Guest Review: A Winter Wedding at Starcross Manor by Christie Barlow

Love Heart Lane – where friends are there for you no matter what

Fashion designer Libby Carter has always loved weddings, so when her brother finds himself in a bind and asks her to step in and plan the perfect winter wonderland wedding for guests at his hotel, Starcross Manor, she happily takes on the challenge. But this is no ordinary Christmas wedding and when everything starts to go awry Libby asks gorgeous videographer Guy Hart for help.

This isn’t single dad Guy’s usual gig – and he is not a fan of weddings – but saying no to vivacious Libby isn’t an option … especially when saying yes leads to one very unforgettable kiss under the mistletoe!

Review: This is book 12 in the Love Heart Lane series from Christie Barlow. Stories in this series are set in the charming Scottish highland village of Heartcross. Each features some recurring characters in addition to new visitors to the area. Since people coming to the village never want to leave, there is an increasing number to meet in each book. In spite of that, each story can be read as a standalone since the author includes back details as necessary. This book has a beautiful cover with an inviting wintry scene. Inside, there is a map showing the various buildings featured in the books so far.

This story centres on Starcross Manor, the luxurious hotel owned by Flynn Carter. Having been left high and dry by his wedding planner, Flynn persuades his sister and successful fashion designer Libby to step in to oversee a special wedding he hopes will serve as an advert for Starcross Manor as a premier wedding venue. The wedding, to be held on Christmas eve, was the prize in a highly publicised competition. Libby will be working alongside award-winning videographer Guy Hart, who is none too enthusiastic about this assignment. Things don’t go quite as planned with the wedding, but Libby and Guy find themselves increasingly drawn to each other. However, they both have some problems to work through that might get in the way of their budding relationship. Can the village of Heartcross work its magic once again?

I have become quite absorbed in this series, and very much enjoy each instalment, meeting up with familiar faces and catching up with village developments. I can certainly recommend it to readers who like myself are attracted to the tranquility of the Scottish highlands. This book was a quick and easy read. I particularly enjoyed trying to work out what was going on with the special wedding and the competition winners themselves. Libby is a very likeable character and well matched with handsome single dad Guy. Not only was he easy on the eye, but came with an adorable young daughter and mischievous dachshund called Pickle. They had me hoping that they would get together in the end. I’m already looking forward to the next book in this series and meeting characters, old and new.

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Review: More Confessions of a Forty Something F**K Up

 There is no magical land you finally arrive at where everything is figured out, fixed and sorted. Life, like us, is a sum of moving parts, and if we’re lucky, we get to keep f**king up, figuring it out and laughing in the face of it all.

Nell’s back. Her life still isn’t going to plan. And she’s still asking the big questions and getting none of the answers. Like, for example:

1. Why is falling in love so easy, but staying in love so hard?

2. What do you do when your friendships are put to the ultimate test?

3. Can we ever really live in the moment and leave the past behind?

4. When everything goes tits up, do you fall apart or jump on a plane to LA with Cricket (an eighty-something widow and your BFF)?

5. And when all else fails, will celebrity-scented candles, smashed avocados and Instagram filters save us?*

In this hilarious, un-put-downable follow-up to the bestselling Confessions of a Forty-Something F##k Up, now the basis for the major TV series, Not Dead Yet, there are laugh-out-loud lessons to be learned, truths to be told, adventures to go on and joys to discover.

But first, Nell has some more confessions . . .

*#onlyjoking #sortof #LOL

Review: It was great to be back in Nell’s world again after having LOVED Confessions a couple of years ago, but a little different to be reading a sequel to a book almost directly after having watched the TV adaptation of the first book, I kept having to bring my head back to ‘book Nell’ world and not what I had just watched on the small screen. 

I love that this author heard my pleas and wrote a follow up to catch up with all these characters, especially Nell and especially these characters post-covd. I like the way Covid was mentioned as something that had happened and changed the lives of the characters but it wasn;’t something that was the main focus of the book and I don’t think it pulled me away from this imaginary world and into the real world too much. I think this author found a nice balance of keeping it real for the integrity of the characters and being fictional enough to be escapism. 

