Book Review - Daughter of Wild Rose Bay by Susanne O'Leary - #HolidayReading Malta

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Amazon UK

Title: Daughters of Wild Rose Bay

Author: Susanne O'Leary

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Bookouture

Publication Date: 8th April 2020

Rating: 5 Stars

A heart-warming page-turner set on the Irish coast, where secrets hide, romance is waiting and there is every chance to make a new beginning…

Jasmine Delon feels completely lost: having just broken up with the man she thought was the love of her life, all she knows is that she can’t face living alone in her empty apartment in Paris.

When she turns up at her mother’s curiosity shop, nestled in Sandy Cove in Ireland, she hopes time with Sally will help heal her broken heart. Walks along the rugged coastline and nights under endless stars immediately make her feel at peace, and then she meets Aiden, a handsome chef in town, and sparks fly between them.

But a lot has changed since Jasmine last saw her mother. Sally is happier than ever with a charming new man in her life and Jasmine’s not sure where she fits in. Then she’s told about the ruins of an old village in a place nearby called Wild Rose Bay. The locals say it holds secrets about her mother’s side of the family…

Is delving into their history the thing that can bring Jasmine and Sally back together or will it drive them further apart? And is Jasmine brave enough to give in to the call of the Irish sea for another chance at love?

Daughters of Wild Rose Bay is a warm, feel-good novel set on Ireland’s gorgeous Atlantic coast. For fans of Sheila O’Flanagan, Debbie Macomber, Mary Alice Monroe and anyone who loves a story about second chances.

This is Susanne O'Leary back to her best with this latest instalment in the Sandy Cove series. 

It can easily be read as a standalone, as this is a whole new main character, although the previous mains, plus others in the village are all present again. 

I loved Jasmine's story, the way she reconnects with her mum, and makes new friends in Sandy Cove. 

I could understand why she had run from Paris. and her ex sounds like a nightmare. 

I found I was caught up in the story really quickly and that the pages just seemed to turn so quickly.  I read this in two sittings in a few short hours, and really enjoyed every moment of it. 

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

Book Review - American Royals 2: Majesty by Katharine McGee - #HolidayReading Malta

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Amazon UK

Title: American Royals 2: Majesty

Author: Katharine McGee

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Penguin

Publication Date: 3rd September 2020

Rating: 5 Stars

The New York Times bestselling series returns! Your favourite royal family are back for another thrilling instalment of gossip, drama and romance . . .

Beatrice Washington now rules America as its first ever queen, but her family are more concerned about rushing through her arranged marriage to a man she barely knows. No one can know that her heart really belongs to her bodyguard - but even their love is under threat.

Meanwhile, Princess Samantha is under more scrutiny than ever before - and she still longs to be with her sister's fiancee. But with no sign of Bea's wedding being called off, she's surprised to find someone else catching her eye.

Nina Gonzalez is also tangled up with someone she never expected to be. She and Ethan are both nursing broken hearts, and it's not long before they find themselves pulled irresistibly together.

Luckily for Daphne Deighton, Prince Jeff's grief for his father makes him a prime target for her attentions. She's the closest she's been in years to getting what she wants . . . so why can't she let the idea of her and Ethan go?

What none of these four young women know is that a secret bigger than all of them is about to be revealed. One that will change the face of America forever . . .

From the moment I put down the first book I knew I had to read the sequel, even if there was the best part of a year to wait for it!

I was worried in that time I would forget, but within pages I was once again catapulted into American royalty, picking up just after where the previous book left off. 

I can't really comment as to whether it works as a standalone, as I was too busy devouring the latest in the lives of Beatrice, Sam, Nina and Daphne. 

And what a tangled web they all lead, I apart from Daphne who I despise, I was willing them all to find happy endings with ideally their own men. 

I loved seeing how Beatrice has to come to terms with being America's first Queen, how Samantha has to step up suddenly from the "spare" to the heir and what that may mean for her. 

And Nina, is in a new relationship, but how will the Royals react when they discover who she is now with. 

