Book Review - The Year of Starting Over by Karen King - #HolidayReading Madeira

The Amazon Purchase link below is an Amazon Affiliate link.

Amazon UK

Title: The Year of Starting Over

Author: Karen King

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Bookouture

Publication Date: 7th February 2019

Rating: 4 Stars

What if – to find yourself – you had to run away?

Last year was meant to be when Holly got her happy-ever-after. But stuck in a job that’s going nowhere, and a relationship that feels more like it’s going backwards… this year Holly has decided it’s time to change her life. She just has to:

– End the relationship with the commitment-phobic boyfriend
– Go on a proper adventure
– Learn to be herself again
– Definitely, categorically not fall in love.

Cramming her belongings into her little yellow Mini, Holly drives on to a ferry bound to Spain, to stay at a remote farmhouse near a beautiful village in the Andalusian hills.

But the day she arrives she nearly crashes her car into a gorgeous guy on a motorbike. He’s called Matias and their paths keep crossing, much to Holly’s irritation. Because as she learns to speak Spanish from the locals, finally starts laying out plans for her own design business, and sips sangria in the sunlit village square, Holly is beginning to remember who she is and what she wants.

So she won’t allow herself be distracted by Matias. Because this year – for Holly – there are more important things in life than love. And she won’t let yet another bad relationship ruin everything… will she?

A moving and uplifting romantic comedy about living each moment and learning to trust yourself again, for fans of Jenny Hale, Debbie Macomber, and Sophie Kinsella.

A story about making the most of a new situation, and of taking a year away from your regular life to follow your dreams. 

Holly manages to come up with a list of 12 things over the next year to complete, from riding a motorcycle, to trying 50 different flavours of ice-cream, to larger ones such as being herself and living abroad, and conquering a fear. 

I love how she moves to Spain for a few months to help her friends set up an artists retreat,  while also expanding her online design business. 

I would have loved to have seen all of Hollie's designs as they sounded impressive. 

I loved this look at Andalusian life in the countryside, high up in the hills, and seeing how Holly is able to integrate herself into life there. 

Her new neighbour Matias is rather sexy and they are both adamant that they don't need romance in their life... but their friendship is really good to watch. 

I loved reading about Hollie's year, the new friends she makes, her attempts to accomplish everything on her list, and just her courage to start her life over and try to enhance it the best way she can. 

It's a really enjoyable book, and had me really entertained for a few hours. 

Thank you to Bookouture and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily, 

Book Review - Single All The Way by Karen King

The Amazon Purchase link below is an Amazon Affiliate link.

Amazon UK

Title: Single All The Way

Author: Karen King

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Bookouture

Publication Date: 28th October 2019

Rating: 4 Stars

Single together for the first time, 34-year-old Meg and her warm-hearted, long-suffering mother Sally are cancelling Christmas, and running away to a tiny cottage on the Cornish coast. For Meg, it is the perfect place to heal, away from all the mistletoe, while for her mother it has a special, and secret, place in her heart – from a love story that seems a lifetime ago…

Meg and Sally find they’re getting to know themselves, and each other, better than ever before. But as they are unable to resist getting involved in the village Christmas celebrations, they encounter two handsome local strangers.

Sometimes, it’s being away from home that helps you realise where your heart is. What neither woman knows is that, by the time the new year rolls around, one woman will have fallen in love with her husband all over again, and one marriage will be over for good…

An escapist, romantic and heart-warming novel for fans of One Day in December and No One Cancels Christmas.

What a really enjoyable story. 

Before I get into anything just have to say I loved every mention of Laurel and Hardy, they weren't in it anywhere near enough for my liking, but I just wanted to cuddle both of them. Strangely I find you just don't get pet bunnies in the books that I read that often, so always good to have a cute animal present. 

Equally you don't often have bother mother and daughter announcing the break up of their respective marriages on the same day, in the run up to Christmas. Which made for a lovely fresh take on a book as the ladies went away to Cornwall, to deal with their heartbreak and see what life may have in store for them in the future. 

