Book Review - The Wednesday Morning Wild Swim by Jules Wake

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Title: The Wednesday Morning Wild Swim

Author: Jules Wake

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: One More Chapter

Publication Date: 30th April 2022

Rating: 5 Stars

For fans of The Saturday Morning Park Run! Take the plunge and discover a gorgeous new read full of friendship, love and the healing power of community!

Ettie is trying to figure out her future.

Dominic’s just trying to forget his past.

But with the help of some unlikely friends, young and old, a secret lake hidden in the grounds of a beautiful estate and a scruffy dog, a new community is formed – right when they all need each other the most.

I absolutely loved Ettie, her heart really is in the right place, even if she does have a habit of not being entirely truthful.  She is breath of fresh air as a main character, and I loved how she keeps Dominic on his toes. 

Domini has forbidden wild swimming in the lake on his property, but that doesn't stop a group of people from meeting each week to swim.  In fact the group grows with some unlikely at first suspects and it is clear just how much benefit everyone that goes swimming is getting form it (and not purely from a fitness point of view). 

In fact I loved all the characters, what a motley bunch this is.  From Hilda, who fans of Jules Wake will find rather familiar, and was lovely to see her back, to the teenager Josh who really comes out of his shell, to Gracie who I could the same about, and seeing her grow in confidence is lovely. 

And then there are Ettie's family who are salt of the earth, regular people, just trying to do their best with what they have.  

And it's not all wild swimming, Ettie is helping Dominic and Gracie turn an estate into a hotel and is full of fabulous ideas. 

There is plenty of humour to be had, and this is just an all around feel good read, that I thoroughly enjoyed.  It has a lovely sense of coming together in it, and I would have happily joined this group of new friends (so long as I don't have to get into a lake!). 

Another just simply fabulous book from Jules Wake. 

Thank you to One More Chapter and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - The Guilty Couple by C. L. Taylor - #HolidayReading Cruise

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Title: The Guilty Couple

Author: C. L. Taylor

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Avon

Publication Date: 23rd June 2022

Rating: 5 Stars

What would you do if your husband framed you for murder?

Five years ago, Olivia Sutherland was convicted of plotting to murder her husband.

Now she’s finally free, Olivia has three goals. Repair her relationship with her daughter. Clear her name. And bring down her husband – the man who framed her.

Just how far is she willing to go to get what she wants? And how far will her husband go to stop her?

Because his lies run deeper than Olivia could ever have imagined – and this time it’s not her freedom that’s in jeopardy, but her life…

I have no idea how she does it by C. L. Taylor has ever let me down and each book just gets better and better. 

I was hooked from the first page and it didn't let me go until the last, and I read this over the course of an evening while on holiday. 

It's spectacular and keeps you guessing throughout.  I didn't even get a chance to come up with any theories, as I was drawn to just reading the next page, the next chapter,  mainly oblivious to the music being played in the bar at the same time! 

It's twisted, it's clever, and it's completely outstanding.  The characters all felt very realistic, and I certainly was rooting for Olivia the entire time. 

It's fast paced, and there are quite a number of characters to get your head around, but they are all distinct and it's very hard to know who to trust, especially once some revelations are revealed. 

This is an author that can do no wrong in my eyes and this book is testament to the fact that her storytelling and imagination are growing from strength to strength. 

Utterly brilliant. 

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

Book Review - What Happens in Greece by Sue Roberts - #HolidayReading Cruise

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Title: What Happens in Greece

Author: Sue Roberts

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Bookouture

Publication Date: 13th May 2022

Rating: 5 Stars

Buying a rundown cottage in Greece. A crazy, wine-fuelled idea, or the best decision she’s ever made?

Charlotte takes in the scene. To the left, her (ex?) fiancé’s retreating back as he runs back to civilisation; in front, the crumbling Greek island farmhouse she thought was their shared dream; and just below, a goat munching merrily on her sunhat…

At first, Jamie had leapt at Charlotte’s idea to permanently swap drizzly Chester for sun-drenched Crete. Now it looks like she’ll be living this dream alone. Devastated but determined, she rolls up her sleeves and gets to work turning the ramshackle house into her forever home. At least the local community welcomes her with open arms, including sexy restaurant-owner-slash-handyman, Darius.

Taking a sledgehammer to her old life, and snacking on homemade honey cake on her breaks, Charlotte begins to see the promise of a future without Jamie. But on a trip back home, he suddenly appears, wanting her back. Faced with a choice between the first love who broke her heart and the gorgeous Greek man who has been putting it back together, how will Charlotte choose where she truly belongs?

A totally laugh-out-loud and feel-good summer read about taking a chance on life and love! Perfect for fans of Carole Matthews, Jenny Colgan and My Mamma Mia Summer.

