Book Review - Summer at the Highland Coral Beach by Kiley Dunbar

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Title: Summer at the Highland Coral Beach

Author: Kiley Dunbar

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Publisher supplied copy

Publisher: Hera Books

Publication Date: 27th March 2020

Rating: 5 Stars

Escape to the Highland Coral Beach – where broken hearts can be healed

Beatrice Halliday needs a break from life. Booking a trip to the Highlands on a whim, Beatrice hopes learning Gaelic in a beautiful Scottish village might help her heal her grief after losing her baby, her husband and her much loved job in a space of months.

But Port Willow Bay isn’t exactly as the website promised. Instead of learning a new language, she’s booked in to learn the ancient skill of willow weaving, her hotel room is Princess and the Pea themed (with a stack of mattresses for her bed!) and worse still, her tutor is Atholl Fergusson, grumpy landlord of the hotel where Beatrice is staying – and she’s the only one doing the course.

But as Beatrice finds herself falling in love with Port Willow Bay and its people, and as she discovers the kind heart beneath Atholl’s stony exterior, can she really leave?

Escape to the beautiful Scottish Highlands with this utterly romantic, feelgood book; one visit to Port Willow Bay and you’ll want to come back! Fans of Sarah Morgan, Carole Matthews and Holly Martin will be captivated.

I really enjoyed my trip to Port Willow in this really lovely story.  It is such a lovely sounding place up in the Scottish Highlands, even has its own Coral Beach, a Princess and the Pea inn,  a pair of gruff Scottish brothers who have incredibly thick accents,  and then there is Beatrice. 

Beatrice is our heroine of this novel, and her opening is memorable, if heartbreaking.  And then her first days in Scotland which were booked on a whim don't exactly go according to plan. It is clear she is still hurting from recent events, and she appears to be taking it out on the already grumpy Atholl.   

Atholl is actually wonderful as you get to know him, he is rather straight talking but I couldn't help but warm to him. He wants to help his brother but at the same time he is hoping to make a success of his Willow Weaving workshops. 

Haven't heard of Willow Weaving? Neither had I until this book, its an old traditional craft, and I learned a fair bit about Willow too from Atholl.  Always good to learn something new while reading fiction, and this was interesting - but if you aren't sure about it, honestly the specifics are are very short section of a much bigger story. 

Due to the way Atholl and Eugene (his brother) speak, I really could hear the Scottish accent in the back of my mind with every sentence uttered, even if I wasn't sure exactly what some of the local terms meant, there is enough context to get to grips with what feels like a distance cousin to English - can you tell I've not ventured further into Scotland than Glasgow and Edinburgh!! 

Easily one of my favourite characters was Echo, he's adorable, and such a loyal companion, always sensing when someone needs his help the most.  And I really do think he helped Beatrice quite a lot while she was in Port Willow. 

There is a lot jam packed into this book, and I loved every second of this story.  I loved seeing how Beatrice, Atholl and Eugene were all able to change over a very short period of time.   Another incredibly enjoyable story from an author that I'm loving more and more each book. 

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

Book Review - The School of Starting Over by Lisa Swift

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Title: The School of Starting Over

Author: Lisa Swift

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Hera Books

Publication Date: 11th March 2020

Rating: 5 Stars

Nell’s going back to school… but now she’s learning lessons of the heart

Reception class teacher Nell Shackleton has a plan. At least, she had until she arrived at her new home of Humblebee Farm, a dilapidated farmhouse on the Yorkshire moors. But so what if the roof’s full of holes, the back door’s hanging off and there’s a sheep in the front room? Because sometimes a new beginning means starting at the bottom… right?

Xander Scott is one of the youngest headteachers Leyholme Primary School has ever had. But managing over-zealous parents and their semi-feral kids proves a tricky task for shy Xander – as does keeping his mind on the job when his feelings for the new Reception teacher become more than strictly professional…

At 43, Nell’s new friend Stevie Madeleine has given up on love. After losing her wife, Stevie’s decided that her four-year-old daughter Milly and cocker spaniel Red are the only girls she needs in her life. That is, until larger-than-life dog-walker Deb arrives on the scene. But will the secrets of Stevie’s past stop her new romance dead in its tracks?