I am just loving this author's world so much, I can see its loosely based on elements of the British Royal family while at the same time being vastly different. 

I have no clue if there are plans for a third book, but I certainly would be curious to see how things would continue for my favourite characters. 

I just loved every second of it, from the chapters being from the different ladies viewpoints, to the character development and ultimately I was cheering on some of Beatrice's biggest decisions. 

Another stand out book and whatever the author writes next i will have my eyes out for!

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

Book Review - Grown Ups by Marian Keyes - #HolidayReading Malta

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Amazon UK

Title: Grown Ups

Author: Marian Keyes

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Michael Joseph

Publication Date: 4th February 2021

Rating: 4 Stars

MEET JESSIE, CARA AND NELL.

Married to brothers Johnny, Ed and Liam Casey.

Three very different women tied to three very different men.

Every family occasion is a party - until the day the secrets spill out.

PLAYTIME IS OVER.

BUT WHERE ARE THE GROWN-UPS?

It has been a while since I last read a Marian Keyes book, and I'm not entirely sure why as I do tend to enjoy them. 

The prologue had me intrigued all these secrets suddenly being revealed, but then we instantly go back 6 months and most of the book is leading up to the prologue. 

From it we get a good look at Jessie and her family and just how complex the dynamics between them are. 

It took me while to just work out the basics of who is related to who and how. 

I loved all 5 of Jessie's children, especially the middle one who sounds more like an adult than a child  TJ is rather cool, and it touches on something very important. 

Equally Ferdia is misunderstood at first, but I loved seeing how he matured over the course of the book. 

Then there is Cara, Ed's wife, (Ed and Liam are brothers to Johnny who is married to Jessie), and we see large portions of the book through her eyes. 

I believe her key storyline was dealt with with enough emotion and sensitivity to be rather real. 

And then there is Nell, Liam's wife, who has some great personal values and tries to live by her beliefs. 

It took a while to get going but once I was happy with the basics of the characters, I really got into the story and enjoyed seeing what would happen next. 

A really enjoyable way for me to spend a day of my holiday poolside, and reading Grown Ups. 

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

Book Review - The Secrets of Sunshine by Phaedra Patrick

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Amazon UK

Title: The Secrets of Sunshine

Author: Phaedra Patrick

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: HQ

Publication Date: 14th May 2020

Rating: 5 Stars

A lonely single father gets an unexpected second chance at love in the heart-warming new novel from the bestselling author of The Library of Lost and Found.

Only his daughter Poppy knows that behind his prickly exterior, Mitchell Fisher is deeply lonely. He may have sworn off romance, relishing his job cutting off the padlocks that couples fasten to his hometown’s famous ‘love story’ bridge… but underneath it all, he’s still grieving the loss of Poppy’s mum.

Then one hot summer’s day, everything changes when Mitchell bravely rescues a woman who falls from the bridge into the river. He’s surprised to feel an unexpected connection to her, but then she disappears. Desperate to find the mysterious woman, Mitchell teams up with her spirited sister Liza to see if she’s left any clues behind. There’s just one – a secret message on the padlock she left on love story bridge…

Brimming with Phaedra Patrick’s signature charm and a sparkling cast of characters, The Secrets of Sunshine follows one man’s journey to unlock his heart and discover new beginnings in the unlikeliest places.

Everything I have come to expect from a Phaedra Patrick novel - this has taken me on a journey, secrets have been uncovered and leaves me with a smile on my face. 

There is an action sequence early on which sets up the rest of the book, and makes a reluctant hero from Mitchell, who is just trying to do his job of cutting padlocks off the towns bridges, while being a single parent to Poppy.  He is rather regimented and likes schedules, targets, spreadsheets etc... 

He rescues a mystery women from the river, and then a few days later discovers he is the only person to have seen her in a year.  Thus starts the search into just where she is now, and just why she disappeared a year ago. 

There are also a lot of good old fashioned letters, mainly written to Mitchell after his heroics on the bridge and some of them are just lovely, and you can see he is starting to be affected by them, whether he wants to be or not. 

