Monday 28 February 2022

Book Review - Tea For Two at the Little Cornish Kitchen by Jane Linfoot - #HolidayReading Tenerife

 The Amazon Purchase link below is an Amazon Affiliate link.

Amazon UK

Title: Tea for Two at the Little Cornish Kitchen
Author: Jane Linfoot
Format reviewed: Ebook
Source: Netgalley
Publisher: One More Chapter
Publication Date: 30th January 2022
Rating: 5 Stars

St Aidan: a cosy Cornish village where friendships are made for life and it’s always cocktail hour somewhere…

The Little Cornish Kitchen is going on tour!
When internet sensation ‘Cressida Cupcake’ has a soggy bottomed TV fiasco and faces bake-off backlash she jumps at the chance to spend some time hiding out in St Aidan, dog sitting for her brother.

Picturesque Seaspray Cottage is meant to be Cressy Hobson’s port in the storm but with her blog sponsors having fled and her book deal gone sideways her funds are running low and she’s forced to turn to the locals for help. Soon her quiet weeks in Cornwall are filled with chasing sheep, saving the local retirement village, taking The Little Cornish Kitchen into people’s homes for baking nights…and keeping vigilant guard against romance.

The one and only time Cressy lost her head to love was over a decade ago while in St Aidan, and she won’t be making the same mistake again – a feat easier said than done when Ross Bradbury looks even better a decade on…and every step she takes seems to put him in her path!

Make sure you have a steady stream of cakes, blondies, meringues, icing,  cookies etc.. handy to munch on as you read this, or forever feel the hunger!

So lovely to be back in St. Aiden with a tale from Jane Linfoot, and this definitely works as a standalone novel. 

Between the cute cat, fantastic dog, hunky vet, the friendship group that call themselves Mermaids, and some fabulous residents in a care home in addition to community spirit in spades, this is a fabulous place for Cressida to run to . 

Especially after getting a whole bunch of internet trolling and needing to escape for a while, and she is housesitting for her brother, while trying to work out the mess her career has turned into. 

I loved the concept of The Little Cornish Kitchen going on tour, and seeing how Cressida Cupcake would deal with various situations. 

I was also hooked on her interactions with Ross, who has has past history with, but that I really fell for! 

And Millie was easily one of my favourite characters, a 10 year old who is very switched on, has a habit of repeating things with the best comic timing, she's great!

I just loved every second I spent amongst these characters in this all so familiar setting.  Just please Jane Linfoot don't make us wait so long for your next book!

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

Friday 25 February 2022

Book Review - Three Single Wives by Gina LaManna - #HolidayReading Tenerife

 The Amazon Purchase link below is an Amazon Affiliate link.

Amazon UK

Title: Three Single Wives
Author: Gina LaManna
Format reviewed: Ebook
Source: Netgalley
Publisher: Sphere
Publication Date: 1st September 2020
Rating: 5 Stars

None of them came to book club with a plot to murder . . .

So when the discussion unexpectedly turns to the appropriate revenge for a philandering husband, nobody takes it seriously. It's all hypothetical and anyway, what woman hasn't dreamed about killing the man she loves occasionally? That doesn't mean she'd actually do it.

But the very next day a man is dead.

And now three women have some explaining to do . . .

How on earth do you go from a book club discussion that leads to a hypothetical discussion about how you might murder your spouse, to the next day one of those men ending up dead, and no one including the reader being entirely sure for a long while just who killed the man. 

Or in fact which man it was, as there is a lot of motivation everywhere.  

Told in a mix of transcripts from the court case and from the ladies points of view going back 8 months to the present, to explain all the complicated dynamics at play, I was utterly hooked and needed to keep on reading to discover the truth. 

It's very clever and well thought out, and I really did come to also want to kill the dead man as he arguably deserved to die.

This is the second book I've now read by this author and I'm completely convinced it won't be the last as I've enjoyed both so much. 

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

Wednesday 23 February 2022

Book Review - Forever Summer by Jenny Oliver

 The Amazon Purchase link below is an Amazon Affiliate link.

Amazon UK

Title: Forever Summer
Author: Jenny Oliver
Format reviewed: Ebook
Source: Netgalley
Publisher: Electric Monkey
Publication Date: 8th July 2021
Rating: 5 Stars

For all fans of Jenny Han, Holly Bourne and The Kissing Booth comes the must-have teen read from bestselling fiction author, Jenny Oliver!

