Blog Tour: What if I Never Get Over You By Paige Toon Review

I'm excited to be part of the blog tour today for the amazing new book by Paige Toon. The book comes out on Thursday 10th April and you can order your copy here! I have a review for you today, here's what it's all about:

Ellie didn’t expect to fall in love while travelling in Europe. But she also didn’t expect to meet a man like Ash.

Three blistering days in Lisbon is all it takes to form an unforgettable connection – deep enough for them to plan to meet again in Madrid. But Ellie arrives late, and Ash is nowhere to be found.

Six years later, the memory of Ash and their time together still burns deeply in Ellie’s heart. She hopes that her dream job as a gardener on a grand estate in Wales will bring the fresh start she desperately needs.

But when Ash unexpectedly crashes back into her life, Ellie is forced to question if the universe has other plans...

Review: gosh it was good ro be back in a Paige Toon novel again. I know I am in safe hands going into one of her books, the short chapters make for a page turner you really can’t put down! And….this one didn’t make me cry! Paige always does such a great job of a bit of a slow burn romance, puts a barrier up for her main characters and their love story and always has some sort of exotic location as a long-distance additional barrier too of course. There’s always a hot Aussie in there too! And this book is no exception!

It was wonderful to meet Ellie at the beginning of the novel, she is trying to do the wild and independent woman travelling thing but we know that something is holding her back, we just don’t know what yet! Then she meets Ash and this meet cute helps to unleash her feer self, the one who gets to let go and have fun and that was fabulous. When Ellie shuts down again once she’s back home, towards the beginning of the book, I found this section so hard to read. The way she is written to be so closed off to pleasure and so just doing anything to stay quiet and be successful in her job-it was just so relatable. 

When we change settings in the third section of the book, that is when the fun really starts. Paige Toon knows how to write a fun group of friends to have an adventure with, people who will challenge our main character to be their best selves and find their joy and this book is no exception. Who knew there was so much fun to be had in such a location that many would consider mundane. 

Now don’t get me wrong, the fact that this book didn;t make me cry doesn’t mean that there is no tragedy in here, there are plenty of moments that tug at the heart strings and both Ellie and Ash have been through a lot to get them to the various points we meet them throughout the novel. But as we always find with a Paige Toon novel, the joy outweighs that. This was a quick read with fun characters, a great meet cute and a story that will have you guessing right up until the last page!

Blog Tour: Review of The Happiest Ever After by Milly Johnson

 

It is my stop on the blog tour for the Amazing new book from Milly Johnson today! Here's what it's all about: 

Polly Potter is surviving, not thriving. She used to love her job as a business consultant, turning around businesses that were on their uppers – until her mentor died and her new boss decided to make her life hell. She used to love her partner Chris – until he cheated on her, and now she can’t forget. The only place where her life is working is on the pages of the novel she is writing – there she can recreate herself as a feistier, bolder, more successful version of herself – as the fictional Sabrina Anderson.

But what if it was possible to start over again? To leave everything behind, forget all that went before, and live the life you’d always dreamed of?

That’s how Polly finds herself as Sabrina, living at the heart of a noisy Italian family restaurant by the sea. Run by Teddy, the charming son of her new landlady Marielle, it has potential, if only a rival restaurant is stopped from moving in next door. Sabrina can’t remember her life as Polly, but she knows she is living a different life from the one she used to live.

But what if her new life could give her her happiest ever after…?

Review: I warmed to the main character Polly Potter straight away when I picked this book up. Like many Milly Johnson characters, she is hard done by (especially by men) but very very easy to relate to. However I did not expect the twists and turns of this story. It started out as a classic Milly novel with Polly trying her best to overcome the shit men who surround her and make her life as happy as it can possibly be. This involves a little deception and a lot of self-control, as well as a couple of awesome females in her office, then the books veers suddenly off in another direction and oh boy are you in for a treat?! This became part comeback tale and part mystery and I could not put it down. 

