Book Review - Hello, Again by Isabelle Broom

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Amazon UK

Title: Hello, Again

Author: Isabelle Broom

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Publication Date: 4th June 2020

Rating: 4 Stars

Philippa Taylor (Pepper to her friends) has big dreams. When she closes her eyes, she can picture exactly who she ought to be. The problem is, it's about as far away from her real life in a small coastal town in Suffolk as she can imagine.

So when her elderly friend Josephine persuades Pepper to accompany her on a trip to Europe, she jumps at the chance to change her routine. And when Pepper bumps (literally) into the handsome Finn in Lisbon, it seems as though she might have finally found what she's been looking for.

But Pepper know all too well things are rarely as they seem. Her own quiet life hides a dark secret from the past. And even though she and Finn may have been destined to find each other, Pepper suspects life may have other plans as to how the story should end.

A romantic and sweeping story about friendship, love and realising that sometimes it's about the journey, not the destination.

I loved the character of Josephine, she has so many elements to her personality, and I loved how she managed to persuade her friend Pepper to go on trips to Lisbon and Barcelona with her,  places where she once spent time with the love of her life. 

Pepper has never been abroad and has had a personal tragedy at a young age that fractured her family. She is a complex character, who really does develop and change as the story progresses. 

However my favourite bits which will come as no surprise to anyone that knows me at the bits set abroad, and Isabelle Broom once again proves how talented she is at describing places. I got a real feel for Lisbon, Barcelona and a couple of other places that I'll leave you to discover.  

For me I'd have loved more than a few days in each place with most of the book feeling like it was set in the UK, and although those sections were good, I'm always in favour of more holidays! 

Pepper runs small art classes and believes art if for everyone but yet she has very little confidence in creating her own work.  But I loved seeing things through her artistic eyes. 

It's an enjoyable story from an author I always look forward to reading. 

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

Book Review - A Day That Changed Everything by Beth Moran

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Amazon UK

Title: A Day That Changed Everything 

Author: Beth Moran

Format reviewed: Ebook 

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Boldwood Books

Publication Date: 24th March 2020

Rating: 5 Stars

Amy Piper is in need of a bit of luck. She’s lost her confidence, her mojo and her way.

But one thing she has never lost is her total love for her thirteen-year-old son Joey, and for his sake she knows it’s time for a change. But first she has to be brave enough to leave the house…

What she needs are friends and an adventure. And when she joins a running group of women who call themselves The Larks, she finds both. Not to mention their inspiring (and rather handsome) coach, Nathan.

The trick to changing your life, is to take it one day at a time. Now, with every ounce of strength she has left, Amy is determined to make just one day special - for herself and for Joey. And who knows, today might be the day that changes everything…

Uplifting, funny and unforgettable, Beth Moran returns with a joyous tale of friendship, love and facing your fears.

Inspiring, uplifting, exhilarating, easily one of the best books I've read recently, if not in a long while. 

But yet although I was interested enough by the blurb to request to review the book, it then sat languishing on my kindle for almost a year, until it opened when I picked it at random. And even opening it for no apparent reason my heart sank as for some unknown reason I'd convinced myself this was a mistake to read. 

Which just goes to show my gut feelings of wanting to request and read a book are far far smarter, than when you let something build up in your mind, until you are second guessing yourself. 

Which isn't quite the same as but rather similar to what the theme of this book is (although mine is a far more trivial example) is all about. 

Within the first few pages, once the voice in my brain shut up, and I started reading, I was hooked and knew I was reading something quite special. 

Amy Piper has been agoraphobic for years, but she now wants to overcome it, to be the best mum she can be to her 13 year old son Joey. This story is her day by day attempt to overcome her illness and to regain her life back. 

At times it's a bit tough to read, but the rest you are willing her on, hoping she will make the next breakthrough. It's sensitively written, but at the same time will have you smiling, as things progress. 

