this book in two sittings over the course of the day.  I just had to keep reading, and needed to discover more and more about the lives of Emily, Carl and Jules. 

And it's not all death and tears, there is laughter too, loads of references that Emily  the youngest of the three didn't get, but that I totally got, but equally there is a lot of references to Friends, that I was totally there for.  

I'm not sure I'll forgive the author for the amount of times tears pricked my eyes during this book, but it's 10000% the sign of an excellent novel for me to be feeling that deeply that regularly.  Utterly brilliant writing, excellent and unique concept and just something totally and utterly different. 

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