Guest Review: The Canal Boat Cafe Christmas (Parts 1&2) by Cressida McLaughlin

Summer and Mason take their upbeat and feelgood Canal Boat Café to London for Christmas, with unexpected results.

Port Out – Summer is so in love with her boyfriend Mason and dreams of taking the next step with him, but is Mason ready too? When her friend Claire offers Summer a chance to come to London with her canal boat, Summer thinks this will give them a chance to find out, and they embark on a magical journey on the canal all the way to the scenic beauty of Little Venice. But will it be plain sailing all the way?

Starboard Home – Summer and Mason find themselves unexpectedly spending the entire Christmas holiday in Little Venice when the canal freezes over. But their idyllic winter excursion is thrown into turmoil when an unexpected visitor appears on the scene. Are Summer and Mason facing the Big Freeze in more ways than one? Or will this be one Winter Warmer that they’ll never forget?

Review: This is a lovely Christmassy story in 2 parts (Port Out and Starboard Home) reuniting us with the Canal Boat Cafe, its owner and all the people we have met in other parts of the Canal Boat Cafe series from Cressida McLaughlin. Having said that, I don't think you need necessarily have read the other parts to follow what is going on in this 'Christmas special'; all is explained as we go along. 

With Christmas fast approaching, cafe owner Summer has decided to embark on an adventure, joining a band of waterborne traders in London's Little Venice for a week. Her nature journalist boyfriend, Mason, initially unsure about the trip, joins her as she reacquaints herself with the members of the group. Everything looks magical until a figure from Mason's past turns up out of the blue. How will this affect Summer's plans for her future with Mason? Another problem that affects the whole group this time turns up in the guise of extreme weather that alters everybody's plans for Christmas. However, all they can do is make the most of things. 

This is a really enjoyable Christmas story. It was great to catch up with the characters from the Canal Boat Cafe book and find out what has been happening to them all. Added to that, there was the excitement of the journey from the boat's home berth to London's Little Venice. The sights and sounds of London at Christmas are skilfully brought to life by Cressida's descriptions. Christmas onboard a narrow boat sounds fantastic. At the risk of overusing the word, I thought this was a really heartwarming, romantic tale. 

To order your copy now, just click the links: Part 1 UK or Part 2 UK  (sorry the US links weren't available!)

Review: Falling by Julie Cohen

Can you imagine keeping a secret so devastating, you couldn’t even tell the people you love?

Honor’s secret threatens to rob her of the independence she’s guarded ferociously for eighty years.

Jo’s secret could smash apart the ‘normal’ family life she’s fought so hard to build.

Lydia’s could bring her love - or the loss of everything that matters to her.

Grandmother, mother and daughter – three women whose lives are falling apart. But one summer’s day, a single dramatic moment will force their secrets into the open.

Can they save each other from falling?



Review: I have to admit that I started this book, left it for a little bit then came back to it again, but once I picked it up again, I literally couldn't put it down. We are talking, the reading lights didn't work on my plane I was using my phone to read this on my kindle kind of can't put it down!

I loved this book because it was so real, the storyline and characters were just so relatable and everything that happened could have happened to anyone of us. I really enjoyed getting to know the characters. We have Jo, a divorced mother with a teenager and 2 little ones. She is having the kind of life we would expect when she is suddenly saddled with an invalid mother in law on top of everything else. She is so very real and I found myself rooting for her the whole way through. We also have Honor who is staunchly proud and I really like the way she transitioned over the course of the book. I think out of everyone, she changes the most during this story. And finally we have Lydia, daughter of Jo. She has some secrets and is struggling with what these secrets mean to her. I really liked Lydia and the way that she managed to cope with everything that was thrown at her. She has a really lovely relationship with her grandmother, Honor and I really related to her, I wish she could be my friend!

I loved that this book was from the perspective of each of these women. There isn't really any crossover in events that happen in their individual narratives, but it is interwoven beautifully and I really liked the fact that Lydia's story is written in the first person. Each section is easy to distinguish from the last because their stories are all so different, but I think having Lydia's in the first person really helped distinguish further and also helped me relate to her as a character. 

