Book Review - The Ice Cream Parlour by Isabella May

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Title: The Ice Cream Parlour

Author: Isabella May

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Author supplied copy

Publisher: Self Published

Publication Date: 18th May 2019

Rating: 5 Stars

Giovanna Tonioli is a successful stockbroker with a famous sports star boyfriend, but things aren't as sweet as they seem. When life in the city of Bath goes from Vanilla to Rocky Road, she takes herself off to Italy for an 'Eat Pray Love' style tour of all things gelateria. What she doesn't expect to find on her travels is one smooth, hot dollop of temptation that she just can't shake. 

How will her spiteful twin sister react when Giovanna returns to open a rival ice cream parlour? Will Natalia get her just desserts? Or will things become even stickier? All's fair in love, war and ice cream. Isn't it?

*Marian Keyes meets Paulo Coelho meets Nigella*

The Ice Cream Parlour is a mouthwatering tale of fate, family, love and jealousy - with a delectable drizzle of alchemy besides.

Warning: Don't read this book without a mountain of ice-cream or food around you, every time I picked this book up my stomach was rumbling within seconds of losing myself within the pages! 

I'm really not sure what to make of this book or how to describe it, but what I can safely say is that I definitely enjoyed it. 

The opening feels as though the story is part autobiographical, still fiction, but had a this is my life to date sort of feel to it, with assorted key instances from Giovanna's childhood and early life to date.  The writing was lyrical in style and flowed wonderfully. 

Then at the point that Giovanna's boyfriend of 10 years is caught cheating, with the one person you would like to think would never do such a think to Giovanna, we are caught up with the present day, and the next section of the book was definitely my favourite. 

It involved our heroine travelling around Italy for a few months, and sampling gelato and ice cream and coming up with flavour combinations that sounded mouthwateringly delicious for her own parlour,  Not to mention the Italian men that try to chat her up! 

We also have parts of the book featuring Kelly, the new age best friend, who persuades Giovanna to try something that I was really sceptical about, but I found it quite interesting the way it was all explained. 

And then the finale felt like another genre again, full of action, pulled together assorted threads and was impossible to put down. 

In between all of that there was ice-cream.  Lots and lots of ice cream.  If Isabella May ever decides to stop writing books, or wants a new career on the sidelines then she needs to make The Bath Ice Cream Parlour into a reality.  Who wouldn't want to visit a place with 100 flavours, all that sound wonderful, with fabulous concepts behind them. 

The travel elements in Italy all seemed well researched too, and a lot of it matches up to either bits I've seen myself, or what I've imagined the country to be like from other fiction.  I loved all the places that were visited and just wish I had been Giovanna's assistant or something to experience it with her! 

This is the second book I've read by the author and this is definitely my favourite of the two. It's a bit unusual in places, if feels as thought it could be a mix of many genres,  but its also got great characters, fabulous descriptions and most importantly, it has ever flavour of ice cream you could ever imagine!! And what more could you want from a book simply titled The Ice Cream Parlour?!

Thank you to Isabaella May for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - The Trouble With Rose by Amita Murray - #HolidayReading Thailand

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Title: The Trouble With Rose

Author: Amita Murray

Format reviewed: Paperback

Source: Publisher supplied copy

Publisher: Harper Collins

Publication Date: 16th May 2019

Rating: 5 Stars

A missing sister. A broken heart.
A whole lot of trouble…

‘A fresh and hilarious debut about family in all its brilliant, messy glory… You’ll laugh, you’ll cry’ Dawn O’Porter

Rilla is getting married. Except she isn't. She's running away – from her confused fiancé Simon, her big mad family, and the memories nipping at her heels.

Her sister Rose would know what to do in such times of crisis.

But the trouble is, Rose is the crisis. She disappeared years ago, and Rilla's heart went missing too.

Where is Rose? And who is Rilla without Rose?

If she's to rescue some happiness out of all this chaos, she needs to find out.

Perfect for fans of Marian Keyes, The Trouble with Rose is an unforgettable story about a messy family, a big secret at its heart, and the unbreakable bond between sisters.

I love reading about characters from different heritages than my own, as they are always really interesting, and so I was delighted to hear very early on about Rilla's GIF. 

Ok, so the geek in me had to think as every time I saw GIF written instantly thought of the graphic file type for small animations, but in Rilla's case she means her Greater Indian Family. 