Polly really was delightful to spend the course of the novel with. As well as the fact that you find yourself rooting for her, she just feels like a classic Milly Johnson character that we all know and love and so there’s such a sense of familiarity with her. I really wanted her to live the life that she created for Sabrina and she genuinely does not have a bad bone in her body so you just can’t help but get behind her. Thankfully she does have a couple of other women looking out for her. Her new landlady is wonderful and we get to see a glimpse of her story as the book progresses as well and then Polly’s deskmate and head of HR also really do have her back and as a reader you are glad that they are there. 

Milly Johnson always does such a great job of writing a villain you love to hate so that when they get their comeuppance you can rejoice and cheer on those moments along the reading journey. The villains in this book are truly, truly horrible. They are so well-written you almost want to jump into the pages and warn Polly about them before she even comes face to face with them. There are quite a few baddies to boo along the way but they don’t take away from the happiness you feel as you unravel Polly’s tale. I know I’ve mentioned quite a few times that this feels like a classic Milly Johnson novel and that’s one of the things I liked best about it but that’s just the genius of it. If you love a Milly book then you know you’re in for a treat right from the word go, but if you’re reading this review trying to decide whether to read it or not then you can be reassured that this is indicative of this author’s work and you know you’re going to have a good time and you’ve made the right choice!

To order your copy now just click here!

Blog Tour: Book Review Maybe Tomorrow by Penny Parks

 

Today is my stop on the blog tour for Maybe Tomorrow by Penny Parks. The book is out now and you can click here to order your copy! Don't forget to check out the other stops on the tour for more exclusive content and reviews. 

Here's what it's all about: 

What a difference a year could make…
 
Jamie Matson had once enjoyed a wonderful life working alongside her best friend, organising adventures for single-parent families, and her son Bo’s artistic flair a source of pride rather than concern.
 
She hadn’t been prepared to lose her business, her home, and her friend. Not all in one dreadful year. And now she finds herself reeling - rebuilding her world, with Bo at its heart - swallowing her pride and asking for help.
 
Jamie certainly hadn’t expected to find such hope and camaraderie in the queue at her local Food Bank - thrown together with an unlikely and colourful group of people - all of them struggling to get by, yet still determined to reclaim their lost careers and agency over their lives. Even if just choosing their own groceries again is a goal they can all share.
 
As their friendships flourish, they quickly find it’s easier to be objective about each other than about themselves, and decide that - when you’re all out of options - it’s okay to bend the rules a little and create your own.

Review: I feel like this book is the one that no one is writing. This book is real life. This book reflects what happened so quickly and so uncontrollably to so many people as a result of everything that happened in 2020. And yet it is not a depressing book, it is not a book that will bring you down and it doesn’t focus on 2020 it’s the aftermath. This book is uplifting and hopeful and shows what human kindness, hope and spirit can look like. I am a huge fan of this book and I will be pushing it on everyone!

I loved getting to meet Jamie and Bo, hear their story and see Jamie fight so hard to give her son the life he deserves. Jamie and Bo are a single parent family suffering at the hands of the rental market, the minimum wage job market and then the judgement rather than help that they receive from Bo’s school. Jamie had it all but unfortunately a travel company couldn’t survive what happened in 2020 and so she finds herself in this position. She is such a relatable character because she sees how unfair and unjust the world is, especially her little world and yet she doesn’t complain about it because she knows that she has to play the game just to survive. Bo is such a great kid but is so let down by his school. He also suffers from chronic asthma which I also don’t think is talked about enough in books but it is something that affects the lives of so many children like Bo. 

Bo’s school is a whole other kettle of fish.I really hope that Penny Parks didn’t write this school from first hand experience because the way that school treats Bo and Jamie is so bad and does not follow the duty of care that schools have. They are also certainly not an inclusive school and I felt so bad about the way they treated poor Bo-I would have loved to have taught a child as thoughtful as he was! Bo is so great and is the antidote to all the negativity in their world. He is artistic and funny and asks all the questions that people are thinking but are too afraid to ask-I loved that about him. 

There is a whole cast of characters who are living similar lives to Jamie and Bo and getting along with their lives regardless because they have to. I thought that Jamie’s ‘Village” was well-selected and well-written because everyone who reads this will be able to find someone they can relate to and someone they can empathise with. I can’t go into too much detail about the supporting cast of this novel because to do so would definitely involve spoilers! I was angry at points reading this book but I was also hopeful and joyful and I just loved seeing these characters triumph in the face of adversity. I really loved this book and I hope everyone picks it up because I know you will relate to it as much as I did!

