Book Review - The Tanglewood Bookshop by Lilac Mills - #HolidayReading Cyprus

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Title: The Tanglewood Bookshop

Author: Lilac Mills

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Canelo

Publication Date: 12th September 2024

Rating: 5 Stars

A rural book shop. A chance to start over. But can she make her dream a reality?

Kazz used to love the excitement of her London life, but lately her passion for expensive city living has begun to wane. So when she's given the opportunity to open a bookshop in picturesque Tanglewood, she jumps at the chance.

But village life is much quieter than she anticipated – is she actually suited for rural living? Resigned to a boring and uneventful Christmas, when she meets gorgeous Saul she is more than ready to have some fun and enjoy the festivities. If only Saul didn't have a reputation for being a player...

Will Kazz become the heroine in her own Christmas romance, or will he love her and leave her under the mistletoe?

This gorgeous festive romance is perfect for fans of Kiley Dunbar, Rachel Lucas and Sue Moorcroft.

It has been a while since the last Tanglewood book, but in no time at all I felt right back at home in the small Welsh town, amongst some familiar faces. 

Don't worry though as this is definitely a standalone, and it's Kezz's story. 

Kezz discovers her mum is moving abroad, that she needs to clear out her grandfathers old house which includes what appears to be most of the remaining stock of his old book shop, that she is temporarily at the very least out of work and that she is being evicted all on the same day.

It's enough to make anyone's head spin, hence her agreeing to take a short break and visit her bestie in Tanglewood. 

And before long not only has she agreed to run a book shop, she also spends a long journey there and back to London in the company of Saul, who even his own sister, has told Kezz to be wary of. 

Saul is wonderful and its clear early on there is some chemistry between the two but whether it will be acted on is up to you to find out 

I loved Betty and her predictions, I loved the Christmas festival, the face painting, and a whole lot more besides.

Its' festive, its cosy, and its a whole lot of fun too.  A fabulous new addition to the series and I hope this won't be the last we see of his village. 

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

Book Review - Must Love Flowers by Debbie Macomber - #HolidayReading Cyprus

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Title: Must Love Flowers

Author: Debbie Macomber

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Sphere

Publication Date: 15th August 2024

Rating: 5 Stars

The joyful and escapist new summer novel from New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber

Love blossoms in the most unexpected places . . .

Joan Sample has been content being something of a recluse. But after another birthday spent alone, she decides it's time to get back out into the world. With her sister's encouragement, Joan starts taking care of her overgrown lawn, adopts an energetic puppy, and even rents out her spare room.

Maggie Herbert is overwhelmed, working mornings as a barista, studying to become a nurse in the afternoons, and avoiding her alcoholic father's temper at home. When she finds Joan's room to rent, she believes her luck has turned. Only after she moves in does she realise that her least favourite customer happens to be Joan's son - and she's just taken his childhood room.

Despite a rocky start, a friendship blooms between the two women and they wonder if they've found the home they've been searching for. But as Maggie starts seeing a softer side to her nemesis and Joan grows closer with a local landscaper, they question if the risks they're taking in love and life will be worth it in the end...

Perfect for fans of Cathy Bramley, Phillipa Ashley and Jenny Colgan, Must Love Flowers a heart-warming and life-affirming story about new beginnings and finding love and friendship in unlikely places

This was the perfect book to kick of my summer holiday reading,and I managed to devour it between the airport and the flight! 

It's always a sheer pleasure to curl up with a Debbie Macomber novel and she has certainly struck gold once again wtih this novel. 

Joan is four years on from losing her husband, still deep in grief but is starting to realise she needs to change her life.  

Whereas Maggie is young, studying nursing and dealing with an alcoholic father. She is desperate to move out, and Joan is compelled to have Maggie as a boarder once she learns to Maggie's situation. 

Between them, a kind hearted gardener, and Edison who is utterly adorable, wounds start to mend, and both ladies are richer for having met each other. 

This is s heart warming story of female friendship and second chances, and it gave me a warm fuzzy feeling to read it. 

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

Book Review - A Jingle Bell Mingle by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone

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Title: A Jingle Bell Mingle

Author: Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: HarperCollins

Publication Date: 26th September 2024

Rating: 4 Stars

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Julie Murphy and USA Today bestselling author Sierra Simone who gave us A Merry Little Meet Cute comes a new festive romcom – ’tis the season for second chances!

Sunny Palmer has returned to Christmas Notch in search of some festive inspiration for her screenplay.