There are masses of well meaning, interfering aunts, making any family get together rather amusing especially to an outsider. 

The next thing that drew me into this story was the writing style, thee way Rilla was telling the story, especially the account of how she came to be arrested on her wedding day at the start of the book!

It soon becomes apparent that Rilla never got over the disappearance of her sister Rose, and none of the family ever mention her, but it seems to be holding Rilla back from lots of things. 

I loved her friends, there are many really amusing moments in this story, as well as far more poignant ones. 

I believe this a debut novel, in which case I'm very impressed, its rather accomplished and really is quite uplifting.  I wholeheartedly recommend it. 

Thank you to Harper Collins for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - A Summer to Remember by Sue Moorcoft - Blog Tour

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Title: A Summer to Remember

Author: Sue Moorcroft

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Avon

Publication Date: 2nd May 2019

Rating: 5 Stars

COME AND SPEND SUMMER BY THE SEA!
WANTED! A caretaker for Roundhouse Row holiday cottages.

WHERE? Nelson’s Bar is the perfect little village. Nestled away on the Norfolk coast we can offer you no signal, no Wi-Fi and – most importantly – no problems!

WHO? The ideal candidate will be looking for an escape from their cheating scumbag ex-fiancé, a diversion from their entitled cousin, and a break from their traitorous friends.

WHAT YOU’LL GET! Accommodation in a chocolate-box cottage, plus a summer filled with blue skies and beachside walks. Oh, and a reunion with the man of your dreams.

PLEASE NOTE: We take no responsibility for any of the above scumbags, passengers and/or traitors walking back into your life…

GET IN TOUCH NOW TO MAKE THIS A SUMMER TO REMEMBER!

Well that was definitely a memorable summer for Clancy and everyone involved in The Roundhouse in the small village of Nelson's Bar in Norfolk.  

What started as an escape for Clancy, soon turns into something so much more, as she gets to know the residents of the village, and one in particular. 

The book opens with a jilting at a wedding thanks to Alice, Clancy's cousin, of Lee, who is Aaron's brother - and its 6 years later that Clancy and Aaron really meet and sparks fly for all manner of reasons. 

This has all the fabulous feeling to it of a typical Sue Moorcroft book.  It is warm, you find yourself drawn into the book, and are filled with regret when real life intervenes and you have to leave Nelson's Bar and return to the real word - always eager to get your next reading fix. 

I loved watching how this story unfurled, especially given Nelson's Bar is almost pre-historic in its charm - in that there is now proper mobile or internet signal, plus the anticipated reaction from one man to a revelation, made me convinced there had to be dinosaurs living there!    

I really did enjoy every moment of this book,  and I would love to see more stories set in Nelson's Bar, it had such a great feel to it.  The writing was great, I loved most of the characters while at the same time really hating the ones you weren't meant to like.  It was just an all around comfortable and huggable sort of a book. 

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

Please do follow along and check out all the other wonderful bloggers on this blog tour. 

Book Review - Four by Andy Jones - #HolidayReading Mexico

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Title: Four

Author: Andy Jones

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Publication Date: 16th May 2019

Rating: 4 Stars

In the time they've known each other, Sally, Al and Mike have shared - well, almost everything.

Sally and Al have been married for seven years, though now their relationship is hanging by a thread.

Sally and Mike have been best friends since university. And on many occasions something more.

Mike and Al have been friends and colleagues for many years. Yet with Al poised to become Mike's boss, their friendship comes under threat.

And now there's Mike and Faye. They haven't been together long, but Mike's pretty sure that, this time, it's the real deal.

As the three old friends sit on a train heading towards Brighton to meet Faye, little do they know that after this weekend, the four of them will have shared . . . everything.

They all know they have made a mistake.
But they could never have imagined the consequences.

Have you ever considered having a foursome or partner swapping? 

This is the story of Sally and Al who are married, that are best friends with Mike who is going out with Faye who is considerably younger than they are. 

On the groups first meeting with Faye, with rather too much alcohol and drugs taken, there is an idea that they would swap partners for the night. 

What follows is a story from all perspectives looking into how the various relationships and group dynamics change. 

I was slightly disappointed that the main sex of the book was predominately behind closed doors, but apart from that I really enjoyed seeing the aftermath of their hedonistic night!

