Book Review - Sisters of Willow House by Susanne O'Leary - Blog Tour

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Amazon UK

Title: Sisters of Willow House

Author: Susanne O'Leary

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Bookouture

Publication Date: 26th July 2019

Rating: 4 Stars

Roisin McKenna and her husband Cian are taking time apart. Unsure of what she wants, Roisin’s prayers are answered when she receives a call from her sister Maeve who is desperate for her help.

Roisin heads to Sandy Cove to help Maeve restore their aunt’s gorgeous tumbledown mansion Willow House and soon all she has time to focus on are its crumbling walls. Despite a shocking announcement from Maeve and hidden secrets in the house’s rafters, Roisin begins to feel a sense of self she’s been missing for years.

The ties that bind Roisin to her husband seem to be unfurling in the Irish wind, when she unexpectedly stumbles into a mysterious man on the beach. Suddenly, she’s swept up in the idea of another life she could lead…

The restoration may have brought the sisters back together, but as a storm rolls over the coast Roisin feels sure she must make a choice. Will her time at Willow House teach her the precious lessons she needs to return home or has the cove called to her in ways she’d never imagined it could?

Fans of Sheila O’Flanagan, Debbie Macomber and Mary Alice Monroe will be swept away by Sandy Cove.

It was lovely to return to Willow House and catch up with what has been happening with Maeve since the previous book. 

However the thrust of this book was the story between Roisin, Maeve's sister and Cian and how they are going to adjust to a new phase in their life.   Their children are at boarding school, they have sold their joint business and come into an inheritance but things just seem awkward between them. 

I really didn't have many feelings towards Cian at all, although key to the story he was also barely in most of the book.  He had bought a camper van and gone off around the coast of Ireland in it with his best friend, while Roisin moves down to Sandy Cove to help Maeve with the renovations to Willow House. 

So that all seems simple enough, married couple having an agreed break to discover new things about themselves, however things in fiction and in real life never go quiet according to plan, and there are other temptations at play. 

I loved seeing Roisin arguing with the Kerry builders and trying to get building work to progress on Willow House.  I also really enjoyed seeing the sister's dynamic up close - and this book is set a few years after the events of the previous one. 

It can though easily be read as a standalone without much problem, as the main characters are different.  

This is another enjoyable story from Susanne O'Leary, and I loved getting to know just what makes the area of Kerry in Ireland so different from the rest of the country! 

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

Please follow along with the rest of the tour. 

Book Review - Secrets of Willow House by Susanne O'Leary - Blog Tour - #HolidayReading Thailand

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Amazon UK

Title: Secrets of Willow House

Author: Susanne O'Leary

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Bookouture

Publication Date: 25th March 2019

Rating: 5 Stars

A heartwarming and moving story about secrets, fresh starts and the power of friendship, set in the wilds of Ireland’s shores.

Maeve McKenna is on the verge of a breakdown. Having worked herself into the ground as a sought-after interior designer in London, she’s in desperate need of a vacation.

Philomena Duffy is a little lonely. After losing her husband, their crumbling mansion, Willow House, feels awfully empty.

With the rugged shores of Ireland calling, Maeve visits her aunt Philomena in Sandy Cove, where she once, as a teenager, kissed a wild, mysterious boy – a kiss she has never been able to forget. The beautiful night’s sky is dotted with stars as far as the eye can see, and Maeve is worlds away from her chaotic life in the city.

As Maeve throws herself into restoring Willow House to its former glory, a deep friendship with Philomena begins to blossom. Surrounded by the faded walls and peeling carpets of the old mansion, together they stumble across a secret that turns their family upside down.

All the while, she can’t stop thinking about the enigmatic boy from her past, and that magical kiss… Is he still in Sandy Cove?

Just as she’s beginning to feel at home, reality calls. Part of Maeve can’t bear to leave Willow House and its rocky beach. Does she have the courage to leave the security of her old life behind, and put down new roots in Sandy Cove, or is that just a daydream?

I loved my time spent at Willow House with Maeve and her aunt Phil. It is set in a small village of Kerry, Ireland, and the Atlantic coast setting sounded delightful. 

We get to discover just what Uncle Joe's secret was that contributed to Maeve visiting her aunt, and I'll admit I had put the blocks into place quite a bit before the character. 