Both have their reasons for leaving their partners, and the perspective swaps between both Meg and Sally, and on occasion their husbands, to give a reader a well rounded view of the situation.  

Right up until towards the end I really wasn't quite sure how anything was going to turn out, there were potential red herrings thrown in for good measure, and I was very curious to see if either marriage would be savable. 

The friendships the women made in the little Cornish village were great to see, and I really liked next door neighbours Leo and Sam, and anything that involved balloon animals.   I do love a balloon animal, although how some of those designs were made is beyond me!! 

There are certainly some lovely Christmassy moments,  I loved the Christmas Fayre, the carolling, and seeing just what would happen on the day itself. 

This was though so much more than a festive story, its about relationships, its about whether you should just settle when you get to a certain age or whether there can be more to life, its about whether two people are enough in a family or whether children are a deal breaker.     So a lot of topics covered, all the while keeping you completely engrossed in the story. 

Single All The Way is a really enjoyable, heart warming story set to a festive background that was a joy to read. 

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

Book Review - Snowy Nights at the Lonely Hearts Hotel by Karen King

The Amazon Purchase link below is an Amazon Affiliate link.

Amazon UK

Title: Snowy Nights at the Lonely Hearts Hotel

Author: Karen King

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Bookouture 

Publication Date: 9th November 2018

Rating: 5 Stars

Snowy rooftops, mulled wine, and a hot single dad. Not the Christmas Saffy wished for… but maybe the one she needs?

Twenty-nine year old Saffron Baxter knew her holiday plans didn’t stand a chance the moment her sister called to say she was stuck abroad with no hope of being home before Christmas. Saffy would just have to abandon thoughts of wild festive parties in the city and head down to remote Cornwall.

Because every year her sister hosts a huge Christmas meal for all the single parents in her village. And Saffy knows it’d break her heart to let them down.

Arriving as snow starts to fall over the thatched cottages of the little harbour town of Port Breok, she meets Logan – the tall, fair-haired, blue-eyed, devoted single dad who lives next door, with his adorable daughter Chloe. At first she thinks he might help her make Christmas Day extra-memorable, but he just seems convinced she’ll never manage – that she’s just a party girl who doesn’t care about Christmas, or anyone’s feelings.

Maybe he’s right. After all – she doesn’t want to settle down, she’s only there for a few days… But she’s still determined to do her sister proud with gorgeous decorations, the most beautiful real tree – complete with extra twinkly lights, and delicious mince pies. To make it a Christmas everyone will remember, especially little Chloe. Even if, when the mistletoe comes down, she knows she’ll probably never see Logan again…

A pure pleasure to devour this book, I just didn't want it to end, I was enjoying it so much.  

Karen King has written a wonderful Christmas book, set in Cornwall, with a new love on the cards,  big declarations of love, a Christmas party for all the local single parents and their children,  tree decorating, polar bear onesies, snow and just a huge helping of festive goodwill and cheer. 

Saffy is Hannah's younger sister and doesn't visit her as often as she should, is more of a career girl, so when Saffy is asked to run the Christmas party and Hannah's hotel her first instinct is to refuse. But once she agrees and we see just how Christmas mad, Saffy is I start to think its a very good thing, and shows a whole new side of her. 

We are also introduced to Logan and his young daughter Chloe and they are a huge part of this wonderful story, and Chloe very quickly found her way into my heart too. She is adorable.  

This is a really sweet story with so many good parts, that its best for you to discover them for yourselves.  Definitely my new favourite book from Karen King, I found this quick and enjoyable to read, and it passed my ultimate test of, me not having the foggiest where I was on the tube journey, while I was reading it, which is normally a great indicator of how absorbed I am. 

Snowy Nights at the Lonely Hearts Hotel would not look out of place on any Christmas reads TBR this year, its that good. 