Meeting Xander and Stevie brings joy back into Nell’s life – but when old secrets start to surface, there may be some hard lessons to learn for them all…

A gorgeously uplifting and hilarious romantic comedy that will delight fans of Milly Johnson, Holly Martin and Heidi Swain..

After a slow start to the book, which was needed so that you really knew the characters and their back stories properly, suddenly the book became simply amazing!  Completely took me by surprise, I mean there were hints throughout that you didn't have all the information even as a reader seeing multiple characters lives, but I didn't see that coming until perhaps last last possibly minute. 

I'm not even sure I want to tell you what the book is about, or any details, as I know I went in blind and was richly rewarded for it. 

I literally picked to read this due to the fact it had school in the title (and I loved books set in schools even as a kid), and knowing that Lisa Swift also writes as Mary Jayne Baker, so knew I'd be able to trust the writing.  I hadn't really acknowledged the blurb  at least until after I'd started reading! 

There are some completely memorable characters:

Ryan - as the school governor that is a thorn in poor Xander's side. I was so frustrated whenever that bully appeared, and he seemed to hate Xander.  Xander being the male lead, rather unsure of himself and his new position as acting head, full of nerves, he really is very cute, unlikely but none the less lovely person. 

Colin the sheep who only makes a few cameos, but we meet early into the book and always made me smile. 

Red the border setter, along with his 4 year old Millie are an adorable pairing, Red is rather mischievous and Millie is just adorable. I loved her mum Stevie's friendships both with Nell, the new reception teacher and also a new friendship with her dog walker Deb. 

Stevie is so brave and inspirational,  I really took to her, and enjoyed any pages she was present on.  You definitely need to keep an eye out for her back story, its painful but the way it is written about, is just right,  

And then there is Nell, who has moved to this village, bought frankly a wreck of a farmhouse to live in and renovate and initially knows no one there.   Her vision for World Book Day was spot on, and I loved how the whole school embraced it. 

Oh there are so many deep issues in this book, and it means all these characters are well rounded, living and breathing humans who you could possibly find in your local pub.  

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this, and delighted to see a different angle to this author's writing arsenal which is becoming rather impressive. 

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

Book Review - The Unbroken by Alex Caan - Blog Tour

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Title: The Unbroken

Author: Alex Caan

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Hera Books

Publication Date: 18th March 2020

Rating: 5 Stars

Millie didn’t get time to think. The car door was pulled open and she was dragged out, her screams loud and raw, as she kicked and fought. She called out for Oscar, again and again, screaming for help.

But he never came.

It was the wedding of the year. Millie Beaumont marrying billionaire playboy Oscar Hayat, the eyes of the world watching.

But the dream turns into a nightmare when Millie and Oscar are brutally abducted while on honeymoon. Millie is killed, her body dumped in London. Oscar is still
missing…

Enter DS Moomy Khan and DI Sarah Heaton - not your typical police officers. Moomy is running from her own troubled past, while Sarah is having to live with the hard choices she has made. Yet they will stop at nothing to find Millie’s murderers and track down Oscar. Only a family as high profile as the Hayats have enemies lurking in every corner - have they taken the ultimate revenge, or is someone else behind the death and kidnapping?

And
can Moomy and Sarah find Oscar - before time runs out and he suffers the same fate as his wife?

The first book in the gripping, fast-paced new Khan and Heaton crime series, The Unbroken will thrill fans of A.A. Dhand, Angela Marsons and Robert Bryndza.

What a gritty start to a new series with a pair of kick-ass detectives for good measure. 