Amy just wanted to be able to live more of a life, she didn't expect to find real friends, and possibly even have feelings for anyone.  And we learn what went on in her past, and how it has shaped her, some of which I found fascinating. 

This is a completely joyous gem of a book, so don't b a fool like me and delay reading this, it's fabulous, it had me smiling, it had me gripped, its just one stunning story, and I suspect one that will stay with me for a long while. 

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

Book Review - One Summer in Monte Carlo by Jennifer Bohnet

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Amazon UK

Title: One Summer in Monte Carlo

Author: Jennifer Bohnet

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Boldwood Books

Publication Date: 12th January 2021

Rating: 5 Stars

Monte Carlo means different things to different people; a billionaires playground, overflowing with glitz and glamour but also where dangerous secrets hide.

For Nanette Weston, and her then fiancé, F1 racing driver Zac Ewart, their dream life came to an abrupt halt 3 years ago following a car accident which Zac walked away from, but left Nanette being airlifted back to the UK, never to return and never to see her fiancé again.

Monte Carlo was a place she wanted to forget, not revisit. But when her friend and employer, Vanessa asks Nanette to look after her children in the Principality for a few months, Nanette knew she had no choice but to return.

As the F1 circus once again comes to town, with Zac in pole position, mistakes of the past, leave legacies for the future...

This book was previously published as Follow Your Star by Jennifer Bohnet.

Almost certainly the best Jennifer Bohnet book to date, and certainly my favourite. 

I was expecting there to be a romance, and a French setting, both of which delivered in spades, but it's the rest of what is containing within the pages that had me completely hooked. 

But where to start, so much I could talk about but really if the blurb remotely grabs you then take me word for it, it's a book worth reading. 

For there isn't just Monaco, and that's Monaco predominately in the run up to the Grand Prix (which is always my favourite to watch, and I could picture some of the streets and turns so clearly just because I know the race circuit!).  

However there is very little F1 detail, or car detail at all, so if you aren't keen on the sport then don't worry this isn't a book about F1, although having an F1 driver as Nanette's ex-fiance there are mentions of it, and it does provide part of the back drop. 

Nanette had never wanted to return to Monaco but her friend basically begged her to go back, along with the twins, to spend months with Mathieu the twins father. Nanette has been working as their Nanny, and Vanessa wanted to make sure someone consistent was in the twins lives, while she and new hubby go away for a few months. 

The chapters from Vanessa's point of view, were completely unexpected, and their setting covers very important issues for the world.  It's also not the most usual of locations for a book (although second one I've read with it in a few months!).  They took me completely by surprise, so I'll leave that as a surprise for you too! 

Then there is Mathieu who when we first meet him, has been arrested, but he isn't saying why but it soon becomes apparent that he may not have completely legit business partners. But what he is wrapped up in I can't say! 

This is fast paced, and completely enthralling, seeing Nanette face up to the past and some very unexpected surprises and turns along the way. Just simply wonderful, and definitely my sort of book! 

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

Book Review - The Little Cottage in Lantern Square by Helen Rolfe

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Amazon UK

Title: The Little Cottage in Lantern Square

Author: Helen Rolfe

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Orion

Publication Date: 20th August 2020

Rating: 4 Stars

The Little Cottage in Lantern Square is Helen Rolfe's four Lantern Square novellas collected together for the first time.

Step into the magic of Lantern Square...

Hannah went from high flyer in the city to business owner and has never looked back. In the cosy Cotswold village of Butterbury she runs Tied up with String, sending handmade gifts and care packages across the miles, as well as delivering them to people she thinks need them the most.

But when her ex best-friend Georgia turns up and wants in on the action, will Hannah be willing to forgive and forget? With her business in jeopardy she needs to maintain the reputation she's established, and discover who she can trust...

Meanwhile, a mysterious care package lands on her own doorstep at Lantern Cottage. Who is trying to win her heart - and will she ever be willing to give it away?

