Book Review - Hanukkah at the Great Greenwich Ice Creamery by Sharon Ibbotson

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Title: Hanukkah at the Great Greenwich Ice Creamery

Author: Sharon Ibbotson

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Publisher  supplied copy

Publisher: Choc Lit

Publication Date: 4th December 2019

Rating: 5 Stars

Hanukkah days, Christmas nights and strawberry ice cream …

Cohen Ford is a man who could do with a little bit of sweetening up. It’s no surprise that when he walks into The Great Greenwich Ice Creamery on a typically gloomy London day before Christmas, he insists on a black coffee rather than his childhood favourite – strawberry ice cream.

But then he meets River de Luca, the woman behind the flavours. After their first encounter, Cohen begins visiting the ice creamery every Tuesday, gradually learning more about the intriguing River. Could her influence encourage cynical Cohen to become the man who embraces Christmas, Hanukkah and even strawberry ice cream?

I had no idea what to expect going into this book,  I've never read anything by this author before, and rarely see a Hanukkah romance, let alone read one.

So all around I was pleasantly surprised and impressed by this story. 

I loved the concept of the romance between Cohen and River.

Cohen is the Jewish man who is a workaholic,  and has a patchy relationship with his mother.  He's been known to be rather selfish in the past

But that all changes the day he meets River, who is serving at the ice creamery, who he cant really initially communicate with,  but realises instantly that she's someone special. 

We get to see just how they get to communicate,  and how international the language of love can be.

I also enjoyed getting to know more of Cohen's past,  as it shaped the man he is today. 

This book touches on important topics and one of Rivers key attributes is so vital to the whole story, but I feel it is best read without any preconceptions about her.

I can't not mention how delicious the ice creams were sounding even though it did feel weird reading about ice cream in winter. 

There are elements if Judaism throughout and it didn't feel completely stereotypical.  I was also delighted to see a few words of Yiddish in there too.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story, the writing was great and I found the pages were turning a bit too fast.  I would have loved to read more but it did have a perfect ending. 

Thank you to Choc Lit for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - Reach For A Star by Kathryn Freeman

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Title:  Reach For A Star

Author: Kathryn Freeman

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Publisher supplied copy

Publisher: Choc Lit

Publication Date: 24th September 2019

Rating: 5 Stars

​What if your dreams were so close you could reach out and touch them?
How could anyone resist Michael Tennant, with his hypnotic blue eyes and voice like molten chocolate? Jessie Simmons certainly can’t. But Jessie’s a single mum who can’t sing to save her life – there’s no way she’ll ever cross paths with the star tenor.

At least that’s what she thinks until she’s unexpectedly invited to take part in a new reality TV show. The premise? Professional singers teach hopeless amateurs how to sing. The surprise? Jessie’s partner is none other than Michael Tennant!

As she becomes better acquainted with the man behind the voice, will Jessie find out the hard way that you should never meet your idols? Or will she get more than she bargained for?

How I absolutely loved Jessie and Michael's story. 

Jessie has always had a crush on Michael Tennant, but never dreamed in a million years that she may even meet him, let alone be partnered with him on a reality TV show.  Her sons has written in and she had been picked as a contestant, to improve her singing with Michael as her partner. 

For a superstar, Michael  is actually an introvert and seems to struggle with interacting with other people, so to say that Michael and Jessie got off to a slightly rocky start would be understatement. 

What did though soon become apparent was there was chemistry between them, although both tries to fight it. 

They are from worlds apart, as Jessie is a pharmacist, single mum with two pre-teen boys, whereas Michael is about to embark on an 8 month long world tour,  

The majority of the book is about just what on earth happens with them both once the tour starts, and whether you really should ever meet an idol, let alone fall for them, and whether opposites really do attract.  

I just love Kathryn Freeman's writing style, and completely believed the chemistry between our two leads. I think I feel for Michael a bit myself, and seeing him try to interact with Luke and Jack was really amusing.  Everything in the book felt so familiar, realistic and I just really enjoyed every moment. 

At times I really couldn't work out if we would get the ending I was hoping for, which is the sign of a good writer, that even though its a romance, and should have a HEA, I wasn't completely convinced there would be one! 

