Book Review - I'll Be Home For Christmas by Abbey Clancy

Amazon UK

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Title: I'll Be Home For Christmas

Author: Abbey Clancy

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Mills & Boon

Publication Date: 19th September 2019

Rating: 3 Stars

All she wants for Christmas…

Popstar Jessika Malone can’t believe her luck! Not only has she signed a major record deal and is topping the charts with her latest single, she’s just been offered the chance of a lifetime: a tour with gorgeous megastar Cooper Black…

It’s everything she’s ever dreamed of – except that it means travelling thousands of miles from her boyfriend, Daniel, just when he’s finally got down on one knee and popped the question!

Far from home and followed by the paparazzi, her relationship is tested more than Jessika ever imagined – will she make it home for Christmas before it’s too late?

I recall reading Abbey Clancy's first book around 3 years ago and really enjoying it, so when I spotted this one on Netgalley, and with Christmas in the title too, I knew I had to read it.   What I didn't realise, in part because I can't retain book details for 3 years when I read as many as I do in a year,  was that this is actually a sequel to Remember My Name, and in fact seems to be set not too long after the previous one finished. 

It was after the first 20% where odd bits sounded like something I'd read before where I finally re-checked the first books blurb and twigged, at which point I stopped feeling like I was going mad and was able to settle into the swing of the story.   That being said, still wondering why on earth Christmas is in the title, as it barely features at all.  This is not what I'd call a festive story at all which is ultimately disappointing given my love of them at this time of year. 

Once I got back into the swing of things I did enjoy the story,  although maybe its just because I'm a bit older now but at times Jessy really did get on my nerves.   

I enjoyed the writing style, there were moments that made me smile, the small amounts of sex were fabulous, but it was the storyline between JB and Neale that really made the book for me.  I loved both of these characters so so much, and seeing how great a friend Neale was to Jessy, and  omg that scene in the hot tub... that definitely was a standout! 

At times I was a bit unsure whether Jessy and Daniel would ever see a HEA or not, which at least kept me on my toes.  

Light hearted, entertaining novel and I suspect even though this didn't quite hit all the right spots for me I'd still be happy to read more from the author, just hope its not such a gap between releases! 

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

Guest Post & Giveaway - Writing Competition by Rachel Dove - Chances Fortnight

In 2015, I was a very stressed parent. My youngest son was struggling at home and at school, and I was convinced he had sensory issues. School were ringing on a near daily basis, my nights were filled with night terrors, juggling uni work and planning and marking for my teaching classes. I was working seven days a week, and although I was managing to juggle all the balls, I wasn't happy. Childcare costs were expensive, and my boys were struggling to stay in school for eight hours a day. Add in hospital appointments and helping my husband with his business, and it was all a bit too much at times.

I was writing, but it wasn't a regular thing, and I was frustrated by that too. I was due to complete my teaching qualification but still had my degree to finish and I loved my teaching job, but felt like I wasn't giving either job (teacher, mother) my best. 

2015 was the year of change for me. The first chance I took was entering the Prima magazine and Mills & Boon competition, which meant putting my submission out there into the world to go up against other hopefuls. I have entered lots of competitions over the years, but never placed anywhere before. When I won, I knew it was my chance. I always wanted to be a teacher and an author when I was a child, and I felt like I had ticked the teacher box, but now it was my turn to go for the author opportunity. 

I finished my teaching sessions and wrote The Chic Boutique on Baker Street over the summer. In December 2015, I handed my notice in to my teaching job and took the children out of childcare. 
Now, my weeks are a lot less stressful. I write full time, so I take the boys to school, run any errands I have and then write. I limit my social media a lot, because it is a huge time suck, but I do love to read blogs, and chat online with readers, blogger and authors. I have written two books since Jan 2016, and am now onto a new one. I also won the Writers Bureau Writer of the Year Award in 2016, and have had short stories published overseas. 

I work in school time, evenings and weekends, and when I am on deadline things get a bit hectic, but taking the chance to go self employed is the best thing I ever did. When the children are in high school, I will probably go back to teaching part time, as I miss it sometimes, but I love being my own boss. My house is a lot cleaner too! I am there to see my kids every day, and whilst they both have sensory issues, they are doing so much better. 