Isaac Kelly, former boy band heartthrob and the saddest boy in the music biz, is the latest owner of the town’s historic mansion. What better place to attempt his first holiday album than a snow-covered mansion where he can become a hermit in peace?

But after they wake up together in Sunny’s dilapidated motel room after a wild night, Isaac takes a chance and asks her to stay at his place and they make a deal: they will both try to get the other’s creative juices flowing again.

With these two opposites under one roof, there’s no way this jingle bell mingle could go off script…right?

It's always fun returning to Christmas Notch, which must be filled with the horniest people in America!

This was pure filth, but with a compelling story around the oodles of sexual tension,  chemistry and actual bonking!

We finally get Isaac Kelly's story,  the final member of INK who has real heartbreak in his past which affects everything he does or doesn't do. 

And it was good getting to know Sunny too, and their working together to find out more about a real life Christmas miracle was really sweet. 

Add in a demon cat and a happy ending for another of the regular characters in this series and you have a brilliant final book in the series.

It's hot,  it's fun,  and it's just incredibly readable. Loved this a lot,  and highly curious to see if the writers will team up again in the future.

Thank you to HarperCollins and Netgalley for this book that I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - The One That I Want by Sandy Barker

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Title: The One That I Want

Author: Sandy Barker

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Boldwood Books

Publication Date: 23rd July 2024

Rating: 5 Stars

A gorgeous rom com, full of chemistry, heart and romance.

Greta Davies, the features editor at a women’s magazine, is accomplished and successful. That is, in all areas except her love life.

Determined to help, Greta's boss - and friend - secretly enlists the help of the Ever After Agency, and sets out to make her dreams come true.

Work-obsessed Greta is nothing if not stubborn, so it’ll take some creative thinking, which leads to a lightbulb moment: a new column focused on dating in the city.

With date after disastrous date, things are not looking rosy for Greta. But little does Greta know, the perfect man has been there all along. Will she realise it’s more than friendship before it’s too late?

A fun and sexy rom com inspired by the classics How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days, Thirteen Going on Thirty and Sex and the City.

This is a series that is going from strength to strength.  I loved this book so much, it was entertaining, and you were definitely kept on your toes as to who knew what about who. 

I loved getting to know Greta, who works at Noveau Life magazine, and her boss (and friend) has decided that Greta really needs some love in her life, and has employed Poppy at the Ever After Agency to help. 

What follows is brilliant fun on so many levels, as Greta agrees to go on some dates with a view to writing an article and agrees to try a few frogs first! In the meantime there is a clear front runner for her heart, which just about everyone apart from Greta can see! 

And it is always good to catch up with Poppy and her colleagues at the agency.  Again I'm in awe of the whole set up and loved every second of my time spent with her matchmaking, as well as seeing her own relationship develop further. 

Add in some minor mysteries, a bit of sabotage, some truly hilarious dates, and a couple of really gorgeous men, and you have a fabulous story that I couldn't get enough of. 

I'm already eager to read the next book in the series, and can't help but think that this series would make a brilliant sit-com!  Please make it happen. 

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

Book Review - The Love Algorithm by Camilla Isley

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Title: The Love Algorithm

Author: Camilla Isley

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Boldwood Books

Publication Date: 26th April 2024

Rating: 5 Stars

He's off limits – but you can't fight physics...

At 28, with a Ph.D under her belt and a meteoric rise to head of Research and Development at Mercer Robotics, Reese feels her decision to put her career first has worked out pretty well for her. Sure, she doesn’t have many personal relationships to speak of, but she does love her team and they like her too.

So when she’s called to the Big Boss’s office and told she will be looking after his son while he does a rotation in her lab, she’s not thrilled that her hard work and achievements have boiled down to being a glorified babysitter – especially to a billionaire playboy with zero experience of mechanical engineering.

But then tall, blond Thomas walks into her office, and Reese realizes this assignment is going to be even harder than she thought. Because the CEO’s son is not only extraordinarily gorgeous, chiseled, and charming… he’s also on course to become her new boss one day, and so extraordinarily out of bounds. As the pair get to know each other, can Reese hold her nerve and her beliefs, or will she fall victim to the billionaire charm?

Easily my favourite character of this book was KP2, who is technically a robot.  A rather intelligent robot that comes across as almost human and my inner geek was thinking I would absolutely love my own droid to keep me company.  