Blog Tour: Review of The Book Lovers' Retreat by Heidi Swain

Today is my stop on the blog tour for The Book Lovers' Retreat by Heidi Swain. I have a review for you today and the book just came out on Thursday so you can order it by clicking here. Don't forget to check out the other stops on the tour for more reviews and other content. Here's what this new novel is all about:

One long summer. One perfect setting. Can fiction inspire real life…?
 
Sometimes a book grabs you by the heart and grows to mean everything to you. That’s what Hope Falls is to friends Emily, Rachel and Tori. So, when they get the chance to spend a whole summer at the cottage in Lakeside where the film adaptation was located, they know it is going to be the holiday of a lifetime.

Spending six weeks away will give them a chance to re-evaluate their life choices. For Emily to decide which way her career will go – the safe route, or the more risky creative option? And for Rachel to decide whether to move in with her partner Jeremy. Then Tori has to drop out at the last moment, and her space is offered to another Hope Falls afficionado, Alex. 

But when Alex turns out not to be who they expected, the holiday takes an unforeseen turn. And as the summer develops, so does their friendship. Could this be where they uncover their future selves, find love in all its forms and where their lives will change course forever…?

Review: A book about book lovers set in the lake district? Yes please! Even before I knew the setting of this one I knew it was going to be special. Heidi Swain is an autobuy author for me but I was extra excited about this book because this is her first standalone. Her Wynbridge series and her Nightingale Square series as well as her Wynmouth series all tie in together in some way and so I was excited what she would do with all new characters, a new setting and it doesn’;t hurt that one of those characters was named after me!

I loved getting to meet Emily, Rachel, Tori and Alex. They were all such well-rounded characters in themselves, I really hope we get to hear more from them in the future. I need a spin off to find out what happens next for Tori for sure! Emily is our main character and so we get to find out about her thoughts and feelings about her retreat as things progress and we get to see the other characters through her eyes too. Her best friends are Rachel and Tori and I had a special connection with Rachel because she is a tired teacher just starting her summer holidays. I will admit that I was jealous because it was already summer for her and just Easter holidays for me. Heidi always writes about people who work in education so well and as an educator I always appreciate that!

Tori was a really interesting character for me because I think she is the character who is hardest to empathise with because she comes from money. She reminded me a little of Sophie Kinsella’s Becky Bloomwood because she might like to spend but she always has her friends' best interests at heart. Then the wildcard in the group is Alex. Part of the story is getting to know Alex and finding out how this new person adds to the dynamic and mixes things up with the plot of the book. Now the premise behind this onel, going away for the summer to retrace the steps of a famous book and its movie adaptation might sound a little on the slow side but believe me there is plenty of action in this book, plenty to laugh at and plenty to keep you turning the pages.

The best thing about this book is that it takes our characters out of their routine, out of their comfort zones and places them somewhere with no wifi, somewhere that demands introspection and reflection and what better place to do that than the lake district? I adored the setting. It made for some wild weather, some unpredictable moments and of course some beautiful evernings around a fire with a glass of wine. I defy anyone to pick up this book and not come away wanting to jump right into the pages and snuggle up with their own book or watch a movie under a cosy blanket-such hygge vibes! I loved the story, I loved the characters and most of all I loved the setting. I flew through this latest release from Heidi Swain and I know you’re going to love it too!

To order your copy now, just click here!

Blog Tour: Review of Three's a Crowd by S. R. Booker

It's my turn on the blog tour for Three's a crowd today. I have a review to share with you to celebrate the paperback publication of this fab read. Don't forget to check out the other stops on the tour for more exclusive content and reviews. Here's what it's all about: 

What happens when an estranged father and son unwittingly fall in love with the same woman?

Out-of-work actor Harriet is recuperating from a crash-and-burn affair with Damian – aka ‘Cockweasel’ – and making ends meet as a barista when she meets two rather lovely men. Tom is a regular at the café, and seems like such a nice guy. Smooth-talking DJ Richard is older, but in great shape – a real silver fox.