*The Little Cottage in Lantern Square is the collected Lantern Square novellas. If you have read and enjoyed the novellas, then you have already enjoyed The Little Cottage in Lantern Square. For more novellas from Helen Rolfe, try her Little Cafe at the End of the Pier series, or The Kindness Club in Mapleberry Lane*

I found the first half of this story was rather slow and took a while for me to get into properly, but I appreciate it needed to be that way so that you had all the relevant background to the characters, for when it starts to get far more exciting in the second half. 

At the point it all clicked for me, this was a book that was very hard to put down indeed and I was really hooked on finding out just what would happen next. 

I find that Helen Rolfe comes up with some cracking professions for her main characters and was delighted to see this was no exception.  I've never heard of a care package business before, but it's such a lovely concept that I wish someone had ordered one for me! 

I also loved Hannah's voluntary work up at the local old people's home, and really enjoyed getting to know some of its key residents, and their favourite genres to read! As you may expect with village life, there is a colourful collection of characters, some of whom seem to be rubbed up the wrong way the second Hannah moves into Lantern Cottage. 

But yet its seeing how she interacts and attempts to turn opinion around, and how she tries to integrate herself within the community that I really enjoyed seeing.   But is Hannah too trusting and too kind, as ex-best friend and most recent ex-boyfriend both reappear on the scenes, she is tempted to forgive them but can you really trust them?

It seems like everyone is hiding something, some more obvious than others, and in part its discovering everyone's secrets that keeps you reading.  Oh and the delicious sounding treats that are baked throughout the village, those are rather tempting too! 

This is a really enjoyable, kind hearted book that has a lot going for it.  A really pleasant way to spend the time reading it, and it almost had me staying up past 3am to finish it, but then decided I should be sensible and sleep, so finished it as soon as I woke up the next day instead. 

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

Book Review - Ice Creams at Emerald Cove by Holly Martin - Blog Tour

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Amazon UK

Title: Ice Creams at Emerald Cove

Author: Holly Martin

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Author supplied copy

Publisher: Self Published

Publication Date: 12th March 2021

Rating: 5 Stars

Escape to the Cornish coast this spring with a trip to the beautiful Emerald Cove, where the sea sparkles in the sunshine, the sand glitters like gold, and true love is in the air. From the bestselling author of Sunrise over Sapphire Bay comes this gorgeously romantic and uplifting tale.

Skye Philips and Jesse Hamilton have a complicated relationship. They’ve been neighbours, best friends and even briefly married. But ever since Skye returned to the beautiful shores of Jewel Island to help her sisters Aria and Clover run their family hotel, she doesn’t know where she stands with Jesse.

When they’re together the chemistry between them sizzles, but with Jesse living in Canada and Skye on the Cornish island she calls home, they’ve kept things casual. Till now…

Jesse is coming to Jewel Island for the annual Pudding Parade and Skye knows this is her chance to tell him how she really feels. But putting her heart on the line isn’t easy when it’s been broken in the past. Will Jesse return her love? Or will she lose him for good?

Everything she's ever wanted can be hers if she's willing to take the chance, but is Skye brave enough to risk her heart once again?'

Set sail to the Cornish coast where sunshine, laughter and romance awaits. This stunning love story is guaranteed to steal your heart this summer; it’s the perfect read for fans of Sarah Morgan, Veronica Henry and Jill Mansell.

Before you start reading this, please make sure you are stocked up with sweet treats or ice-cream as this book will make you hungry. 

After all this is the book where Cones at the Cove, and dessert masters Skye and Jesse take centre stage, and I was peckish throughout reading this (and I blame this book for my ordering Nandos chocolate cake alongside the chicken while I was reading - it was delicious!).

I was so eager to read this that I started it within 48 hours of it landing on my kindle, and I rarely get to books this fast and well under 24 hours after that I have reached the end. In fact I spent most of the afternoon reading as I was enjoying it so much, and that was after reading a large amount in bed the previous night too! 