Made me very hungry as I was reading it. Between mentions of Greek food and also baked goods, it is certainly a satisfying read, so long as you have nearby snacks.

And the setting of Crete is magnificently described. I could feel the heat of the summer, I could imagine Billy's random appearances, and generally the whole area where Charlotte has moved to, I could see so clearly. 

It's a big life decision to buy a house in Crete, but it's one that really seems to be made for Charlotte.  It's clear she takes to living somewhere different like a duck to water. 

And I loved all the new people she meets, and friends she makes in the village. 

This gave me a great hit of Greek escapism while I was in Spain on a cruise, and I loved that it made me forget where I was currently, and transported me to even further away!

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

Book Review - The Wishing Tree Beside The Shore by Jaimie Admans - #HolidayReading Cruise

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Title: The Wishing Tree Beside The Shore

Author: Jaimie Admans

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: HQ Digital

Publication Date: 26th May 2021

Rating: 5 Stars

What do you do when ‘the one that got away’ now won’t go away? In fact, he’s so determined not to go away that he’s literally chained himself to a tree.

Fifteen years ago, Felicity Kerr threw caution to the wind and kissed her colleague Ryan Sullivan under the ancient wishing tree along the coast.

When Ryan failed to respond to her kiss, Felicity was mortified that she’d read his signals so horrendously wrong and left Lemmon Cove for good.

But now Felicity’s job brings her back to her hometown, and face to face with Ryan, who is leading a band of octogenarians rallying to save their beloved 300-year-old sycamore from being bulldozed by property developers.

The spark with Ryan is still there, but Felicity is guarding a secret and as much as she wants to join the protest by his side, she can’t help but hold back.

Will Felicity be able to mend her broken heart and find happiness with Ryan beside the sea?

An utterly hilarious and heart-warming romantic comedy about hope, second chances, and following your heart. Fans of Tilly Tennant, Milly Johnson and Heidi Swain will love this summer holiday of a book!

Utterly hilarious, I kept audibly laughing while in public areas of the cruise ship while I was reading, and surprised I didn't get any strange looks.  

Some completely fabulous comedic moments, some of which come from Baaabara Streisand, one of the best animals I've read about in a long while.

This was a joy to read, I loved everything from "guess the gadget" to "gnome sex positions" plus the stories behind the carvings on this tree they are trying save are rather special too. 

Once again this author has written a fabulous story, full of heart, humour, loveable characters, and two leads who i enjoyed the dynamics of. 

Another triumph from Jaimie Admans.

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

Book Review - An Island Wedding by Jenny Colgan - #HolidayReaading Cruise

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Title: An Island Wedding

Author: Jenny Colgan

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Sphere

Publication Date: 23rd June 2022

Rating: 5 Stars

Olivia and Anthony are planning A Very Extravagant Wedding at the newest hotel on the tiny Scottish island of Mure. They're flying in chefs, musicians and something called a living flower wall... and no one is even allowed to think the word bridezilla.

Flora is trying - and failing - not to let Olivia and Anthony's wedding distract her from planning her own big day with Joel. But the couple have wildly different ideas about how to celebrate and somehow, just when their relationship should be plain sailing, everything is suddenly very hard indeed.

And then there's Lorna and Saif. The local headmistress and the GP desperately keeping their relationship a secret to protect his sons. But while they're looking out for the boys, who's looking out for them?

Three couples. One midsummer's night. Can everyone get their happy ever after?

What an exceptional finale to the Island of Mure series. I'm gutted that the series is allegedly at an end, but  what a great way to go out. 

But I am convinced that can't really be where some of these characters stories end, one in particular I would love to see more of, even in a spin off, as it's the characters that have taken a spot in my heart since their first introduction. 

And then there is Flora and Joel, and their wedding and they aren't the only ones possibly getting married during this novel. 

Agot is at her bossy best and I loved seeing a bit of development from her, and we get to see a bit more of Jan which was interesting. 

And one of my favourite Colgan features is present, the intro letter at the start of the book to bring new and existing readers right up to date with key parts of the series to date, which for those of us that have been reading it, but also read a lot of other books between releases, gives just enough catch up, to be able to dive straight in easily. 

This is everything I could have wanted from a Jenny Colgan book, it's warm, it has emotion, its funny, its romantic and its downright brilliant.

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

Book Review - A Taste of Home by Heidi Swain - #HolidayReading Cruise

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Title: A Taste of Home

Author: Heidi Swain

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Publication Date: 29th April 2021

Rating: 5 Stars

Fliss Brown has grown up living with her mother on the Rossi family’s Italian fruit farm. But when her mother dies, Fliss finds out she has a family of her own, and heads back to England with Nonna Rossi’s recipe for cherry and almond tart and a piece of advice: connect with your family before it is too late…

Fliss discovers that her estranged grandfather owns a fruit farm himself, on the outskirts of Wynbridge, and she arrives to find a farm that has fallen into disrepair. Using her knowledge gleaned from working on the Rossi farm and her desire to find out more about her past, Fliss rolls her sleeves up and gets stuck in. But what will she discover, and can she resurrect the farm’s glory days and find a taste of home…?