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily, 

Book Review - The Cornish Hotel by the Sea by Karen King - Fab Firsts

Fab Firsts is my new regular Sunday feature, that is going to be highlighting books that are firsts. When interviewing authors, it will be about their first book, as well as other firsts in their lives. When reviewing books for this feature, there will be a mix of debuts, first books in a series, the first time I read an author, and possibly other firsts depending on what I can think of!

If you are an author wanting to take part in Fab Firsts then please do email on gilbster at gmail dot com and I'll whizz the questions over to you.

I hope you enjoy this look at a variety of hopefully fabulous firsts, while making some sort of dent in my review and paperback TBRs which are my current main focus!

Despite Karen King having written many many novels, this is actually the first one I have read. 

Amazon UK

Title: The Cornish Hotel by the Sea

Author: Karen King

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Publisher supplied copy

Publisher: Accent Press

Publication Date: 13th July 2017

Rating: 4 Stars

Ellie Truman’s widowed mum is struggling to keep Gwel Teg, the family hotel in Cornwall, afloat.  Ellie is determined to do everything in her power to help her, even if that means moving back to the sleepy Cornish village she fled from broken-hearted a few years ago.

Things go wrong from the start and she’s grateful for the help from hunky guest, Reece Mitchell. But does Reece have ulterior motives? Will Ellie’s efforts be for nothing?

One of the first things that made me smile about this book, was something rather simple, the name of Ellie (the main character)'s mother, Sue Truman. For you see she be coincidence shares the name of my aunt, and I must say it took me completely by surprise. 

This Sue is slightly older, and definitely a lot frailer, but she also has a wonderful daughter, and a clear sense of family. It is due to Sue's sudden illness that Ellie has returned to the family home in a small Cornish village to help look after the hotel her mum owns. 

Gwel Teg, is the hotel, and its fortunes are on the slide, and its up to Ellie to try to save the day and increase custom and deal with what seems to be a never ending to do list of tasks. There is a  rather sexy gentleman who also tries to help Ellie out, but as readers we can see that there is a lot more to him than meets the eye on first impressions. 

Reece may have an ulterior motive, but I couldn't help but fall for him anyway, I loved the way he was able to help out in the hotel, and he really did seem conflicted by some of his emotions. 

This is a lovely story, and I could really picture life in Gwel Teg, and the little Cornish village. I enjoyed seeing what the other members of the hotel's staff were like and how they dealt with problems. I loved seeing how Ellie and Reece's interactions changed over the course of the story, and I found myself hoping things would work out well. 

The Cornish Hotel by the Sea is a charming story with plenty to make you smile. I found it fairly quick to read, and the writing kept me engaged in the book the whole way through. 

Thank you to Karen formerly of Accent Press for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Back Catalogue Books - Q&A With Karen King

Back Catalogue Books is my new regular Saturday feature, focusing on books that are not the latest releases. There is going to be a mix of Q&As and also reviews, depending on what I have the space for. 

If you are an author wanting to take part in Back Catalogue Books then please do email on gilbster at gmail dot com and I'll whizz the questions over to you. 

I hope everyone enjoys this weekly look back at some of the slightly older books that are about but still great, and that I eventually make a dent in my TBRs as a result of it!

This week's guest is Karen King, who has written some books that I keep eyeing up on Amazon, so I'm sure at some point I'll end up buying and reading! Welcome. 

1) Please tell me about your first book, and what started you writing in the first place.

I’ve written stories for as long as I can remember, way back in my childhood. My dad fostered in me a love for reading and writing and it’s stopped with me all my life. I first started writing for children’s magazines and then children’s books. My first three children’s books were based around some magazine characters and were published under the wrong name!

2) How many books have you written and what are they?

I’ve had 120 children’s books published, for all age groups including YA, and three romance novels with two more in the process of writing. My backlist romance novels are Never Say Forever and The Millionaire Plan, which have both just been republished by Accent Press.

3) Which book are you most proud of writing?

My latest, a chick-lit called, ‘I do? -or do I?’ It’s the longest book I’ve ever written – 75,000 words- and there were times I thought I’d never finish it. Now I’m well into my third novel of that length.