I firmly believe that we are here once in this life, so we have to go for what we want in life. Chase the dream, and make it happen. I have signed up to do my MA in Creative Writing in October too, so I need to get some more writing done to pay for it! 

This sounds all me me me, but the point I am making I guess is, that we read (and write) stories about men and women who run off to start new lives, have children, start new businesses, leave bad relationships, get over losses and find peace. We root for the character to dump the love cheat, to go for that course, or career, or dream life, but yet sometimes we are not happy in our own real lives. So perhaps our characters could inspire us to take that leap, chase that dream, and make those goals. I haven't looked back, and I can't wait to see what the future holds. 

Hopefully a lot more books! 

I know I am delighted that you took that chance Rachel, as I loved The Chic Boutique on Baker Street.

Giveaway to Win a signed copy of The Chic Boutique on Baker Street (UK Only)

In the spirit of taking Chances, Rachel Dove would love you all to take a chance and enter this giveaway to win a signed copy of her debut novel, The Chic Boutique on Baker Street, and hopes you will take a chance on a new author. 

Giveaway open to UK Only, all options are voluntary, but please do what they ask, as I will be verifying the winner. Giveaway closes 23:59 20/06/2017. Winner will be announced on twitter and emailed, and they will need to reply within 7 days, or forfeit the prize, and I will re-draw for a new winner.  Good luck everyone.

Win a signed copy of The Chic Boutique on Baker Street (UK Only)

About Rachel Dove

Rachel Dove is a former adult education teacher living in West Yorkshire with her husband and two lively boys. She is the winner of the Prima and Mills & Boon Flirty Fiction Competition 2015, which is the culmination of a lifetime of scribbling in notepads. Her debut traditionally published book, The Chic Boutique on Baker Street, reached #2 on the rural life humour chart and has been in the top #100 of the chart for a full year. Her story and work has been featured in magazines UK and abroad, newspapers and on the radio and she also won The Writers Bureau Writer of the Year Award 2017 and featured in their national ad campaign.

In between school runs and studying, Rachel writes romantic fiction novels and horror shorts with Inkslingers UK, with the proceeds going to cancer charities. Her next novel in the Westfield series is out this year and she is currently writing her fifth book. In her spare time she reads voraciously, binges on Netflix and feeds her zombie obsession.

https://www.facebook.com/RachelDoveauthor/

https://twitter.com/WriterDove

https://racheldoveauthor.wordpress.com/

Book Review - His Sicilian Cinderella by Carol Marinelli - Back Catalogue Books

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!

When I spotted on twitter recently that Carol Marinelli was about to have her 100th book for Harlequin published, it reminded me that I had one of her books floating about the place, and then couldn't resist reading it! 

Amazon UK

Title: His Sicilian Cinderella

Author: Carol Marinelli

Format reviewed: Paperback

Source: Goody Bag

Publisher: Mills & Boon

Publication Date: 1st August 2015

Rating: 4 Stars

His Until Midnight… ?

When millionaire Matteo Santini bought one night with Bella Gatti it was to protect her innocence from the dangerous game she was caught up in. He never expected to be so undone by their fierce attraction – nor by her disappearance the next day.

Chambermaid Bella has escaped her shameful past, but memories of that night with Matteo still burn. Forced to attend Sicily’s most exclusive wedding with him, Bella knows the dark-hearted tycoon will want a reckoning. And as the clock strikes twelve it’s clear the only way Bella will be leaving the party is with Matteo – via his bed!

Well it has been many years since I read a pure Mills & Boon book, and it turns out my enjoyment of them is still there. I devoured His Sicilian Cinderella in 2 short hours, and really enjoyed reading it. 

I loved hearing about all the events five years ago in Sicily which lead to Bella and Matteo's first night together. It was interesting to hear about how life in one small village in Sicily could be affected and ruled, by one powerful man, although perhaps I shouldn't have been surprised given the island's mob connections. 

There is definitely a pull between Bella and Matteo five years later no matter what they both say, but you have to keep guessing as to whether you when you will get the hoped for ending. 

