Book Review - To All The Dogs I've Loved Before by Lizzie Shane - #HolidayReading Tenerife

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Title: To All the Dogs I've Loved Before

Author: Lizzie Shane

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Headline Eternal

Publication Date: 30th November 2021

Rating: 5 Stars

Sometimes a second chance at first love requires a little push...

The last person Elinor Rodriguez wants to spend time with is her first love, Levi Jackson. The quietly intense lawman broke Elinor's heart once before, and she's determined to never risk trusting him again. Unfortunately, her mischievous rescue dog seems to have other plans. Somehow Dory always manages to escape Elinor at the worst possible moment. And in the small town of Pine Hollow, Levi is the man to call when a dog is disrupting traffic.

As the kid who barely graduated - and still struggles to hide his dyslexia - Levi always believed that Elinor was way out of his league. Even though he ended their engagement all those years ago, Elinor continues to take Levi's breath away whenever he sees her. Now, with a little help from a four-legged friend, Levi and Elinor may just get the second chance they deserve.

Make no bones about it, Dory is the star about it.  She is a pawsome escape artist and her antics never failed to make me giggle, plus wonder at how intelligent she is to keep outsmarting everyone. 

Levi is the chief of police in Pine Hollow, and seems to be the resident dog rustler when Dory inevitably escapes. 

Just the small problem of needing to return her to his ex fiancée each time, which is rather awkward for them both, especially with the town newsletter basically being a gossip column, continually speculating on their relationship status! 

I loved being back in Pine Hollow with so many familiar faces both human and canine.

Lizzy Shane writes about dogs so well, in addition to small town romances that in this case kept me hooked as to whether the pair would ever resolve their differences or not. 

And I enjoyed getting to know Elinor's sisters, her friends and along with Elinor discovering just what the real reason was that Levi broke up with her 3 years ago. 

I couldn't get enough of this book, and loved every single second of it. I'm already crossing my fingers that there will be more from Pine Hollow as I'm loving this series more and more with each book (and I completely adored book 1!). 

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

Book Review - No Words by Meg Cabot - #HolidayReading Tenerife

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Title: No Words

Author: Meg Cabot

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Piatkus

Publication Date: 12th October 2021

Rating: 5 Stars

Welcome to Little Bridge, one of the most beautiful islands in the Florida Keys, home to sandy white beaches, salt-rimmed margaritas and sizzling romance . . .

Jo Wright always swore she'd never step foot on Little Bridge Island - not as long as her nemesis, bestselling author Will Price, is living there. Then Jo's given an offer she can't refuse: an all-expenses paid trip to speak and sign at the island's first ever book festival. And when she finds out Will won't even be on the island, there's no reason to refuse.

But when she arrives on Little Bridge, Jo is in for a shock: Will is not only at the book festival, but seems genuinely sorry for his past actions - and more than willing not only to make amends, but prove to Jo that he's a changed man.

Things seem to be looking up - until disaster strikes, causing Jo to wonder: do any of us ever really know anyone?

I am absolutely loving this Little Bridge Island series, so couldn't wait to delve into the pages of No Words. 

And it certainly didn't let me down, and I was delighted to see the island now has book festival. 

Jo Wright can't turn down the stipend being offered to appear, despite the possibility she could run into her arch nemesis. She writes books featuring talking cats that sound like a lot of fun to read, and Will Price is the author of rather depressing sounding books. 

They have professional history, and sparks really do fly during this festival which also includes a lot of book talk, boat trips and spectacular get togethers. 

And it was good to see some of the familiar residents of the island too, and check in with how they are getting along, but it definitely is a standalone story. 

I can't get enough of these books and always enjoy reading them on holiday when I can, as they are for me great poolside reads. 

I really loved everything that was written, and at some point I really do need to investigate this authors back catalogue and read more from her.

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

Book Review - Reputation by Sarah Vaughan

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Title: Reputation

Author: Sarah Vaughan

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Publication Date: 3rd March 2022

Rating: 5 Stars

Emma Webster is a respectable MP.

 

Emma Webster is a devoted mother.

 

Emma Webster is innocent of the murder of a tabloid journalist.

 

Emma Webster is a liar.

 

#Reputation: The story you tell about yourself. And the lies others choose to believe…

Sarah Vaughan must be the queen of the courtroom drama.  I was enthralled, gripped, hooked and all the other words that have that sort of meaning. 

I was never quite sure what the truth of the matter was, I had my own theory that I was only a sliver correct with, but thoroughly enjoyed seeing how this all played out. 