Of course Nell has grown older and slightly wiser but she is still getting the wrong end of the stick and still flailing around trying to conform to normality when she is just too unique of a person to have a ‘standard’ life. I sometimes wished I could go into the book and tell her to just go her own way and do her own thing. Luckily for Nell she has the wonderful Cricket who helps keep her weird. Her other friends are wonderful and I like that we get to catch up with them and where they have been too but they do have rather ‘normal’ lives. Cricket does her own thing and helps to show Nell that we don;’t all have to be the same and not to really care what other people think which I adore about her. 

I love the fact that Alexandra Potter never fails to make me laugh. There are some serious issues tackled in this book and yet there’s a great balance between that and Nell messing up for comic value. I laughed a lot, I cried a little, I worried a bit, but overall I really enjoyed being back in Nell’s world and seeing that a happy ending isn’t really the end, a bit like Grease, it’s only the beginning.

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Guest Review: In From the Cold by Sarah Bennett

On the day of his father’s funeral, Ben’s life changes forever when a woman he’s never met shows up claiming to be his sister. As he investigates the past, Ben is shaken to discover that much of his life has been built on a carefully constructed foundation of his father’s lies. Needing answers, he agrees to visit Juniper Meadows, the ancestral estate owned and run by his long-lost relatives, the Travers family.

Arriving in the pretty Cotswolds countryside, the first person Ben meets is Amelia Riley. They are immediately drawn to one another, but Amelia has her own complicated ties to the Travers family. Her only goal is to set the past to rights so she can move on with a clean conscience.

As Ben starts to see the events of his childhood more clearly, he allows the warmth and fun he finds at Juniper Meadows to draw him in from the cold. But just as he’s contemplating setting down roots, Amelia is making plans to leave…

Review: This is Book 2 in the Juniper Meadows series from this author. As with book 1, the story features the Cotswolds estate belonging to the Travers family who have turned to main house into a hotel and spa, the extended family living in the farmhouse or elsewhere in the grounds. I often say that a book can be read as a standalone even when part of a series, but in this case I would recommend that you read the first in the series (Where We Belong) before reading this one to get complete enjoyment from the story. After reading the first book, I eagerly awaited the release of this one to find out what was happening in the lives of the main characters. The story continued to captivate me, and I read this book in the space of 24 hours. 

This story features Ben Lawson, who discovers on the day of his father’s funeral that he has a whole family he knew nothing about. Totally shocked by the secrets and lies that his father kept from him, he decides to travel to the Juniper Meadows estate to investigate the situation and meet his mother, who he has believed dead all his life, and his sister, Hope. Unwilling at first to believe the extent to which he has been fooled by his father, he soon falls under the spell of the Travers family and even begins to see a way forward in his life and how he can follow his dreams. He also meets Hope’s friend, Amelia Riley, another person struggling to come to terms with the actions of her father. Just as it seems he may form a relationship with her, she is planning to escape from her past. Can they get together and find love at Juniper Meadows?

I think this series may be my favourite from Sarah Bennett. The romantic stories have had me completely spellbound and I wouldn’t fail to recommend them to other readers. This one definitely lives up to its description of being heart-warming and uplifting. Ben’s story is certainly emotional; it is difficult to imagine how you would react to the discoveries he made. The amazing Travers family were just the people to envelop him like a warm blanket and bring him in from the cold. The family is made up of such interesting characters with amazing back stories. I would love to visit the estate and meet them all, never mind stay at the luxurious hotel. 

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Guest Review: Christmas Nights at the Star and Lantern by Helen Rolfe

The Copper Plough is at the heart of village life for the residents of Heritage Cove, and never more so than at Christmas, when the tree glows in the alcove and the smell of mulled wine carries out onto the street. So when new owners for the beloved pub arrive and decide to shake things up, not everyone welcomes the changes with open arms.

Local bakery owner Celeste is ready to keep an open mind. But she’s shocked to discover that one of the new landlords is Quinn, a former Navy sailor with whom she had a short but powerful romance years earlier.