Kathryn Freeman at her best with a very enjoyable story. 

Thank you to Choc Lit for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - Christmas at Black Cherry Retreat by Angela Britnell

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Amazon UK

Title: Christmas at Black Cherry Retreat

Author: Angela Britnell

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Publisher supplied copy

Publisher: Choc Lit

Publication Date: 3rd December 2018

Rating: 4 Stars

What if you had nowhere to call home for Christmas? 
When Fee Winter books a winter break at the remote Black Cherry Retreat in the small town of Pine Ridge, Tennessee, it’s with the idea that the peace and quiet will help her recuperate from her hectic life as a photographer.

But what she didn’t bank on was meeting Tom Chambers and his huge, interfering yet lovable family. With them, could Fee finally experience the warmth and support that’s been missing from her own life – and maybe even find a place to call home in time for Christmas?

Oh I do love a Southern American drawl on a sexy man in a book, and Tom Chambers has that and the typical good manners too in spades.  I warmed to him almost instantly. 

Fee on the other hand although I felt for her, I really was unsure about her at the start, but as the book progresses and she starts to open up, she really grew on me and I loved her by the end. 

Neither character has had an easy run of things recently and both have something major in common, but apart from that they are as different as chalk and cheese. But yet there is definitely an attraction between them, which is rather obvious quite early on. 

I absolutely loved the setting of the Black Cherry Retreat and of the town of Pine Ridge which appears to be run by the Chambers family - there are so many of them, and they are like a community in their own right.  What a range of personalities, but its clear they all look out for one another, even if they can be a bit on the nosy  / gossipy side! 

The location was perfect, and so so pretty,  I loved every aspect of it - well apart from the lack of wifi as that would have driven me mad!  Quite a few of the family are in law enforcement, which did lead to a couple of rather dramatic scenes. 

However its not just drama driving this book, its good characterisation, lovely writing and a great emphasis on relationships both family and romantic.  There is an adorable child,  great sorrow in the past and a few moments that had a happy tear glisten in my eye. 

Please don't be put off by Christmas in the title - this can easily be read throughout the year, the Christmas element is really rather small - I would say Autumn would be more apt as it takes in from Halloween, and Thanksgiving too.  Which is a shame as I was hoping for a greater festive feeling. 

All in all I did really enjoy this book,  I always seem to love the heroes this author writes, and Tom is incredibly easy to fall for.  An incredibly pleasant story, that kept me entertained while I was reading. 

Thank you to Choc Lit for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - A Little Christmas Charm by Kathryn Freeman

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Amazon UK

Title: A Little Christmas Charm

Author: Kathryn Freeman

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Author supplied copy

Publisher: Choc Lit

Publication Date: 16th October 2018

Rating: 5 Stars

A wonderful new uplifting Christmas story from Kathryn Freeman to put you in the festive mood. Highly recommended.

Would you swap sea and sunshine for tinsel and turkey?
Gabby Sanderson is used to being let down – even at Christmas. Which is why she’s happy to skip the festive season completely in favour of a plane ticket and sunnier climes.

But this Christmas could be different, because this time she might not be spending it alone. Can Owen Cooper charm Gabby into loving Christmas in the same way he’s charmed his way into her life, or is he just another person who’ll end up disappointing her?

Linked to A Little Christmas Faith but can be read as a standalone.

It is always a delight to start a new Kathryn Freeman book, and this was no exception.  It was so romantic, with clear chemistry between the two leads and a story that developed and became so much more than it first appeared as it progressed. 

I warmed to Owen from the moment we met him, he is an incredibly charming man and he knows it, but hits useful for his job in sales.  However it is soon apparent he has a certain vulnerability to him too which just adds to his overall appeal. 

Whereas Gabby took a bit to grow on me, mainly because she doesn't seem to be a fan of Christmas. But as you discover her reasons why, and see how the grows throughout the book I found myself loving her more and more. 

With the way the book started, and the instant connection from the characters whether they were acknowledging it or not, I did worry that perhaps this was going to be a slightly different sort of book than I was expecting with many hot and heavy scenes, but what we actually get  is to hear more about the characters and their families. 