Ok, it took a while to get to grips with DS Moomy Khan and DI Sarah Heaton, they are not what you would call typical officers, and their personal lives are rather troubling, but yet it is clear they are great at their jobs. 

This is a story that is incredibly diverse, and I loved getting to know the police team and their backgrounds, in addition to learning all about the family that is at the heart of this story.  

For the Hayat's are uber rich, and think nothing can touch them, but whether they actually care for each other is another matter, even when their oldest son, Oscar and heir apparent is kidnapped and his new wife turns up dead. 

I had no idea how the plot was going to unravel and I was gripped as a result of it. I was eager to learn everything I could about this case,  and in it meet some very misguided people. 

Yet at the same time, it's what has been happening in Moomy and Sarah's recent pasts, that  I feel is going to shape the series, to the extent that I'm already dying to read book 2, based on the way this one finished.  I feel there is far more to them both than has already been revealed and I am so looking forward to seeing how they develop over a series. 

Fast paced and addictive, this is yet another fabulous thriller from Alex Caan, which asks the question of just whether you have to obey the law if you are a billionaire.  

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

Please take a look at all the other fabulous book bloggers on this tour

Book Review - New Beginnings at Glendale Hall by Victoria Walters

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Title: New Beginnings at Glendale Hall

Author: Victoria Walters

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Publisher supplied copy

Publisher: Hera Books

Publication Date: 5th February

Rating: 5 Stars

Two weddings and a baby…but who will get their happy ever after?

Emily Prescott’s life isn’t going to plan. Her dreams of starting a family with fireman boyfriend Greg and opening up her own bakery in London feel like they will never come true. So when a wedding
invite arrives from her oldest friend, Beth Williams, Emily is thrilled. Not only will she get to return to her childhood home in Scotland, but best of all – Beth wants her to bake the wedding cake!


However, her excitement is cut short when she discovers that Greg has cheated on her. Devastated by his betrayal, Emily flees to Glendale Hall, Beth’s grand estate in the Highlands, and tries to distracts herself with helping with the wedding plans, but that’s not easy when Greg keeps hounding her to forgive him. Then she’s introduced to Glendale’s new young and handsome vicar Brodie, and things become even more complicated.

When Emily discovers that Greg’s betrayal runs deeper than she imagined, she finds herself with a whole host of decisions to make, especially when she discovers her long awaited dream is finally being fulfilled – at exactly at the wrong time…

Escape to Scotland and fall in love with this gorgeous and inspiring romance from the bestselling author of Coming Home to Glendale Hall! The perfect feel-good read for fans of Holly Martin, Heidi Swain, and Jill Mansell.

Having thoroughly enjoyed Coming Home to Glendale Hall toward the end of last year, I was very excited to get my hands on the next book in the series.  

And my expectations have been smashed, this was a fabulous book, filled with a great sense of community, a couple of weddings, a break up with tricky issues, new beginnings, and the gorgeous town of Glendale

This can easily be read as a standalone as the main focus of the book is Emily, whereas it was Beth's story in the previous book.  However Beth does feature a lot in this story and we get a great continuation of what is happening in her life, especially as Beth and Emily are old friends. 

I loved everything to do with Glendale Hall, it really felt like coming home to my own old friends, and it seems that Emily can't keep away.  She heads up to the Hall in a rush from London after discovering her boyfriend, has cheated on her.  Although that is only the tip of the issues with Greg but I'll leave you to discover those for herself. 

There is though a clear connection between Emily and Brodie, the sexy local vicar, who doesn't act how you may expect a vicar to behave.  I loved him!  

This is just such a warm and friendly feeling book, that had me on the verge of tears at time, had me smiling at others, and generally had me within its thrall from start to finish.   I loved it. 

Thank you to Keshini at Hera Books for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - Coming Home To Glendale Hall by Victoria Walters

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Amazon UK

Title: Coming Home To Glendale Hall

Author: Victoria Walters

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Hera 

Publication Date: 25th September 2019

Rating: 5 Stars

No matter how far you go, home is where the heart is...