Like all Holly Martin books it is a joy to read, and was wonderful to be back amongst the Phillips siblings, Skye, Aria and Clover. Fans of Holly Martin will of course remember Aria and Clover from the previous two books, but if you have never read the author before, please be assured this can easily be read as a standalone story, and this the most we have seen of Skye, but also Jesse and Bea. 

And even Sylvia who is a hotel regular gets a much larger role in this story, and although I half guessed something, there was even more to her than meets the eye and I think I gasped out lout at a certain point. 

My only complaint with this book is too much.... rhubarb!! It is far to key to everything but it's so not to my taste at all, thankfully all the islanders seem to love it and grow it and turn it into a million and one different things! 

It's such a gentle and enjoyable reading experience, and I was completely transported to Emerald Cove, where I would love to go and live, and was able to caught back up with life with the siblings.  I loved seeing the latest developments with Aria and Clover, and I completely fell in love with Jesse. 

Well Jesse and his daughter Bea who is so clever, and some of the conversations she has with the adults are  brilliant. Just shows you can't hide anything from children, they pick up on everything! 

Just loved loved loved this book so much, it was a real sweet treat of a read! 

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

Please follow along with the rest of the tour. 

Book Review - New Arrivals at Hedgehog Hollow by Jessica Redland

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Amazon UK

Title: New Arrivals at Hedgehog Hollow

Author: Jessica Redland

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Boldwood Books

Publication Date: 7th January 2021

Rating: 5 Stars

With new arrivals comes new responsibilities...

The sun is shining, wild flowers are blooming and Hedgehog Hollow is officially open for business.

For Samantha, the proud owner of this beautiful rescue centre, life has never been busier. But with an influx of new hogs and hoglets to take care of, not to mention a full-time job and ongoing family issues, can she accept the possibility that she has taken on more than she can handle?

Fortunately, she has the love of her life, Josh, by her side for support and encouragement. But Josh has his own family troubles to deal with. And soon he must decide if he's ready to do the one thing he swore he’d never do - forgive his father.

For both Samantha and Josh it's a season of change and for figuring out whether the past can ever truly be forgotten.

Escape back to wonderful Hedgehog Hollow with top 10 bestseller Jessica Redland for the perfect uplifting read full of love, hope and forgiveness.

Hedgehog Hollow is up and running and wow there are hedgehogs,.  If I thought there were hedgehogs in the previous book, then that is nothing compared with this one.  They all sounded so cute, and I loved seeing Sammie and Josh taking care of them all, and I think I have learnt a lot about them too. 

Hoglets are a lot of work, more so than human babies, but without a rescue, if their mum isn't about then they stand no chance at all, and even if you do try to rescue them the survival rate still isn't fabulous but any surviving is better than none. 

It's not all hedgehogs though, there is a great deal of messy family situations to deal with too.  As we learnt in the first book of the series neither Sammie nor Josh have had the best time of it recently with various family members and these storylines are continued into this book. 

It is a lot to get your head around but the actions that Sammie especially takes shows just what a big hearted, amazing person she really is, even while struggling with her own issues. 

I loved that the book was written in alternating POVs from both Sammie and Josh, so we could get to know them very quickly and thoroughly. 

I loved that it was a direct continuation from the previous Hedgehog Hollow book, as it's always good to have really familiar characters from the off.  And the amount of stuff both Sammie and Josh go through in this book, is phenomenal and you can't help but really feel for them. 

It's a fantastic addition to this series and all I can say is that I want more from Hedgehog Hollow and I really don't want to have to wait! 

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

Book Review - New Year's Eve by J G Murray

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Amazon UK

Title: New Year's Eve

Author: J G Murray

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Corvus

Publication Date: 3rd December 2020

Rating: 4 Stars

New Year's resolution: Murder...

