Book Review - A Summer Holiday At Bridget's Bicycle Bakery by Alex Brown

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Title: A Summer Holiday At Bridget's Bicycle Bakery

Author: Alex Brown

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: One More Chapter

Publication Date: 30th July 2023

Rating: 5 Stars

It’s summer in Mulberry-on-Sea and with the arrival of warm, sunny evenings and happy tourists full of candy floss and ice cream, Bridget’s Bicycle Bakery has gone from strength-to-strength. There’s only one small croissant-shaped problem – her cosy kitchen isn’t big enough for all her delicious bakes!

The seaside-town’s old, boarded-up bakery would be perfect for Bridget’s scrumptious sausage rolls and sourdough loaves but she’ll have to breathe life and love into it, just the way she did with the local community. With the help of the her local friends and her gorgeous beau Jack, could Bridget’s Bakery dream be coming true, or is she about to wake up to a new surprise?

What a lovely and heart warming short story. It was fabulous to be back with Bridget and her family and her bread dreams. 

This is a really quick to read short story that is probably best enjoyed if you have read the first book in the series, so that you really know the characters. It meant I felt right at home, back in Mulberry-on-Sea, with all of the locals I already knew I loved. 

There were a couple of mysteries to keep us hooked, and I kept hoping that they would have positive outcomes for Bridget.

Thoroughly enjoyed this installment and really hope there will be a next book in the series. 

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

Book Review - Picture Perfect by Jeevani Charika

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Title: Picture Perfect

Author: Jeevani Charika

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley 

Publisher: HQ

Publication Date: 21st October 2022 

Rating: 5 Stars

Niro is a photographer who’s lost the joy of taking photos. Burned by a bad break-up, she’s in desperate need of inspiration.

Vimal is determined to win back his ex-girlfriend. When he hears she’s bringing her new boyfriend on a group holiday, he impulsively declares that he’s bringing a plus one too.

Their mutual friends have the perfect solution: Niro can pretend to be Vimal’s new girlfriend and join the holiday. Imagine the incredible photographs she could take in the Swiss alps…

She’s not thinking about love. He’s thinking about someone else. Can they fake a picture-perfect relationship – or will real feelings get in the way?

Don’t miss this funny and uplifting fake-dating romance for fans of The Kiss Quotient and The Love Hypothesis!

From the first few pages I knew I was going to enjoy this story,  and I was right.

Especially after realising there was a fake dating trope involved, and also a trip to a gorgeous ski lodge in the mountains. 

I loved getting to know Vimal and Niro, who are so different as Niro attempts to help Vimal get his ex girlfriend back

But nothing every goes according to a plan, and seeing the dynamic change between them was wonderful to see. 

I really disliked many of the people on this holiday with them, especially Lucien.

The descriptions of the scenery and the way Niro was framing her shots was so clear, I felt as though I could see her photos.

This was a highly enjoyable story that I devoured. Another fabulous book from this author who is going from strength to strength. 

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

Book Review - The Summer Trip by Isabelle Broom

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Title: The Summer Trip

Author: Isabelle Broom

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Publication Date: 23rd June 2022

Rating: 5 Stars

What if your life worked out perfectly . . . for someone else?

It's been 18 years since Ava spent the summer on the Greek island of Corfu, but she has never forgotten what happened during those months - or who she left behind.

Now single, estranged from her family, and preparing to wave her daughter off to university, Ava's life seems a million miles away from the one she dreamed about as a teenager - a life now being lived by her sister instead.

When Ava decides to return to Corfu for the summer, she knows she must finally face the place and the people that broke her heart. But with old resentments festering, long-buried secrets lurking, and familiar feelings resurfacing, it looks set to be a holiday that will change all their lives forever. . .

Well this was a story that left me with a great big smile on my face! 

I may have at times been utterly convinced I knew what some of the characters were hiding, at other points there were revelations that shocked me and the one thing I convinced myself that was true, was evidently not - which is why I love reading so much,  you can never be sure of the journey. 

And what a journey these characters take, three sisters all fairly estranged from each other end up in Corfu for the summer, and it was wonderful to get to know Ava, Mattie and Orla, and just why they never see each other. 