This book is all about secrets and each of the characters have their own secrets and each of these secrets are causing these women a certain amount of emotional, ethical and physical turmoil. This book really doesn't feel like the kind of mystery book that it might seem with all these secrets hanging around though, its part family saga, part coming of age, part just really lovely story about three generations of the same family and their own take on their worlds, the bigger world and each other. 

This book really stuck with me after I finished it and I still find myself wondering what is going on with these characters and how they are going about their lives today. I love the way Julie Cohen crafts a story and whether you are already a Julie Cohen fan or not, be prepared to love this novel, it really is the perfect read for snuggling up with in these autumn and winter months!

Click here to order a copy now!
I loved it so much I made a video about it!

Guest Review: Christmas Under A Starlit Sky by Holly Martin

(This is Book 2 in the A Town Called Christmas series)
Step inside a beautiful winter wonderland where love, laughter and cosy nights by the fire will make this Christmas one to remember. 

Neve Whitaker loves managing the Stardust Lake hotel. She gets to work alongside her wonderful family and she’s spending Christmas on the most enchanting, snow-covered island in Scotland. So why is her heart so heavy this festive season? 

It might have something to do with the gorgeous actor Oakley Rey, the man she finished with before he left for California and the man she loves more than anything. With Oakley’s career in Hollywood soaring, Neve is convinced she’d only hold him back. She had to end it with him – at least that’s what she keeps telling herself. 

But now she has a secret she’s struggling to keep, and when Oakley arrives on Juniper Island determined to win her back, Neve is thrown off balance. Will Neve’s fear of having her heart broken again push Oakley away for good, or is it time for her to take a leap of faith? 

Get swept away by this deliciously sweet and heartwarming tale, and spend an unforgettable Christmas on Juniper Island. 

Review: This book, the second Christmas-themed story from Holly Martin for 2016, follows on from Christmas Under A Cranberry Sky. I absolutely loved the first book, and was itching to read this one as well. Again, it was a lovely, easy to read story that had me engaged from the word go and was finished in quick time, leaving me wishing that there was another book to follow. 

Like the first book in the series, this story is set at the Stardust Lake Hotel, a new holiday resort located on a northerly Scottish Island. All of the action takes place in just a few days from Christmas Eve to New Year's Day. The main characters in this story are hotel manager Neve Whitaker, sister of the resort's owner, Gabe, and her American actor boyfriend, Oakley Rey. The rest of the Whitaker family are also there, all celebrating the festive season together. The whole resort is full of guests enjoying their Christmas holidays in this fabulous-sounding place, where every last detail seems to have been covered. There is snow and lots of Christmas decorations everywhere, all so well described that you could almost smell the mince pies and mulled wine spices. Of course, the Northern Lights (or Merry Dancers as they are know locally) make an appearance as well, adding to the magic of the setting.

The story is absolutely full of romance, not just between the main characters, but others as well. There is plenty of drama as well, though. There was a great deal of tension between some of the characters at times, making me want to knock their heads together, but also some lovely scenes of reconciliation. I can honestly say that I loved all of the people in the story, with the exception of the press who were sticking their noses in where not wanted. The setting for the hotel again had me envying anyone able spend their Christmas holiday there - it sounds truly magical.

I would heartily recommend lovers of Christmas stories to add this book, and its predecessor, to their reading list. Once again, Holly Martin has come up with a winner!

You can download this right now and experience all the feels for yourself!

Blog Tour: The Singalong Society For Singletons by Katy Lovell

Today is my stop on the singalong society for Singletons blog tour. I'm so excited to be sharing my review for Katy Lovell's debut novel as the first stop on the tour! The links for her twitter account are there on the banner and there's a link below for you to buy the book. Please do add Katy on twitter, she is such an awesome online buddy to have! 

A charming, feel good novel about the healing powers of friendship…and Frozen!

Monique and Issy are teachers, housemates and lovers of musicals! Their Friday night routine consists of snacks, wine and the Frozen DVD. So when Monique’s boyfriend moves to America for a year and her sister Hope moves in because of her own relationship woes, Friday nights get a new name… ‘The Singalong Society for Singletons’!