 

Deciding to take a chance on both of them, Harriet doesn’t realise at first that she is actually dating father and son. Tom and Richard aren’t on speaking terms, and don’t share a last name – so how was she to know? By the time everyone finds out, both Tom and Richard are truly madly deeply in love with Harriet, and she’s faced with an impossible choice.

 

But as the battle for her affections intensifies, ‘Cockweasel’ makes an unexpected reappearance and begs her to give him another chance…

Review: I love the premise for this story, two people in love with the same girl who just happen to be related. I think it would make an excellent limited series for Netflix and I can imagine is playing out with much humour on the screen. I was expecting a little slapstick humour in the book but it actually goes a lot deeper than that. This book tackles mental health head on, delving into topics not often talked about in a romantic comedy in this way and I definitely applaud Simon Booker for the content choices that he made. 

Harriet, Tom and Richard feel very true to life. Their careers, their home lives and their hopes and dreams all seem very easy to relate to and I felt like they could really exist. I listened to the audiobook for this and was lucky enough to listen on a couple of train/ bus journeys through London. Whilst listening I could picture the characters walking along the streets I was traveling  and I loved the TFL link with Harriet. 

It took me a while to get to know each character and adjust to the structure of the book, I started reading this one as an ebook but I kept losing which character was which and so that's why I downloaded the audiobook. The narration of each character really helped me get to grips with whose chapter we were on an I felt like I got a deeper understanding of who everyone was. The eBook felt a little slow in the beginning but once I got into the audiobook I flew through the rest fo the story. 

I really enjoyed the context and the way the storyline played out. I did find it funny and I was invested in Harriet's story. I warmed to Harriet as a character despite the questionable choices he made. I would like to revisit Tom's character again in the future to find out what has become of his dreams and his relationship with his family. I strong 2021 debut. 

To order your copy now, just click the link: UK or US

Blog Tour: Review of The Reason by Catherine Bennetto

 

Today is my stop on the blog tour for The Reason by Catherine Bennetto. I have a review for you today but don't forget to stop by the other blogs on the tour for more reviews and exclusive content!

How much is the smile from the person you love worth to you?

 

Brooke’s life has derailed. Her social life and career have evaporated, her daughter is desperately unhappy and being bullied at school, and, for a 43-year-old, she probably spends way too many weekends at her parent’s. But the reason for all this is no mystery. A year and a half ago, Brooke’s husband died.

 

But Brooke does have one secret. Her husband’s death, the worst thing that has ever happened to her, has made her unbelievably rich.

 

Despite her despair, Brooke suddenly realises she has the power to make her daughter’s life, and the world a little brighter.

Review: A book about a mother and her teenage daughter getting ready to start a new school that’s released in autumn? Even the blurb alone gives me Gilmore Girl vibes and the relationship between Brooke and Hannah made sure that continued throughout the novel. 

Brooke is really struggling with grief and her daughter is too and so this book takes us on a journey of Brooke trying to help her daughter through her own trauma and grief responses whilst ignoring her own and the allout from that. I adored the love that Brooke has for her daughter, it is of course reciprocated, but the lengths that Brooke will go to to ensure that Hannah has a reason to smile and is living the best life possible is just wonderful to read about. 

I really liked getting to meet Hannah and discover more about what makes her tick. She is such a mature person and she really does know herself and what she wants. It’s been a while since I read a ‘secondary’ character who is so well rounded and who has stayed with me since finishing the book. Like a lot of children in their last year at school she has some friendship issues but her school is just so wholly unsupportive and clearly thinks it’s following policy when it really isn’t, it made me very very angry. 

Catherine Bennetto never fails to make me laugh with her writing, she has such a great sense of humour that she imparts on her characters. I laughed at so any points during the opening of this story and then there’s a moment where Brooke is shopping for a new bed that had me guffawing as I was reading it! The humour and the heart in this book is a great balance. 

So much of this book also involves family. Found family, family it’s easy to get along with and family it’s not so easy to get along with but there’s that bond that drives the whole thing and I really enjoyed exploring how different the idea of family can look to the same person in different contexts. I really enjoyed reading this book, it was so easy to come back to it the next day and I was always excited to pick it up. If you’re a GIlmore Girls fan, or if you’re not, I highly recommend No Reason by Catherine Bennetto.