But since that sounds like an expensive dream I probably should mention that I absolutely loved the human main characters too, and was even happier when I realised this was in a series of sorts with two of Camilla Isley's previous books and thus was able to catch up with old friends of characters too. 

I love this author's STEM romances and this was absolutely no exception. I didn't understand half the tech involved, but it sounded really cool and the sort of stuff that I would absolutely love seeing in real life if I didn't have to understand it! 

Oh and Reese is a great leading lady too, she is very career focussed and is like a robotics genius, but has been hurt romantically in the past and isn't sure she trusts her feelings towards Thomas, who she is being expected to babysit, into the role, and that he will ultimately become her head of department. 

Meanwhile Thomas is gorgeous, son of a Billionaire, and has never done a proper days work in his life, but he is stunning and seems genuinely interested in the work that the Mercer Robotics lab is doing. And he definitely has a memorable meet cute with Reese and then it is clear there is some rather hot chemistry sizzling away between them, while they try to do ignore it. 

I loved the little notes, and the big romantic gesture left me with a giant grin on my face.  This is just the sort of book that this author does best, and I loved every word of it.  Definitely my sort of book! 

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

Book Review - Under A Summer Skye by Sue Moorcroft - #HolidayReading Cyprus

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Title: Under A Summer Skye

Author: Sue Moorcroft

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Avon

Publication Date: 9th May 2024

Rating: 5 Stars

A chance encounter is about to change everything for Thea Wynter.

The moment she arrived on the Isle of Skye, life changed for Thea. Running from a succession of wrong turns, she comes to the island in search of blue sea, endless skies, and mountains that make the heart soar. Here, she feels at peace.

As head gardener at Rothach Hall, life is exactly how she wants it, with her days spent working in the glorious clifftop garden and her evenings in the cosy local village.

But an encounter with a stranger from the mainland brings with it an unexpected turn – and only time will tell if he is friend or foe.

It seems that even on Skye, life can catch up with you, and Thea is soon faced with the past she left behind – and with it, the family she’s never met…

From old lives to new beginnings, lose yourself on the beautiful Isle of Skye with Thea as she discovers how many possibilities life can truly hold if you look hard enough. A gorgeous, escapist read for fans of Sarah Morgan and Karen Swan.

Well I am loving this first book in Sue Moorcroft's new trilogy. 

I loved the setting and the closeness of siblings Thea, Ezzie and Valentina, as well as the incredibly interesting themes that are discussed in the book. 

I also especially loved Daisy, her entrance into Thea's life and just about every scene she is in, she is a scene stealer! 

This was a cosy but at times emotional book,  full of all the warmth you would expect from this author 

It was a pleasure to read and I already can't wait for my next visit to Skye. 

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

Book Review - The Cinnamon Bun Book Store by Laurie Gilmore - #HolidayReading Cyprus

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Title: The Cinnamon Bun Book Store

Author: Laurie Gilmore

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: One More Chapter

Publication Date: 29th August 2024

Rating: 5 Stars

When a secret message turns up hidden in a book in the Cinnamon Bun Bookstore, Hazel can't understand it. As more secret codes appear between the pages, she decides to follow the trail of clues… she just need someone to help her out.

Gorgeous and outgoing fisherman, Noah, is always up for an adventure. And a scavenger hunt sounds like a lot of fun. Even better that the cute bookseller he's been crushing on for months is the one who wants his help!

Hazel didn’t go looking for romance, but as the treasure hunt leads her and Noah around Dream Harbor, their undeniable chemistry might be just as hot as the fresh-out-of-the-oven cinnamon buns the bookstore sells…

It's been a few hours since I finished reading this and I still haven't cooled off. 

If you love your cosy small town romance with an incredibly hot heat level and fabulous sex, then this is certainly the book for you. 

This is just an all around fabulous book and it was great to be back in Dream Harbor again. 

And getting to know Hazel and Noah a lot better was an absolute joy. 

Add in a treasure hunt of sorts with clues being left in Hazels bookshop, and her longing to live out the last two months of her twenties, in more style than the previous 9 years and 10 months of them, she enlists the help of Noah. 

Noah has a reputation for casual relationships and there is a whole lot more to him than initially meets the eyes. 

Catching up with all of the Dreamtonians, in this delightful town, really made me smile and I loved Hazel's character development. 

This was a sheer pleasure to read, and I'm already looking forward to the next book in this series. 