Fate may have brought Quinn and Celeste back together, but life seems determined to keep them apart. Can the villagers learn to embrace the newcomers this Christmas? And will Quinn and Celeste find a way back to each other before snow falls over Heritage Cove?

Review: This is book 6 in the Heritage Cove series from Helen Rolfe. Although part of a series, this book, along with the other five, can be read as a standalone. However, I’m sure that, like me, regular readers of the series will enjoy catching up with returning characters as well as meeting new ones. The stories in this series focus on events in the seaside village of Heritage Cove. This one covers the period leading up to Christmas, the book’s cover featuring a lovely, appropriately snowy scene.

The story this time revolves around the village pub, which is under new ownership and has had a name change into the bargain. The pub is very much the hub of the village and the new owners are keen not to alienate the locals while at the same time introducing some changes that may improve profitability. Celeste, part owner of the Twist and Turn bakery, is shocked when she realises that one of the pub’s new owners is someone she recognises. Quinn McLeod, who has bought the property along with brother Eddie, visited the village two years previously, when he and Celeste had a brief affair. She has not heard from him since, and is unsure if she wants to resume their relationship. Meanwhile, ex-naval sailor Quinn is struggling with ghosts from his past and wonders if he has done the right thing in returning to the village and hoping to rekindle his romance with Celeste.

I thoroughly enjoyed this instalment in the Heritage Cove series, and can wholeheartedly recommend it. I picked it up and was so immersed in the story that I put it down for only short periods, finishing the next day. I have read all of the books in the series so far, and enjoyed finding out what was happening in the lives of the villagers. There has been at least one other story set at Christmas in the village, and I remember how magical a time the author has described. It sounds a wonderful time, with all the Christmas traditions, many involving the village pub. Quinn is a very likeable and handsome character, but is having a hard time dealing with his past; the author has dealt sensitively with the difficult subject of mental health problems that plague so many in his position. I hope to meet him again in future parts of this series and find that he has found help.

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Guest Review: Christmas at the Cat Cafe by Jessica Redland

It's the most wonderful time of the year on Castle Street, and there's a paw-some new business opening....

It had always been Tabby's dream to work with cats and an inheritance from her beloved nanna has finally made that a reality. Idyllic Castle Street in Whitsborough Bay couldn’t be a better place for pastry chef Tabby to open a cat café with her boyfriend, Leon.

But when Leon leaves her in the lurch, the pressure mounts for Tabby. With Christmas fast approaching, she has to open the café on her own – a daunting prospect, especially when she's been hiding her health issues from the ones she loves.

Faced with local resistance to the café – and somebody seemingly determined that she won’t succeed – Tabby will need her friends, family and cats more than ever to recover her broken Christmas spirit and pull together for a Christmas miracle.

Will the cat café bring the festive joy to Castle Street as Tabby had hoped or will it be a cat-astrophe? And can the magic of Christmas on Castle Street mend Tabby's broken heart as well as her business?

Review: Like many of Jessica Redland’s earlier books, this story is set in the fictional seaside town of Whitsborough Bay. I always enjoy meeting up with familiar characters in a book, and this one has many of those. The story returns to the town’s Castle Street with its independent shops selling all manner of goods, the owners forming a friendly community. The book is set in the run-up to Christmas, when the street is decorated with twinkling lights and marvellous window displays. This is where the Cat Cafe of the title is to be established by the story’s heroine. Having an allergy to cats, I have never visited a cat cafe, so I was interested to read about how they work, knowing that Jessica Redland would have done her research well as always. 

The central character in this story is pastry chef Tabby, a young lady with a great love of cats, as evidenced by the 16 she currently has living with her. An inheritance has allowed her to buy a property on Castle Street in Whitsborough Bay where she can realise her dream of opening a cat cafe. The building has retail space and a flat above, where she intends to live with her boyfriend who will help her run the cafe. Unbeknown to her family, Tabby suffers from a health issue which, due to its nature, would make it almost impossible for her to run the business without help. When her boyfriend backs out of the venture and the relationship, Tabby is warmed to find that family and friends step up to help. In the face of many obstacles along the way, and with particular support from good friend Tom, can Tabby make her dream come true and have the business up and running in time for Christmas?