Add in Ava's almost 18 year old daughter Rosie, a strange man that she seems to be infatuated with, that Ava dislikes almost immediately (and I can't say I blame her), what what we have is a summer that will change lives forever. 

There are hot Greek men, delicious sounding food, you definitely get a feel for the pace of life in Corfu and also the strong family values that that Greek hold dear to themselves.   

And by the time we get to the last third of the book, I was so engrossed that even when I wasn't reading the characters were on my mind. 

This is another fabulous story from Isabelle Broom. 

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

Book Review - The Conspirators by G W Shaw

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Title: The Conspirators

Author: G W Shaw

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: riverrun

Publication Date: 20th July 2023

Rating: 3 Stars

Jacob Meaney makes so little money as a translator that his girlfriend has given up on him. Then Eloise, an Australian digital marketer, appears out of the blue, offering him unheard of sums for a couple of weeks' work.

A private plane and helicopter take him to a showcase villa in Carinthia and all the luxury he could ever want. Here he meets the owner of the house Bondarenko. Unwillingly Jacob has become part of an organised crime conspiracy, held captive there by armed guards.

His task is to interpret between Hindi, Russian and English during Zoom calls with Nazim, an Indian criminal whose gang have taken over the manufacture and distribution network of the wonder fertility drug that Bondarenko has been selling on the internet. It becomes clear to Jacob that his employer is in far deeper and more dangerously than he realises. The gang's plan is to take over the entire operation by any means.

The villa has become a lethal gilded prison to Jacob and Vlada, the maid who's a trafficked worker. When Nazim finally strikes which side will Jacob take to survive?

 I opted to read this because I loved G W Shaw's previous book, and wanted to give the author another go.  And on the whole I was certainly impressed by this book, the writing is great, there is a great sense of peril, and you have absolutely no idea who to trust. 

It is also filled with characters I felt it was hard to like including Jacob who I just didn't gel with,  and I had absolutely no idea who to trust.  And at times I felt completely and utterly lost as to who was on what side and whose loyalties lay where. 

It's a very good concept and I enjoyed the descriptions of the compound that Jacob was taken too,  I was impressed with his translation skills, and seeing how he was coming to terms with the situation he was in. 

I also really feld for Vlada, the maid and her backstory did touch me, but then again at times I wasn't sure if I could trust her too.  I literally suspected everyone of everything at some point or another while reading. 

Certainly for me unpredictable, and it's definitely a good book that I'm glad I read, but at the same time, I think I should perhaps stay clear of books involving conspiracies in the future as I don't really think they are for me. I'm still though curious to see what the author's next book will be. 

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

Book Review - The Little Italian Hotel by Phaedra Patrick

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Title: The Little Italian Hotel

Author: Phaedra Patrick

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: HQ

Publication Date: 20th July 2023

Rating: 4 Stars

Ginny Splinter, acclaimed radio host and relationship expert, prides herself on knowing what’s best for others. So, she’s sure her husband, Adrian, will love the special trip to Italy she’s planned for their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. But when Ginny presents the gift, he surprises her with his own very different plan: a divorce.

Beside herself with heartache, Ginny impulsively goes live on air to invite four heartbroken listeners to join her instead. From hiking the hills of Bologna to sharing a gondola in Venice and dancing until dawn, Ginny and her guests embark on a holiday of full of fun, hope and healing.

Sunny, tender and brimming with charm, The Little Italian Hotel explores love, the importance of friendship, and reclaiming the present moment – even if it means leaving the past behind.

This is an uplifting story about a group of strangers all trying to getting over various heartbreaks. 

Each of them is on this 3 week holiday for a different reason, and what initially seems like an unlikely group of people, slowly starts to bond and with it, and their different activities and excursions we see them all start to heal. 

I really enjoyed getting to know all of the characters, but the main focus was on Ginny and I can't help but wish at times it had been on one of the others. It's just that Ginny drove me slightly round the bend, and her indecision and neediness was really annoying. 

Nico and his hotel are lovely, and I liked how he was joining in on some of the heartache activities too. Although I'd personally have preferred to stay in Ginny's original choice of hotel 

The writing is warm and easy to read, and it's a truly lovely story.  I spent a lovely time in the pages of this book being transported to Italy. And the day trip to Venice, well the descriptions matched what I remember seeing and my impressions when I visited on a cruise the other year.  So excellent location details too. 