To order your copy now, just click the link: UK or US

Blog Tour: Review of Underneath The Christmas Tree by Heidi Swain

 

Today is my stop on the blog tour for Underneath the Christmas Tree by Heidi Swain. This gorgeous festive read is out now and I have a review to share with you today. If you like the sound of that you can click here to order your copy now. 

Don't forget to check out the other stops on the tour for more exclusive content and reviews!

Here's what it's all about:

Wynter’s Trees is the home of Christmas. For the people of Wynmouth it’s where they get their family Christmas tree, and where Christmas truly comes to life.

But for Liza Wynter, it’s a millstone around her neck. It was her father’s pride and joy but now he’s gone, she can’t have anything to do with it. Until her father’s business partner decides to retire and she must go back to handle the transition to his son Ned.

When Liza arrives, she discovers a much-loved business that’s flourishing under Ned’s stewardship. And she’s happy to stay and help for the Christmas season, but then she has other plans. But will the place where she grew up make her change her mind? And can it weave its Christmas cheer around her heart…?

Review: Can we just take a moment to appreciate the cover of this novel? I love the candy pink shades and I also love the fact that the tree is front and centre on the cover. If you get the paperback copy of this one its also got gorgeous foil that shimmers in the light-just perfection!

I love the fact that a Heidi Swain Christmas novel focuses on someone who really isn't in the festive spirit. They begin the book wanting to ignore the whole thing but something in the Heidi Swain magic of everything seems sure to persuade them otherwise! This book is no exception and I took a lot of comfort in that. This is the first visit to the seaside town on Wynmouth in the winter time and it was lovely to be in a slightly different setting but still have some familiarity in terms of the people and the magic of the seaside. I also adored getting to know Liza, our aforementioned Christmas objector. She has had a whole heap of heart break in her life and so her avoidance of the season is totally understandable but she also goes on a massive journey throughout the pages of the book!

Wynter's trees is the perfect setting for this novel-what could be more festive than essential a Christmas tree farm? But it's what this place means to Liza and new resident Ned that really makes it special. I love the memories that have been made in the fields and in the lodge and the new traditions that are being made all the time-I really want to go and visit but I feel sure I would encounter some romance there and so probably best to avoid! The other thing about the setting is that it provides comfort for the whole community not just Ned and Liza. 

Another thing that Heidi Swain also does really well is to champion the younger and more troubled members of the communities that she creates and I love that about her books. I adored meeting Liam and watching him grow throughout his journey, good and bad. I really hope we get to go back and meet him again in a future novel because I think he is such a deep character I know there is more to be heard from him in the future-here's hoping!

If you're worried that this novel could be too much Christmas for you then have no fear. A Heidi Swain novel is basically as festive as you make it. There's always a mention of the solstice and life outside of the festive season. But if you want warm drinks and snow and Christmas tress then there are plenty of thee within the pages of the book. I love the hope in a Heidi Swain novel but I particularly love it at Christmas time. I actually listened to the audiobook of this and the narrator (one of my favorites) did a great job too-highly recommend!

To order your copy now, just click the link: UK or US

Blog Tour: Review of Sidesplitter by Phil Wang Appearing at Cheltenham Literature Festival #CheltLitFest @midaspr @cheltlitfest

 

It is my stop on the blog tour for Cheltenham Literature Festival Celebration and today I am going to be reviewing Side Splitter by Phil Wang. Phil will be appearing at the festival tomorrow and you can find a link to that event here! I listened to this book on audiobook and I will be reviewing it for you today but if you like the sound of that or want to order one after watching his event at the festival, you can click here for that!

Review: Although I was sent a physical copy of this book in exchange for a review, I actually bought the audiobook since it is narrated by the author himself. I am so pleased that I read this via audio because you get the emphasis of funny moments and the tone required in more serious moments. This is also my first encounter with Phil Wang and so it was a really good way to get to know him through him reading to me in my car on my commute. The audio narration was fantastic and well-paced. 