I really enjoyed my couple of hours of pure escapism, in this easy to read romance, that hit the spot of what I wanted at the time of reading! 

Guest Post & Giveaway - Embracing Hygge by Rachel Dove - #CuteChristmas

I am going to shock you now, and tell you that Christmas is not my favourite season. I do love it, eventually, but I have to be dragged kicking and screaming into my woolly jumpers and eggnog chasers. 

I in fact, have a Christmas novel all planned out for my future writing schedule about a girl who..er...hates Christmas. I just never feel in the mood to write it, so the poor grump gets pushed to the bottom of the pile. 

This Christmas, I have decided to embrace Hygge. I now work from home as a writer full time, so I am going to embrace the season. Candles, throws, blankets (I do love blankets, year round) and all the twinkly, calm lights I can throw at my house. I shall channel my inner calm, and enjoy the festive period, and the run up. The run up is usually the part I don't like, with the dark nights and the cold right up there on my hit list. 

Christmas itself I love, for many many reasons, including gingerbread lattes ha ha! Although I love summer, when I am sat in the warmth of my house, family and fur babies curled up next to me, I shall be enjoying the season, and all that entails. Once the shopping is done, the journeys have been undertaken, and school and work are done, that's when I really love Christmas. 

And soon, next summer perhaps, when I am sat barelegged on a sunlounger in my garden, I shall write the story of the girl who doesn't like Christmas, and perhaps even she will learn to love it.

Enjoy the season everyone! 

To be in with a chance of winning a signed copy of The Chic Boutique on Baker Street read on!

Twitter @writerdove

Facebook

Website

Thank you so much Rachel for explain what Hygge is, I keep seeing it mentioned online and never knew! 

Giveaway to Win a signed copy of The Chic Boutique on Baker Street (UK Only)

Rachel Dove has kindly donated a signed copy of The Chic Boutique on Baker Street for one lucky winner. 

Giveaway open to UK only, all options are voluntary, but please do what they ask, as I will be verifying the winner. Giveaway closes 23:59 3/1/2017. Winner will be announced on twitter and emailed, and they will need to reply within 7 days, or forfeit the prize, and I will re-draw for a new winner.  Good luck everyone.

Win a signed copy of The Chic Boutique on Baker Street (UK Only)

Back Catalogue Books with Fiona Harper

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!

I had the pleasure of meeting today's guest at a blogger/author meet up a couple of months ago, and realised instantly she would be perfect for this feature. So without further ado, lets meet....

I'm Fiona Harper and I've been an author for more than ten years now. In that time I've written twenty-five books and they've been published all over the world. I started by writing short romances for Mills & Boon, but now I'm writing commercial women's fiction for HQ.I write funny, touching stories with a healthy dollop of romance!

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

My first book started with a blind date between a rich girl with a badly-behaved rock star dad and a boy from a council estate who'd determined he was going to make a success of himself. Not your traditional Mills & Boon story! However, they offered me a contract and it was published in December 2006.

How many books have you written and what are they?

I've written 25 books (I can list them all if you want, but there's a lot!)

Commercial Women's Fiction:
• The Other Us
• The Summer We Danced
• The Doris Day Vintage Film Club
• The Little Shop of Hopes and Dreams
• Make My Wish Come True
• Kiss Me Under The Mistletoe

Series romance:
• Taming Her Italian Boss
• The Rebound Guy
• The Guy To Be Seen With
• Snowbound in the Earl's Castle
• Always the Best Man
• Swept Off Her Stilettos
• Three Weddings and a Baby
• Dancing with Danger
• The Bridesmaid's Secret
• Housekeeper's Happy-Ever-After
• Invitation to the Boss's Ball
• Blind-Date Baby
• Christmas Wishes, Mistletoe Kisses
• Saying Yes to the Millionaire
• English Lord, Ordinary Lady
• Break Up to Make Up
• Her Parenthood Assignment
• Blind-Date Marriage
Novellas:
• New Beginnings at the Chatsfield

Which book are you most proud of writing?

Ooh, that's really hard to answer! I think it's my current book, because it was an idea I had more than ten years ago, and for the first time it's not a boy-meets-girl story. I'm excited that I finally managed to do something different and put a story with a Big Idea at the centre of it onto paper.

