Book Review - The Second Chance Supper Club by Caroline Roberts - #HolidayReading Cruise

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Title: The Second Chance Supper Club

Author: Caroline Roberts

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: HQ Digital

Publication Date: 17th July 2025

Rating: 5 Stars

🌸Could a new start heal her appetite for life?🌸

When Cath moves to a rural Northumberland village to escape her husband’s betrayal and a life that no longer feels her own, she’s determined to embrace a fresh start. But the quiet charm of her new surroundings seems only to magnify the loneliness of being on her own for the first time.

On a whim, Cath suggests starting a supper club, transforming her garden shed into a cosy, twinkling haven where neighbours can gather. What begins as an effort to ease her solitude becomes something far greater – a circle of friends, each bringing their own stories, struggles, and laughter.

As bonds deepen over shared meals and mishaps, can Cath discover the healing power of community…and dare to believe in love again?

It's been a while since I last read a Caroline Roberts book and I was very happy to see her back writing. And with this, its another glorious book from her. 

And as I have come to expect from this author, there is plenty of delicious sounding food described, during each of the supper club meetings and even some recipes at the back of the book. 

I loved getting to know Cath, as she starts to build a new life for herself in Northumberland. And I also love how food can bring people together, which is definitely a theme of this book. 

Add in an adorable Westie, the owners of the village shop, a delectable widower, and the local whirlwind, you have the makings of a fabulous new social group. 

I loved every second of this book, its warm hearted, tasty and I totally love all of the characters.

It was a joy to read and I look forward to hopefully coming across these characters again at some point in the future. 

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

Book Review - Will You Stay Another Day? by Samantha Tonge

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Title: Will You Stay Another Day?

Author: Samantha Tonge

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Boldwood Books

Publication Date: 11th August 2025

Rating: 5 Stars

If you could spend just one more day with someone, who would it be?

When Lili sends a jokey ‘knock-knock’ message to her best friend Em, she doesn’t expect to hear back. Because – as Lili notices the chill in the air, and the little robin in her garden – she realises Christmas must be just around the corner once again. A whole year since she last saw Em.

But then this time someone replies. ‘Who’s there?’ It can’t possibly be Em, but Lili wants to believe it could be, and she hastily suggests meeting. 

However when she gets to the meeting place, there only one other person there waiting. A man. And not just any man. The most handsome man Lili’s ever seen, Dylan… And he is also waiting for someone he’s been missing.

As the days get shorter and Autumn turns to Winter, will two lonely hearts spend another Christmas without their loved ones? Or can they welcome an unexpected friendship? Or maybe even more, if they can just help each other to focus on not what they’ve lost, but what they’ve found…

What a totally beautiful and amazing book this is. 

It warmed my heart as much as it tried to break it.  It's just top quality writing from one of my many favourite authors. 

We start with a mystery and a bit of hope, and it turns into a fledgling new friendship, and from there its just brilliant. 

I don't really want to say too much about Lili and Dylan, but you get to know them really well, and also we get to know their favourite people in the world very well too.  And there are just some wonderfully touching moments throughout. 

I especially loved Lili's regular Robin visitor named Bobbin. 

It's about hope and loss, and recovering from it. It's also the sort of book that you just want to curl up with, forget the outside world exists and devour from start to finish in one sitting if time allows. 

This is a special book and one that I am very glad that I was able to read. 

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

Book Review - Winter Nights at the Bay Bookshop by Jessica Redland

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Title: Winter Nights at the Bay Bookshop

Author: Jessica Redland

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Boldwood Books

Publication Date: 9th September 2025

Rating: 5 Stars

It's the most wonderful time of the year at Bay Books, and a new love story is being written in the stars ✨

Nestled amongst the comforting shelves of her beloved Bay Books, Lily Appleton finds the peace and quiet she needs. But with Christmas just around the corner, Lily has to find an extra pair of hands to help her share the bookish magic.

After selling his business, Lars Jóhannsson is feeling lost. A job at Bay Books would give him the space he needs to contemplate his next move, but returning would mean confronting a painful past he's been avoiding. He’s also fairly sure he’s the one person Lily would never want to see again.

Lily is torn. Lars could be the perfect fit for Bay Books, but he once rejected her friendship and the hurt still lingers. But working together, Lily discovers a vulnerability that Lars has kept hidden away, along with a few surprising secrets. And as the Christmas season sprinkles its magic, Lily discovers the warmth of renewed friendship and the joy of heartwarming traditions from Lars’s Icelandic roots.

Surrounded by the quiet magic of the season and the soft glow of festive lights, perhaps there’s even the possibility of finding a love as enchanting as the Northern Lights on a winter's night.