When Hayley and Ethan move into Palace Gardens, they feel their luck has finally changed. No more run-down flats in dodgy areas. But behind the exterior of this beautiful Victorian house, things are less than picture-perfect, and the tight-knit community is unwelcoming.

When Hayley befriends the woman next door, no-one is pleased. Least of all the man from upstairs. The one who watches them all from behind his window. Then they receive an invite for a New Year's Eve party. But what seems like a friendly gesture, proves to be anything but...

Writing this review on New Year's Eve as well what other day would I have read a book with this title, all I can say if I hope the rest of my evening doesn't progress the way it goes in this story, or I may be traumatised! 

Hayley and Evan have one incredibly eventful New Years Eve party at Palace Gardens where they live. Except nothing is quite as it seems at Palace Gardens and Hayley has been trying to figure it out since she moved in earlier in the year. 

We get chapters both from the present day happenings at this party, but the main bulk of the book is the events leading up to New Years Eve and learning things as Hayley does about the residents but yet still not being completely sure about anything. 

This is a rather unsettling book to the extent that I really wasn't sure who else I could trust other than Hayley and Evan, as it seemed like everyone was hiding things. And there were certainly surprises to be had. 

It was a cleverly crafted plot, that had kept me on my toes. 

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

Book Review - Friends With Benefits by Lisa Swift

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Amazon UK

Title: Friends With Benefits

Author: Lisa Swfit

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Publisher supplied copy

Publisher: Hera Books

Publication Date: 3rd February 2021

Rating: 5 Stars

Could Mr Right-Now actually be Mr Right?

Lexie Whittle thought she had life all sewn up, with a gorgeous husband, a beautiful home and a delightful teenage stepson. Until husband Daryl left to work overseas…and everything changed.

A year later, Daryl and Lexie’s marriage is over. Lexie is fighting to stay on top of the bills, juggling her job at the Blue Parrot 1940s cafe in Leyholme with being mum and dad to Connor in Daryl’s absence.

The only thing keeping her from meltdown is the support she gets from Connor’s godfather: Theo Blake, Daryl’s former business partner. Theo might be a jack-the-lad, drifting from one woman to another, but Lexie knows she and Connor can depend on him.

After one too many glasses of wine leads to them falling into bed together, Lexie and Theo begin a friends-with-benefits relationship. What starts as just sex soon becomes something deeper.

But when Daryl returns, Lexie is faced with an impossible decision. Will she be forced to choose between her feelings for Theo and the boy she loves as a son?

Readers can't get enough of Lisa Swift's utterly uplifting, heartwarming romcoms!

Where do I start with this book.. 

... I mean we have one of the best teenage boy characters I've read in a long time, who is mature beyond his years in some ways, but equally rather young in other ways. 

... There is a friends with benefits agreement between two best friends - which just happens to be the step mum and god father of Connor (his father is in Japan, the separation is working towards divorce and Lexie is in sole charge of Connor at the moment).

... Daryl is a nightmare when he features but even he shows some signs of growth

... There is a 40s themed restaurant, although I'm glad that didn't feature too much

... Connor and his friends are all proud geeks, and I think this may be the first time I've ever seen any mention of MTG in a book, let alone where the characters want to play it. There are comic-cons, cosplay, mentions of D&D, various video games , in addition to classic sci-fi and comedy such as Red Dwarf and Monty Python. 

What can I say it really appealed to my inner geek even if I'm not keen on some of the specifics I loved how it was all being portrayed amongst Connor's friends. 

There is just so much to love with this story, its fabulous. It goes through various phases or so it feels like, as the characters lives ebb and flow, and as much as I was rooting for Lexie and Theo, it was Connor who captured my imagination.  

I don't want to go into just what he is dealing with, but its all dealt with sensitively by the author and I just wanted to reach out and hug him many times. 

I just really really loved this book. 