This book definitely made me laugh and I really wish I could be at Phil Wang's event at Cheltenham Literature festival because I would love to hear more from him. The structure of the book is a great balance between facts and observations alongside humour and personal opinions. I definitely learned a lot as well as laughing out loud at various moments. I like how this book is marketed as 'not a memoir' but each section comes from a very personal point of view. 

My favourite chapter was definitely food and this is the chapter that had me laughing consistently throughout and definitely made me hungry. There were so many points about 'British Food' that I hadn't thought about and that is a general theme of the book overall. So many of the talking points in each chapter were things which I had not actively given headspace too either at all or at least not recently and so I definitely thank Phil Wang for giving me pause for thought. I will definitely be checking out some more of his work including his stand up because I admired the way he put things and he definitely made me laugh over the course of this book!

To order your copy now, just click this link!

Blog Tour: Interview With A Country Village Christmas Author Suzanne Snow

Today is my stop on the blog tour for A Country Village Christmas by Suzanne Snow. I have an interview with the author to share with you today. If you like the sound of that, you can click here to buy your copy now. Don't forget to check out the other blogs on the tour for more exclusive content and reviews. 

Here's what it's all about:

Can the magic of Christmas and the community of Thorndale bring two lost souls together in love?

Olivia doesn’t have time for Christmas or for romance – she’s got a demanding career and has been burned before when it comes to love. This year, she’s spending the festive season in her dad’s old house, packing it up now that he’s moved out. Her dad failed to mention she wouldn’t be spending her time there alone…

The last thing Olivia expects is for her surprise guest to be the very man who literally ran from her after an evening of mutual flirtation. But Tom has nowhere else to go and Olivia is determined to forget the disappointment she felt at his abandonment and instead help him find his way again.

As heavy snow keeps them inside the cottage, will their enforced confinement spark romance once again – or will it push them further apart?

Are you ready to read that interview?

First question-bit of a cliche-how did you get into writing?

I loved reading as a child and was always drawn to creating my own stories. Writing seemed like a natural progression and just a few days ago whilst having a clearout I discovered all my old stories and files. Not sure whether to shred or save! I grew up with horses around farms and my first stories were about adventurous girls and their ponies.

 

Do you write full time & if so, have you always done this?

I now write full time and am very grateful to be doing so, it was always my dream job. After several years as a stay-at-home mum, I trained in horticulture and spent five seasons planting redesigned gardens, which was a real passion.

Do you have a particular writing style or genre that you prefer?

I've always been drawn to romance and love to write about rural landscapes and the communities around them. I enjoy reading crime, especially historical, and have no idea how to write it!

How do you develop your characters as you write, are any of them based on real people?

My characters might be inspired by a story about a person or something I've heard or seen, but they're never based on real people. I love creating my characters and learning about their pasts as I plot their futures.

 

What was the inspiration behind A Country Village Christmas?

It was actually a house to begin with, a property in Yorkshire with a view of a small library, an old armchair beside the fire. The character of Hugh popped up as I imagined him sitting there, and Olivia and Tom soon joined him. I'd always wanted to write a Christmas book and I so enjoyed creating a romance set in December, with all the festive happenings you'd expect during the holidays.

What is your writing process-do you plan it out first? Write a bit at a time?

I'm definitely a planner and I always know the ending before I start writing. For me the process of writing the book is drawing characters to that ending but however much planning I do, there's usually a surprise or two along the way.

 

How much of you is reflected in your writing?

I'd say very little, other than each of my heroines have a tiny something of me in them; namely cooking, gardening, horses and home. I've given each woman a very different life experience to mine and they're a lot of fun to create. I think a childhood growing up mostly outdoors has definitely influenced my writing and I love to write across the seasons and celebrate them through the landscape.

 

What kind of research did you have to do before/during writing A Country Village Christmas?

The story is set around an old bookshop and I researched lots of different Christmas books to decide which ones would suit my character's narratives, as each of the real books referenced have a meaning to Olivia, Tom or Hugh. Tom is an actor and his back story included playing a fictional romantic hero which made him famous and that was brilliant to play around with, as Olivia finds out!

 

Are friends and family supportive of your writing? 