Beth Williams hasn’t been home for ten years. After falling pregnant at sixteen, she ran away from the imposing Scottish estate where she grew up rather than risk her family’s disapproval, working hard to build a life for herself and daughter Isabelle - but now she’s finally returning to Glendale Hall.

As Beth tries to mend her broken family ties, and fights to bring the community of Glendale back together, she realises that the story she has told herself for a decade might well be a very different one from the truth. Even though she ran from Glendale it has never left her heart. And, she soon realises, neither has Drew – Beth’s first love.

Will Beth be able to forgive her mother and grandmother (and herself) for what happened ten years ago? What will Drew say when he discovers the secret she’s been keeping from him for so long? Can a festive trail bring the village back together?

Will Christmas work its magic on Glendale - or will Beth be forced to run away from it all over again?

A charming, uplifting novel that will warm your heart – the perfect read to curl up with this autumn. Fans of Trisha Ashley, Debbie Johnson and Cathy Bramley
will love this gorgeously romantic read.

This is so much more than a Christmas book, although the festivities do take up a good part of the story.   It is more a book about family, forgiveness, and a fight to save a local high street and thus the community of Glendale. 

It's the first time that Beth has been back to Glendale Hall in 10 years, and the first time her daughter Isabelle  has ever been to Scotland, not to mention the Hall.   Beth has only returned because it may be her grandmother's last Christmas, and it felt like the right thing to do, even though it may have been her fault that Beth left the Hall all those years ago. 

There is 10 years of hurt to try to get past, and Beth is amazed how much has changed in Glendale, and how at home she and her daughter seem to feel there.  There are so many fabulously heart warming storylines in this book, and they all work so well. 

I loved everything about this book especially all the festive celebrations, but also ... well no I do mean everything. I'm not going to list fabulous things about this book, you are best discovering them for yourself. 

From the first few pages this story captured my heart, and it was a sheer joy to read it.  Between old friends, old loves, and rediscovering a love of Glendale and her family, it truly is a wonderful book.   I enjoyed curling up with it and throwing myself into loving every second of it. 

Definitely a book to add to your winter reading pile! 

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

Book Review - Escape to Giddywell Grange by Kim Nash - #HolidayReading Madeira

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Title: Escape to Giddywell Grange

Author: Kim Nash

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Hera Books

Publication Date: 18th September 2019

Rating: 5 Stars

Maddy Young thought she had it all.

Swanky city apartment? – yep. Fancy car? sorted. High-flying career? – tick.

Even if she’s lost most of her friends because of spending all her time at work, and can’t remember when she last had fun, it’s worth it.

Until she’s suddenly made redundant. Now she’s 37, jobless, and after the breakup with the former love of her life, unhappily single.

Enter Maddy’s childhood friend, Beth, the owner of Growlers, the doggy daycare centre at Giddywell Grange, on a mission to make Maddy see there’s more to life than work.

Soon, Maddy is swapping spreadsheets for volunteer duty at the library, daily Starbucks for cups of tea with elderly neighbours, and her Prada handbag for doggy poo bags… And with Beth’s gorgeous brother, Alex, back from the States, Maddy starts to think that Giddywell Grange might just be her happy place.

But when her old life – and her old boyfriend - comes calling, will Maddy go back to the job she loved so much? Or will she discover that the key to happiness lies in making others happy?

An uplifting romantic comedy that will warm your heart – perfect for fans of Cathy Bramley, Milly Johnson and Katie Fforde.

Kim Nash is on a roll, and is already after this the second book, starting to become a must read author for romantic comedy fans.  

I adored this book, Maddie is a fabulous main character, and although some of the surprises along the way I did guess, I was enjoying the journey far too much to mind. 

And there are dogs, I love Growlers at Giddywell Grange, it sounds like a fabulous place to leave your dog for a doggie holiday, and is a massive contrast for Maddie when she is made redundant from her high flying PR job, for her to help out at Giddywell Grange while her best friend recuperates from a much needed surgery. 