Thank you to Hera Books for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily, 

Book Review - Some Like It Greek by Sue Roberts

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Amazon UK

Title: Some Like It Greek

Author: Sue Roberts

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Bookouture

Publication Date: 21st August 2020

Rating: 5 Stars

There’s nothing like a summer escape. A sun-kissed story about living life to the full.

In the month from hell, incurable optimist Anna has lost her father and her job, and her trademark smile is dimming. Clearing out her dad’s house, she discovers a postcard of a beautiful sandy beach and a map with a route plotted to the Greek island of Kefalonia. With an empty summer stretching ahead, Anna’s eyes stray to her father’s old camper van. Next thing she knows, she’s hitting the road with friend Demi in tow, on a course from Salford to Skala!

Over one unforgettable summer, Anna and Demi make their rickety way along the sparkling Mediterranean coast, the hot sun shining down on their frequent mishaps with cheerful local characters. It’s the trip of a lifetime, and the scent of lemons in the air – as well as an unexpected romance – are just what Anna needs to awaken her inner Greek goddess.

But there are big surprises in store when they arrive at the island paradise, which could change both women’s lives forever. And as summer comes to an end, Anna has to decide whether she has had enough of the Greek life, or whether this is only just the beginning…

A joyful, hilarious summer read, perfect for fans of Carole Matthews, Jenny Colgan and Sophie Kinsella.

I really loved this incredibly summery book with its fabulous road trip from Manchester to Kefalalonia in a camper van, just Anna and Demi who is 69, used to be good friends with Anna's dad while he was alive and is Greek, but scared of flying so hasn't seen her family for many years. 

Although the book is from Anna's point of view, it is Demi's story that really captured my attention. She is a fabulous character and has reasons for being nervous about her return to her home country,  However given the whole Greece set bit of the book is the second half I can't really talk about it as that would be blatant spoilers. 

The road trip though was really great, and good to meet other people travelling through the various places, and some friendships struck up everywhere, plus one gorgeous guy who keeps cropping up. 

It's a really enjoyable story with Sue Roberts doing as I've come to expect and giving fabulous descriptions of the places visited, so that you can feel the heat, smell the food and feel like you are actually there.  And Demi's story is well worth reading, its rather moving and the rest of the time she is just lovely and so friendly. 

It's another entertaining story from an author I really love. 

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

Book Review - Keep Her Quiet by Emma Curtis - #HolidayReading Malta

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Amazon UK

Title: Keep Her Quiet

Author: Emma Curtis

Format reviewed: Ebook 

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Transworld Digital

Publication Date: 6th August 2020

Rating: 5 Stars

Jenny has just given birth to the baby she's always wanted. She's never been this happy.

Her husband, Leo, knows this baby girl can't be his. He's never felt so betrayed.

The same night, a vulnerable young woman, Hannah, wakes to find her newborn lifeless beside her. She's crazed with grief.

When chance throws Hannah into Leo's path, they make a plan that will have shattering consequences for all of them.

Years later, a sixteen-year-old girl reads an article in a newspaper, and embarks on a journey to uncover the truth about herself. But what she learns will put everything she has ever known - and her own life - in grave danger. Because some people will go to desperate lengths to protect the secrets their lives are built on . . .

Impressive book to round off my summer holiday and to keep me hooked especially on the long journey from airport back to my house, I barely knew where I was as I was quite happily absorbed in the pages of this. 

Emma Curtis is fast becoming an auto-must read author for me, this is another top quality story that had me on my toes and I was never quite sure how things would turn out. 

It starts with every woman's nightmare, followed by a huge betrayal and it continues from that. I really don't want to comment further on the plot as it is so intricately connected I'd inadvertently spoil something. Suffice to say its addictive, and with varying view points, you really get to know all the main protagonists. 

Jenny is the one I feel sorry for in all it, she has done nothing wrong, and is caught up in a nightmarish scenario. 

This is tense, I'm never quite sure where it will go next and I loved every second of this. 

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