I was completely absorbed by the story, and really wasn't sure what the final outcomes would be, but thoroughly enjoyed finding out. 

Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - Friend of the Family by Tasmina Perry - #HolidayReading Mexico

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Title:  Friend of the Family

Author: Tasmina Perry

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Headline Review 

Publication Date: 16th May 2019

Rating: 4 Stars

She thinks your life is perfect. She thinks you don't deserve it.

Your job
Amy is more than happy to offer the daughter of an old friend work experience at her London magazine. Josie is young and ambitious. She just needs a foot in the door.

Your home
When Josie arrives, she swiftly makes herself indispensable at work and at home. And when childcare falls through before a long-awaited university reunion in Provence, it begins to look as if Josie may be staying longer than Amy had bargained for.

Your husband
In the heat of Provence, Josie's presence starts to unsettle Amy, especially around her husband. As cracks begin to appear in Amy's perfect life, she cannot shake the feeling that the family friend may not be a friend at all...

Don't miss this gripping, addictive read. It will make you think twice about who you invite into your home...

When Amy invites the daughter of an old friend of hers to do work experience at her magazine, little did she know her world was going to be turned upside down. 

Josie's arrival is the catalyst for a whole heap of disasters, and just shows you should never let a young girl who has stated she wants to be you, into your house!

Although that is simplifying it a bit, and there is far more too the book than just that, 

I liked how Amy's university times were interspersed into the present day, strengthening the readers bonds with all the characters by showing some of their shared history. 

From around the midway point, once I knew the characters, I found the plot picked up pace and it was at point I found myself really loving the book. 

I didn't see most of what was going to happen coming, so was pleased to be surprised greatly by the end. 

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

Book Review - If You Could Go Anywhere by Paige Toon - #HolidayReading Thailand

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Title: If You Could Go Anywhere

Author: Paige Toon

Format reviewed: Paperback

Source: Book Event

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Publication Date: 16th May 2019

Rating: 5 Stars

Angie has always wanted to travel. But at 27, she has still never left her small mining town in the Australian outback. When her grandmother passes away, Angie finally feels free to see the world – until she discovers a letter addressed to the father she never knew and is forced to question everything.

As Angie sets off on her journey to find the truth – about her family, her past and who she really is – will enigmatic stranger Alessandro help guide the way?

Paige Toon has done it yet again and delivered a wonderful book, that had me almost crying poolside in places as I read it. 

Angie has always wanted to travel, but for various reasons has never really left her small mining community, in Coober Pedy, Australia, let alone gone abroad anywhere. 

When her beloved Nan dies, she is finally free to explore and by chance she discovers details about the father she had never met or known the name of.

Which leads to her flying to Rome for the summer to meet her remaining family for the first time.  And the gorgeous Alessandro is on hand to help translate and generally smooth things over.

I loved discovering just what secrets Alesssandro is hiding, and he is a far more complex character than you would realise at first glance.

There is not too much of the touristy bits of Rome, but we do get to see some other parts of Italy too, and since Giulio, her father, owns a restaurant, there is plenty of food mentioned.

I was hooked from the first few pages, as Paige explains what life is like for Angie, and then the travel aspect I was always going to adore. 

This is a wonderful story and a must for all Toon fans, or generally women's fiction with heart fans! I adored this book. 

Thank you to the Spring Blogger Evening at Simon & Schuster for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - The Baobab Beach Retreat by Kate Frost

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Title: The Baobab Beach Retreat

Author: Kate Frost

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Author supplied copy

Publisher: Lemon Tree Press

Publication Date: 14th November 2017

Rating: 5 Stars

An ex-husband, two potential lovers, one reckless decision. Will Connie ever be happy in love?

When Connie Stone leaves behind a cheating husband and heartache in the UK for her aunt's beach retreat, the last thing she wants is for her life to once again be complicated by men. 

Yet when her past follows her to Tanzania, her time to heal is short-lived and a selfish act shatters her hopes for a fresh start. An unexpected return to the UK reveals a long-hidden family secret that Connie has to deal with before she can decide the direction her life should take. 

Getting over a broken heart was never going to be easy. Can Connie put the past to rest and find peace and love in a country far from home?