4) Which book was your favourite to write?

I love every book I’m working on but I had a lot of fun devising Amber’s ten point plan to hook a millionaire in The Millionaire Plan

5) Who are your favourite characters from your books and why?

Well I always love the characters from the book I’m writing at that moment but from my back list it’s got to be Kendall and Jake from Never Say Forever. They are both so determined not to commit to anyone, but so obviously attracted to each other. You can really feel their struggle to fight their feelings – I hope!

6) If you could go back and change anything from any of your books, what would it be, and why?

There’s things I would love to go back and change in every book. I always think I could have done better but you have to let it go and move onto the next book.

7) Which of your covers if your favourite and why?

I adore all of my Accent Press book covers but the one for Never Say Forever is a favourite. It’s so fabulously summery. It makes me feel like sitting in a deckchair and reading a book.

8) Have you ever thought about changing genres, if so what else would you like to write?

I’d love to write outrageously funny books, the ones that make you roar out loud. Not my style though, although I do weave a little humour in my stories.

9) Looking forward can you let us know what you are working on next?

I’m working on my third chick lit for Accent Press. When they accepted ‘I do -or do I?’ they contracted me for two more books. Lucky me!

10) I dare not ask for a favourite author, but is there any author’s back catalogue you admire and why?

Oh gosh, there are so many! I love Sophie Kinsella, Sharon Shinn, Marian Keyes, S.J. Watson, Mandy Baggot (I was made up to actually meet Mandy at the RNA conference this year!!) and I really admire Sue Moorcroft’s work.

11) Finally, is there anything else you would like to say about your back catalogue of books?

I guess that I hope that readers find them a light, fun read. My tag line is sassy, contemporary romance just right for reading on the beach. I hope readers agree!

Thanks so much for hosting me, Rachel.

You are very welcome Karen, its been a pleasure to find out more about your books, and I must say I love a lot of the same authors as you.

Author Bio

A member of the Romantic Novelists' Association, the Society of Authors and the Society of Women Writers and Journalists, Karen King writes sassy, contemporary romance just right for reading on the beach.  'I DO - or Do I?' her first chick lit for Accent Press, was published in May. She has been contracted for two more. And she is delighted that Accent Press have republished her earlier romance novels, The Millionaire Plan and Never Say Forever. The Millionaire Plan was nominated for the RONE Award in 2014.

Karen has had several short stories for women’s magazine and 120 children's books published. 

When she isn’t writing, Karen likes travelling, watching the ‘soaps’ and reading. Give her a good book and a box of chocolates and she thinks she’s in Heaven. 

Author links
Website: http://www.karenking.net/
Twitter: @karen_king
Karen King Romance Author Facebook Page
Karen King Children’s Books Facebook Page
Pinterest: https://uk.pinterest.com/karenkingauthor/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karenkingauthor/?hl=en


The Millionaire Plan

Amazon UK

Love or money, what would you marry for?

Amber Wynters is on a mission to find a millionaire to marry - and fast. Her parents are nearly bankrupt and being forced to sell their family home, a beautiful Tudor house that has been in the family for generations, thanks to Amber's ex-fiancé persuading them to invest in his dodgy shares. Armed with a self-help book and a ten-point plan, she sets off to hook herself a rich husband. On a millionaire's yacht, she meets the drop-dead gorgeous Jed Curtess. The attraction between them is sizzling. It's a shame that he is only a hired hand. Can Amber ignore her heart and follow her plan?


Never Say Forever

Amazon UK

Do you follow your dream or follow your heart?
That's the decision Kendall McKenzie has to make when she meets hunky businessman Jake Newman. He's as attracted to her as she is to him - but Kendall has vowed never to get married, and it seems that Jake has too. When they are together, sparks fly. It's obvious to everyone except themselves that they're meant to be together. Can Kendall trust Jake enough to give him her heart? And if she does, will she have to give up her dream?