In fact I reckon it would work well on TV as a series, there are enough mini cliff-hangers, or stopping points for the next episodes to build suspense, drama and intrigue. 

In multiple parts we discover the lead up to the journalist's death, Emma's frame of mind at all times, the great causes she was campaigning for as an MP, but the flipside too as to how much abuse and vitriol can be directed at someone in the public eye. 

I could at times feel Emma's fear alongside her, and although the majority of the book is from her point of view, we also get chapters from Flora's, her daughter, as well as various other key people.  Flora is an interesting character, she's a teen that has one lapse of judgment that has rippling consequences. We also see how she deals being a teen with a mother accused of murder. 

Sarah Vaughan has such a way with words, that I felt as though I was a fly on the wall at all times, watching everything so clearly. It's superb writing, and she's an author that is clearly going from strength to strength.

I utterly loved this! 

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

Book Review - Chocolate Cake For Breakfast by Rosie Green

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Title: Chocolate Cake For Breakfast

Author: Rosie Green

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Author supplied copy

Publisher: Self published

Publication Date: 31st January 2022

Rating: 5 Stars

After a shocking accident, Martha Munro has given up on her childhood dreams. With her confidence shattered, even leaving the house is scary, and a promising romance with gorgeous Logan is over before it even had a chance to begin. But cheered on by her dad and her great friend, Madison, she makes a decision that could change everything. Can Martha find the courage to step out into the world and love again?

How on earth can this already by book 20 in the series, and still also feel really fresh.  First I feel I need to say that despite it being quite deep into an established series this can easily standalone,  this is the first time we have met Martha, and also she's friends with Madison and the other Duck Pond Cafe girls do put in an appearance, the focus is all on Martha. 

And what a story Martha has, from her initial meeting with Logan, to the accident that has shocked her to her core and changed her outlook on life, to how everything pans out, I was gripped. 

Although described vividly and I believe accurately, I would say it was rather painful to read about Martha's migraine's if only because they have caused my head to really hurt in sympathy, I've had a pounding headache more or less since reading about them. 

That aside I loved this story, and seeing if Martha would be able to grow in confidence again.  Lila is a new character who I loved to hate, she is beyond irritating, selfish and unfeeling, but with it provides great entertainment! 

This is another example of how brilliant Rosie Green is at writing this series, it feels familiar and fresh at the same time, the characters are so relatable to and believable, and frankly anyone who is encouraging chocolate cake for breakfast in my opinion deserves a standing ovation! 

Thank you to the author for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Book Review - One Lucky Summer by Jenny Oliver - #HolidayReading Tenerife

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Title: One Lucky Summer

Author: Jenny Oliver

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: HQ

Publication Date: 8th July 2021

Rating: 5 Stars

With an air of faded splendour, Willoughby Hall was an idyllic childhood home to Ruben de Lacy. Gazing at it now, decades later, the memories are flooding back, and not all of them are welcome…

In a tumbledown cottage in Willoughby’s grounds, Dolly and Olive King lived with their eccentric explorer father. One of the last things he did was to lay a treasure hunt before he died, but when events took an unexpected turn, Dolly and Olive left Willoughby for good, never to complete it.

But when Ruben uncovers a secret message, hidden for decades, he knows he needs Olive and Dolly’s help. Can the three of them solve the treasure hunt, and will piecing together the clues help them understand what happened to their families that summer, all those years ago?

A glorious summer read with a delightful cast of characters from the bestselling author of The Summer We Ran Away.

Well I wasn't expecting to see a real life treasure hunt in any of  the books I was reading this holiday, but that is definitely what's at the centre of this book. 

Well that, and the chance for Ruben, Olive and Dolly to revisit their childhood and see if they can make sense of their memories, 

Add in Zadie, Ruben's daughter who he barely knows but is in charge of for two weeks, and who is a complete chatterbox and you have a great combination of factors to keep you reading. 

I adored Zadie, with her quick fire either questions or firing pieces of information at you non stop, without a chance for anyone to respond or breathe!

It was her energy in addition to Dolly's feistiness and ability to keep landing up in sticky situations that had me hooked. 

I found the pages of this book whizzed by while I was barely able to keep up with how much I was enjoying it and how quickly the percentage meter was ticking upwards. 

I really loved these characters and once again Jenny Oliver has written a fabulous story.

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

Book Review - While We Were Dating by Jasmine Guillory - #HolidayReading Tenerife

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Title: While We Were Dating

Author: Jasmine Guillory

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Headline Eternal

Publication Date: 13th July 2021

Rating: 5 Stars

Can a Hollywood romance work in the real world?