I love this author's books and this was another good book from her. 

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

Book Review - The French Chateau Dream by Julie Caplin

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Title: The French Chateau Dream

Author: Julie Chaplin

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: One More Chapter

Publication Date: 30th June 2023

Rating: 5 Stars

You are invited to a summer of sparkling champagne, warm buttery croissants and a little bit of je ne sais quoi…

With a broken heart and a broken spirit, Hattie is in need of a summer escape. So when an opportunity comes up to work at a beautiful, stately chateau in the Champagne region of France she books her flights quicker than the pop of a cork.

Romance is the last thing Hattie is looking for but then she wasn’t expecting gorgeous Luc to stroll into her life. With picnics in the warm French sun and delicious foodie trips to the local market, Hattie starts to wonder if a holiday fling – or maybe even something more – might be just what she needs.

Everything I have come to expect from a Julie Caplin novel and more.  It is filled with Champagne, food, excellent feel of a location, cameos of characters from some of her other books, sunshine, and a fabulous romance. 

I mean what more could a girl want. 

It's a wonderful summery read, that transports you to a French Chateau and Hattie who is a wedding planner, who has recently broken up with her boyfriend and is determined to prove that she plan a fabulous wedding for her cousin. 

But nothing is quite as simple as it sounds, when it looks as though someone is trying to sabotage the wedding preparations (it's obvious to the reader who it is, but Hattie is oblivious) , 

And Luc the Frenchman who lives at the Chateau really grew on me quite fast and I absolutely adored him. 

I was so absorbed in this story I thought I would read just a bit more before bed, and well read the last 25% in bed, well into the early hours of the morning (don't think it was quite starting to light again, but probably close!).   I was just enjoying it so much, and was eager to see how everything would resolve itself. 

Another wonderful escapist read from this talented author. I loved it so much. 

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

Book Review - Winter at Cliff's End Cottage by Sheila Norton

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Title: Winter at Cliff's End Cottage

Author: Sheila Norton

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Piatkus

Publication Date: 9th December 2021

Rating: 5 Stars

A cosy, heartwarming Christmas read about the growing friendship between a young journalist and an old woman who lives in a house teetering on the edge of the Devon cliffs, by the bestselling author of The Vets of Hope Green and The Petshop on Pennycombe Bay

Cliff's End Cottage is a local landmark. Perched on the South Devon coast, its garden has begun slowly toppling into the sea, yet the elderly and infamously stubborn owner Stella refuses to leave her home. When Holly, a young journalist and single mum struggling to make ends meet, decides to interview Stella about her life, at first she's given short shrift. However, helped by a slice or two of cake and a couple of friendly cats, a tentative friendship begins to develop between the two lonely women.

Stella and Holly may live different lives, but over the cold winter nights, as Stella shares her story, the two women discover more and more in common. Time is running out for the house on the edge, but perhaps, together, Stella and Holly can find a new way forward.

A heart-warming story by the author of The Vets of Hope Green, where two women from different generations find that a new friend - no matter how late in life they may appear - can mean everything

I couldn't get enough of this story, it was one of those rare books that completely and utterly got under my skin and wouldn't let me go until I had devoured the book.  I read it in only a few short hours and was gripped during that time. 

It's an enchanting story about Stella and Holly, two people who perhaps didn't quite realise just how lonely they were until they met each other and formed a cross generational friendship.  

For Stella is in her eighties and is living alone on a cliff top, in a house that is getting closer and closer to the cliff's edge, due to soil erosion.  While Holly is a single mother to Maisie, and has trouble trusting people  and letting them get close to her, and for understandable reasons. 

But yet when Holly starts to listen to Stella's life story, it moves her.  And Stella has lived an ordinary but incredibly interesting life, not without its intrigue and scandal. She's a fascinating character and I'm glad I had the opportunity to get to know her via this book. 

This was a utterly charming and heartwarming novel, and shows that friends can be made at whatever age you are.   Simply superb. 

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

Book Review - Where Did She Go? by M A Comley

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Title: Where Did She Go?