This easily had all my favourite things in one handy book:
 - Exotic Location of Tanzania 
 - Gorgeous scenery 
 - Sexy men (more than one of them) 
 - A character following her heart 
 - Hotels / Holidays - well I do love travel 
 - And best of all it was all an experience so far removed from my own normal holidays that I am now wondering when I can fit in a trip to Africa as I do love animals. 

I'd never really given Tanzania and Zanzibar much thought at all, other than knowing they are in Africa, so when a book came onto my radar featuring gorgeous sounding holiday location, I just knew I had to read it.  And best of all the author is planning a series of books set in other foreign destinations I can't wait! 

I devoured this story on a hot bank holiday weekend in my garden, where I was enjoying the start of the year's sun, and was able to easily imagine myself by Connie's side as she rediscovers the place that has been in her heart for 16 years since her last trip to see her aunt Bella. 

The writing was really evocative and conjured up some fabulous images in minds eye, at all of the different locations that were featured.   

Add in an ex-husband, severe sadness in Connie's recent past, and the chance to heal in the sun, in what turns out to be a working holiday, and you have the ingredients for what was a fabulous escapist read. 

The story moves along at quite a quick pace, and you aren't too bogged down in the minutiae of the characters days, just all the key elements, which add up to some great storytelling, and a brilliant way to pass the time, lost in the lives of these characters. 

There are even a few surprises along the way, a couple of curve balls thrown, that just add to the drama and attractiveness of the story to me. 

I really loved every moment of this rather exotic book, and can't wait to see where the series takes us next. 

Thank you to Kate Frost for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - A Little Hotel in Cornwall by Laura Briggs

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Title: A Little Hotel in Cornwall

Author: Laura Briggs

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Author Supplied Copy

Publisher: Self Published

Publication Date: 30th April 2019

Rating: 4 Stars

Struggling American waitress and aspiring novelist Maisie Clark dreams of becoming a full-time writer — even though in real life she's just lost her chance at an exclusive writer's mentorship program that would give her novel its big break. Desperate, she decides to take a chance and ask her favourite writer, a celebrated but reclusive English novelist, to help her find a second chance. 

When she receives the author's reply in an envelope with a Cornish postmark, Maisie decides not to take the writer's half-hearted 'no' for an answer. With nothing to lose, she takes off for the author's last known location, a beautiful hotel on Cornwall's western coast. But when the hotel mistakes her for the latest applicant for a maid's position, Maisie finds herself given an opportunity too good to lose ... and a chance for a summer adventure far bigger than she ever imagined.

Surrounded by breathtaking Cornwall and working in an elegant hotel, Maisie's world becomes one of secret identities, quirky friends, and unintentional mishaps — and despite reminders of past relationship disasters, a certain handsome, charming local resident Sidney Daniels has her conflicted about her heart's desires, too. 

Will Maisie find the chance she's been waiting for — and a possible new romance — in her perfect Cornish summer?

This is a lovely first book in a new series by one of my favourite authors for short novellas, Laura Briggs. 

It has a gentle and incredibly pleasant introduction to a whole cast of characters, who I suspect once we get more books will start to feel like old friends. 

It's a story about an aspiring writer who is hoping to achieve her dream of being mentored on a prestigious program, if only she can find someone to mentor her. So on a whim she flies to Cornwall to hopefully find her favourite author who is rather elusive, and instead is mistaken for the new chambermaid. 

Well it gives her somewhere to stay at least, and we also get to meet one of her ex-boyfriends, as well as potential new love interest. 

This is a rather sweet book that I read in two sittings (could have easily been one had I wanted to ignore my work), and is a great way of getting to know Laura Briggs writing style if you are new to her. 

If like me you have read her previous Cornish novella series - A Wedding in Cornwall, well there are some similarities, but it also has a different feel to it, and I suspect it will shape up to be very different, once we have some more book. 

I would have loved to have more story to read already, so will have to instead sit back and wait impatiently for the next book. 

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

Book Review - Probably The Best Kiss in The World by Pernille Hughes

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Title: Probably The Best Kiss in the World

Author: Pernille Hughes

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Harper Impulse

Publication Date: 12th April 2019

Rating: 5 Stars

Jen Attison likes her life Just So. But being fished out of a canal in Copenhagen by her knickers is definitely NOT on her to do list.