Summer term and the heat is rising …

It's summer term at Chelsea High, the most exclusive school in town! The weeks ahead are filled with glamorous events – including a variety show AND a trip to a Greek island! But a shock revelation has new girl Norah Whittaker rethinking everything she thought she knew about herself. With family, friendship and romance up in the air, studying at Chelsea High is NEVER straightforward!

My only regret with this book was not having realised Jenny Oliver had moved into YA books sooner than I did, as I would have loved to have read Chelsea High first. 

In fact I didn't even realise until after I had started reading Forever Summer and then pulled up the info my computer at which point I twigged, but with that I will say this can easily be read as a standalone, but it may have taken me a bit longer to get to grips with the sizeable cast of characters. 

And my regret is purely because I was enjoying this one so much it's a shame I hadn't had a chance to read the series in order, as this is 100% my sort of book. 

I absolutely loved it! 

I've always loved books set in schools and this was no exception, and I couldn't help but really feel for Norah, her boyfriend is currently in New York with a seriously ill brother, her father is in prison, she is at a school for the rich only thanks to her grandparents paying the fees, and she's not really got that many friends. 

There are all the sorts of dynamics you would expect in a high school but there is also in terms of sports, well the school has a polo team, i mean I went to a private school with a whole range of sports on offer, but we certainly didn't have ponies and polo! I did love that Norah was in the Netball squad, which allowed me to relive my attempts to get into my own Netball squad (I always failed). 

There are so many big themes running through this book, and a plethora of fabulous storylines.  I am completely hooked on Norah's life and want more.  I really really hope there will be another book in this series, as I'm certainly not done with my time at Chelsea High.  I was enjoying it that much. 

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

Tuesday 22 February 2022

Book Review - The Farmhouse of Second Chances by Helen Rolfe - Blog Tour

 The Amazon Purchase link below is an Amazon Affiliate link.

Amazon UK

Title: The Farmhouse of Second Chances
Author: Helen Rolfe
Format reviewed: Ebook
Source: Netgalley
Publisher: Orion
Publication Date: 17th February 2022
Rating: 4 Stars

Home is where the heart is...

Joy has made a family for herself. She's turned her beautiful old farmhouse into a safe haven for anyone who is looking for a new beginning. She's always ready with a kind word, a nugget of advice and believes that anyone can change their life for the better, if they really want to.

Libby has exchanged her high-flying job in New York for a break in the quiet Somerset countryside. She's soon drawn into Joy's world and into her family of waifs and strays - including Drew, whom Joy once helped get back on his feet.

So when a secret from Joy's past threatens everything, can the unlikely group come together to give Joy a second chance of her own?

Perfect for fans of Cathy Bramley and Ali McNamara!

It took me a long while to get into this book, I knew I was enjoying it, but due to life getting in the way, I was struggling to read for more than a few mins at time. I feel if I had managed to spare the time to read a good amount of the early bit of the book in one go, I would have connected with it a lot quicker - but that's on me. 

As by the time I got to the last quarter I had to read it one sitting, I couldn't be parted from the story, as I desperately needed to know just what is was that Joy has been hiding, and I would never have predicted how the finale section of this book would resolve. 

I loved the dual view points of Joy and Libby, aunt and niece, as it really allowed me the chance to get to know the characters.  Libby and her adjustment to life in the UK Countryside after quitting her New York city job.   And Joy with what really is a farmhouse of second chances. 

There are adorable puppies, and a rag tag group of people that Joy has helped over the years that have become her family.  I loved getting to know Lauren and her cakes, Freddie and his fruit and veg business, Drew and his kayaks and Cameron who is the newest addition to the farmhouse, who is just starting to settle in. 

I thoroughly enjoyed these well rounded characters who all have awkward pasts in common, and who all clearly care for Joy. 

I had a lot of fun trying to guess what the big secret in Joy's past was, and generally enjoying the whole heartwarming vibe of the book. A very enjoyable story. 

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




Monday 21 February 2022

Book Review - The New Beginnings Bridal Boutique by Kellie Hailes - #HolidayReading Tenerife

 The Amazon Purchase link below is an Amazon Affiliate link.

Amazon UK

Title: The New Beginnings Bridal Boutique 
Author: Kellie Hailes
Format reviewed: Ebook
Source: Netgalley
Publisher: Orion Dash
Publication Date: 10th June 2021
Rating: 5 Stars

As the owner of a second-hand bridal boutique in the little village of Alfriston, Paige Alby has seen too many tear-stained owners bring in wedding dresses that signal collapsed dreams to believe in happily ever after. So being the maid of honour at her mother's fourth wedding isn't exactly something she's looking forward to... Nor is the prospect of working with Cy, her mother's admittedly handsome but far too forward wedding planner.