Author: M A Comley

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Author supplied copy

Publisher: Jeamel Publishing Limited

Publication Date: 19th June 2023

Rating: 5 Stars

A killer hiding in plain sight with everything to lose…

When the remains of a person, reported missing over six years ago, are discovered, DI Sally Parker realises she has a complex case on her hands.

Who had the motive and opportunity to kill Dana Caldwell while she was out that night, celebrating a friend’s birthday?

It’s up to Sally and her team to sift through the lies and deception to uncover the culprit. But at what cost?

The suspect list is growing daily and a member of Sally’s team has their own demons to fight, which could put their career in jeopardy.

The more I read of the DI Sally Parker series, the more I want to read. I absolutely love delving into cold cases alongside Sally and her team. 

It's a completely different side of policing,  but still incredibly important to try to give people closure many years on.  

I had absolutely no idea where this story was going to take us, and although I did have a suspicion as to the killer, I definitely hadn't guessed any motives, nor was I convinced that I would be correct. 

I loved seeing how the team dealt with this case, while at the same time I think I at times far more interested in the storyline involving one of the other members of the team and was what kept pulling my attention back to the book despite knowing I should have been working. 

I couldn't read this book fast enough, I am once again completely in awe of this author's abilities. Just fabulous. 

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

Book Review - The Memory of You by Samantha Tonge

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Title: The Memory Of You

Author: Samantha Tonge

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Boldwood Books

Publication Date: 16th May 2023

Rating: 5 Stars

A gorgeously uplifting story about memories, storytelling, love and friendship, about the journeys we take and the people we meet, what we remember and how there are some things we can never forget.

Alex would like to believe she’s a woman who has it all. Or that’s what she tells everyone, including herself. But this is far from true. Actually she’s on the cusp of losing her home, her dream career as a writer is in tatters, her ex won’t speak to her, and her mother’s gone forever.

But then a chance meeting with a stranger named Hope gives her the opportunity of a lifetime, when Hope jokes that perhaps Alex should take over her job in a cafe while she goes travelling.

Just at that moment, it sounds like the answer to all her problems. So Alex persuades Hope to let her step into her shoes for a month. She brushes away Hope’s attempts to explain about the café, instead demanding to know more about the owner Tom.

But she should have asked to know more. Because the ‘Wrong Order Café’ isn’t like anywhere she’s ever been before. And Alex’s life is about to change forever…

What a book! And once more I'm astounded at Samantha Tonge's development as an author, as her writing seems to get more and more impressive with every single book.  

And this is clearly a personal story for the author, as she deals with a variety of characters with dementia who are all working at the Wrong Order Cafe, which enables them to still feel like valued members of society.  It deals with how loved ones have to come to terms with a family member or friend slowly losing their memory and watching the decline. 

Whenever the story is talking about these topics, you can feel the heart and emotion, and the sensitivity that is being displayed. All signs of an awesome author. 

But it's not just about that, it's also about a chance meeting between Alex and Hope, leading to a decision that will change both of their lives.  Alex shows enormous character development as the story progresses, and I loved seeing her author journey. 

I really enjoyed the setting of the cafe in Manchester, especially owner Tom, and his parrot who has a fabulous personality and often made me smile. 

There's also another health matter that is dealt with in this book, that just doesn't seem to feature much anywhere, and although is a fact of life for women, isn't often spoken about, and the way that was included, again added extra depth to the story, is really great to see. 

This is ultimately an uplifting and heartwarming story, filled with a lot of heart, that I thoroughly enjoyed. 

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

Book Review - New Beginnings on Railway Lane by Alison Sherlock

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Title: New Beginnings on Railway Lane

Author: Alison Sherlock

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Boldwood Books

Publication Date: 16th June 2023

Rating: 5 Stars

Welcome back to Railway Lane.

A feel-good story of new beginnings set in an idyllic English country village.

When high flying, workaholic Katy Smith is suddenly made redundant, she needs to find a job fast!

After mistakenly answering an advert online, she quickly realises that the rundown railway station in sleepy Cranfield isn’t the 5-star London hotels she’s used to working in!

But a job’s a job. Right?

Chef Ryan Connelly is having a crisis of confidence after his Italian dream turns sour.