Easily all the best bits came in the second half of the book so I can't really tell you about them but rest assured you are in for a treat.  As the blurb says there is a connection to A Little Christmas Faith and I spent most of the book wondering if I was missing a link until I found it.  

Rest assured you don't need to have read A Little Christmas Faith in order to enjoy this one,  its there clearly for her fans, but if you weren't aware of it you wouldn't realise.  This is not a sequel in any normal sense of the word.  

What is is, is a wonderfully charming story, that had me hooked and I was devouring it,  It is a lovely addition to any Christmas book lover's kindle this festive season. 

Thank you to Choc Lit for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - Oh Crumbs by Kathryn Freeman - #HolidayReading Book 7

Book 7 of 28 read on my holiday to Cyprus in June 2018.

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Amazon UK

Title: Oh Crumbs

Author: Kathryn Freeman

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Choc Lit

Publication Date: 12th June 2018

Rating: 5 Stars

Sometimes life just takes the biscuit …

Abby Spencer knows she can come across as an airhead – she talks too much and is a bit of a klutz – but there’s more to her than that. Though she sacrificed her career to help raise her sisters, a job interview at biscuit company Crumbs could finally be her chance to shine. That’s until she hurries in late wearing a shirt covered in rusk crumbs, courtesy of her baby nephew, and trips over her handbag. 

Managing director Douglas Faulkner isn’t sure what to make of Abby Spencer with her Bambi eyes, tousled hair and ability to say more in the half-hour interview than he manages in a day. All he knows is she’s a breath of fresh air and could bring a new lease of life to the stale corporate world of Crumbs. To his life too, if he’d let her. 

But Doug’s harbouring a secret. He’s not the man she thinks he is. 

As I was reading the prologue I was unsure what to make of this book initially,, but what it did do was set the scene perfectly for a great insight into Abbie's past and what makes her the woman she is today. 

I was inspired reading Abbie's story at such a caring person whose heart is constantly torn and that had to grow up fast. 

I loved and as amused by her variety of sisters and family members,  And it was Abbie's new book Doug that I found myself warming to quite quickly. 

Especially after he hires Abbie after a disastrous interview but one which really showed off the quirks in her personality to they;re fullest. 

Doug has a great back story to him too, one with more facets than you may expect, and seeing all of his hidden talents and qualities was a lot of fun. 

Abbie is just slightly clumsy and her favourite swear is Oh Crumbs! which makes working for a biscuit manufacturer called Crumbs that bit more amusing. 

Unfortunately this book didn't leave me craving biscuits but did leave me smiling and incredibly entertained. 

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

Book Review - Here Comes The Best Man by Angela Britnell

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Amazon UK

Title: Here Comes The Best Man

Author: Angela Britnell

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Choc Lit

Publication Date: 10th July 2018

Rating: 4 Stars

Being the best man is a lot to live up to …
When troubled army veteran and musician Josh Robertson returns home to Nashville to be the best man at his younger brother Chad’s wedding he’s just sure that he’s going to mess it all up somehow. 

But when it becomes clear that the wedding might not be going to plan, it’s up to Josh and fellow guest Louise Giles to make sure that Chad and his wife-to-be Maggie get their perfect day. 

Can Josh be the best man his brother needs? And is there somebody else who is beginning to realise that Josh could be her ‘best man’ too?

I'd forgotten how much I love a book that features a good American southern man, with manners, calls people Ma'am and felt like a cowboy without being a cowboy.  It has been ages since I read a book with that sort of leading man, and I am so glad I now remember just how much I enjoy them! 

Josh is wonderful, he is reluctant to even be at this brother's wedding to start with, let alone be the best man in a week of wedding festivities, until he meets Louise. 

Louise is Maggie (the bride's ) godmother's assistant and as a result is an invited guest of the wedding, and she is determined not to fall for anyone, let alone the black sheep of the family. 

I loved both Louise and Josh and all their various interactions.  They both have quite a bit of depth to them, and although this is reasonably short book there is a good amount packed into it. 