It’s a chance to get together, sing along to their favourite tracks from the best-loved West End shows, and forget the worries of work, relationships and love (or lack of it). But when Issy shares the details of their little group further afield, they get some unexpected new members who might just change their opinions on singledom for good….

http://amzn.to/29YrHEA

Review: I loved this novel so much! It was seriously so much fun. The fact that this book features a couple of teachers (including a year 6 teacher) and a teaching assistant, as well as a long distance relationship and a ton of fabulous musicals means that it is right up my street. But if you're not into any of those things, or can't relate to any of those things, don't worry, this novel is about so much more too. There is moments of identiy crisis, moments that deal with unrequited love, moments where first aid needs to come into play and so many more issues facing us today in society. 

I really related to all of the characters in this book. I loved Monique and the situation she is in in her life. Although she is a little younger than me, I can relate to her on so many levels. I don't think anyone could not love Mon, she has so much going on but is such a positive and compassionate person who clearly loves her friends and family to the moon and back. Roommate Issy is equally as loveable and I know you will all be able to feel her need for a glass of red bigger than her head on a Friday night, especially given that she is a year 6 teacher with Ofsted and Sats looming! Connie and Hope make up the rest of the cast of girls, and if you forget who's who, there's a cast list at the beginning of the book to keep you'd straight (something which I love!)

The storyline centres around the four girls and their singalong society for singletons. We meet them having just set up the society when Issy invites actors Ray and Liam to join them....you know this makes for some interesting moments! I love the fact that no issue is left untackled here including revealing a same-sex relationship to overly conservative parents. This is the only moment in the book where I wanted just a little bit more than this author gave. I felt there could have been more made of the scene where this May or may not happen (no spoilers) but I still loved this couple all the same! I really liked the long-distance relationship aspect of the book because I can completely empathise with that and of course, all the attention to the detail when it came to the teachers. This author clearly knows her stuff when it comes to working in a primary school and I love her for getting it so right! 

I need to mention the structure of this book as well. Each chapter takes place on Friday night when the group watch and singalong to each musical. You get to know which miss it is and who chose it. I defy anyone not to sing a number or two as they are reading this when their favourite musical comes along. And fear not! If you aren't that into musical, each chapter also has some details abotj the film/show and it's biggest numbers. I found this quite helpful as I totally couldn't Rememebr what songs came from a certain Rogers and Hammerstein film that the cast watched-fabulous. It also sparked an idea in my mind for watching all of this shows mentioned-I need to do it now! 

This book is about so much more than the musicals though, but I've rambled on enough. I urge you to pick up this feel-good bouncy book and discover the joy for yourself, I'm going to go and watch Rocky Horror! 

Guest Review: The Secret Of Orchard Cottage by Alex Brown

So I wasn't as much of a fan of Tindledale & its residents as my mum was so that is why the review of this third book in the series is from her!

April Wilson is wondering what to do next – her life has been turned upside down after the loss of her husband so she’s hoping to piece herself together again with a visit to her elderly great aunt, Edith. 
Arriving in the rural idyll of Tindledale, she’s dismayed to find Edith’s cottage and the orchard behind it in a sorry state of disrepair. Edith seems to have lost interest completely, instead she’s become desperate to find out what happened to her sister, Winnie, who disappeared during WWII.April gets to work immediately, discovering that the orchard still delivers a bumper crop each year, and with the help of some of the villagers – including Matt, the enigmatic Farrier – begins to unravel the mystery of the missing Winnie. Slowly, April can feel things coming to life again – but can Orchard Cottage work its magic on her too?

Review: This is the latest in a series of books by Alex Brown set in the village of Tindledale. However, even if you haven't read the others in the series it shouldn't spoil your enjoyment of this story, although it might make you want to go back and catch up with some of the interesting characters in earlier tales.

The central character in this book is April Wilson, who has relatively recently lost her dear husband to a long and debilitating disease and is finding life very difficult. Her stepdaughter, Nancy, finally convinces April to go and visit her great aunt Edie, who lives in Orchard Cottage in the picturesque and remote village of Tindledale. April spent many childhood summers in the village and is looking forward to returning. However, her visit lasts a lot longer than planned, as she deals with problems that have arisen due to her great aunt's deteriorating mental and physical state. Although this and having to solve the mystery of the fate of another family member she never knew existed are at times distressing, the cottage and the village as a whole gradually work their magic on April, and as she unravels everything, she comes back to life too.