Which book was your favourite to write?

I think it might have been Swept Off Her Stilettos. My heroine was a vintage-fashion wearing sex kitten who liked red lipstick and wrapping men around her little finger. It was fun to write a character who did and said things I would never dare to!

Who are your favourite characters from your books and why?

As a pair I would say Damian and Zoe from Always The Best Man, because they were just so explosively different to each other! However, I have a great fondness for Pippa from The Summer We Danced too.

If you could go back and change anything from any of your books, what would it be, and why?
I'm a bit of a perfectionist, so there are many things I'd change in every book, things I realise later that I could have done better. However, at some point you just have to let the book go. There's one glaring continuity error in The Summer We Danced I would like to fix: I rewrote the scene so many times and changes a load of the little details and neither my editor, the copy editor or I caught the fact my heroine was using a computer when the electricity had been cut off!

Which of your covers if your favourite and why?

I think Kiss Me Under The Mistletoe has to have been my favourite cover because it was the first time I didn't have a cover that was a stock photo and I was so chuffed a cover designer had used the details from my book for the jacket.

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

Funny you should ask that, because I do feel as if I've switched gears with my current book - The Other Us. It's not a total departure, but it's more women's fiction than romantic comedy. I love mysteries and thrillers, though, and I'd love to write one if I got a really gripping idea to start it off.

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

I'm just revising The Other Us at the moment, so it's almost finished but not quite! It's a story about a dissatisfied housewife who wishes her life had taken a different path, that she'd chosen 'the one that got away' rather than the man she married. And then one day she wakes up and she's twenty-one again and the day when both men are going to ask her to be theirs is looming. Will she choose differently this time? And if she does, will the grass be any greener on the other side of the fence? The story then follows her as she flips between two possible realities where both choices play out. I kind of think of it as a romantic Sliding Doors meets Quantum Leap!

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

I love Julie Cohen's books! And Kelly Hunter's and Liz Fielding's. Mind you, I wouldn't mind Paula Hawkins' back catalogue (The Girl on the Train) because if one of my books got made into a film and Emily Blunt played the lead, I could die happy!

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

Nothing, except I am fond of them all! Ebooks were in their infancy when I first got published and I'm really glad digital books have taken off in the last decade, because it means none of them have been lost or forgotten.

Thank you, Rachel, for asking me to come along and share! It's been a blast. :-)

You are very welcome Fiona. I have really enjoyed your books and The Other Us sounds really good too, will definitely keep my eyes open for its release.

Bio

As a child, Fiona was constantly teased for two things: having her nose in a book and living in a dream world. Things haven’t changed much since then, but at least she’s found a career that puts her runaway imagination to use! She loves reading, cooking and her new hobby is tap dancing – Ginger Rogers watch out!

Fiona has twenty-five books under her belt and they've been published in over twenty different languages around the world. She started career writing heartfelt but humorous romances for Mills & Boon, but now writes romantic comedies and feel-good women’s fiction for HQ.

Social Media links:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/FionaHarperBooks
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FiHarper_Author
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fionaharperauthor/?hl=en

Pinterest: https://uk.pinterest.com/fiharperauthor/

Book Review - Once Upon A Christmas by Sarah Morgan - Rachel Reads Randomly Book #43

Amazon UK

Title: Once Upon A Christmas

Author: Sarah Morgan

Format reviewed: Paperback

Source: Competition Win

Publisher: Mills & Boon

Publication Date: 5th October 2012

Rating: 5 Stars

What's your number one Christmas wish?

Bryony’s daughter has put a dad on her Christmas list. That leaves Bryony with one month to find the perfect man, so this year she’s wishing for a miracle! While she’s looking for love, her best friend Helen is doing the opposite.

Her Christmas wish is to forget all about the white dress hanging in her wardrobe – and her faithless rat of a fiancé. Helen and Bryony’s festive cheer definitely needs a boost, so it’s lucky that once upon a Christmas, wishes really do come true…

I don't know why I keep being amazed when I read a Sarah Morgan book, because she is consistently brilliant at creating romances to fall in love with yourself, in the most fabulous of locations. This may be one of her slightly earlier books, but its still the same level of quality you know, love and would expect from an author of this calibre. 