This book is going to be a popular purchase for cat lovers, who I’m sure would love to find it in their stockings this Christmas. I found it really interesting to read about the trials and tribulations associated with opening the cat cafe. It was heartening to witness again the sense of community in Whitsborough Bay as people rallied around to help Tabby when she was struggling. The author has dealt sensitively with a difficult subject regarding Tabby’s health condition; I certainly learned a lot about the effect it has on sufferers. I loved the determination in Tabby to forge ahead in the face of all obstacles and also the growing realisation of the true friend, and perhaps more, that she had in Tom. I found it heart-warming that he was willing to put his life on hold to help her. I’m not sure if we will meet Tabby and Tom again in future books from this author, but I would like to find out how their lives progress.

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August 2023 Reading Wrap Up

 Well August was a surprisingly bad reading month for me. Normally is August is always my top month of the year for reading books but I just couldn't seem to settle to reading this year. I think I hyped myself up for it and then felt all this pressure to do so many things that I had left to the summer holidays that I was just busy a lot of the time-thanks heavens for audiobooks!

As always I will break down what I read into the way that I read them...

eBooks

Audiobooks

And then I read 50% of this eBook

and started this one too...

Guest Review: Heading Home to Lavender Cottage by Alison Sherlock

Welcome to Alison Sherlocks brand NEW series, full of heart warming characters set in the idyllic English countryside.

With nowhere else to go, Harriet Colgan has returned to the sleepy village of Cranfield to sell her beloved aunt and uncle’s cottage, the only place she ever called home.

When she arrives at Lavender Cottage, Harriet discovers plans to replace the beautiful lavender fields, her uncle’s pride and joy, with an industrial warehouse.

With time on her hands, she realises she must fight to protect her family’s legacy and the village of Cranfield as well.

Workaholic businessman Joe Randall was expecting an easy purchase of the lavender fields. But suddenly his quiet life is disrupted by protests from angry locals, organised by Harriet.

Can Harriet show Joe that there’s more to life than just work? And can Joe change his mind and help Harriet save the lavender fields?

Over a long, hot summer, and with the help of a stray dog, perhaps Harriet and Joe can find their way home too.

Review: This is the first book in a new series from Alison Sherlock. I really enjoyed the stories in her last series, set in the little town of Cranbridge and was interested to find that this new series features the small neighbouring village of Cranfield. It was good to meet the new characters and places in this story, while visiting some familiar locations in Cranbridge. I was quickly drawn into this story and found it compelling reading. 

The story centres on Harriet Colgan, who finds herself simultaneously without a job and home and sets off for her late aunt and uncle’s home, Lavender Cottage, in Cranfield, a house where she spent the happiest times of her childhood. Harriet is sad to be sorting out the house ready for putting it on the market. She is appalled to find that the fields adjoining the cottage, where her uncle cultivated lavender, are about to be sold to developers. Determined to save the village from industrial development, Harriet organises protests, much to the dismay of Joe Randall who was hoping for a quick purchase of the land on behalf of his father’s company. However, he begins to be won over by Harriet’s arguments against the development at the same time as enjoying the slower pace of life in the small community. After a rocky start, could it be that Harriet and Joe are becoming close? 

I very much enjoyed this book and would recommend it to others. It is filled with amazing characters with interesting back stories of their own, including friends Harriet made when she visited the village in her younger days. In addition to the central storyline, there are a few other stories dealing in particular with the local farm and the now defunct  railway station. In the course of organising her protests, Harriet was befriended by a rather adorable stray dog, who became her constant companion; I for one enjoy a cute dog in a book. I loved the author’s descriptions of the village and the activities arranged by the locals; the feeling of community just oozed out of the book. This is a village that readers are bound to want to visit. I cant wait for the next book in the series. 

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