This is a story of self re-discovery for Maddie, as her life changes completely and she starts to find pleasure in the simpler pleasures of life.  

I loved seeing how Maddie develops over the course of the book, although I was worried about some of the decisions she appeared to be making. 

Baxter is one special dog and I doubt there is a reader out there that if they like dogs, that won;t fall under his adorable spell, and equally will enjoy getting to know Alice, his human too. 

You should have seen the great big grin on my face, when I spotted a quick cameo from a leading character in the author's previous book! I love it when authors do that sort of thing!

This is such a gentle story, written from Maddie's point of view, that I couldn't help but really love. 

I felt that Maddie was starting to become my own friend, and there are many many moments that made me smile in this. 

It's certainly a feel good, all around fabulous read.  It's got a different vibe from Amazing Grace, but this is  an author still finding her feet, and finding them well, proving already she can write in a multitude of ways. 

For me this was a fantastic holiday read, which I raced through the pages and couldn't get enough of in only a few short hours.   

I can happily recommend this completely whole heartedly for lovers of dogs, great story lines,  characters that feel real and that grow over the course of the book, and a whole lost of other plot points that I haven't even mentioned!!  

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

Book Review - Christmas at Frozen Falls by Kiley Dunbar

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Title: Christmas at Frozen Falls

Author: Kiley Dunbar

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Hera 

Publication Date: 4th September 2019

Rating: 5 Stars

Christmas magic can thaw the coldest of hearts…

Sylvie Magnusson is going to be lonely this Christmas. Instead of jetting off for her
sunshine honeymoon, she’s freezing at home in Cheshire. Guess that’s what happens when your fiancé dumps you a week before your wedding…

Sylvie’s best friend, Nari, plans a trip to see the Northern Lights and get Sylvie’s mojo back. But as their Lapland getaway approaches, Sylvie realises that Frozen Falls is the hometown of Stellan Virtanen, her dreamy Finnish ex-boyfriend, the one that got away. Even though he actually ran away, and Sylvie never understood why…

Luckily, when they meet, Stellan’s still gorgeous – and her heart is warmed when he shows her the romantic delights of Lapland (as well as some seriously adorable Husky puppies). But when she returns to England can she really leave Stellan behind? Or will she find that her heart belongs in the frozen North?

Curl up with the perfect cosy Christmas read this winter. Fans of Sarah Morgan and
Carole Matthews will adore this feel good, heart-warming romcom.

It's beginning to feel a bit like Christmas or at least Winter, and having read Christmas at Frozen Falls, I just want to pack my bags and spend Christmas this year in Lapland. 

Ok in reality its a tiny bit too cold for my liking, so I'll probably spend it in a much warmer destination - but wow who wouldn't want to go husky sledding,  take a sleigh ride with real reindeer and generally spend a few days at the place that we all know the real Santa lives! 

This really is a bit of Christmas magic, seeing how Sylvie and Nari take a last min trip to Lapland, and go to the resort where  Sylvie's ex-boyfriend Stellan is from and might be there.   In fact we get to meet not only Stellan but also reindeer herder Niilo, who believes Nari may be his soulmate. 

Frozen Falls is such a gorgeous location for book,  I really felt I was there alongside Sylvie and Nari, its utterly stunning, and if it can't ignite some Christmas feeling in you then nothing will. 

I loved seeing how both ladies interacted with their potential romances, and as well as being on holiday together they spend quite a bit of time apart. 

It is clear that Finnish Lapland has been well researched with mentions of Finnish customs, and odd phrases in Finnish put in too for flavour.  I loved learning about the sauna customs, and also the mentions that Finn men are slightly quieter, less demonstrative than the male species of other Scandinavian countries. 