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

Book Review - Frozen In Time by M A Comley

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Title: Frozen In Time

Author: M A Comley

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Author Supplied copy

Publisher: Jeamel Publishing Limited

Publication Date: 19th September 2024 

Rating: 5 Stars

After a weekend away, supply teacher, Elijah Abagun, returns home to find a ghastly odour permeating his house. Elijah calls on his builder friend, Dick, to help locate the source of the stench. However, what they finally uncover will unfortunately change their lives forever.

Within days, DI Sally Parker is summoned to a beauty spot by the local pathologist after a man’s body is discovered in suspicious circumstances.

With a lengthy suspect list to sift through, the challenges ahead of Sally and her team are endless, leaving them to wonder if the evidence they've uncovered in this cold case investigation will ever lead to the devious murderer.

If you have been reading my blog for while you can probably guess what I'm going to say in this review as I think by now it might be a bit obvious that I'm a massive M A Comley fan. 

And this was once again another brilliant book, where we have a situation that I don't think I've seen before in any of the books I've ready. 

For this one features a body that had been frozen for a few years, before being dumped in the woodland, and the people that found the body and panicked and dumped it are not the reason for the body existing in the first place. 

Which made the investigation for Sally and Lorne a whole deal more complicated for them and interesting for the reader. 

I whizzed through this book and couldn't get enough of it. It was brilliant and always amazes me how fresh this author can make a long running series feel.  Once again my mind is boggled by the case, the imagination of the author and the deviousness of the murderer. 

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

Book Review - Maybe Next Christmas by Emma Heatherington - #HolidayReading Cyprus

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Title: Maybe Next Christmas

Author: Emma Heatherington

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Penguin

Publication Date: 29th August 2024

Rating: 5 Stars

This Christmas they're strangers. Maybe next Christmas they'll fall in love.

It’s Christmas Eve and, as the snow begins to fall, Bea is at Heathrow airport, ready to return home to Ireland for the festivities.

There, she meets Ollie for the first time. They talk about everything and anything, and their connection is undeniable. But when their flight lands, they leave just as they met: strangers.

A chance encounter in London a few months later, however, sparks a chain of events neither of them could have ever imagined.

Last Christmas was just the beginning.

This year will be full of surprises.

And next Christmas may be the one that changes everything. . .

I think this book would make a totally fabulous festive film.  I could see it all so clearly, and it certainly gave me all the feels. 

Set between London and Ireland, with an initial first meeting at Heathrow airport with a flight delay on Christmas Eve, this was just one fabulous book. 

I loved getting to know Bea, and the hotel she works in that sounded divine, as well as Ollie and especially his Aunt Nora. 

Both are travelling back to Ireland for Christmas for the first time in years, hoping to make this a memorable Christmas. 

And although they don't exchange details, fate clearly has plans for our leading pair, and I loved it even more each time they met. 

It's a moving festive romance, that is another in a growing number of fabulous books from Emma Heatherington. She is definitely one of my auto read authors for a fab Christmas book. 

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

Book Review - Christmas at the Little Paris Hotel by Rebecca Raisin - #HolidayReading Cyprus

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Title: Christmas at the Little Paris Hotel

Author: Rebecca Raisin

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Boldwood Books

Publication Date: 17th September 2024

Rating: 5 Stars

Turn a tumbledown Paris hotel into a perfect boutique, bookish retreat, and have it open for Christmas? What could possibly go wrong?

When Anais receives a near-derelict Paris hotel in her divorce settlement, her first thought is to tidy it up and sell it immediately. All she wants is to move on and forget her disaster of a marriage ever happened.

But selling it proves impossible, so she has only one option: to make it gorgeous and open by Christmas… when her funds will almost certainly run out.

She’s not counting on the grumpy American bar-owner next door, Noah, coming and interfering at every moment though. Nor is she expecting to find a mysterious room – which holds the key to a one-hundred-year-old secret – about a woman who chose love against the odds.

One thing’s for sure… as the fairy lights twinkle all over the city of lights and the first snowflakes start to fall… this will be a Christmas in Paris to remember.

A totally gorgeous, escapist romantic comedy, with an unforgettable mystery! A perfect festive read for fans of Emily Henry and Sarah Morgan to curl up with this winter.

Christmas...

Paris,...

Romance...

A big mystery to add intrigue...

Rom-com Writer who keeps trying to murder her leading man...

...Ok so all of these are big plus points for this wonderful story, and the murderous thoughts that Anais is having, is due to her coming out of a messy divorce with not much more than a run down hotel and a severe case of writers block. 