Returning home to try to pick up the pieces of his parents broken marriage, he soon discovers that his family home, the railway station, is close to financial ruin

Can Katy use all of her skills and find a way to save the railway station?

And can Ryan rediscover his passion of cooking once more?

As winter in Cranfield begins to sprinkle its magic, perhaps Katy and Ryan can find their very own new beginning on Railway Lane.

Picking up a new Alison Sherlock novel is like being welcomed into the arms of an old friend, and being given a giant hug.   It's warm hearted, comforting, feels familiar but also the excitement of not knowing just what will be said, what new story might be told. 

I felt right at home in this book, especially as soon as we get to Cranfield. I'm a huge fan already of this series and the interlinked previous series too, and am always keen to see how familiar characters are getting on. 

Including Dodgy Del who once again does appear, and causes carnage.  I so hope one day he gets his own book as I'm sure it would be hilarious and for such a likeable chap, he deserves a happy ending of his own. 

But this book was all about Katy and Ryan, well the whole Connelly family in fact.  Katy may have only applied for the job while rather drunk, but as she slowly comes to terms with spending some time in the countryside, it has the potential to be transformative. 

And not just for her, the changes in all the Connelly men as the story progresses is rather impressive, and is definitely all down to Katy's magic touch in whatever she turns her hand to.   She has fabulous ideas for the old Railway station, and seems determined to help the family make sure it won't be sold. 

Katy is rather prickly initially, she's very self sufficient and doesn't really have friends, so her immersion into small village life is rather enjoyable to see, from her attempting to protest it, to finally realising things about her own life. 

And Ryan I loved, but it was his father Bob that I was rooting for even more. I really felt for Bob and loved seeing him come back to live as the story progressed and the months went by. 

Although part of a series this could easily be read as a standalone novel, but why miss out on the first book in the series which I also really loved. 

Just another fabulous story that I couldn't read fast enough, I can't wait for the next book.

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

Book Review - The Silver Ladies Do Lunch by Judy Leigh

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Title: The Silver Ladies Do Lunch

Author: Judy Leigh

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Boldwood Books

Publication Date: 2nd June 2023

Rating: 4 Stars

When Lin, Josie and Minnie left Miss Hamilton’s class at Middleton Ferris County Primary School, sixty years ago, they could only dream about what the future had in store for them.  The one thing they knew for certain was that their friendship would thrive.

Years later and life hasn’t always been kind.  Josie is still mourning the loss of her beloved husband Harry a year after his sudden demise. Lin is hoping to celebrate her fiftieth wedding anniversary with husband Neil, but he’s suddenly keeping secrets and telling her lies, so she’s suspecting the worst  And as for Minnie, well she loves her life in Oxford academia, but with no family to call her own, she sometimes wonders if the sacrifices were all worthwhile.

So, when the ninety-year-old Miss Hamilton – or Cecily as she lets them call her now – glides gracefully back into their lives on her glamorous purple mobility scooter, the ladies are in need of inspiration and fun.  And over their regular lunches, the friends start to dream of leaving the past in the past and embracing the future, because there’s nothing you can’t achieve with good friends at your side.

Judy Leigh is back with the perfect blend of fun and friendship, capers and caring. The perfect feel-good story for all fans of Dawn French, Dee Macdonald and Cathy Hopkins.

What a lovely story about the value of friendship and community. It's heartwarming to see how Lin, Josie and Minnie's friendship has endured since primary school and how everyone on the village has fond memories of Miss Hamilton. 

Who has now moved back into the area, and soon becomes a friend to the Silver Ladies, joining them for their regular lunches. 

I enjoyed getting to know all of our main characters, in addition to young Florence who has her own secret, and needs the support of the older women so much. 

As I have come to expect from a Judy Leigh novel, this features the more mature in years ladies, living life to the fullest. I think if I have one ambition in life, it would be become like a Judy Leigh heroine when I'm older, still enjoying life, and in the case of this book, perhaps a lot like Minnie. 

I would have loved a teacher like Miss Hamilton, Cecily, she seemed wonderful and so devoted to her pupils, and even in her nineties, she is still a fabulous woman, who is a role model to us all. 

This was a character driven novel that had me wanting to know more about all of the characters plus those in the wider community, as we learn so much about all of them. 