There are two separate stories in this book, which are separated as Part 1 and Part 2, but part 2 is a direct continuation of part 1, but the main character focus changes. In the first half the story is about Bryony, her daughter Lizzie, and her best friend Jack. 

Lizzie made her list for Santa early this year, and put just one thing on it, she wants a dad, giving Lizzie six weeks to find a man, fall in love and get engaged at the very least, or destroy a little girls belief in Santa. Only problem is Lizzie generally doesn't date, and is very much in love with the one person who never notices her as a woman. 

The second half of the book is about Bryony's best friend Helen, who ends up meeting and living under the same roof as one of Bryony's brothers Oliver.

All of the action is set in a small town in the Lake District in winter, and Bryony, Jack and Oliver are as well as doctor's also members of the mountain rescue team. This leads to some wonderful in the field medical emergencies, and just shows how human and compassionate medical professionals can be. 

It has been since I last read an older Sarah Morgan book, that I last read a medical romance, and again I am reminded at how much I am missing out on by not reading more of this sub genre, as although I would faint in real life situations, I am fascinated reading about doctors and nurses. Let's face it there isn't much sexier than a gorgeous fictional doctor, saving someone's life!

Once Upon A Christmas is two cosy romances, that just draw you in, you may know where the story should end, but the journey is so delightful, you are happy to come along for the ride. Lizzie in part one really reminds me of the little girl from Miracle on 34th Street, while part two had me falling head over heels for Oliver, which felt a bit like I was cheating on Jack from part 1!

Wonderful book that I am so happy I found the time to read, and a great way to spend a cold winter's afternoon. 

Thank you to everyone that voted for Once Upon A Christmas. I did suspect it may win this week, but also great to see the Sarah Morgan love.  I wonder what you will be picking for me this time around! 

Book Review - Kiss Me Under The Mistletoe by Fiona Harper - Rachel Reads Randomly Book #41

Amazon UK

Title:  Kiss Me Under The Mistletoe

Author: Fiona Harper

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Purchased

Publisher: Mills & Book

Publication Date: 19th October 2012

Rating: 4 Stars

This Christmas, ex-WAG Louise Thornton is starting her new life, away from the paparazzi – and her cheating husband. Un-manicured, back on carbs and holding herself together courtesy of some seriously good foundation, Louise will make things perfect for her son, right up until he leaves for his dad’s on the big day.

Then she’ll be free to curl up and cancel Christmas. But it turns out escaping the fame goldfish bowl comes with some perks: peace and quiet, no baying press, plus regular battles with her Mr Darcy-esque new neighbour to keep her edge. And the best thing about a real, country Christmas is that there’s always lots of mistletoe to be found…

Mistletoe is not just for Christmas as you will learn during this lovely romance novel. In fact there are two stories being told in this book, which I wasn't fully expecting. 

There is Louise, who is now an ex-WAG and has moved to Westhaven, in Devon after demanding a divorce. She is determined to make a new home for herself and son Jack, out of the prying eyes of the paparazzi.  The house is massive and in need of some TLC, as is its garden. Ben had been tending the garden and slowly comes to an arrangement with Laura, but will they ever give into the connection they are both denying between them. 

Then perhaps even more interestingly is the story of the house's previous owner Laura, who had hidden a diary in the boathouse, and her story is revealed slowly in the form of diary entries.  I found myself more eager to find out what happened to Laura and her love affairs, than the present day story at times. 

It feels like a story of renewal, of getting your life back together after a divorce, and also involves a lot of cake. Believe it or not Louise is a fantastic baker, and some of the cakes she was making sounded delicious. She also had a really hard childhood, which has affected her every decision since. 

I really enjoyed reading Kiss Me Under the Mistletoe, it has some good storylines, a pleasant writing style and a couple of big romantic gestures to look out for. There is a Christmas element to the story, but its not the overpowering theme of the book, and probably isn't the Christmas period you would have predicted as the start of the book. 

Thank you to everyone that voted for Kiss Me Under The Mistletoe.  It was an enjoyable book that I am glad I have finally read. I really look forward to seeing which Christmas book you are picking for me next week. 