Anais and cousin Manon are determined to get the hotel up and running for a soft launch just before Christmas, and the ideas Anais has for this hotel... well let's just say I think every book lover will be wishing this hotel was real. 

And in getting it set up we are treated to a literary tour of Paris, which was fascinating and again will appeal to any book lover. 

Add in Noah who runs the bar next to the hotel who Anais shoots her mouth off at every time he appears, plus Manon's love of true crime, and you have a funny, romantic and rather festive treat of a story. 

It was a sheer delight to spend time between the pages of this book. 

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

Book Review - One Winter At The French Chalet by Mandy Baggot

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Title: One Winter at the French Chalet

Author: Mandy Baggot

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Boldwood Books

Publication Date: 16th September 2024

Rating: 5 Stars

Things aren’t going well for travel writer Orla Bradbee.

With Christmas fast approaching, her boss is insisting Orla must travel to a rural village in France to interview a man who doesn’t speak. But with trouble at home – her teenage sister Erin is in a ‘situationship’ with a man online – Orla’s only plan is to take Erin with her.

Get the interview done, find out more about this online Romeo and still be back in time for Christmas dinner. Easy, right?

Saint-Chambéry is a picturesque French village nestled in the snow-capped mountains, but Jacques Barbier – gorgeous and brooding, yet a man of few words – makes it clear that Orla is wasting her time here.

Orla can’t deny that Jacques intrigues and infuriates her, but what is the mysterious Frenchman hiding exactly? And can she get close enough to uncover his secrets without risking her own heart?

Escape to the beautiful French Alps with Mandy Baggot for a romantic, heartwarming story to get you through the cold winter months!

I was totally transported to Saint-Chambery and the remote location that is Jacques' chalet, the two main locations for this fabulous story, showing once again that Mandy Baggot's ability to make you travel by armchair and really feel for a location is utterly fabulous. 

It's a quirky little French Village, with some great Christmas traditions and travel writer Orla is sent to write an article about a pregnant reindeer and its' mute handler, literally at the last possible minute. And she ends up taking her 16 year old sister Erin with her. 

Only thing is well she has been misled by Delphine who had been trying to get Orla to visit, but not necessarily for the reasons she thought, and well I'd say a far more interesting story develops. 

I read this over a couple of days, and found myself dreaming of the remote location overnight, which was rather weird, but on the other hand shows how much this story had clearly got under my skin. 

Orla has assorted family issues to juggle and the she meets Jacques and he doesn't initially want to have anything to do with her.  But once you discover why he is rather reclusive, it does make sense, and I found he really did have a heart of gold under his gruff exterior. 

I totally fell for Jacques myself, and I really enjoyed all the various sub plots of this story.   It's Mandy Baggot at her finest, and this was a very entertaining and enjoyable book that I couldn't get enough of. 

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

Book Review - One Greek Summer Wedding by Mandy Baggot - #HolidayReading Cyprus

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Title: One Greek Summer Wedding

Author: Mandy Baggot

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Boldwood Books

Publication Date: 10th May 2024

Rating: 5 Stars

A sun-drenched summer romance from bestseller Mandy Baggot.

Love is in the air…

When singer Cara is invited to a big, fat Greek wedding in Corfu, she sees it as a mixed blessing: some time to heal on the beautiful Greek island with her aunt will be a tonic, but it’s going to stir up memories – of before Seb ghosted her and disappeared off the face of the earth.  

Akis Diakos, brother of the groom, should be looking forward to planning the bachelor party, but burdened by the weight of family expectation, his mind is elsewhere: he has a decision to make – one that could, apparently, ruin his little brother’s life forever. 

When Cara learns that her aunt Margot brought her here under false pretences, she’s faced with a dilemma. She’s not sung in public since that fateful day at Eurovision when her life fell apart, and she’s not planning to now. But with Akis’s encouragement, it’s time for both of them to face up to their fears. 

And who knows – maybe this beautiful duet will also lead to a beautiful romance? 

From the queen of Greek romance comes a story that will heal those heartstrings and make you believe in love again…

The queen of the Greek summer romance strikes again with another truly irresistible story, this time set on Corfu. 

Although there is a cameo from another Greek Island later in the book too, but I'll leave the specifics of that one for you to find out, 

I fell in love with Akis almost instantly, he's an exotic dancer with many other qualities to him, and is also dealing with a dilemma, which risks putting aside his own happiness, to try to prevent a family curse. 