Cy Thorpe has spent the last few years building a wedding empire in London catering to the rich and famous. On a trip home to see his family, he takes on a small private wedding on a whim. The last thing he expected to find was love, but the more time he spends with Paige, the more he sees past her defences to the woman who has dedicated her life to saving the things others have neglected. The hopeless romantic to Paige's sworn cynic, can Cy get Paige to give him and happily ever after a chance?

A warm and uplifting romance, The New Beginnings Bridal Boutique is perfect for fans of Jessica Redland, Tilly Tennant and Donna Ashcroft.

Another wining book from Kellie Hailes. 

I utterly adored the bets and banter between Paige and Cy, as they to make sure Paige's mum Diana has a great wedding to Fiancée Si, even if it is her umpteenth time down the aisle. 

Although both work in a wedding related business, neither are willing to risk their own hearts and fall in love. 

So their character development was lovely to see, as they come to certain realisations about everything. 

A lovely quick and easy read that had me enthralled on my sunbed as I read reading poolside.  

Thoroughly enjoyable and just what I needed as I read it.

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

Friday 18 February 2022

Book Review - The Family Holiday by Elizabeth Noble - #HolidayReading Tenerife

 The Amazon Purchase link below is an Amazon Affiliate link.

Amazon UK

Title: The Family Holiday
Author: Elizabeth Noble
Format reviewed: Ebook
Source: Netgalley
Publisher: Michael Joseph
Publication Date: 25th June 2020
Rating: 4 Stars

The only gift Charlie wants for his 80th birthday is his family all together again.

Ever since his wife Daphne passed away, and the children grew up into their own busy lives, it's felt like they've drifted apart.

So he's invited them all on a family holiday - their first in years.

And by some miracle, everyone has said yes.

Ten days all together in the Cotswolds . . . how hard can it be?

It has been forever since I last read a new book from Elizabeth Noble, so was delighted to see The Family Holiday had been released. 

And even after a considerable gap between releases (unless I've missed some, somewhere), her writing is still fabulous, and the family and its strands in this story really got under my skin. 

I loved all three siblings and their stories, Laura, now single mum to teen Evan, who himself is having a rather nightmarish time of things at the moment.  Scott who is happily married to Heather and his two step daughters who seem lovely. And then there is Nick, who is a widower with 3 young children, 5 and under, and is just trying to make it from day to day. 

And patriarch of the family Charlie who has summoned them all to the Cotswolds for a summer family holiday and to celebrate his 80th birthday.

I enjoyed seeing how all the various kids got on together, as well as the dynamics between the siblings who don't seem overly close as adults. 

At times I wanted to reach out and hug Evan, and Nick, and the little kids. They were all so much in need of some extra special love! 

Really enjoyable story that I'm glad I finally sat down to read.

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

Thursday 17 February 2022

Book Review - The Moon Over Kilmore Quay by Carmel Harrington - #HolidayReading #UKCruise

 The Amazon Purchase link below is an Amazon Affiliate link.

Amazon UK

Title: The Moon Over Kilmore Quay
Author: Carmel Harrington
Format reviewed: Ebook
Source: Netgalley
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication Date: 27th May 2021
Rating: 5 Stars

When your heart belongs in two places, can you ever truly find home?

Brooklyn, New York,
Bea has grown up in the heart of the Irish community, always hearing stories of home. When she discovers a letter from her younger self, written years before, it sends her deep into her own family history.

Kilmore Quay, Ireland.
Years earlier, Lucy Mernagh leaves her much-loved home and family in search of the New York dream. The Big Apple is a world away from the quiet village she grew up in, and the longing for home aches within her.

When Bea uncovers a shocking secret, it takes her back across the water to Kilmore Quay, where – finally – long-buried truths will come to light. But fate has one last twist in store…

It took me a while to get into this book, but wow once I was hooked I couldn't get enough of it.

And by the last quarter or so I lost count of the amount of times I paused and looked up in open mouthed wonder at what was happening next. 

Somehow I didn't see a large amount of things coming although with hindsight it makes sense. 

I loved the dual times lines of what is happening in Bea's life now, as well as Lucy's life when she first emigrated to New York from Wexford, Ireland. 