But it didn't matter, as it was how they pieced it together that was entertaining, and deciding what to do about the information once they have it, which really made this book. 

I loved how Maeve changed over the course of the book, from an incredibly stressed out interior designer, with hilarious but fussy clients, to how she is back in the place of her childhood summers 

There are a couple of men interested in Maeve, and one of them appealed to me far more than the other, but you'll need to read it to see who they are and how it played out. 

This is another enchanting read from Susanne O'Leary and I'm delighted to learn it is the start of a series.  I can't wait to return to Sandy Cove. 

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

Book Review - A Holiday To Remember by Susanne O'Leary

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Amazon UK

Title: A Holiday to Remember

Author: Susanne O'Leary

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Bookouture

Publication Date: 15th August 2018

Rating: 5 Stars

A side-splittingly funny summer read about two best friends who decide to take a chance and travel the world, finding themselves – and finding love – along the way! 

Until a few weeks ago, Leanne was a thirty-something who lived with her mother. And yes, she still slept under her Barbie bedspread.

Until recently, Maddy was married to a man whose golf club got more action than she did.

But not anymore.

Leanne and Maddy (and their miniature poodle Bridget) have packed their suitcases and bid goodbye to their dreary lives for the summer. After winding along Italy’s sun-dappled Adriatic Coast in a shiny red convertible, sailing around Croatia’s gorgeous Dalmatian Islands awaits them.

Days splashing around in sparkling turquoise waters and wine-fuelled nights under the stars are every girl’s dream. But with a devilishly handsome Italian on board, old flames to get over and holiday flings to contend with, there’s plenty of drama ahoy. One thing’s for certain, Leanne and Maddy’s trip promises to be a holiday to remember…

I really wish I was still reading this book, I was thoroughly enjoying the continuation of Maddie and Leanne's holiday, and that I was still accompanying them on their trip.  Instead I am left with a book that was a joy to read and I suppose I had to run out of pages at some point, at the rate I was devouring them. 

This is the direct sequel to The Road Trip, and I really would recommend you read that first partly so that  you don't miss out on a fabulous book, and so that you have the full picture as to these characters pasts, and their current circumstances. 

This time Leanne is seen more as the main character, as most of the focus is on her, and it was lovely to get to know her better. She is misguided when it comes to men, but spending a trip around the Dalmatian Islands with an interesting set of people could be the making of her. 

Along with the girls on this boat trip, are two me, one tricky ex, an older relative that seems to be hiding something, and of course Bridget the dog too.   There  is plenty of drama and equal amounts of laughs in this fabulously summery book. 

All the locations in Italy and Croatia were exquisitely described and gave a real sense of  the locations, the food, the atmosphere, the friendliness of the locals. was all really vivid and brought back memorie of the odd day I have spent in the area myself. 

A Holiday to Remember is exactly that, its perfect for these hot summer days or when you want to relive a holiday of your own.  A pure joy to read, I would recommend it to everyone that enjoyed romantic comedies set in fabulous locations. 

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

Please take a look at the rest of this blog tour to see even more about A Holiday to Remember

Book Review - The Road Trip by Susanne O'Leary

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Amazon UK

Title: The Road Trip

Author: Susanne O'Leary

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Bookouture

Publication Date: 12th June 2018

Rating: 5 Stars

Maddy and Leanne are in need of a miracle. 

Maddy can’t bear to wash another pair of her husband’s Y-fronts and if he continues to drone on about golf she might just scream.

Leanne can’t stand living with her overbearing mother for a second longer and she’s one disapproving eye roll away from a nervous breakdown.

But their luck changes when they win the lottery.

Setting off from Dublin, Maddy and Leanne lease a red convertible, winding through Europe and heading for the sun-drenched French Riviera.

But the pair have their own reasons for their adventure. Maddy has never forgotten her summer romance of twenty years ago with a gorgeous Frenchman and Leanne plans to track down the father who abandoned her as a child.

Amongst glorious sunsets and buckets of bubbly, Leanne and Maddy are searching for answers after years of wondering ‘what if?’  But there might just be some surprises in store along the way…

Having enjoyed this author in the past I was very excited to see she was now a Bookouture author, and despite having had the book on my kindle for a while, and being taunted by the gorgeous cover whenever I've been scrolling twitter, it took a while to get around to picking it up to read. 