I'm a massive fan of Heidi Swain, so I hang my head in shame that it took me over a year to finally sit down and read this book. 

But I'm very glad I waited until I had time to just devour it, as that is exactly what happened, as I couldn't put it down. I was hooked on Fliss's story. 

And her meeting a long lost relative for the first time, and seeing if her real home is at the fruit farm she never knew existed. 

I was happy to see cameos from many of the Wynbridge regulars, as I do love to keep up to date with characters lives, and it helped give the book a sense of love and cosiness too. 

Read over the course of an afternoon, I was engrossed in how this story unfolded.  I loved every moment of it.

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

Book Review - Rome For The Summer by Lynne Shelby

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Title: Rome For The Summer 

Author: Lynne Shelby

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Headline Accent

Publication Date: 23rd June 2022

Rating: 4 Stars

Kate Harper has always loved the painting that has hung in her parents' dining room for years, never suspecting that it is worth a fortune. When her art dealer boyfriend cheats her family out of the proceeds of the painting's sale, she is left devastated and alone.

Kate discovers that two hundred years ago, the girl in the painting, Charlotte Browne, ran off to Rome with the artist who painted her portrait, but her eventual fate is unknown.

Hoping to uncover the mystery of what happened to Charlotte, Kate seizes the chance of a summer job in Rome, where she strikes up a friendship with Jamie Taylor, an English artist. As they explore the city and start to piece together the surprising secrets of Charlotte's life, Kate finds herself wondering if a summer in Rome can mend a broken heart...

I have to admire the sheer amount of research that Lynne Shelby must have put into the writing of this novel, at least I am assuming that not too much artistic licence has been used, with the amount of art and history in this book. 

For this really is a book that lovers of Art and to an extent history will absolutely love.  Unfortunately neither of those are areas that I have any great interest in, so while I can admire the authors clear love of them and the skill of writing fabulous descriptions of paintings and frescos, as well as an account of a story that happened 200 years previous - it wasn't for me as engaging as it could have been. 

That being said all the present day story, the search for the truth about Charlotte, the friendship between Kate and Jamie and the whole summer in Rome, I truly adored. 

I loved Kate who transported herself to Rome to work as a guide at The English House (a former residence for English artists),  and wants to start drawing again, recover from the deceitful man she had been dating, and just discovering and exploring Rome. 

It is a real slow burn romance, in fact there is a secondary romantic storyline that felt at times more prominent and that I enjoyed reading about too. 

I feel as though I have definitely been transported to Rome, and was able to from my armchair visit many of the iconic tourist attractions, in addition to those off the beaten track.  It was clear that the author really loves and knows Rome well, from the writing. 

A really lovely story, and one that any history of art lover especially will enjoy! 

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

Book Review - The Spanish Wedding Disaster by Karen King

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Title: The Spanish Wedding Disaster

Author: Karen King

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Headline Accent

Publication Date: 16th June 2022

Rating: 5 Stars

Some people are romantics. Some aren't. When Sophie and Maddie are summoned to a mysterious, top-secret meeting by their best friend Kate's partner, and told that he's planning to whisk Kate away for a surprise wedding in Gibraltar, it's immediately clear that bubbly florist Sophie is a total romantic. And that freewheeling, purple-haired Maddie is not.

Soon, Maddie finds herself reluctantly organising venues, planners and ceremonies; trying not to think of her own memories of Andalucia, and those she's lost touch with there. Meanwhile Sophie's hoping this dreamy gesture might spur on her own boyfriend to similar plans . . . and absolutely not thinking at all about Kate's gorgeous brother-in-law-to-be.

But Kate's got no idea what's going on. And as the stresses pile up and the group jet off to the sunny south, it seems it's not just Kate who might get a surprise in Spain - one that could change everything . . .

So the question is - "Is a surprise wedding, organised by your boyfriend and best friends before you have even been proposed to, romantic or not?" - or perhaps the better question is, will it all end in disaster?

Add in the fact that Steve is wanting this wedding and proposal to happen to Kate while they are on holiday in June, only a few months away, in Spain, and they are all based in the UK, makes it even trickier. 

Add in the subterfuge of trying to get to know all of Kate's dream wedding details without her realising, And you have the recipe for what is a very entertaining book. 

Then there is Sophie pretending to Kate that she is engaged to her boyfriend Glenn, in order to try to gain some of these key details, but Glenn being rather spooked by it, and Maddie who is anti marriage and doesn't think this is anything other than a recipe for disaster.  A view shared by Josh the best man. 