What a great place to live, and what an enjoyable story. 

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

Book Review - I Wish We Weren't Related by Radhika Sanghani

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Title: I Wish We Weren't Related

Author: Radhika Sanghani

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Headline Review

Publication Date: 6th July 2023

Rating: 4 Stars

Reeva Mehta is thriving. Consumed in her career as one of London's top divorce lawyers, she doesn't bat an eyelid when her mum calls to tell her that her dad is dead. Because he's been dead since she was five . . . hasn't he?

If finding out her dad was alive - until last week - wasn't bad enough, his last request was for his daughters to spend fourteen days in mourning at his house. Which means Reeva must spend a fortnight stuck with the people who betrayed her when she needed them the most - her sisters.

Navigating her absent Bollywood megastar mother, newly dead father and scheming sisters with only a temperamental boyfriend - and even more temperamental cat - by her side, it's no wonder Reeva's hair is falling out. Could confronting the truth help the Mehtas put aside their differences, or will attending a funeral be the death of this family?

A fresh, funny and oh-so-relatable novel about trying to be the grown up when your magnificently messy family seems set to sabotage everything. Get ready to laugh, cry and fall in love with this addictive read.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and despite it centreing around death and a fourteen day morning period, it wasn't a sad depressing book.  It felt quite life affirming and dealt with a few tricky topics, appropriately, and ultimately was about loving yourself. 

At times I found Reeva really hard to connect to, but as the book went on and she actually started to work on herself, I found myself rooting for a lot. 

I thought the story was a great concept, and really enjoyed getting to know the sisters that Reeva rarely sees or talks to anymore.  And their mum is a larger than life character, and Reeva's nieces are adorable and have some of the best funny lines in the book 

I was hooked on trying to find out what the big secret was that lead to Reeva's mum faking her husband's death for so many years. It's such a drastic thing to do, to cut a father off from his family, and the siblings came up with so many outlandish theories, as they started to learn about the father they never knew, after his real death. 

I love books featuring characters from a different culture to my own, and really enjoyed learning more about the Mehta family and their family's religious death customs. 

I especially loved the wisdom of the long last auntie, who was easily one of my favourite characters. 

Very enjoyable, I had a good time reading this and will certainly be looking out for more by this author in the future. 

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

Book Review - The Wagging Tails Dogs' Home by Sarah Hope

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Amazon UK

Title: The Wagging Tails Dogs' Home

Author: Sarah Hope

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Boldwood Books

Publication Date: 31st May 2023

Rating: 5 Stars

Life could not be busier for Ginny and the team at Wagging Tails.

The annual dog show is looming, a crucial event when it comes to fundraising and ensuring the volunteers can continue the brilliant work they do.

But their trusted newspaper reporter, who always includes them in his weekly column, is retiring, only to be replaced with a city-slicker named Darryl. And Darryl, as Ginny soon learns, has no interest in articles he deems 'below him'.

Not one to take no as an answer, Ginny becomes determined to get him to meet the dogs themselves. One look at their cute faces and they'll worm their way into his heart.

But what Ginny doesn't anticipate is that Darryl might be more open-hearted than he seems. And inviting him to the dogs' home might be the best decision she ever made – even if she doesn't realise it at first!

Well with a title like that, this book was always going to capture my attention, and once I started reading, I knew it was right to. As the words held my attention as I devoured this story over a Bank Holiday Monday. 

If this is the quality of Sarah Hope's storytelling normally then, she has just won a fan in me, as I loved this book, and her writing. 

I was gripped and really cared about all of the dogs at the Wagging Tails Dogs' Home,  while being angered at some of the conditions the dogs arrived at the dogs home in.  But they never turn anyone away, and although fund raising is critical to them, the team is made up of a motley mix of complete and utter dog lovers. 

And the dogs were utterly adorable and stole my heart, especially Tiger and Luna. 

But it is also about our faithful 2 legged companions, yes the humans, and Ginny is devoted to the dogs home and is determined to get the local paper to run articles leading up to the Family Fun Day, which is easier said than done on discovering their local reporter has suddenly retired. 

This was very easy to read, and a sheer joy to . I loved every second of this book, and am already definitely keen to read more from the author.  Just wonderful. 

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