Totally melted my heart, and gave me incredibly warm fuzzy feelings. 

I absolutely adored the connection between Lily and Lars, and how their are parallels in their lives to Lily's favourite book (which is a class and thus one I have never had any desire to read, even after seeing large amount of details from it all over this book). 

It was a real joy to be back on Castle Street, and amongst so many familiar faces, especially Carly, Charlee and Jemma, from some of my favourite books from this author.  But it is definitely a standalone novel, just with familiar faces for fans! 

I loved the descriptions of Bay Books, and seeing the family issues that Lars and Lily have both experienced are tough to read about. They are both such lovely people, it's a shame that they have both been through a lot in their lives. 

Of course they knew each other as kids, and weren't exactly friends at school, so there is a bit of a mild enemies to lovers feel to this story.

I also adored learning more about Icelandic yule and festive traditions. 

There is a lot about this book that made me smile, and the Christmas decorating of the bookshop was a real delight. I would love a bookmas tree of my own, and Lily's range of literary tree decorations! 

An utterly delightful and brilliant book, and I expected nothing less from this always fabulous author. 

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

Book Review - How To Slay At Christmas by Sarah Bonner - #HolidayReading Cruise

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Title: How To Slay At Christmas

Author: Sarah Bonner

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Boldwood Books

Publication Date: 7th August 2025

Rating: 5 Stars

She’s making a list, she’s checking it twice…

Jessica Williams loves Christmas: the food, the drink, the fairy lights, the opportunities to take out all the miserable people who ruin the festive season for others. And what better cover for her murderous intentions than taking a job as Mrs Claus at the Ellsbury Christmas Market grotto? After all, who would possibly think Mrs Claus could stab a man through the eye with a Phillips-head screwdriver?

Fearne Dixon hates Christmas. As the long-suffering wife of the Ellsbury Christmas Market’s manager, she’s sick to the back teeth of it and it’s still only November. But then the bodies start piling up, an old rival arrives back in her life, and Fearne reaches breaking point.

When the lives of the two women collide, who will end up on the Naughty List? 👀

Sarah Bonner is fast becoming an auto read author of mine with these fabulous How To Slay Books, and when you set one at my favourite time of the year for fiction - Christmas, then I was always going to devour this, 

And Jessica Williams is my sort of serial killer. What an odd sentence ot write, but I hope you know what I mean. She is a massive fan of Christmas and has worked out the person who is least likely to be suspected of murder is Mrs Clause. 

And thus she spends her winters being Santa's wife in a different place each year. Only this time she starts to get to know the community better than normal, starts to make real friends (give or take having to hide her double life). and overall the body count is rising higher than she anticipated, 

And believe it or not, not all the bodies are down to our known murderer. And Jessica always has a great reason to put someone on the naughty list. 

I loved her, but this is just one aspect to this story, and all the other threads and plotlines help make this into the really impressive book that it is.

I'll would never have predicted the ending but totally loved that too. Just a brilliant book. 

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

Book Review - The Penthouse by Catherine Cooper

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Title: The Penthouse

Author: Catherine Cooper

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: HarperCollins

Publication Date: 24th April 2025

Rating: 5 Stars

Beneath the glamour dark secrets lurk.

World famous singer Enola had it all – fame, fortune, and a breathtaking penthouse view. Then she vanished without a trace, leaving the band’s careers in ruins.

Fifteen years on, the remaining members are reuniting for a series of concerts in Las Vegas. But when mysterious accidents plague them, some start to wonder if Enola is back for revenge.

What happened all those years ago – and who really knows the truth?

What a brilliant story, I was totally hooked from the very first few pages. 

Set in the manufactured pop band world, this is a story that could so easily happen in real life, as we see the rise of two young pop groups, from a Simon Cowell-esque figure who are now reforming 15 years later for some big reunion concerts in Las Vegas. 

Except Enola went missing 15 years ago, and so Breathe are now a duo not a trio, and the fandom is still speculating just what happened. 

With sections from the past and present, press articles and a few other voices, we have a gripping story, as we learn the truth of what just happened all those years ago.  And also whether all the weird things happening to both bands now are just coincidental or a vendetta. 

I definitely didn't predict the ending, and I thoroughly enjoyed my journey through the pages of this book. 

It's another example of fabulous writing and storytelling from Catherine Cooper, whose books I truly love. Utterly brilliant from start to finish. 