There is a great sense if Irish community and pride within this book that I loved feeling a part of. 

It is another well thought out, gripping and engaging story from a fabulous author, who always produces wonderful books.

A very heartwarming story that will certainly get under your skin and get you thinking. 

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

Wednesday 16 February 2022

Book Review - The Missing Wife by M. A. Comley

 The Amazon Purchase link below is an Amazon Affiliate link.

Amazon UK

Title: The Missing Wife
Author: M A Comley
Format reviewed: Ebook
Source: Author supplied Copy
Publisher: Jeamel Publishing Limited
Publication Date: 17th February 2022
Rating: 5 Stars

Years have gone by, justice was served. The case closed. Until now.

The body of a woman, missing for twelve years, is discovered during a routine dig on a nature reserve. It’s up to DI Sally Parker and her team to revisit the evidence. Was the right man convicted? Are there more victims?

On-going investigations are piling on the pressure, forcing Sally to reach out to an old friend for help.

The team are driven to provide closure for the family, but can the killer escape conviction yet again?

From the New York Times Bestselling author who brought you the Justice Series, M A Comley now brings you The Missing Wife, the next gripping installment in the nail-biting DI Sally Parker Cold Case series.

I have to say from the few books that I have read of the DI Sally Parker series, that I really do love it.  Since it's dealing in cold cases, it has a slightly different vibe to M. A. Comley's other books,  and I find it fascinating as to how the police can solve things, so many years later. 

But what really elevates this book in my eyes, is that Lorne has come out of retirement once more and has joined Sally's team to attempt to right some wrongs of a bent officer.  

So my all time favourite detective is back and it meant i felt right at home with the characters, especially when we get to see what Tony is up to too.  I just hope this is the start of a whole bunch of books featuring Sally and Lorne. 

And the crimes being investigated are still despicable and we get to meet some really unpleasant criminals.  I really enjoyed seeing how friends and family react when a body if finally uncovered after 12 years.  

I was completely hooked on this, picking it up at every opportunity to see how the story would progress. 

And I just can't wait to see what will happen next in this series. 

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

Tuesday 15 February 2022

Book Review - No Ex Before Marriage by Portia MacIntosh

 The Amazon Purchase link below is an Amazon Affiliate link.

Amazon UK

Title: No Ex Before Marriage
Author: Portia MacIntosh
Format reviewed: Ebook
Source: Netgalley
Publisher: Boldwood Books
Publication Date: 11th January 2022
Rating: 5 Stars

It's not over until someone says 'I do'...

While her friends join the "Wife Club" one by one, Poppy feels like that part of her life is done and dusted. Already married and divorced she's not desperate to go through all that again.

But what if her divorce never actually went through...?

After a shock revelation Poppy not only discovers she is still married, but that Zac is about to have his second wedding!

Coming face to face with her (almost) ex-husband after six years apart is never going to be easy. And when Zac panics and tells his new wife-to-be that Poppy is family, things can't get much worse as she is welcomed with open arms as part of the wedding party!

As the memories flood back, can Poppy really leave the past where it is? And can she watch the first love of her life walk down the aisle to say 'I do' once again?

A laugh-out-loud romantic comedy from top 10 bestseller Portia MacIntosh, guaranteed to brighten up your day.

Calling all Hollywood movie producers, please turn this book into a film, it feels like a film, it was like a movie running through my head the whole time and its completely fabulous, so deserves to be on a big screen. 

I can't put my finger on whether this is loosely based on potentially an amalgamation of existing rom com movies, or whether its completely fresh and just written in a way that had the scenes playing out so so clearly in my head, but its brilliant! 

I've laughed quite a bit at this amusing story, which I whizzed through as it was just so readable and captured my attention so much more than quite a lot of the books that I've read recently.  It's reinvigorated me and reminded me just how much fun, and how much I really do love an excellently written rom-com.  (Not to say other books haven't been great, by my attention span has been iffy recently). 

I loved the race against time for Poppy to locate Zac at his new wedding, to explain that they are still married and that the divorce papers need re-signing.  The circumstances leading to this a great, and  the location of Zac's upcoming nuptials, a massive castle in Scotland is spectacular. 

Add in a new friend who is rather zany, some what are apparently out of character moments for Poppy as she tries to enjoy life, even though all her old friends seem to be freezing her out, and also flashbacks so we can see key moments of Poppy and Zac's relationship from the start to the end of it, and you have plenty to keep you entertained while reading this. 