Book Review - The Chic Boutique on Baker St. by Rachel Dove - Rachel Reads Randomly Vote #28

Amazon UK

Title: The Chic Boutique on Baker St

Author: Rachel Dove

Format reviewed: Paperback

Source: Purchased

Publisher: Mills & Boon

Publication Date: 21st April 2016

Rating: 4.5 Stars

The perfect escape to the country…

Recently single and tired of the London rat race Amanda is determined to make her dreams of setting up an idyllic countryside boutique come true, and the picturesque village of Westfield is the perfect place to
make a fresh start.

Local vet Ben is the golden boy of Westfield, especially to resident gossip Agatha Mayweather, who is determined to help Ben get his life back together after his wife left.

When a chance encounter outside the ‘chic boutique’ sets sparks flying between Amanda and Ben, Agatha is itching to set them up. But are Amanda and Ben really ready for romance?

You can tell I'm a Londoner, when I first spotted this book, I was convinced based on the title that it would be about a chic clothes boutique on the famous Baker Street (home of Sherlock Holmes), and when I saw the town was Westfield, all I could think of were the two large shopping centres of that name. 

Regardless I am delighted to say that once I started the book (and read the blurb properly), I realised that I couldn't be more wrong, and that in fact Westfield is a delightful countryside village and Baker St just happens to be the name of the street where Amanda has bought a shop, after her life in London went wrong. 

The boutique in question is called A New Lease of Life and sells shabby chic items, home made items, and things that have been upcycled. However what really makes this book the brilliant story that it is, are "The Ladies". 

"The Ladies" are a group of good intention meddling women in the village, who are determined to matchmake Amanda, with the local vet, coming up with all sorts of relatively obvious schemes to get the pair together, with generally not fantastic consequences! 

With a great group of personalities as well as a keen eye for scheming, they also launch a campaign to save the local town hall, while using Amanda's shop as a base, under the guise of a craft club.  There are lots of crafty mentions, and at least one of them is always knitting, no matter what the situation is. 

I am incredibly impressed that this is a debut novel, although with the clear talent Rachel Dove possesses it is clear why she won the Prima Prize and this publishing deal. I am eagerly looking forward to see what else this author will write. 

The Chic Boutique on Baker St is a very easy read, and will have you smiling and enjoying yourself as you read it. I loved the book, and would love the various pets for myself, including Darcy, Pinky and Perky (and I'm not mentioning what animals any of those are!). 

Thank you to everyone that voted two weeks ago. It was a tie and I picked this one from the winning books, purely because Sheryl Browne voted for it, instead of her own book, and that the cover was staring at me from the pile as its so colourful. For everyone that said its great, I evidently agree, and I'm glad this didn't stay languishing in my TBR for ages. I as always look forward to seeing what you will pick for me this week. 

Book Review - Summer With Love by Sarah Morgan - Rachel Reads Randomly Book #22

Amazon UK

Title: Summer With Love

Author: Sarah Morgan

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Purchased

Publisher: Mills and Boon

Publication Date: 1st June 2013

Rating: 5 Stars

Summer changes everything……

Love has never been easy to navigate for the Westerling triplets. Practical Katy’s on the verge of marrying a man she knows isn’t The One, free-spirited Libby refuses to be tied down and paparazzi-magnet Alex might just be in over his head. But could this summer, with sun-soaked escapes to Seville, Greece and Cornwall help them finally find the map to romance?

When you one set of triplets, with three gorgeous doctors and an extremely talented romance writer, the result is Summer With Love, which is three individual stories, one about each of the Westerling triplets, set a few years apart from each other, so that you can get a sense of continuation between them. 

For each of the stories, it doesn't take too long to realise who will end up with who, but I was so caught up in the sexual chemistry each time, I was thoroughly enjoying the journey, with the inevitable ups and downs. 

In the first one, Katy's first true love comes back into her life, just months before she is due to marry a suitable man, and turns her well ordered plans upside down. They are both working together in the A&E department of a hospital and some of the cases that were brought in really had my adrenalin pumping. The man in question is Jago, a sexy Spaniard from Seville and an amazing doctor too. 