This is a direct sequel to The Weeding Reject Table which I read a few years ago, but as the focus of this book is not the same main characters, I can say it definitely works as a standalone. Although I couldn't remember specifics from the first book, there were enough prompts / hints at what happened that you can get a good idea of what the key bits from the first story may have been - although I would recommend reading it too. 

There are great interfering manipulative relatives, much humour, some fabulous chemistry and did I mention how much I fancied Josh for myself?   

An incredibly enjoyable novella from an author I always tend to enjoy reading that will delight many I think. 

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

Guest Post - Pia Fenton talks all things Sweden - Bookish World Cup - Sweden

What is the first thing you think about when you hear the word Sweden? Vikings? ABBA? Smorgasbord (actually spelled smörgåsbord)? Or maybe Björn Borg and Zlatan Ibrahimovic if you’re into sport?

For me, other things spring to mind – huge forests, thousands of glittering lakes, cinnamon buns, incredibly clean and fresh air … I am perhaps a little biased, as I’m half Swedish and grew up there, but it is an amazing country and well worth a visit.  (I recommend the summer months though, unless you’re going skiing, as that’s when it’s at its best.)

Most people probably think of it as quite a small country – and in an international sense perhaps it is, but in terms of actual size it is more than twice as big as the UK!  However, with a population of under 10 million (so less than Greater London), there is a lot of space. An awful lot! So if you like wide-open spaces and being alone, or if you’re into nature in a big way, this might be the place for you.

Just like in the UK, the landscape is very varied.  In the south the countryside is flat and open, but if you head north you pass through endless forests (mostly consisting of Christmas trees, as my kids used to say) with literally thousands of lakes dotted around. About halfway up (it’s a long, thin country if you look at it on a map), it changes again and becomes more mountainous until you reach the far north, a huge wilderness of mountains, plains and forests. Here there’s a chance to see the midnight sun in summer and the aurora borealis – or Northern Lights – in winter, and the only creatures you’ll meet for miles are reindeer.

The world-famous Ice Hotel is up there during winter – I’ve never been there myself but it does sound fascinating! – and there is skiing in places like Åre and Sälen, which I can recommend.

On the whole, Sweden is a paradise for nature-lovers and as a child I was always dragged out into the forest or countryside for one thing or another – cross-country skiing in winter, swimming in a lake in the summer, picking berries and mushrooms in autumn … The list was endless and I say ‘dragged’, because I was the kind of girl who much preferred sitting on the sofa reading a good book. Exercise is so not my thing – still isn’t. But these days I do appreciate it when I get a chance to go for a walk in a Swedish forest because it is quite simply magical. My grandmother used to tell me tales of the trolls and fairies who lived in those forests and it’s easy to see how such stories came about. There is a very special atmosphere among the trees and because there are so few humans around, you can imagine you’re in a fairy tale world. For a special treat, why not go on an ‘elk safari’? Sweden has a lot of moose (or elk if you translate the Swedish world ‘älg’ literally) and although they’re fairly shy, there are places where you can go and see them.

If you prefer more cultural things, the bigger cities of Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö have interesting sights and museums. There are of course castles and the equivalent of National Trust properties everywhere, and on the island of Gotland you will find the medieval city of Visby, complete with city walls. For those of you into Scandic Noir, the famous bridge between Sweden and Denmark is of course a must, but there’s also another very long bridge on the other side of the country – one that leads to the island of Öland. In summertime, that’s a great place for swimming in the Baltic Sea.

Have I tempted you to a visit yet? I hope so – enjoy!  https://visitsweden.com/

Thank you so much Pia for this fabulous look at Sweden. 

Pia Fenton writes historical romance and time slip as Christina Courtenay (published by Choc Lit), and self-publishes YA under her real name.  She is half Swedish and in her teens she moved to Japan where she had the opportunity to travel extensively in the Far East.  She's a former chairman of the Romantic Novelists’ Association.  Her novels ‘Highland Storms’ and ‘The Gilded Fan’ both won the RoNA for Best Historical Romantic Novel of the Year (in 2012/2014 respectively).  Her latest novels are ‘The Velvet Cloak of Moonlight’ (time slip) and ‘New England Dreams’ (YA contemporary romance).