This story deals with some serious matters, but still manages to leave you feeling positive and happy. Some of the zany village characters that we met in earlier books about Tindledale are there again, as well as some new ones. It certainly sounds an interesting village to visit, assuming you can find it of course. 

To get yourself a copy, just click here...

Guest Review: Christmas Under A Cranberry Sky by Holly Martin

This year spend a wonderful Christmas on Juniper Island, where love can melt even the iciest of hearts… 

Piper Chesterfield lives a glamorous life travelling the world and reviewing the finest hotels. She calls nowhere home, she works alone and that’s how she likes it. For long ago Piper decided that to protect her heart she should lock it away. 

So when Piper’s next assignment brings her to the newly opened Stardust Lake Hotel for the festive season, the last person she expects to face isGabe Whitaker, the man who broke her heart so completely she could never love again. 

But Piper isn’t the only one who has been frozen in time by heartbreak. Gabe hasn’t forgotten the golden-eyed girl who disappeared from his world without a trace. 

Now fate has reunited them on Juniper island, can the magic of Christmas heal old wounds? And can this enchanting town be the one place Piper can finally call home? 

Curl up with this gorgeously romantic tale and let the glistening snow and the roaring fires of Stardust Lake Hotel get you in the festive spirit this Christmas. 

Review: I really enjoy Holly Martin's books and was excited to see that there were not one but two Christmas stories from her this year. Once I got started on this one, I finished it in no time at all, as it was easy to read but not so easy to put down. Her previous books that I have read have all been set in the south of England, in the town of White Cliff Bay, but this is set in the Shetland Isles.

The main characters are Piper (Pip for short) Chesterfield and Gabe Whitaker, both of them lovely people. Piper has been working as a mystery guest, reviewing hotels for a magazine and moving from one job to the next for 10 years without a break. She decides to take a 6-month sabbatical, but her last job, at the brand new Stardust Lake Hotel on Juniper Island has her stepping right into a past that she has tried to forget. At the hotel, she becomes reacquainted with childhood friend Gabe, who is now a widower with a charming four-year-old daughter, Wren, and is the hotel owner. Gabe's brother and sister are also involved in the running of the hotel.

The island itself is basically a Christmas holiday resort that Gabe has spent a lot of time and money developing. It sounds absolutely idyllic; he has covered all angles to make sure that it will appeal to guests the whole year around. The entire population of the island is involved in the business in some way or another. The only negative influence is a small group of Shetland ponies, who are constantly up to mischief it seems.

I really enjoyed this story. The descriptions of the island Christmas resort had me longing to be able to go and spend the holidays there. I loved that the whole island was involved in the venture, with craft shops in addition to the main complex. Gabe has even built special units where guests have a clear view of the stars at night, and the Northern lights when they are visible. Holly has really used her imagination in building this resort to appeal to everyone. Even the mode of transport by which visitors reach the island is fantastic. The next book, Christmas Under a Starlit Sky, to be published soon, takes up the story of Gabe's sister, Neve. I can't wait to read it!

Review: Thirtynothing by Lisa Jewell

Ever wondered what happened to your first love?

Imagine bumping into them twelve years later and realizing you still fancy them rotten. That's exactly what happens to Dig Ryan when he sees Delilah again.

Now imagine you're Nadine. You and Dig have been best friends for fifteen years. And you've finally realized that you're in love with him. So when Delilah - who always was your nemesis - returns, you're mad with jealousy and can't help behaving childishly. Like phoning your first love Phil - just to get your own back ...

Thirtynothing is a story of ex-boyfriends, ex-girlfriends and friends dabbling with yesterday when they really should be thinking about today.

Review: aww it was so nice to be reading some Lisa Jewell again. This is one author where I haven't managed to catch up with her back catalogue yet and so I find myself downloading the audio books of the older novels, or even the ones I have on my shelf waiting to be read, and I absolutely devour them! I loved the fact that I could hear this author's voice even in one of her earlier books, as this is one of my favourite authors, it was reassuring to see that her voice hasn't changed much over the years, even if the kind of novels she writes are now worthy of being part of the Richard and Judy book club!