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

Book Review - Ms. V's Hot Girl Summer by A H Cunningham

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Title: Ms. V's Hot Girl Summer

Author: A H Cunningham

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Mills & Boon Afterglow

Publication Date: 24th April 2025

Rating: 4 Stars

Can what happens at Carnival stay at Carnival?

For sixteen years, Trinidad Velasquez has been the perfect single mum, working hard to build a stable life for her twin sons. But when her boyfriend proposes, she can’t help but wonder whether love should be practical, not butterflies and heart-racing chemistry.

Then her teenage sons trick her into a Caribbean Carnival trip. And she finds herself staying with the one guy who’s always revved her engine…even if he’s a decade south of her dating range.

Orlando Wiggins has never been able to take his eyes off Ms V. He’s mentored her boys for two years, and she’s never suggested there could be more. But at Carnival, between the sensual dancing, heated looks and electric touches, whatever he’s been feeling for her is definitely reciprocated…

This is the first age-gap romance I have read in a very long while, to the extent none others overly spring to mind in my recent reading history.  And although it's not much of an age gap its one that Trinidad is aware of the whole time, even while she is just lusting over Orlando from afar. 

She makes it sounds as though its indecent, and that she is far too old for him, but age is only a number and Orlando is not only an adult, but he practically a father figure to his younger brothers and caregiver to his mother, and is always putting everyone else first. 

He also mentor's Trinidad's 15 year old twins, who are capable of engineering a way for Orlando and Trinidad to spend time together without them around as they just want their mum to be happy and aren't too impressed with the man she thinks she should be with. 

I loved the change of setting from New York to a town in Florida that is having a carnival and is full of people of Caribbean descent, just like our lead characters.  

I loved the chemistry between the two characters and boy can this author write a sex scene. This is sizzling once it gets going. 

A thoroughly enjoyable book that was a joy to read. 

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

Book Review - Below Deck Billionaire by Amy Andrews

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Title: Below Deck Billionaire

Author: Amy Andrews

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Boldwood Books

Publication Date: 28th July 2025

Rating: 5 Stars

The world’s hottest playboy is off-limits… to everyone but her 🔥

Theo Callisthenes - renowned playboy and heir to a multi-billion-dollar Greek shipping company’s sex-capades - always make the front page. But when one misdemeanor goes too far, his brother offers up a challenge. Restore his reputation with a 4-month sex ban…

Vowing to see the ban through, Theo takes up residence on his superyacht sailing around the Greek islands. Until one day, the one woman he hasn’t been able to hit and quit - Tiffany Wainright - strides onboard as the newest member of his crew. Temptation has set sail with him and the forced proximity gives him absolutely nowhere to hide! Tiffany might live below deck but their attraction is still electric and she’s just too close for comfort.

Then an opportunity to salvage a business deal he put in jeopardy is back on the table. To ensure success Theo may need a very indecent proposal. Can he convince Tiffany to pose as his fake fiancé during the day to help seal the deal and trust that neither of them will succumb to their burning chemistry once the sun goes down? It’s only for two days but how long will the ban hold when the door closes on his suite and there’s only his sorely tested honour keeping them in check?

Well this was hot, Hot, HOT!!! Between the heat of the Greek Islands in summer and the chemistry between Theo and Tiffany, well it's hot and steamy in so many ways. 

And I was totally there for it, I absolutely devoured this incredibly raunchy book, and thoroughly enjoyed every pleasurable moment of it. 

Set on a super yacht, featuring rich playboy Theo who is currently thanks to his brother on a no sex dare for four months, as an attempt to repair his public image and stop being papped and having what should be rather more private images revealed to the worlds press.   

And Tiffany the girl he hasn't stopped thinking about since their one night together at his brother's wedding to her best friend, has now started to work as second stew on the yacht.   After some initial shock at the situation, the conversations between them, the tension, the flirting, the forbidden looks etc.. all served to raise the heat between the pair of them. 

The descriptions of the Greek Islands rang true to me, especially was I was reading this week after cruising the area and a few nights in Athens myself. Took me straight back on holiday, but without the sexy billionaire. 

I loved the way this developed into one of my favourite tropes and then once the inevitable occurs, wow those are some really spicy scenes (and I wish I had been alone while I was reading to really enjoy them properly). 

What a fabulous book, my first from this author. I devoured every page and would have happily read more. 

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

Book Review - The Surf House by Lucy Clarke

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Title: The Surf House

Author: Lucy Clarke

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: HarperCollins

Publication Date: 27th February 2025

Rating: 4 Stars

Welcome to The Surf House

Where everyone’s escaping something…

High on the cliffs of Morocco, far from the city lights and the souks, stands The Surf House: a sanctuary for travellers chasing sunshine and waves.