Oh and the huskies, just how adorable are they.  Please can I have a husky puppy for Christmas, I really want to give one a big cuddle, and if i had a team of them, I'd be able to rather unique transport!!  They really are great and Sylvie spends quite a bit of time with the dogs in this, as she is even more enchanted than I am with them. 

Christmas at Frozen Falls is a wonderful start to my Christmas reading this year,  its full of festive feeling, fabulous characters,  friends, family,  snow and all sorts of traditional Lappish food and customs.  I just loved every second of this book.  

This may only be Kiley Dunbar's second book, but I can already tell these are the start of a long writing career (I hope), as I am loving her writing,. I can't wait to see what is next. 

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

Book Review - One Summer's Night by Kiley Dunbar - #HolidayReading Thailand

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Title: One Summer's Night

Author: Kiley Dunbar

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Hera Books

Publication Date: 6th March 2019

Rating: 5 Stars

The path of true love never did run smooth…did it?

Kelsey Anderson is stuck in a rut so big, she’ll need a 4-wheel drive to get out. She’s just been made redundant from her dead-end job, and boyfriend Fran is so busy climbing up the career ladder that he’s forgotten how to have fun. She needs to change her life – and fast.
Stumbling across an advert for tour guides in Stratford-Upon-Avon seems like the perfect way to bring the sunshine back. In an impulsive move, she moves from her small Scottish village to Shakespeare’s birthplace, armed only with a suitcase and her battered copy of Shakespeare’s Sonnets.
Kelsey quickly falls in love with the place, her job as a tourist guide allowing her to explore every inch of the picture-perfect town, from cosy cafes to the picturesque banks of the river.
But it’s not just the town that captures her heart, as she finds herself torn between the actors Will and Jonathan who both vie for her affections.
But will beautiful Peony, the lead actress at the Oklahoma theatre company where Jonathan is playing Oberon in A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream, play a role in keeping Kelsey and Jonathan apart? 
Or will flirtatious, charming Will, the fellow tour guide who has set his sights on Kelsey, keep the star-crossed lovers from finding their happy ending? 
A gorgeously uplifting, feel good romance that will captivate readers of Holly Martin, Cathy Bramley and Milly Johnson. 

I loved this debut book from Kiley Dunbar and am delighted to learn that this isn't the last we have seen from Kelsey.

I loved seeing Kelsey come out of her shell and into a fabulous character after breaking away from a boyfriend and taking on a job in Stratford upon Avon that suits her down to a tee.

Was a lot of fun discovering what life ad a tour guide is like. 

There are even a couple of hunky men in the running,  although I was never completely sure who she would end up with. 

What is clear is the author loves Shakespeare and the book is filled with quotes from the Bard.

Really enjoyable book and I can't wait to read more from the author. 

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

Book Review - Amazing Grace by Kim Nash - #HolidayReading Thailand

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Title:  Amazing Grace

Author: Kim Nash

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Publisher supplied copy

Publisher: Hera Books

Publication Date: 10th April 2019

Rating: 5 Stars

She’s taking her life back, one step at a time…

Grace thought she had it all. Living in the beautiful village of Little Ollington, along with head teacher husband Mark and gorgeous son, Archie, she devoted herself to being the perfect mum and the perfect wife, her little family giving her everything she ever wanted.

Until that fateful day when she walked in on Mark kissing his secretary - and her perfect life fell apart.

Now she's a single mum to Archie, trying to find her way in life and keep things together for his sake. Saturday nights consist of a Chinese takeaway eaten in front of the TV clad in greying pyjamas, and she can’t remember the last time she had a kiss from anyone aside from her dog, Becks. 

Grace’s life needs a shake up – fast. So when gorgeous gardener Vinnie turns up, his twinkling eyes suggesting that he might be interested in more than just her conifers, she might just have found the answer to her prayers. But as Grace falls deeper for Vinnie, ten-year-old Archie fears that his mum finding love means she’ll never reconcile with the dad he loves.