It's an absolutely fabulously summery read, perfect beach reading, as you see just whether or not they can pull off the whole wedding, whether anyone will let anything slip, and whether or not Kate even wants to get married!  It is so amusing and enjoyable, that I loved every second of it! 

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

Book Review - The Visa by Lizzie O'Hagan - #HolidayReading Cruise

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Title: The Visa

Author: Lizzie O'Hagan

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Review

Publication Date: 7th January 2022

Rating: 4 Stars

THE AGREEMENT WAS TO GET MARRIED . . . NOT TO FALL IN LOVE.

For a commitment-phobe who's never taken a girl on a third date, Jack finds getting married to his old friend Maya pretty easy. He's a New Zealander in need of a visa to stay in the country, and she doesn't believe in marriage anyway. Simple.

Maya and Jack live in wedded, sex-less bliss, until one day Jack starts to get serious with someone else...

Suddenly Maya finds herself falling into a role she never thought she'd be: a wife - and a scorned one at that - who is falling uncontrollably, undeniably, and entirely inconveniently....

... in love with her own husband.

This sparkling, topsy-turvy romcom is perfect for fans of Josie Silver, Beth O'Leary and Mhairi McFarlane.

A fabulous novel, and the first I have read from this author, that had me incredibly entertained. 

i love how Jack and Maya agree to get married out of convenience for them both, despite barely really knowing each other, in part so that Jack can stay in the UK, and so that May doesn't have to face up to ghosts in her own life. 

They are both running from things, both have a lot to discover about themselves and each others, and I really enjoyed seeing them get to know each other after getting married. 

Just as amusing is seeing them break the news to their best friends (who just happen to be dating), and seeing their reactions to this out of character development for Maya. 

I reckon this would make a great rom-com film for the big screen, it certainly has all the elements, and is a story I feel many would enjoy. 

I know I certainly did. 

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

Book Review - The Wisteria Tree Cottage by Holly Martin

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Title: The Wisteria Tree Cottage

Author: Holly Martin

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Author supplied copy

Publisher: Self Published

Publication Date: 8th July 2022

Rating: 5 Stars

Get swept away to the sparkling Welsh coast this summer, where the sea glitters in the sunshine and love is in the air. From the bestselling author of The Blossom Tree of Dreams, this is the perfect romantic treat to escape with this summer

Meadow has only ever loved one man – the very gorgeous Bear Brookfield. Ever since they were children she’s dreamed of marrying him under the green canopy of Wishing Wood. But when a teenage kiss that held such promise was followed by a series of misunderstandings, Meadow lost all hope of a future with Bear. Years later, Meadow and Bear remain best friends, despite Meadow marrying and divorcing Bear’s brother Heath. Yet she’s sure there’s no chance they’ll be anything more.

What Meadow doesn’t know is that Bear has only ever loved one woman too. He was heartbroken when Meadow married Heath, certain she chose his brother over him. But there’s more to Meadow and Heath’s marriage than anyone knows...

With both Meadow and Bear convinced they can only ever be friends they set one another a dating challenge – will they meet their perfect match online, as Bear thinks, or in person at a dating event, like Meadow believes? Or will they finally discover that their soul mate has been right there in front of them, secretly loving them, all along?

Once you’ve arrived in Wishing Wood you’ll never want to leave! Treat yourself to a summer of love with this feel-good, heartwarming and deliciously romantic tale. Perfect for fans of Sarah Morgan, Jill Mansell and Sue Moorcroft

I've said on many occasion that Holly Martin is the queen of the romantic gesture, or generally at coming up with some of the best most heartwarming, joyous romantic scenarios ever - and with this one she has possibly even topped her previous efforts. 

Bear and Meadow are clearly made for each other, I could tell that in the previous book in the series, so arguably I knew how this one would probably end before I even opened the first page.  But since I know how talented Holly Martin is, it really didn't bother me, as I knew she would take us, the readers on a fabulous journey. 

And wow what a story it was, we had an online dating connection, and there is also a week of various dating events organised by a company that using all manner of factors in order to work out who you match with.  And the scenes at these events were fabulous, and I could feel the connection between Bear and Meadow, even if they were hesitant to contemplate telling each other their true feelings. 

I also loved getting to know Star, Meadow's daughter a lot better, catching up with Bears other brothers, and discovering just what Meadow's big secret is. 

And Wishing Wood just gets better and better by the day, and I loved the thought of Bear and Star setting up webcams, to look at the wildlife at night, and they also hope to prove whether or not Heath really did see a wolf in the woods or not! 

One of my favourite Holly Martin books, and I am completely enchanted by the entirety of this series so far, and literally can't wait for the Christmas book, especially knowing how well this author does Christmas! 

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