What is not to like about this book - an unexpected windfall, two colleagues on a road trip to France from Ireland, a glorious car, madcap adventures, and both Maddie and Leanne  have their own reasons for travelling to France. 

They are both looking for men - well to be specific, specific men that they have lost from their lives.  Leanne believe her father lives somewhere in France, and she hasn't seen him she was was 12.  Maddie on the other hand wants to look up the man she had a love affair with 20 odd years ago when she was a student in Paris.  

But before they even get to the continent they get up to all sorts, and even start a blog which proves quite popular.  Along the trip they pick up some extra passengers for various reasons which added extra dynamics to that stage of the trip. 

We get a great sense of their entire road trip, and I am delighted to say that this book has a lovely open ending to make way for the next book A Holiday to Remember which I am already eager to read. 

This is pure escapist summer fun, and is great for sitting in the garden with, or poolside, and following the ladies exploits in this funny and well written romantic comedy.  I loved the descriptions of the various stops on the road trip, and I really felt as though I was alongside the ladies, while they have a summer that will change everything for them. 

Although its been a while since I last read a book from the author, I was reminded within moments of starting it why I love her writing, the tone is perfect, its full of warmth and just draws you in. All in all this is an addictive read and I can't wait to see what Maddie and Leanne get up to next. 

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

Book Review - Forgotten Dreams by Susanne O'Leary

Amazon UK

Title: Forgotten Dreams (The Riviera Romance Series Book 3) 

Author: Susanne O'Leary

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Author supplied review copy

Publisher: Self Published

Publication Date: 10th February 2016

Rating: 4 Stars

When Molly moves out of her brother’s house in St Tropez to set up home in her new apartment, she plans to spend the quiet off-season in Provence getting used to her new life and making a name as a designer of handcrafted gemstones. 

But an unexpected offer from a US chain of mass market fashion stores ruins the prospect of a quiet winter season. Molly has to work hard to meet a deadline while at the same time attempting to deal with intrigues to steal her designs. Adding to her problems, a man from her past comes hurtling back into her life, forcing her to face both painful memories and unresolved emotional conflicts. 

Set against the backdrop of the French Riviera in winter with its mellow sunshine and beautiful vistas, this is the third book in the Rivera Romance series. 

Forgotten Dreams is the third and I believe final book in the Riviera Romance series, and is just as enjoyable as the previous two stories. Sometimes I will read a three book series in a weekend and can see blatant structural similarities between the three books, but these all felt and read quite differently which is always great to see. 

Although a few characters from the previous two books do pop up, this is predominately Molly's story, and as a result this can easily be read as a standalone story. 

I loved how Molly was a jewellery designer, who has a tricky decision to make when a huge US chain store offers her the chance to design a range for them, but whether that means she can keep up her bespoke work and the reputation she is building is another matter. 

Molly is hiding a big secret in her past, and it leads to there being up to three potential love interests for her in the book, and I really wasn't completely sure in which direction she would go.  There is a man from her past, a man that works for the US chain store company and the man that lives in the house she has moved into on a temporary basis. 

I really enjoyed Molly's story and the descriptions of her new home, and also the insight into the French Riviera in winter. I loved the French Christmas celebrations, and there was plenty going on during the book to hold my interest. 

A very enjoyable third book of the Riviera Romance series. 

Thank you to Susanne O'Leary for this review copy. This was my honest opinion. 

Book Review - Borrowed Dreams by Susanne O'Leary

Amazon UK

Title: Borrowed Dreams (The Riviera Romance Series Book 2) 

Author: Susanne O'Leary

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Author supplied review copy

Publisher: Self Published

Publication Date: 27th June 2015

Rating: 5 Stars

Upset after the end of a stormy relationship, Daisy Hennessey jumps at the chance to house-sit the villa of a billionaire in glitzy St. Tropez. It will be the perfect place to recover from the emotional trauma.

But not even beautiful gardens, a swimming pool, and a private beach can keep her mind off her troubles, and when she finds a collection of designer clothes that seem made for her, she can’t resist trying them on. By sheer coincidence, invitations to glamorous parties begin to arrive and Daisy gives in to the temptation to mingle with the international jet-set. She soon discovers, however, that even the most glittering façade has an ugly side. 

Her growing attraction to a handsome Irishman and the arrival of a mysterious Russian woman to the villa add further complications to what started as a playful prank. Daisy finds herself caught in a web of lies she can’t escape. 