So when ex-husband Mark begs her for another chance, telling her he’s changed from the man that broke her heart, Grace finds herself with an impossible dilemma. Should she take back Mark and reunite the family that Archie loves? Or risk it all for a new chance of happiness? 

A funny, feel good romance about finding your own path and changing your life – readers of Cathy Bramley, Jill Mansell and Josie Silver will love this uplifting read.

It isn't often that a rom-com is written so beautifully that I am on the verge of tears by the end of it.  Happy tears that is, but due to certain circumstances in the book I was so connected to Grace's story that I read feeling everything she did. 

Grace truly is an amazing woman,  single mum to Archie,  has a nightmare of an ex, gorgeous dog,  Becks, is up for a local award but has almost no self confidence at the start of the book. 

Her best friend,  Monika, is determined to do something about it, and add a result there is a makeover and some hilarious but disastrous online dates. 

Archie is a star of the book,  and at times he is wise beyond his years. 

Grace's mum is also a big part of the story,  and written in a way that I was unsure of at first but grew to love.

I can't believe that this is a debut novel..Kim Nash had written an accomplished debut that knocked my socks off! It is simply fabulous. 

I adored reading this story and just hope i don't have to wait too long for the next one. 

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

Book Review - Bollywood Wives by Alex Khan

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Title: Bollywood Wives

Author: Alex Khan

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Hera Books

Publication Date: 6th February 2019

Rating: 5 Stars

The biggest scandals happen off-camera...

Zara Das is Bollywood’s hottest property, her every move watched by the eyes of the press. Riding high from the success of a string of blockbusters, she has the world at her feet, but the scandal from her latest film threatens to dethrone her as Bollywood’s reigning queen. 

So when superstar director Raj Dillon stages a lavish retelling of Pride and Prejudice, moving the shoot from Mumbai’s soundstages to London, Zara knows this is the role that could put her back on top. Coming with them are the Bollywood Wives - Jackie, Sasha, and Rani - bringing their own off-screen drama.

But behind the diamonds, designer clothes and seven-star hotels lies the truth of how Zara reached the top. And when a dead body is found in her hotel room, it seems that someone is determined to take Zara down - and will stop at nothing to expose her darkest secrets. 

Zara has spent years running from her past. But now it’s caught up with her… 

A sexy, gripping, scandalous novel set in the world of Bollywood - fans of Jackie Collins, Crazy Rich Asians and Lauren Weisberger won’t be able to put this one down. 

I had a feeling from the moment I first saw this book that I would love it, and having just finished reading it, wow that is one fabulous book. 

I will admit to start with it was a bit of slow burner, but the payoff is worth it. Takes a while to get to grips will all the secondary characters, the main one Zara is key, but there are plenty of sub plots too, and other threads that once you have them straight in your mind are equally rewarding too.  

Bollywood Wives is a book that contains everything, we have very early on clear death threats to Zara, there is action, drama, sex, mystery, intrigue, scandal, a Bollywood movie being made in London, a diverse cast of characters, insights into modern India, some unimaginable levels of luxury and that is just for starters. 

That isn't even counting the more serious side of the book where we see how Zara, and few of the others have worked their way up from nothing to the stars they are, and their pasts are a real rags to riches story, with real struggles on the way. 

It's the sort of book that will appeal to so many different people, those interested in films, Bollywood, India, plus those who tend to read books with suspense and sex, and relationships etc...  It is definitely a blockbuster sort of book, which is why my only slight issue was that I didn't save it until I read it on holiday. 

I love reading these sorts of books poolside, and its definitely one who wants to escape for a while should read.  I was transported to a world far different to my own which was fascinating, and I was very keen to always find out what happened next. 

I loved Alex Khan's writing, and its clear this is a world he knows a lot about, and I hope he will write future books  that feature Bollywood, or India, as I love reading about characters so vastly different to myself. 

That ending completely took me by surprise too, as did quite a few of the various reveals. Bollywood Wives kept me on my toes and I loved every moment of it, especially the second half of the book. 

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