My friends and family are very encouraging, especially my husband. I was very close to my late mother-in-law and she was definitely one of my biggest supporters. She usually read everything first and never doubted that I'd be an author, even when I did. My mum is a brilliant publicist, and has been known to stop people in the street to tell them about my books. She even took bookmarks on holiday and persuaded a local bookshop to order my books! It all really helps!

How do you feel leading up to your publication day?

There are always some nerves but it's mostly excitement and being grateful to the team who work so hard to bring my books to readers. I'm very thankful for the opportunities I've had and it's always wonderful when a reader gets in touch to say how much they loved a book and are waiting for the next.

 

Which other authors inspire you or are there any you particularly enjoy reading?

I read everything by Karen Swan and I love CJ Sansom's Shardlake series in particular. I'm inspired by any author who has written and published a book, and I've made some lovely friends since joining the RNA.

Finally...what are you working on right now?

Writing my fifth book, and planning six and seven, which aren't part of the Thorndale series. I'm loving getting to know different characters and exploring a new setting, set in another rural community. 

Thanks so much to Suzanne for stopping by the blog today and answering all of my burning questions!

Blog Tour: Review Of The Bookshop of Second Chances by Jackie Fraser

 

It's my stop on the blog tour for The Bookshop of Second Chances by Jackie Fraser today. I have a review to share with you to celebrate the book being released in paperback last week. You can click here to order your copy now. Don't forget to check out the other stops on the tour for more exclusive content and reviews. 

Here's what it's all about...

Thea’s having a bad month. Not only has she been made redundant, she’s also discovered her husband of nearly twenty years is sleeping with one of her friends. And he’s not sorry – he’s leaving.

 

Bewildered and lost, Thea doesn’t know what to do. But, when she learns the great-uncle she barely knew has died and left her his huge collection of second-hand books and a house in the Scottish Lowlands, she seems to have been offered a second chance.

 

Running away to a little town where no one knows her seems like exactly what Thea needs. But when she meets the aristocratic Maltravers brothers – grumpy bookshop owner Edward and his estranged brother Charles, Lord Hollinshaw – her new life quickly becomes just as complicated as the life she was running from...

Review: I loved the premise of this book, starting over in a beautiful Scottish village, a new house unexpectedly yours and a new country and bookshop to explored. Jackie Fraser wrote a beautiful setting for this novel, it didn't always ring true to life for that part of the world but it certainly was idyllic and great to escape to without hundreds of other tourists crowding the roads as you explore. It was a great backdrop for Thea to explore and for her to heal.

Thea was a unique character. I am glad that we are getting more books with older female characters starting over again after unexpected life changes. I think adding a level of maturity to a character means scope for a different sort of coming of age or journey of transition. I enjoyed getting to read about Thea's journey and would love to get into her head and find out what she makes of her new life if we get to meet her again in future books. 

There are certainly some interesting characters that Thea meets along the way. I really loved her best friend and also liked the fact that she makes so many new friends in her new setting, Two people who are key to Thea's story are the Maltravers brothers who basically run the town. They are intriguing men and although I personally didn't warm to either of them, the fact that Thea bonded with them both speaks volumes about her as a character. 

I really enjoy a character driven novel but I was a little confused at first with so many new characters to meet and so many details to find out about them. I think if I could change one thing about this book it would be that level of detail, it just felt a bit much at times but I know there are readers out there who will appreciate the character development and work on their back stories that has gone into the writing of this novel. I listened to this book on audio and perhaps I would have been able to keep track of the characters better had I been reading the beautiful paperback copy, the cover is just stunning!

To order your copy now, just click the link: UK or US

Blog Tour: Review Of The Heights by Louise Candlish

Today is my stop on the blog tour for The Heights by Louise Candlish. The book is already out there and (spoiler alert) I loved it. You can order your copy here. Don't forget to check out the other stops on the tour for more exclusive content and reviews. 

Here's what it's all about... 

He thinks he’s safe up there. But he’ll never be safe from you. 

 

The Heights is a tall, slender apartment building among the warehouses of Tower Bridge, its roof terrace so discreet you wouldn’t know it existed if you weren't standing at the window of the flat directly opposite. But you are. And that’s when you see a man up there – a man you’d recognize anywhere. He’s older now and his appearance has subtly changed, but it’s definitely him. 