Ben Stephens has never been one to mix business and pleasure, but when he lands a huge ad campaign featuring movie star, Anna Gardiner, and it turns out she's as funny and down-to-earth as she is gorgeous, Ben can't help flirting a little.

Anna Gardiner is hoping this ad campaign will be a great distraction while she waits to hear if she's booked her dream role, but she doesn't anticipate that Ben Stephens might be an even bigger distraction...

After a family emergency and a late-night road trip moves them past light-hearted flirtation, Ben and Anna grow closer. But when Anna's manager decides to use their fling to help Anna's Hollywood career, will Ben be content to play the background role in Anna's life and leave when the cameras stop rolling? Or could he be the leading man she's looking for?

I think I need to start by saying these are some of the hottest sex scenes I've read in a long while. 

Kudos to Jasmine Guillory for writing such a sizzling chemistry that I fully believed between Ben and Anna. 

There are elements of the fake dating trope in there, but I never remotely believed that what they were feeling was fake! 

I'm rather glad I was reading this on holiday where I could take a dip in the pool just to cool myself off at points while reading. 

It's sassy, its fun, it's hot and it's simply fabulous.  Another wonderful piece of escapism from this rather talented author.

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

Book Review - The Kill List by M. A. Comley

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Title: The Kill List

Author: M. A. Comley

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Author supplied copy

Publisher: Jeamel Publishing Limited

Publication Date: 16th March 2022

Rating: 5 Stars

There’s a killer on the loose, but how is he choosing his targets?

DI Sara Ramsey is about to enter the toughest week of her life. Forced to put aside a catastrophic personal problem, Sara is determined to hunt down the ruthless killer.

Will a connection between the victims raise moral issues that push her to the limits professionally?And will Sara be scarred for life by the distressing news she receives whilst dealing with the complex case?

And once again M. A. Comley makes the latest book in a series feel completely and utterly fresh, which is a rather impressive skill. 

This time around initially Carla is taking over some of the initial questioning of victim's family members, while Sara is dealing with the latest family news which gave the book a rather emotional tone to it at times.  

And it's good to see Carla start to gain a smidge more confidence in her own opinions, and that wasn't the only police officer we get to see a lot more of. 

The work load for DI Sara Ramsey is ramping up at pace, when they have multiple dead bodies all with different methods of death, so no obvious link at all and once again I find myself fascinated with how the police can deal with such a complex set of cases. 

This had me completely and utterly gripped, there were a few tears, but also I was just enthralled with seeing what would happen next.  An utterly brilliant latest instalment in this series, that always impresses me.   Once more I want to hand M. A. Comley all the superlatives for such a fabulous book. 

Thank you to the author for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - The Little Shop in Cornwall by Helen Pollard - #HolidayReading Tenerife

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Title: The Little Shop in Cornwall

Author: Helen Pollard

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Bookouture

Publication Date: 15th June 2020

Rating: 4 Stars

Claudia thought she knew how this summer was going to go. Turns out, she didn’t have a clue…

It’s been two years since Claudia arrived on the beautifully rugged Cornish coast with nothing but a suitcase to her name. She’d walked out on the husband who had never loved her, ditched the corporate job she’d never wanted and vowed that no gym membership card would come within ten feet of her ever again.

Swapping boardrooms and cocktails for a little shop right at the end of the beach road should have been a bit of a shock. But from the moment she first laid eyes on the empty, run-down store, Claudia knew this was where she was meant to be all along.

After all that upheaval, Claudia was looking forward to a quiet summer, full of the usual holiday makers and long walks along the clifftops. But life in her patch of paradise is about to change in more ways than one.

Enter recently widowed Jason, dragging his sullen teenage daughter Millie in tow. Millie and Claudia immediately hit it off. And while Millie loves everything about Claudia’s free-spirited way of life, practical architect Jason is less than thrilled about his daughter’s new interests. He doesn’t shy away from telling Claudia exactly what he thinks and sparks fly every time they meet.

But as circumstances throw Claudia into Jason’s path in increasingly unexpected ways, she begins to glimpse what lies beneath his fiery temper and sharp tongue. Claudia was sure her new life was perfect in every way. But was there something missing after all?

The perfect summer holiday escape, full of warmth, humour and heart. Fans of Sarah Morgan, Cathy Bramley and Phillipa Ashley will be charmed by this seaside romance.

I freely admit that I'm sceptical about a lot of New Age type things, but when the practices are described thr way Claudia does to Jason, who really doesn't have an open mind when it comes to this sort of thing, I really started to be more interested too. 