Then there is Andreas who buys a date with the second triplet, Libby, despite Libby swearing she is off men for life. They work in paediatrics and it was enjoyable getting to know a few of the children on the ward, and see just how caring they both are. 

Finally there is Alex, who ends up with a very unexpected house guest, and he refers to himself as the Wolf, and the girl as Red Riding Hood, and it has to be the most erotic interpretation of that story I've ever seen. 

Within minutes of beginning Summer With Love you are transported into Sarah Morgan's familiar and comforting writing style, and into her magnificently romantic and sexy settings. There is a great degree of sexual tension in each of the three stories, and I found I was drooling over all the leading men. 

I really want to say one of them was a favourite but I just can't - Katy is a great introduction to the family,and gives a great insight into all the family dynamics at play too, Libby's story had two people who clearly love children being so loving towards them, while winding each other up, and then Alex is trying his hardest to fight his feelings for his house guest, and as the story progresses you see him in a whole new light. 

Another fantastic book from Sarah Morgan that was a delight to read. 

Thank you to everyone that voted for Summer With Love, which won this week by only 1 vote. It was very close and I honestly didn't know for sure it had won until I started counting. The next vote will be next week, as I have an insane week of work ahead of me this week and just wont be in a fit state to do a book of your choice justice in my review, nor the time either.  Please do come back next week for the next selection in Rachel Reads Randomly!

Guest Post - Why Janice Preston is Hooked on Regency Romance - RNA Awards Week

Thank you, Rachel, for inviting me onto your blog to celebrate the Romantic Novel Awards and the shortlisting of my second published novel, From Wallflower to Countess, for the 2016 RoNA Rose, the award for category/series and shorter romance. 

To introduce myself: my name is Janice Preston and I write Regency romances that place the developing romance centre stage and in which the inner conflicts of both hero and heroine drive the plot.

The strictly-correct definition of the Regency is the nine years (1811 to 1820) when the then Prince of Wales (later George IV) ruled as Regent in the stead of his mentally-incapacitated father, King George III. The wider Regency period, or “long Regency” as it is sometimes known, has come to mean the years from the last decade or so of the 18th century up to 1830, when George IV died. It is an era defined by distinct trends in architecture, literature, fashion and style, its tone set by the flamboyant and hedonistic Prince of Wales and his passion for culture.

It was a fascinating time… a time of great social, political and economic change. It was a time of dazzling luxury and over-indulgence amongst the upper classes, but also a time of huge social injustice and unrest for many ordinary folk as Britain made the transition from a rural-based economy to one that was increasingly industrial and urban.  It was the time of Nelson and Wellington; of Watt and Stephenson; of Telford and Trevithick. But it was also the time of Jane Austen and Sir Walter Scott; of Turner and Constable; of Keats, Shelley and Byron.

So why did I choose to write romances set in the Regency era?

Actually, I don’t think it was ever a conscious decision. I loved the novels of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer as a teenager, and my love of Regency romance as a genre—both the traditional and the more recent, steamier Regencies—seeped into my subconscious. So when the day came that I tentatively set fingers to keyboard, it didn’t even occur to me to write a romance set in any other time. Plus (as I have confessed before) there is something about a hero on horseback… give me a powerful steed over a swish car any day.

My characters might inhabit the privileged, upper echelons of society, with its manners, fashion and strict propriety (for the women, if not for the men) but this does not mean life for them is charmed. 

I like to explore the predicaments my heroines face when life, for whatever reason, goes awry (and life could go very awry, particularly for women—there was no welfare state in those days). And I love to watch as the hero—whether a hardened rake who has seen and done it all or a jaded aristocrat who has sworn off love —falls in love against his every intention and often his better judgement. 

To put your characters through the emotional wringer and finally reward them with a happy-ever-after… that’s what romance is all about.

All about Janice Preston

Janice Preston grew up in Wembley, North London, with a love of reading, writing stories and animals. In the past she has worked as a farmer, a police call-handler and a university administrator. She now lives in the West Midlands with her husband and two cats and has a part-time job with a weight management counsellor (vainly trying to control her own weight despite her love of chocolate!)