Utterly fantabulous, I just hope my wish comes true and that we can see this on a big screen in the future as it would definitely be a hit! 

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

Monday 14 February 2022

Book Review - The Getaway by Isabelle Broom - #HolidayReading Tenerife

 The Amazon Purchase link below is an Amazon Affiliate link.

Amazon UK

Title: The Getaway
Author: Isabelle Broom
Format reviewed: Ebook
Source: Netgalley
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Publication Date: 10th June 2021
Rating: 5 Stars

Sometimes it takes losing everything to find the person you need . . .

Most people travel to Croatia for its endless sunshine, pebbly beaches and crystal clear sea.

Kate goes there to disappear.

She needs to escape from a life that has fallen apart in spectacular and public fashion, and no one on the beautiful island of Hvar knows who she is or what she's running away from.

Until she meets another lonely soul.

Alex is different to any man Kate has ever known, yet the connection between them is undeniable. She soon begins to open up in ways she never has before - not even to herself. But Kate is not the only person in Hvar hiding secrets. And, as she is about to discover, it is always only a matter of time before the truth catches up with you . . 

How I loved this book, Isabelle Broom has such a marvellous way of describing places, that I couldn't help but want to visit Hvar in Croatia myself, especially if there is a man like Alex about!

Alex is a man of mystery, lives a simple life, and just always seems to be about. 

Kate on the other hand is only in Croatia, to hide from a viral video and hope that her now ex-boyfriend may want to take her back if he misses her!

Kate does though help her brother, Toby with the interior design for his new hostel venture and also discovers a lot about herself in the process. 

There were many moments there I was letting out audible giggles at various things in the book. 

A real taste of Croatian life and truly enjoyable reading experience, I thoroughly enjoyed my time between the pages of The Getaway. 

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

Friday 11 February 2022

Book Review - The Push by Claire McGowan - #HolidayReading Tenerife

 The Amazon Purchase link below is an Amazon Affiliate link.

Amazon UK

Title: The Push
Author: Claire McGowan
Format reviewed: Ebook
Source: Netgalley
Publisher: Thomas and Mercer
Publication Date: 12th November 2020
Rating: 4 Stars

The party should have been perfect: six couples from the same baby group, six newborns, a luxurious house. But not everything has gone to plan, and while some are here to celebrate, others have sorrows to drown. When someone falls from the balcony of the house, the secrets and conflicts within the group begin to spill out …

DS Alison Hegarty, herself struggling with infertility, is called in to investigate. She’s convinced the fall was not an accident, and finds the new parents have a lot to hide. Wealthy Ed and Monica show off their newborn while their teenage daughter is kept under virtual house arrest. Hazel and Cathy conceived their longed-for baby via an anonymous sperm donor—or so Hazel thinks. Anita and Jeremy planned to adopt from America, but there’s no sign of the child. Kelly, whose violent boyfriend disrupted previous group sessions, came to the party even though she lost her baby. And then there’s Jax, who’s been experiencing strange incidents for months—almost like someone’s out to get her. Is it just a difficult pregnancy? Or could it be payback for something she did in the past?

It’s a nightmare of a case, and as events get even darker it begins to look impossible. Only one thing is clear: they all have something to hide. And for one of them, it’s murder.

It took me a while to really get into the story, purely due to the number of characters we are introduced to, and trying to get them all straight in my head. 

Once I had that bit sorted, my enjoyment and puzzlement about what all the party goers were hiding was growing, page by page, as I tried to guess everything ideally before the detective. 

Some I was spot on with, others not so much and I certainly didn't guess the ultimate answers of just what happened on that terrace when a person ended up going over and landing on a rockery. 

There were certainly some Wow reveals that had me shocked. 

Told in present time from the detective, in the weeks leading up to the fatal party by Jax, and then the day of the party in various passages of time from all the ladies present, you are treated to what really is a puzzling case. 

I ended up racing through the final quarter to see how it would all resolve itself, and really enjoyed it.

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

Tuesday 8 February 2022

Book Review - The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren

 The Amazon Purchase link below is an Amazon Affiliate link.

Title: The Soulmate Equation
Author: Christina Lauren
Format reviewed: Ebook
Source: Netgalley
Publisher: Piatkus
Publication Date: 18th May 2021
Rating: 5 Stars

The New York Times bestselling author of The Unhoneymooners returns with a hilariously witty and feel-good romcom about your perfect match being the last person you'd expect . . .