I really loved the variety of characters especially Mitchell's best friend Graham and his girlfriend Rosie. We don't see much of them but I really did enjoy their character. 

I was hooked on this book and just wanted to keep on reading the entire time.  It was very absorbing and I loved all the various plot lines.  Another really fabulous book from this talented author. 

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

Book Review - That Holiday In France by Rhoda Baxter

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Amazon UK

Title: That Holiday in France

Author: Rhoda Baxter

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Author supplied copy

Publisher: Self published

Publication Date: 1st June 2020

Rating: 5 Stars

When Ellie’s boyfriend forbids her from going to France to attend her best friend’s wedding, she decides she’s had enough. She dumps him and goes to France by herself. But travelling alone is scary and Ellie realises how reliant she’d become on the men in her life.

On holiday, she learns to trust her own judgement and grows in confidence. Just when she decides she doesn’t need a man to complete her, she meets Ash, who is everything her ex wasn’t.

But is Ellie willing to give up her new found independence and link herself to another man?

• Friends to lovers
• Heroine asserting her independence
• Summer in France
• Tiny puddings

That Holiday In France is a standalone story set in the little Yorkshire village of Trewton Royd (and France). Ideal for fans of Mhairi McFarlane or Sophie Kinsella.

I love Rhoda Baxter's Trewton Royd Romances and it was good to be back in the Yorkshire village and also in France on this occasion.

Although if you didn't know the title of the book, you would be wondering whether Ellie is even going to get to Sophie's wedding, you see the reactions of her boyfriend, Luke and father to the thought of her daring to want to go abroad. 

To say they are xenophobic racists, and control freaks would be an understatement, and its amazing that Ellie as lovely as she is given the influences in her life.

Yet its once she does get to France, along with Ash who she sort of knows but not know, she has life changing realisations. I loved the France section of the story, and would have loved to have been to Sophie's wedding too, even if camping in a tent isn't quite for me! 

I can't believe how quickly I read this, it was one sitting in about 90 mins from cover to cover, I was enjoying it so much and I had time to just keep reading. It was an entertaining summery read that warmed me up on a cold winters night, and had me smiling. 

Another incredibly enjoyable book from Rhoda Baxter, and already looking forward to whatever she releases next. 

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

Cover Reveal - Moonlight Over Muddleford Cove by Kim Nash

It's been a long while I feel since I last brought you all a cover reveal, but given I'm a huge fan of Kim Nash's books and when I saw how absolutely stunning this cover is, well I couldn't resist! 

See what I mean this is absolutely gorgeous and will be published on 30th March. 

And is available for pre-order now from Amazon UK

Oh and if you need more than just a beautiful cover and a cute dog to make your mind up as to whether this is a book for you, then here is the blurb! 

When thirty-four-year-old Nellie Wagstaff loses her job and discovers her fiancé is a cheating scumbag in a single day, she feels like the world has come crashing down. And that’s before the solicitor’s letter, along with a request to visit a place she hasn’t thought about for a very long time.

Heartbroken, Nellie escapes to the beautiful seaside town of Muddleford in Dorset, where she discovers she’s inherited more than she ever bargained for. Nellie never knew why her mother stopped talking to her sister, but now childhood memories of Muddleford come flooding back: long hot summers, the sea glistening beyond the sandy cove... and a stolen kiss with a boy called Jack.

Jack, now a devilishly handsome vet, has the local pet owners swooning over him, and as Nellie and he become close once more, and she gets used to gossiping with the locals and sipping wine at her beach hut with sand between her toes, she’s sure she can feel sparks flying once more. But just as she thinks she might be able to open her heart again, her newest frenemy, the glamourous Natalia, tells her a secret about Jack that changes everything.

Nellie will never know why her mother and aunt parted ways. She’ll sell the house, forget about Jack, and get back to real life. Because there’s nothing for her in Muddleford... is there?

An utterly uplifting and completely hilarious summer read about learning to trust yourself and of finding love and friendship in the least expected places for fans of Jessica Redland, Heidi Swain and Holly Martin. 