But the idyll hides a dark mystery.

And when Bea washes in, seeking refuge after a dangerous encounter in Marrakesh, she soon gets caught in the current.

A woman her age – who stayed in the same area, walked the same beaches, met the same guests – disappeared one year earlier, vanishing without trace.

Somewhere inside The Surf House lies the truth – but there’ll be a price for uncovering it…

Slow burn thriller, that I was surprised with the ending of. 

Before we get to the ending of course is a fabulous story of surfing in Morocco, of corruption, the dangers of getting lost in a souk, and of self discovery. 

Add in the mystery of a guest who stayed at the Surf House the previous year and no one has ever seen since, and you have what starts as a fairly light book (give or take a stabbing), and it turns into something more sinister and dark. 

it's set on a remote coast of Morocco, in a setting that is incredibly well described.  And I loved seeing how Bea grows as a person during her time at the Surf House, especially now that she has stepped away from her modelling career. 

I liked seeing what she was really made of, and getting to know her new friends was very interesting.  

By the last quarter or so I was definitely hooked, and I needed to know the truth about everything. 

Another really good book from this author that I always enjoy reading. 

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

Book Review - How to Read A Killer's Mind by Tam Barnett - #HolidayReading Tenerife

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Title: How to Read A Killer's Mind

Author: Tam Barnett

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Boldwood Books

Publication Date: 1st September 2025

Rating: 5 Stars

I’m psychologist Dr Emy Rose, but that’s not my real name.

I work with serial killers who've hidden their victims. My job is to find the bodies - and I'm kind of awesome at it.

The trick is to get inside these murderers' minds. And there's one in particular I'm hellbent on breaking.

Why? None of your business! Just know, I'll stop at nothing to read that killer's mind...

Tam Barnett's brilliant new novel will get into your head and under your skin...

OMG what did I just read? Just Wow! 

Completely and utterly unputdownable! 

And just what on earth goes through the mind of this author when they come up with these characters and stories as this was brilliant, but dark and twisted too in places. 

I loved the premise and the execution was superb.  I couldn't' get enough of this story,.  I was hoping for justice for Emy and her mother, as well as all the other families that she was hoping to help.

But trying to manipulate serial killers to give up their secrets is a lot easier said than done, especially when there is an interfering politician on the warpath too 

This is the second book I've now read from this author and I can't wait for me.  I am loving their work so much, - I just hope I can sleep tonight after those final scenes!

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

Book Review - And Then There Was You by Miranda Dickinson

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Title: And Then There Was You

Author: Miranda Dickinson

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: HQ

Publication Date: 28th August 2025

Rating: 5 Stars

Two lonely people. One song to change their lives…

Merryn Rowe adores her life in St Ives. The café she owns and the community she serves are her much-needed second chance after a heart-breaking divorce. But as she gazes out at the Cornish Sea, she begins to long for more.

Zach Trevelyan is not where he expected to be. His surfing career in tatters following an injury, he finds himself in St Ives without a home, a job, or a path ahead.

When Merryn discovers an abandoned piano, it evokes long-lost memories of someone who left her life without a word – her much-loved stepfather. Impulsively, she gives the piano a home in the courtyard of her café. And late one night, when a familiar song comes through her window, Merryn discovers a striking man huddled at the piano.

Who exactly is the midnight musician? And why can’t she stop thinking about him…and his beautiful melody?

It's always a great pleasure to sit down with a brand new Miranda Dickinson novel and this was a particular joy. 

Set in St. Ives, I would say that Merlin is the central character to the whole story, and yet he is an inanimate object. But one that infuses memories and longing and hope wherever he ends up! 

Merryn is the one that saves Merlin from an uncertain future, and sets him up in the courtyard of her cafe, and it's this which leads to her both stepping up the search for someone that was in her past, and also to opening up in the evenings too, thus growing her business. 

She has a few other key men in her life, best friend Seth and newcomer Zach.  We get chapters from Zach's point of view and I fell for him really quickly, although at times I was wishing he thought more!  

I was totally enchanted by the story being told between these pages, and while I was reading on the tube on my way, I was shocked at how many stations I had no idea we had stopped at, as I was totally absorbed in the story. 

There is romance, there is friendship, there is a wonderful pregnant character, there's music, baked goods (ok loads of baked goods), surfing, and even at one point I had a lump in my throat at the emotion of a moment took over. 

I love these characters, and also loved the recurring friendly faces from Somewhere Beyond the Sea, which as a fan of the author I always like to see old characters pop up! 

Utterly fabulous and perhaps one of my favourite books from this always talented author. 

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