Which makes no sense at all since you know he has been dead for over two years.  You know this for a fact.  

Because you’re the one who killed him.  It’s time to confess what we did up there.

 

‘Kieran Watts has been dead for over two years when I see him standing on the roof of a building in Shad Thames…’

#CloseToTheEdge

Review: I'm just in awe of how Louise Candlish crafts her novels. The writing style is just addictive and so so clever. I can't begin to image what the process of creating such tightly woven plot points is like. This novel just blew me away and I loved the different nature of the subject matter. 

This book explores in depth the overwhelming love and sense of protection a mother feels for her children. The intensity of feelings that Ellen has for her children Freya and Lucas comes off every page. The pressure she feels is portrayed to the reader and so a sense of urgency and an intense pressure came over me whenever I picked the book back up. I love the idea of the thrill of this novel coming from a mother's love for her son and her despair when he veers from his planned path and away from his potential in life. 

This book had so many twists and turns, I immediately read the first few chapters again after finishing the book because there were revelations along the way that I just didn't see coming and I wanted to know how they might have been hinted at right at the beginning. We also hav the trope of the unreliable narrator being turned on its head slightly. I haven't read anything else that makes use of that trope in quite as unconventional a way as this book and I was here for every minute of it. 

I had so many theories about what was going to happen throughout the course of this novel that I had to talk to someone about my ideas and my thoughts as I was reading it. It is a unique books and I know you will also find yourself thinking about Ellen and her story when you're away from it. I loved the structure, I loved the pressure it put on me as a reader and I loved the way Ellen's story is portrayed in this book. I really loved it and highly recommend The Heights by Louise Candlish. 

To order your copy now, just click the link: UK or US

Blog Tour: Review of The Beginners Guide to Loneliness by Laura Bambrey

 

It is my stop on the blog tour for The Beginners Guide to Loneliness by Laura Bambrey. The paperback of this gorgeous book comes out in the UK on 22nd July. The ebook is already out now and you can click here to order your copy. 

Here's what it's all about:

Tori Williamson is alone. After a tragic event left her isolated from her loved ones, she’s been struggling to find her way back to, well – herself. That’s why she set up her blog, The Beginner’s Guide to Loneliness, as a way of – anonymously – connecting with the outside world and reaching others who just need a little help sometimes.

 

When she’s offered a free spot on a wellbeing retreat in exchange for a review on her blog, Tori is anxious about opening herself up to new surroundings. But after her three closest friends – who she talks to online but has never actually met – convince her it’ll do her some good, she reluctantly agrees and heads off for three weeks in the wild (well, a farm in Wales).

 

From the moment she arrives, Tori is sceptical and quickly finds herself drawn to fellow sceptic Than, the retreat’s dark and mysterious latecomer. But as the beauty of The Farm slowly comes to light she realizes that opening herself up might not be the worst thing. And sharing a yurt with fellow retreater Bay definitely isn’t.  Will the retreat be able to fix Tori? Or will she finally learn that being lonely doesn’t mean she’s broken . . .

Review: Oh my goodness I loved going on this journey with Tori so much. From the very beginning of the book I was on her side and cheering her on. It was so interesting to go on a very different journey of self discovery with a character who had a very different job and a very different way of life. 

When Tori signs up to go on this well being retreat she is skeptical and I think i was too and yet she knows its a step she must take and a journey she must go on and the best part about the whole story is that we get to take that journey with her. Tori is a such a deep character, it takes a whilst to get to know what makes her tick and her thoughts and fears and I think that Tori felt the same way about herself. I loved getting to know her and spend time unpacking some of her issues with her. 

The whole retreat takes up the majority of the book, which I wasn't expecting, but it was a great escape and brought with it a whole rage of fun activities and amusing situations as well as a full cast of intriguing characters. I loved getting to meet the other people at the retreat and find out what the journey meant to them. I definitely took a while to warm to some of them but I loved getting to meet Dennis in particular. 

This book is definitely an unexpected gem. I don't think the title does it justice for what exactly you're going to find between the pages. I loved reading this and I highly recommend it. 

To order your copy now, just click here!