Margot and Cara are on Corfu for Sofia's younger son's wedding Cosmos. Cosmos is also Akis brother Sofia is determined to throw the most extravagant big fat Greek wedding the island has ever seen, but things don't quite go according to plan. 

I loved the dynamics between Akis and Cara. Also enjoyed the vibe between Margot and Horror (as Margot is calling him). 

And seeing Cara regain her confidence to sing, is truly wonderful. 

This has a wedding it has snakes, it has a donkey called pig, a wily Greek granny, strippers, mentions of Eurovision and a whole lot more. 

It's absolutely wonderful. 

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

Book Review - Isolation Island by Louise Minchin - #HolidayReading Cyprus

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Title: Isolation Island

Author: Louise Minchin

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley 

Publisher: Headline

Publication Date: 12th September 2024

Rating: 5 Stars

IT'S A PRIZE ANYONE WOULD KILL TO WIN...

Ten celebrities have arrived to take part in a gruelling reality survival show: two weeks completely alone on a remote Scottish island, in the depths of winter. With some careers on the rise, and others whose star is fading, almost everyone has something to play for. But investigative journalist Lauren has one question - what does Hollywood megastar Nate Stirling have to gain by taking part?

With a production team that seems incapable of keeping them safe, a gathering storm and the unrelenting gaze of hidden cameras, the contestants are stretched to the limit as they try to outshine their fellow competitors and hide their darkest secrets.

But when a body is found, it's clear that the game has become a matter of life and death...

Wow, was totally hooked on this book, and literally couldn't move from my sunbed once I was into it. 

I had to know what would be happening next, and somehow didn't see the final reveals coming. 

I am absolutely loving this new trend of thrillers et in remote locations combined with reality tv programmes. 

The setting is this instance is a run down monastery on a remote Scottish Island and although the basic premise of the game is rather familiar feeling, it's a fabulously claustrophobic and tense book as things start to go wrong almost immediately. 

You are never completely sure what will happen next, and I incredibly gripped by the action. 

With a cast of characters that on the whole I warmed to, I really couldn't get my head around just what might be happening. 

Thoroughly enjoyed every page of this and will definitely be looking out for more books from this author in the future. 

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

Book Review - Snowed in at the Cat Cafe by Rachel Rowlands - #HolidayReading Cyprus

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Title: Snowed in at the Cat Cafe

Author: Rachel Rowlands

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Publication Date: 12th September 2024

Rating: 5 Stars

Welcome to the Cat Café! Falling in love with cats is mandatory. Falling in love with a human is optional...

When Emmie's aunt offers her a job at Catpurrcino, it is the fresh start she needs after a rough year. Now, in the lead-up to Christmas, Emmie can't imagine anything more purr-fect than pouring hot chocolate for customers and taking care of the café's many feline residents.

Needing an extra pair of hands for the holidays, Emmie's aunt hires Jared as a driver. Emmie is immediately struck by how tall and handsome he is, but there is something guarded about Jared, not to mention his allergy to cats. Emmie could never fall for someone who can't be around her furry friends ­- and she doesn't have much time to spare, anyway.

❄️❄️❄️Until an unexpected blizzard arrives on Christmas Eve. ❄️❄️❄️

Trapped in the café with Jared and the cats, Emmie discovers Jared has been holding on to more than one secret - and is in desperate need of someone to help him lay his past to rest.

What seems like the most disastrous Christmas might not be such a cat-astrophe after all. Will being snowed in finally open Jared up and let Emmie into his heart?

Pour yourself a mulled wine and settle down with a mince pie to enjoy this warm, witty and wonderful festive romance. Perfect for fans of The Pumpkin Spice Café, Sarah Morgan and Catherine Walsh.

This is the first book I've read from this author and it certianly won't be the last. 

I loved this purrfectly cozy and adorable festive read so so much. 

After all if you re going to get snowed in somewhere, you could do a lot worse than a cat cafe. 

Although the specifics of the people that get snowed in, make some of the dynamics so much trickier than you may expect. 

And the cats and the cafe itself sounded amazing, and certainly somewhere that is well worth a visit, if it actually existed. 

With a gorgeous setting for before the snow, this really is a lovely story of Emmie and Jared who find out out they a lot more in common than first thought. 

I devoured this book, and couldn't get enough of it and read it in a few short hours.  It was a fabulous start to my 2024 Festive reading!

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