So what do you think? Are you as excited as I am for this book?  Would love to know. 

Book Review - The Search Party by Simon Lelic - #HolidayReading Malta

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Amazon UK

Title: The Search Party

Author: Simon Lelic

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Penguin

Publication Date: 14th August 2020

Rating: 5 Stars

16-year-old Sadie Saunders is missing.

Five friends set out into the woods to find her.

But they're not just friends...

THEY'RE SUSPECTS.

You see, this was never a search party.

It's a witch hunt.

And not everyone will make it home alive...

Suddenly at 75% of the way through I had a flash of genius as to who may be behind some of what was going on, and I'm utterly shocked to say I was correct. 

Leading up to that point, even before the police were sure, I had no clue at all and even then I wasn't expecting to have guessed, and I was completely out on the motivations!

This is a story that will keep you guessing throughout, was we hear the various teen's accounts of what happened in the forest, when they formed their own search party for Sadie. 

Through the police interviews and repeated questions it becomes clear that nothing is quite what it seems but whether you can guess who may be covering for what is another matter. 

It's a story that shows how things can spiral out of control and why honesty is often the best policy 

It's another gripping story from Simon Lelic, an author I'm really enjoying reading and seeing what twisted scenarios he may come up with next. 

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

Book Review - Summer on a Sunny Island by Sue Moorcroft - #HolidayReading Malta

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Amazon UK

Title: Summer on a Sunny Island

Author: Sue Moorcroft

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Avon

Publication Date: 30th April 2020 

Rating: 5 Stars

This summer, sparks are flying on the island of Malta…

When Rosa Hammond splits up from her partner Marcus, her Mum Dory suggests a summer in Malta. Not one to sit back and watch her daughter be unhappy, Dory introduces Rosa to Zach, in the hope that romance will bloom under the summer sun. But Rosa’s determined not to be swayed by a handsome man – she’s in Malta to work, after all.

Zach, meanwhile, is a magnet for trouble and is dealing with a fair few problems of his own. Neither Rosa or Zach are ready for love – but does fate have other ideas? And after a summer in paradise, will Rosa ever want to leave?

What better book to read on the sunny island of Malta, than a book set in Malta, in the summer!

And I think I enjoyed it even more as a result of now having a bit of base knowledge about Malta, which made everything in the book seem really authentic. 

I loved getting to know Rosa and her cookbook writer mother Dory.  Thanks to Dory there is plenty of food in this book which is sure to make your taste buds tingle. 

We also have Zach, who has had issues in the past, which have made him into the man he is today, which is ultimately kind hearted and determined to help an underdog. 

He has a large family and I think we get to know his family dynamics rather well and I was finding I cared about all those characters too. 

The main people I enjoyed really disliking is Rosa's ex-Marcus, and her father Glenn, but especially Marcus - who I really can't see why Rosa ever fell for him. 

With an island to explore, Paceville clubs to be seen in, interesting attempts at explaining pronunciation, and a great deal of sun - this is a wonderfully sunny read from one of my favourite authors. 

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

Book Review - Coming Home to Brightwater Bay by Holly Hepburn - Blog Tour

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Amazon UK

Title: Coming Home To Brightwater Bay

Author: Holly Hepburn

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Random Things Tours

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Publication Date: 21st January 2021

Rating: 5 Stars

On paper, Merina Wilde has it all: a successful career writing the kind of romantic novels that make even the hardest hearts swoon, a perfect carousel of book launches and parties to keep her social life buzzing, and a childhood sweetheart who thinks she’s a goddess. But Merry has a secret: the magic has stopped flowing from her fingers. Try as she might, she can’t summon up the sparkle that makes her stories shine. And as her deadline whooshes by, her personal life falls apart too. Alex tells her he wants something other than the future she’d always imagined for them and Merry finds herself single for the first time since – well, ever.