From cinnamon swirls to a spontaneous night of laughter and fireworks, Jen’s city break with the girls takes a turn for the unexpected because of her gorgeous, mystery rescuer.

Back home, Jen faces a choice. A surprise proposal from her boyfriend, ‘boring’ Robert has offered Jen the safety net she always thought she wanted. But with the memories of her Danish adventure proving hard to forget, maybe it’s time for Jen to stop listening to her head and start following her heart…

I have to agree with the title, that almost certainly was Probably The Best Kiss in the World for Jen, after all she has been in a relationship for most of her adult life with a man that doesn't give her any excitement or passion. 

So when she finds there is even some attraction to the Danish hunk that fishes her out of a canal, which she fell into saving her mobile phone, her life goes a bit into free-fall. 

Jen loves control and to do lists, she has every second of a day mapped out, and hates the unexpected, so for her meeting Jakub isn't exactly in her life plan. After all she has a boyfriend, who she could be engaged to - but it is when she can't bring herself to start lists on her new wedding app, that the reader gets an inkling things aren't quite right. 

What I loved about Jen was her true passion, which is for craft beer, and you get to know a fair bit about it. I don't think I've read a book where craft beer and brewing plays such a large part before, but it was incredibly welcome. 

However as much as I enjoyed reading about Jen, it was the insights into her sister Lydia that added another dimension to this story.   Without giving anything away I will say that Lydia is an inspiration, and the tragic happening in the sisters past has shaped everything about their current character traits. 

From the first few pages I knew I would enjoy this,  from the funny start, to the company that Jen works for - again definitely not read a main character that is in charge or marketing incontinence pads before!  In fact Jen is just rather unique and every time I had to put the book down due to real life I did so with a smile on my face and a yearning to continue. 

This is the second book I've now read from Pernille Hughes and it is just a great as the first.   If you are looking for a wonderful rom-com, that also had a few surprises in it, then this is definitely worth a read. 

Many thanks to Harper Impulse and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - Hate Bale by Stephanie Dagg

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Title: Hate Bale

Author: Stephanie Dagg

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Author supplied copy

Publisher: Self Published 

Publication Date: 17th April 2019

Rating: 4 Stars

Grumbling guests and escaping piglets are precisely what Martha doesn’t need. She’s already struggling to run a holiday cottage and a rather large smallholding single-handedly. Since her husband Mark died, three years ago, her rural property in France, beautiful as it is, has become an increasingly heavy millstone around her neck.

So whilst she’s horrified to stumble across a corpse at the local farm supplies shop, it does at least distract her from her own woes. Best friend Lottie swoops in to offer moral support, and encourages Martha to join her in some unofficial sleuthing. Meanwhile, police officer Philippe Prudhomme, a former fellow chess-player of Mark’s, undertakes a rather more professional investigation. 

However, the killer remains at large. And when more bodies (one and a bit, to be precise) come Martha’s way, it definitely feels like he’s closing in on her… 

There’s humour, suspense and excitement in this entertaining cosy mystery set in the French countryside. 

I'm rather partial to a cozy mystery, although I find I don't up reading them as often as I would like, so this made a pleasant change to my reading.   Having enjoyed Stephanie Dagg's Christmas rom-coms featuring llamas - I wasn't too surprised to discover this book was set on a farm, 

Not just a farm, but one with a real menagerie of animals, both furry and feathered. Not to mention Martha's faithful companion Flossie who seemed adorable.   

Martha really did have a knack of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, as she stumbles across two dead bodies, and has a bit of one delivered to her farm, in not the most usual way of transporting body parts (not that I'm sure what the norm is, as after all cutting a body up into pieces is rather sadistic). 

I loved the authors humour, as Martha and best friend Lottie decide to do some amateur sleuthing, they even comment that they are just like characters in cozy mysteries.  The exact line really did make me giggle out loud.  

I really enjoyed this piece of rural France, with its small cottage let to holiday makers, one of which who was an utter nightmare, Martha starting to get back int to the swing of life after her husband's sudden death a few years previous, the new interest in cycling, and even the mystery surrounding the dead bodies. 

This has all the trademarks of a good cozy mystery and I really hope this isn't the last we see of these characters. After a bit of a slow start, just as it took me a while to get into the swing of the story, I found myself really looking forward to each time I could steal some time to find out what was happening next. 

Thank you to Stephanie Dagg for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.