Links (social and purchase)
My website is www.janicepreston.co.uk , where I also blog sporadically and where you can read the first chapter of each of my published novels.
I have an author page at https://www.facebook.com/janice.preston.author and my profile is at www.facebook.com/janice.preston.77
 I’m also on Twitter at @janicegpreston 

From Wallflower to Countess is available to purchase on Amazon - http://amzn.to/1pd9VTO

Thank you so much Janice for sharing your love of the Regency Era with us. I'm sorry to say you haven't converted me to being a Regency Romance reader, however I'm sure plenty of people that read this will know exactly what you mean and love Regency as much as you do. Good luck with your award.

Congratulations to Janice Preston on her nomination for the RoNA Rose Award. Which of these books did you love? Which do you think should win the award?

Book Review - Wish Upon A Star by Sarah Morgan - Rachel Reads Randomly Book #6

Amazon UK

Title: Wish Upon A Star

Author: Sarah Morgan

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Purchased

Publisher: Mills & Boon

Publication Date: 7th October 2011

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Love is in the air this Christmas!

Christy was hoping to skip Christmas this year. Her kids have other ideas – they’ve put their dad’s name at number one on their Christmas list. So it looks as if Christy will be hightailing it up to the Lake District to play happy families with her ex! Snow-capped mountains and roaring log fires – Alessandro’s home is like walking into a Christmas card. Is it really safe for her to spend Christmas with her dreamy, funny – no! – entirely infuriating ex-hubby?

Miranda has completely the opposite problem. Being single and pregnant at Christmas was certainly not her wish come true. She doesn’t believe in miracles, but then resident hunk Jake sweeps her off her snow-covered shoes. Come Boxing Day dare she dream that Mr Sex-on-Legs might be for more than just Christmas?

Wish Upon A Star is a book with two separate stories, Christy's and Mirandas. They have a location and one character mainly in common but they are very different stories, but both really enjoyable.  

Christy's story features Christmas as the heart of it, as all her kids want is for them to go home, and back to Alessandro, in the Lake District, for Christmas. She reluctantly agrees, but for the children's sake more than anything. Once back she is called into action alongside Alessandro, as an A&E nurse, a role she gave up when she had Ben, and it starts make Alessandro realise things about Christy's life. 

Ben and Katy, hatch a small series of stunts to try and get their parents sleeping in the same bed again, and I was very impressed with Katy. She may only be 11 but is incredibly observant, and old beyond her years would suggest.

There is hot simmering chemistry between Alessandro and Christy which they spend more time denying than exploring, but the sex scenes were hot and enjoyable!

I was aware that Sarah Morgan has written medical romances in the past, but hadn't read any, I now know for certain, that I would love them, the way I love her other books, as Wish Upon A Star has doctors, nurses and supporting staff as the starring characters, and the hospital scenes in both parts of the book, drew me in and really engaged me. It's been many years since I last read a Mills & Boon medical romance, and I have no idea why. Turns out I still really enjoy the sub genre. 

 The second story is more gentle, and a lot less festive. It starts on Christmas Day, where Miranda is rescued by Jake (Jake is godfather to Katy, and works alongside Alessandro and Christy at both the hospital and on the mountain rescue team), and there seems to be a connection between them at least on Jake's side  intially. 

Miranda is a midwife, and Jake is an obstetrician and are a great team working together, and some of the deliveries had me holding me breath, praying that everyone was ok. 

Oddly I think the most fascinating aspect of Wish Upon A Star was the mountain rescue team. I've not encountered one of those before, and seeing them in action, especially on how they get a stretcher down a mountain is impressive, and very detailed. 

Although I didn't get a very Christmassy vibe from the majority of the book, despite its pretty cover, implying as much, it is still a very enjoyable book, with two contrasting stories, that I loved equally. I may have said it before, I'm sure I will say it again, I love Sarah Morgan's books and get more impressed with each one I have read. 

Thank you everyone for voting for Wish Upon A Star. It was a narrow winner in a closely fought vote, and I loved not having even an inkling until I counted up which had won. You have impressive taste, as this was a great book, and I look forward to seeing which of my Christmas books you will select for me to read this week.