Dig and Delilah are classic characters. They were once exceptional friends and this could have developed into something more that developed over time and as they grew up, but didn't. There are so many many misunderstandings in this book and this is the major linchpin around which the story takes place. I loved their story. I loved hearing about where they are now and how they used to be then. I particularly like that fact that we get to see things from both of their points of view-I love when a book gives me the opportunity to do that. There are twists and turns a-plenty in this novel and nothing is ever as it seems. There is also some real love and some real drama. There were a couple of painful scenes that I found either difficult to take or found myself deeply cringing as I read them.

I like that fact that we have these two characters as our main subjects. Delilah is a classic female over analyser and worrier. She is brilliant because she really sin't sure what she wants when it comes to life, or when it comes to men but she really knows what she doesn't want. This makes her totally relatable and I really wanted to be able to jump into the book and offer her some advice! Dig is also someone I would have liked to have given a good talking too but in a sit down and listen kind of way. He has his life a little more sorted but it still hung up on a fantasy from hsi younger years that he doesn't seem to realise will never come to fruition. He provides a lot of comedy moments in the book and these come right from the opening chapter so be prepared to laugh and gasp along with Dig's antics!

I so enjoyed this book and it was great to go back and read something that I'd wanted to for a long time! I like the fact that Lisa Jewell has combined real life drama and love with real comedy and OMG moments. Her writing makes sense and is totally relatable whilst still offering some escapism and a world to really get lost in. If, like me, you have some Lisa Jewell back catalogue to catch up on then what are you waiting for?

Review: Summer at Shell Cottage by Lucy Diamond

A seaside holiday at Shell Cottage in Devon has always been the perfect escape for the Tarrant family. Beach fun, barbecues and warm summer evenings with a cocktail or two - who could ask for more?

But this year, everything has changed. Following her husband's recent death, Olivia is struggling to pick up the pieces. Then she makes a shocking discovery that turns her world upside down.

As a busy mum and GP, Freya's used to having her hands full, but a bad day at work has put her career in jeopardy and now she's really feeling the pressure.

Harriet's looking forward to a break with her lovely husband Robert and teenage daughter Molly. But unknown to Harriet, Robert is hiding a secret - and so, for that matter, is Molly . . .




Review: this book is actually quite different from what i expected it to be. Now that isn't always a bad thing and as soon as i got a decent way through this fab novel, I forgot all about what I expected it to be and just enjoyed it for what it was. I really enjoyed this book, as I have every other Lucy Diamond book, and its a wonderful summer release because it just makes you feel like getting away from it all, somewhere for a few days in the UK, perhaps with family, perhaps not. If you can't however, this book will do the trick for you!

The characters in this book were a lot older than I expected them to be. Olivia, the main character and the matriarch of this novel, is a grandmother for instance and the other two main storylines in the book revolve around other mothers. This surprised me initially but overall., it brought the book together nicely and made sure that everything in the book came back to itself. I thought the various storylines running throughout the book were all equally entertaining. I was shocked by a few of the revelations and I particularly enjoyed the drama surrounding young Molly's storyline, that one made me gasp over my breakfast I can tell you!

I can't say i related particularly to Olivia's character, I enjoyed her storyline but I felt she was a little to successful for me to relate to. The two younger women in the novel, and the teenager in question, I got on with a lot more. I really liked the stories they had to tell and the way they were told through the events in the book. Both Freya and Harriet had a lot to cope with., I thought initially that I wouldn't like Freya, because of what she was dealing with but I found myself really championing her in the end!

One of the nicest things about this novel was the relationship between the women in the book, young and old, family and not and even those forged between people who really shouldn't be friends (there is more than one of these in this book!) and that's what really made it for me. Overall it was just a lovely read. A summer setting, strong family values and most definitely girl-power. If this is your first Lucy Diamond novel, you're in for a treat and if it isn't, then the magic is definitely still there is Lucy's latest book. Get your summer reading started with this book!