I feel as though I have just returned from a dream trip and dream life in St. Tropez, from the descriptions of the local markets, to the variety of glamorous parties and the impressive residence that Daisy finds herself in, I could have been there alongside her. 

There is a bit of a mystery in this story, when someone appears in the villa which a vaguely believable story as to why they need to be kept secret, but it didn't take me long to work out the truth of the matter. Once I had convinced myself about the mystery, I kept seeing things that looked very obvious to my mind, but that Daisy didn't seem to pick up on. 

This is the second book in the Riviera Romance Series and can easily be read as a standalone. During the explanations as to why Daisy is house sitting in St. Tropez, it catches you up on the current circumstances of the previous main characters, but apart from that its a completely separate story, set a few years later. It was a fantastic opportunity to get to know Daisy a lot better, and it shes a lovely character. 

During this wonderful romance, we meet a dashing Irishman who seems to be incredibly attracted to Daisy, as well as many colourful people that make up the rich and famous jet set in the French Riviera. In particular Marianne, who has so much more depth to her, than what she first appears. 

I am absolutely loving this series of books by Susanne O'Leary, and I have found this to be a very easy to read romantic comedy, with a hint of intrigue, and all set to the most wonderful backdrop. St. Tropez really is the playground of the rich, and with Daisy a relatively normal person, who just can't help but dip her toe into the scene while house sitting, we get a terrific look at how the other half live. 

Thank you so much to Susanne O'Leary for this review copy. This was my honest opinion. 

My review of Selling Dreams, Book 1 of the Riviera Romance series was posted earlier today. 

Book Review - Selling Dreams by Susanne O'Leary

Amazon UK

Title: Selling Dreams (The Riviera Romance Series Book 1)

Author: Susanne O'Leary

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Purchased

Publisher: Self Published

Publication Date: 16th December 2014

Rating: 4 Stars

The pristine blue waters and sun drenched shores of the French Riviera provide a stunning backdrop to the story of two women, Chantal and Flora, both struggling with the heartache of a lost love. 

Chantal Gardinier runs her real estate agency in Antibes with an iron fist. A tough businesswoman on the surface, Chantal is hiding a tragic home life and a secret love affair. When faced with a moral dilemma, she is unsure which path to choose. 

Flora McKenna arrives in town with high hopes of finding happiness. When she immediately lands a great job, she decides that this exotic paradise might be just the place to help her heart heal. Selling houses to expats looking for a dream home in the sun would be the ideal existence if it weren't for her demanding boss, Chantal—a woman with no scruples when it comes to bending the rules. 

But Chantal’s personal life catches up with her, and she is forced to ask Flora to run the agency. 

While trying to cope with French property laws and red tape, Flora is thrown into a love affair that threatens to break her heart. 

Set against the glamorous backdrop of the French Riviera with its stunning scenery, Selling Dreams is the story of two very different women travelling on paths filled with unexpected twists as they search for love and happiness.

Selling Dreams is a fabulous story set in Antibes, in the French Riviera. I loved the setting of this story, and really felt as though I was in France. Susanne O'Leary has a lovely welcoming style that draws you into the story, and really transports you into the world she has created. 

Selling Dreams features two main quite contrasting stories. There is Chantal who lives a double life, and runs an estate agency, with the philosophy of covering up the truth about the properties she is selling, however when her personal life becomes her highest priority, she leaves the running of the agency to her new hire, Flora. 

Flora has come over from Dublin, and has a difference in house selling philosophy, She also meets a Frenchman on the plane who she is rather enamoured with, until she finds out how he makes all his money. 

There is a great mix of the rich and famous, as well as those struggling a bit, in this story, so when there are restaurants mentioned, one day it could be one of the top places in the area, and the next they could be eating equally delicious sounding peasant cuisine in a small cafe. 

Flora also strikes up a friendship with a young rich man, when she takes him on her first viewing of a large house, with amazing views. However its clear he is hiding something, and I really enjoyed his story. 

There is a lovely cast of characters, and I felt as thought I really got to know some of them. I suspect others may pop up again in the rest of the series, which I am really looking forward to reading. It has been  years since I last read a Susanne O'Leary book, but I'm going to try to make sure I read a lot more by her, as  I really enjoy her writing and how she will take you to lovely locations and make you want to book a plane there.