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Velvet-Cloak-Moonlight-Shadows-Past-ebook/dp/B01HYKVD6S/ref=sr_1_1_twi_kin_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1524650013&sr=8-1&keywords=the+velvet+cloak+of+moonlight

http://christinacourtenay.com/

https://www.facebook.com/christinacourtenayauthor?fref=ts

https://twitter.com/PiaCCourtenay

Guest Post - Angela Britnell's Danish Adventure - Bookish World Cup - Denmark

‘You’re going to Denmark.’ In 1981 my twenty-one year old self heard those words and pictured exciting times ahead without any clue how exciting they would actually become. Nowadays people frequently attempt to guess how a girl from a small village in Cornwall ended up living in Nashville, Tennessee but they’re always wildly wrong!

A little scene-setting here. At eighteen I joined what was then the WRNS - Women’s Royal Naval Service - because I couldn’t decide on a career choice, wanted to travel and liked the uniform! I became a Writer (does anyone see a premonition there?) which was the navy’s name for a secretary. Fast forward five years and I’d worked several interesting jobs in the UK and was due a foreign assignment when my boss called me into her office and uttered the fateful words ‘You’re going to Denmark’. 

 My knowledge of Denmark extended to the fact that Copenhagen had a famous Little Mermaid statue and an amusement park called Tivoli Gardens, the country was supposedly teeming with blond hunky men and um…that’s where Danish bacon comes from. Jump ahead six months and I arrive in Viborg, a small town on the Jutland Peninsula a long way from Copenhagen, to work at a NATO Headquarters. I soon discovered that the blond hunks are mostly found in Norway or Sweden, the sort of Danish bacon we eat in England is all exported therefore you don’t find it in Denmark and then came the totally unexpected kicker… within weeks I’m swept off my feet by a tall, dark handsome American naval aviator. On our second date he astonished me by cooking us a delicious meal and determined not to be found wanting I foolishly offered to make Cornish pasties when we went on a picnic. Although the filling tasted fine my homemade pastry was hard enough to use as cannon fodder but he ate every scrap and came back for more. How could I not fall in love?

And Denmark? Although it’s missing the full Scandinavian quota of blondes, there are no stunning fjords and almost anyone can take a leisurely stroll up Himmelbjerget, once measured as the highest point in the country at 147 m (482 ft) until beaten by an equally unpronounceable spot, the country has an awful lot going for it. There’s a quiet beauty about Denmark, the people are exceptionally friendly and most of them speak good English (crucial when learning Danish is beyond challenging), the food is delicious, the pastries outstanding, the quality of life is exceptional (see all the charts where it’s regularly at or near the top) plus it’s a great starting point for travel around northern Europe.

I will always be grateful to the anonymous person working at the drafting office at HMS Centurion whose job it was to match people to available jobs and by a stroke of good fortune, or the fact they wanted to finish early on a Friday and threw darts at a map, sent me to Denmark. Thanks to them I’ve now been married to the aforementioned American for thirty-five years and we’ve raised three outstanding sons who’ve now given us two of the most perfect grandchildren on the planet! I’ve travelled extensively and enjoyed experiences I could never have imagined growing up. So I’ll raise a glass of schnapps and say skål in a toast to Denmark, the small country with a big heart that will always hold a part of mine. 

Thank you so much Angela for sharing with us how a job move to Denmark worked out so well for you.

Amazon UK

Being the best man is a lot to live up to …

When troubled army veteran and musician Josh Robertson returns home to Nashville to be the best man at his younger brother Chad’s wedding he’s just sure that he’s going to mess it all up somehow. 

But when it becomes clear that the wedding might not be going to plan, it’s up to Josh and fellow guest Louise Giles to make sure that Chad and his wife-to-be Maggie get their perfect day. 

Can Josh be the best man his brother needs? And is there somebody else who is beginning to realise that Josh could be her ‘best man’ too? 

About Angela Britnell

Angela grew up in Cornwall, England and returns frequently from her new home in Nashville, Tennessee to visit family and friends, drink tea and eat far too many Cornish pasties!