For Claudia does face a lot of cynicism in her shop Healing Waves and it doesn't help that a shop devoted to witchcraft and wicca and that sort of thing has opened and seemingly at war with Claudia. 

I loved the way Claudia and Millie befriend each other, even if it does mean she ends up at logger heads with Jason far more frequently than intended. 

And it's certainly true the opposites attract in this case, and I enjoyed seeing how the potential for romance would unfold. 

I would though have loved to visit both the shops as they do sound rather cool, as does Claudia's soap making. 

This was an enjoyable story , that has perhaps in conjunction with another book I've read this year opened my mind further to the power of crystals. 

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

Book Review - The Broken Hearts Honeymoon by Lucy Dickens - #HolidayReading Tenerife

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Title: The Broken Hearts Honeymoon

Author: Lucy Dickens

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Arrow

Publication Date: 1st July 2020 

Rating: 5 Stars

When disaster strikes, adventure calls...

Charlotte had a plan. The perfect country wedding, followed by a month-long honeymoon in Japan - but when her fiancé starts having second thoughts, she knows there's no choice but to call off the wedding.

Charlotte isn't sure she knows how to be single, but she is going to try, starting with taking that trip of a lifetime - alone.

Will she find herself in the hills of Mount Fuji, or in the karaoke bars of Tokyo?

And will she be ready for romance by the time the cherry blossom flowers?

A feel-good story of reclaiming your life, set among the cherry blossom of Japan. The Broken Hearts Honeymoon is Eat, Pray, Love for the Instagram generation.

Totally transported me to Japan. Such vivid descriptions that I felt was though I was a part of the story, feeling what Charlie was feeling and seeing everything she was. 

It was a wonderful trip to Japan that was a way of Charlie, firstly not losing out on all the money spent on her honeymoon, but also a trip for her to discover who she may be, now she is no longer with her fiancée, and only boyfriend ever!

There were so many memorable experiences  that I loved reading about, it's hard to know what to tempt you with - while taking in places in Japan that you may have heard of, in addition to the unfamiliar. 

Japanese customs and way of life all rang true to me and it is clear a large amount of research must have gone into this book. 

It was a joy to experience Charlie doing things things such as forest bathing, karaoke, snorkelling, visiting temples and so much more.  

I was totally gripped by this story and Lucy Dickens is a fabulous author. I adored this book and it made me want to jump on a plane from my poolside location of Tenerife to Japan! 

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

Book Review - Sunrise By The Sea by Jenny Colgan - #HolidayReading #UKCruise

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Title: Sunrise by the Sea

Author: Jenny Colgan

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Sphere

Publication Date: 17th March 2022

Rating: 5 Stars

In a quaint seaside resort, a charming bakery holds the key to another world...

Curl up and escape with Jenny Colgan

When she is given the opportunity to move to a remote tidal island off the Cornish Coast, Marisa Rossi decides some peace and quiet might be just what she needs.

Since the death of her beloved grandfather back in Italy, she's been struggling to find a way out of her grief. Perhaps this will be the perfect place for her to recuperate.

But Mount Polbearne is a far cry from the sleepy little place she was imagining. Between her noisy piano-teaching Russian neighbour and the hustle and bustle of a busy community, Marisa finds solitude is not so easy to come by. Especially when she finds herself somehow involved with a tiny local bakery desperately in need of some new zest to save it . . .

Given I rarely look at a Jenny Colgan blurb before I start reading as having read all her books I know she is a safe bet of an author that I love, I was over the moon to discover we are back in Mount Polbearne for this book, and that Polly, Huckle and Neil the puffin are all still well and present. 

And although initially I did think they were perhaps the main focus of the book, they are present the whole time and we do get chapters focusing on them, but the main character is Marisa who is new to the area. 

And Marisa is struggling with life generally at the moment since the death of her Nonno, and her ex landlord decided he doesn't want someone who has lost their way living with him, so suggests she moves to these rather out of the way cottages in Mount Polbearne, and with no other options she does just that. 

And thankfully that turns out to be the best decision of her life, although it is slow progress to come to that decision. 

Moving in on the same day as her, into the neighbouring cottage is a Russian piano teacher and let's just say the cottages aren't sound proofed!

I really enjoyed seeing Marisa develop and grow over the book and to see Alexei's back story too. It was completely gripping and I was hooked on finding out what would happen next to them. 

Whether you are new to Jenny Colgan's books or have read previous in this series, it can easily be read as a standalone, as the main focal characters are brand new!

Top notch storytelling as ever, and a pleasure to read, this is Jenny Colgan at her finest.

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