Jess is a numbers genius, but when it comes to love she's had to accept there is no magic formula. Juggling a career with raising her daughter, it's not surprising that her love life is. . . non-existent. When yet another date ends in disaster, she's prepared to give up on love for good.

But then she hears about a buzzy new matchmaking company that claims to find you the One using a DNA equation. Suddenly, love doesn't seem quite so far out of reach . . .

Until her test shows an unheard-of 98% compatibility with the company's founder, Dr River Pena. Jess already knows Dr Pena, and this man is 100% not her soulmate. Yet as the pair are dragged from one event to the next as the ultimate 'Diamond' pairing, Jess begins to realise that there might be more to the scientist - and to the science behind a soulmate - than she thought.

I loved literally every single thing about this book and was hooked pretty much from the second chapter! Whenever I wasn't reading, Jess and River were on my mind and I wanted to get back to the book. 

In fact I'm not sure why it had to end, I was enjoying it so much. 

I loved the rather nerdy natures of River and Jess, and it somehow doesn't surprise me that they had such a great match on River's DNA matching service. 

River is utterly gorgeous, and as you get to know him, he warms up to be a totally fabulous person too, and I would have happily taken him off Jess's hands! 

Jess on the other hand wasn't looking for love, she has her daughter Juno to prioritise, but submitted a sample for analysis affter a bad day and wasn't expecting the result that came up. 

There is fair bit of science, and the thought behind just what is being calculated and it sounded fascinating, what I could follow of it.  In addition Jess is a statistician so there are a fair few stats in the book.  While Juno has a fabulous inquisitive mind, and asks great questions and has great facts! 

I loved Jess's best friend Flick, who is a romance novelist, and is always so supportive and encouraging of Jess. 

And that's before you take into account the rest of Jess' family, some very lovely, one very cute, and one downright nasty! 

Once again Christina Lauren has produced a truly fabulous book. They are so talented especially at writing chemistry that was trying to overheat my poor kindle,. It was so blatant you could feel it from here - I loved it! 

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

Monday 7 February 2022

Book Review - The Staycation by Cressida McLaughlin - Blog Tour

 The Amazon Purchase link below is an Amazon Affiliate link.

Amazon UK

Title: The Staycation
Author: Cressida McLaughlin
Format reviewed: Ebook
Source: Netgalley
Publisher: Harper Collins
Publication Date: 3rd February 2022
Rating: 5 Stars

Travel agent, Hester Monday, has been keeping a secret …

Thanks to her fear of flying, she hasn’t been on a plane in years. Now Hester wants to make a good impression on her newest client, Jake Oakenfield, who was heroically injured saving an old lady, and is now laid up in a luxury hotel.

For Jake, unable to return to New York, binge watching Netflix just won’t do. He wants Hester to invent the ultimate escape and re-create her most magical holidays abroad from the confines of his hotel room.

As their perfect mini-breaks around the globe take on a life of their own, Hester wonders if her world of make-believe is all starting to feel just a little too real…

Ooh I do love a Cressida McLaughlin novel and this one is utterly fabulous too.  It was such a quick read for me as I devoured every word, every description of a holiday, every description of the fear of flying, and even more.  

I could picture everything so clearly, especially how Hester set up the hotel room for Jake, for the first of the staycations he asks her to organise.  Despite Hester having never really gone anywhere, she gave such a taste for the country and in fact just about any country she books holiday for. 

As in theory, and she does prove it that you can easily sell a holiday even if you haven't experienced it first hand, if you research enough, are passionate about the location, are able to research and have a way with words. 

Which is of course the exact reason I love armchair travel, through fiction, as much as real travel, and is a point that comes up while Jake is trying to persuade Hester that her wants to virtually travel to places, thus setting up this series of staycations. 

Jake is incredibly good looking, slightly heroic in his actions which are what caused him to be stuck in a hotel room on the wrong side of the Atlantic for a few weeks, and clearly is intrigued by Hester. 

I really enjoyed the glimpses of Rosalie who is a remarkable older lady and so instrumental in various parts of the book, and the first time we get to meet her properly, and well she has some great lines! 

Between vivid travel elements, a potential for romance, great characters, some really imaginative ideas, and just the authors ability to tell an entertaining and enjoyable story - this book has it all.  And I couldn't have loved it more if I tried! 

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

Please do follow along with the rest of the blog tour 



Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...