A lifelong love of reading turned into a passion for writing contemporary romance and her novels are usually set in the many places she's visited or lived on her extensive travels. Thanks to over three decades of marriage to her wonderful American husband she's a huge fan of transatlantic romance and always makes sure her characters get their own happy-ever-after.

She is a member of the Romantic Novelists' Association, the Romance Writers of America and the Music City Romance Writers.

If you'd like to find out more of what Angela gets up to (Advance warning: this may include references to wine, chocolate, Poldark and the hunky Aidan Turner) check out www.angelabritnellromance.com or follow her on www.facebook.com/angelabritnell, www.twitter.com/angelabritnell and on Instagram as Angela Golley Britnell.

Cover Reveal - The Best Boomerville Hotel by Caroline James

She's back..........

....and with a brand new book, and a brand new publisher too...

.. its the one and only Caroline James and the long awaited (by me at least) new book The Best Boomerville Hotel.

I feel like I have been waiting ages for this, and today I am finally able to reveal the cover and blurb of this new book.

I know I will be first in the line on publication day to pick up a copy (ok I will have it on pre-order, or more likely also have a review copy but you know what I mean!)

So here it is............

Let the shenanigans begin at the Boomerville hotel …

Jo Docherty and Hattie Contaldo have a vision – a holiday retreat in the heart of the Lake District exclusively for guests of ‘a certain age’ wishing to stimulate both mind and body with new creative experiences. One hotel refurbishment later and the Best Boomerville Hotel is open for business!

Perhaps not surprisingly Boomerville attracts more than it’s fair share of eccentric clientele: there’s fun loving Sir Henry Mulberry and his brother Hugo; Lucinda Brown, an impoverished artist with more ego than talent; Andy Mack, a charming Porsche-driving James Bond lookalike, as well as Kate Simmons, a woman who made her fortune from an internet dating agency but still hasn’t found ‘the One’ herself.

With such an array of colourful individuals there’s bound to be laughs aplenty, but could there be tears and heartbreak too and will the residents get more than they bargained for at Boomerville?

‘Britain’s answer to the Best Marigold Hotel! Book me in for Sharing with the Shaman and Clairvoyance in mid-life – this book is fabulous!’

Nikki Ashton, Amazon best-selling author

PUB DATE:
13 March 2018

CATEGORY:  Contemporary/Romantic Comedy

The Best Boomerville Hotel Links:

Amazon: http://mybook.to/TBBH

Kobo:  https://goo.gl/VRh2XT

Ibooks/Google:  https://goo.gl/2aq7sz

Itunes:  https://apple.co/2lZrl6F

So what do you think? 

This is the first book being published under the new Ruby Fiction imprint from Choc Lit which makes it extra special.  I literally can't wait much longer to read this, but since I wil  have to, find out a bit more about Caroline James, and also see what the real advance readers think of the book...

Caroline James has owned and run businesses encompassing all aspects of the hospitality industry, a subject that features in her novels. She is based in the UK but has a great fondness for travel and escapes whenever she can. A public speaker, consultant and food writer, Caroline is a member of the Romantic Novelist’s Association and writes articles and short stories and contributes to many publications.

Her debut novel, Coffee, Tea, The Gypsy & Me is set in North West England, at the time of a famous gypsy horse fair.  The book went straight to number three on Amazon and was E-book of the Week in The Sun.

So, You Think You're A Celebrity...Chef? was runner up the Winchester Writers festival for best TV Drama and takes a light-hearted look at the world of celebrity chefs as they battle it out for fame and fortune. Coffee, Tea, The Caribbean & Me was runner up at The Write Stuff, LBF, 2015 and is an Amazon best-seller and top recommended read by Thomson Holidays. Jungle Rock, a romcom novella set in Australia, revolves around a TV game show.

In her spare time, Caroline can be found trekking up a mountain or relaxing with her head in a book and hand in a box of chocolates.