Desperate to get her life back on track, Merry leaves London and escapes to the windswept Orkney Islands, locking herself away in a secluded clifftop cottage to try to heal her heart and rediscover her passion for writing. But can the beauty of the islands and the kindness of strangers help Merry to fool herself into believing in love again, if only long enough to finish her book? Or is it time for her to give up the career she’s always adored and find something new to set her soul alight?

What a lovely gentle and charming book this was. 

Originally published in 4 novellas, I have read the complete combined version but could easily see how each novella would have worked well by itself.  Each part focuses around a particular event from Merry's 6 month writer in residence programme in Orkney. 

Merina needed a change of everything after Alex suddenly breaks up with her, and she is deep within the grips of writers block, and she hopes applying for and taking on 6 months in Orkney will inspire her to write again. 

I loved seeing the Orkney Islands through Merina and Niall's eyes, their enthusiasm for the area really shines through, and I really got a feel for them and their history.  

Oooh and there is a sexy viking too, and even a trip to a distillery! I loved seeing how Merina's confidence grew as the months went past.  Her inability to say no to Sheila has her starting to run, and for longer distances than she would have ever imagined.  Then there is Gordon who is a surprise neighbour and utterly adorable and hilarious! 

There is just such warmth in these pages of the characters for each other. There is a real community on the island and the sunsets sounded gorgeous.  Merina even had a chance to see a natural phenomena which lead to me being very jealous of her! 

It's such a lovely story, it I couldn't help smiling throughout reading it.  Plenty of varying storylines, and each part does indeed work on its own, although I'd recommend reading the whole book in one go, as its far more enjoyable that way! 

Thank you to Random Things Tours for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - The Secret Within by Lucy Dawson

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Amazon UK

Title: The Secret Within

Author: Lucy Dawson

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Bookouture

Publication Date: 26th January 2021

Rating: 5 Stars

I need the two men sitting on the other side of the interview table to trust me. My family’s happiness is riding on my getting this job. I smile, knowing that first impressions are key. There’s no link between having a friendly face and being trustworthy, but humans are built to think there is. Even us doctors, who should know better.

If only I could keep my past secret from these men, but they’ll have read about me in the papers – the court case, the threats, the lies that were told. But what’s important now are my son and daughter: a new house, new school, a new start away from the city. Away from my ex, my old job… and the scandal that nearly ruined me.

What I don’t know yet is that if I convince them to hire me, I’ll be putting my children in terrible danger. I’m trying to make things right, but this is when it starts to go wrong.

And when one of my precious children goes missing, I’ll realise that the nightmare is far from over. In spite of everything I’ve gone through, I will fail to recognise the evils a friendly face can hide. Sometimes it’s the people who want to be closest to you that you should be most afraid of. They’re the ones who know your secrets. Who want to make you pay.

Utterly twisty and completely unputdownable. This insanely gripping page-turner from bestselling author Lucy Dawson is perfect for anyone who tore through Friend Request, Gone Girl or My Lovely Wife.

Starting off rather slow, with a lot of character building, hints and wrong doings and just getting to know all the key players, but then by around just after the half way point, it becomes rather unputdownable.  

There was so many shocks and moments which leave you scratching your head.  And that ending is rather intriguing. 

This though is a hard book to describe, as all the best bits would definitely be spoilers, and the rest although great, won't do the book any justice. 

I did though love Julia's character, and also that of her family, while here colleagues in her new job felt off rather early on.  But we do get chapters from both Hamish and Nathan's points of view too so we get to know three characters rather intimately. 

The characters even the dastardly ones were really well described and in the second half I just couldn't wait to see what would happen next. 

It was a fascinating setting, the world of plastic surgery, breast augmentation and mastectomies for breast cancer patients. As they are all surgeons, we often get rather graphic descriptions of the procedures, which I believe to be really well researched. 

I've read quite a few of Lucy Dawson's books now, and I'm always struck with how well they are written and how at some point during them, I just don't want to put them down, and just need to binge read to finish, as I need to know what is happening and have no desire to wait.  And this was no exception, and I was really happy to spot this on the release schedules. 

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