Caroline James Links:

www.carolinejamesauthor.co.uk   

Twitter:@CarolineJames12 

FaceBook:  Caroline James Author 

 The Best Boomerville Hotel – Comments from advance readers

‘Britain’s answer to the Best Marigold Hotel! Book me in for Sharing with the Shaman and Clairvoyance in mid-life – this book is fabulous!’ Nikki Ashton, Amazon best-selling author.

‘A lovely addictive read and one that I would recommend.’ Stephanie O’Neill, Ireland

‘Caroline’s characters shone their magic brightly and kept me hooked, evoking strong emotions. A triumph, I absolutely loved this book.’ Nicky Clifford, Author.

‘I really wish I could check into Boomerville and participate in the courses. I loved this book, it is a great read. Thanks to the author for bringing the crazy characters to life - I can’t wait for the next book.’ Ronnie Montgomory, London.

‘A coming of age book for those of a certain age.’ Ann Magbanua, Philipines.

‘I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Good to read about middle-aged people falling in love and reinventing themselves. Highly recommended.’ Tracey Owen, Cumbria.

‘Boomerville gripped me from the start with twists and laugh out loud moments. I loved it and hope we see more adventures in the future.’ Lisa Stewart, Southampton.

‘Caroline is a wonderful storyteller and I felt enveloped in a cocoon while reading Boomerville.’ Therese Ferguson, Author, USA.

‘I need to go to a place like this! Quirky characters, right up my street, I really enjoyed the story.’ Cal Sleath, Birmingham.

‘Caroline’s best book yet. I loved the characters and the Lake District setting was gorgeous. Boomerville is a wonderful journey.’  Amanda Williams, Wales.

Book Review - What Happens at Christmas by Evonne Wareham - Blog Blitz

Amazon UK

Title: What Happens At Christmas

Author: Evonne Wareham

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Choc Lit

Publication Date: 5th December 2017

Rating: 5 Stars

A Christmas to remember 
Lori France and her four-year-old niece Misty are settling in to spend the holidays away after unexpected events leave them without a place to stay. 

Best-selling author Andrew Vitruvius knows that any publicity is good publicity. His agent tells him that often, so it must be true. In the run-up to Christmas, she excels herself - talking him into the craziest scheme yet: getting himself kidnapped, live on TV.

Little do they know they’re about to make a discovery and experience a Christmas they’re not likely to forget …

What an incredibly addictive and impressive book - its very different to the soft fluffy Christmas titles out there, and that is in part what will set this book apart. 

It is gritty, there is action, I honestly wasn't completely convinced I was going to get the ending I wanted, and although Christmas does feature, its not your typical Christmas either. 

There is nothing predictable about this book, it kept me guessing throughout, especially in regards to Andrew who was by far my favourite character. He is a best selling author, love adrenalin and risky adventures that sometimes end up in his books, so when his agent suggests he takes part in a series of high profile staged celebrity kidnappings and raise money for charity at the same time - he can't help but give in. 

However nothing particularly goes according to plan. In the mean time Lori has an unexpected guest of her young niece for Christmas. However she is also having her house refurbished after the floods, and ends up staying in an unexpected location in the Brecon Beacons this Christmas. 

As the stories converge, a friendship of sorts forms between Drew and Lori, only for their stories to diverge again equally quickly after Christmas for various reasons. This is a book that contains two Christmases, and the passing of over a year of time too. 

This was the first book I have read by Evonne Wareham and I am no wondering why I haven't read any of her back catalogue, which is something I will attempt to fix eventually.  

Thoroughly enjoyable, this was a refreshing change from the other festive titles out this year and really captured my imagination. 

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

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Evonne Wareham was born in Barry on the South Wales coast, but spent most of her working life in London. Now home again in Wales she is studying for a PhD in History and writing romance. She was a finalist in two reality writing contests in the United States and had a great time, even if she didn’t win. When not studying or writing, she loves to travel, go to the theatre, walk on the beach and sleep. She has won and been nominated for awards for her romantic suspense novels on both sides of the Atlantic, and is now also writing romantic comedy with a light dusting of crime - which is a change of pace from writing the dark scary stuff. She is a member of both the Crime Writers’ Association and the Romantic Novelists’ Association, which means she gets to go to twice as many literary parties.

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