Thursday, 8 April 2021
Wednesday, 7 April 2021
Guest Review: Chasing the Italian Dream by Jo Thomas
A summer escape she'll never forget . . .
Lucia has worked hard as a lawyer in Wales, aiming for a big promotion she hopes will shortly come her way. Finally taking a well-earned break at her grandparents' house in southern Italy, the sunshine, lemon trees and her nonna's mouth-watering cooking make her instantly feel at home.
But she's shocked to learn that her grandfather is retiring from the beloved family pizzeria and will need to sell. Lucia can't bear the thought of the place changing hands - especially when she discovers her not-quite-ex-husband Giacomo wants to take it over!
Then bad news from home forces Lucia to re-evaluate what she wants from life. Is this her chance to carry on the family tradition and finally follow her dreams?
Review: As a firm fan of Jo Thomas’s books, I was very much looking forward to this new offering. I knew from the book’s title and evocative cover that I would be off for a glorious trip to Italy and, from past experience, that there would be some mouthwatering descriptions of food along the way. I was proved right; the story had me transfixed from the word go up to the very last page.
When Lucia arrives for her annual holiday at her grandparents’ home in southern Italy, she is dismayed to find that her grandfather is about to retire and is planning to hand over his beloved and well respected restaurant to her estranged husband, Giacomo. As she realises that the career path she has been following as a lawyer is actually not what she wants in life, and that she would like to take over the pizzeria herself, she has to find a way to convince her grandfather that she is capable of doing just that. She has learned to cook at her grandmother’s side and helped in the restaurant over the years, but a major worry is that a female pizzaiola (master pizza-maker) will not be accepted by the traditionalist customers. As Lucia sets out to follow her heart and prove the doubters wrong, she must also learn to work alongside Giacomo and examine what went wrong with their marriage.
This is a fantastic story of family, friendship, love and tradition that I have enjoyed reading and was sorry to finish. Along with Lucia, I was instantly transported to sun-soaked Italy and could smell pizza all the way through the book. I would defy anyone to read this book and not be craving pizza at some point, although I was not too sure about some of the innovations in toppings being suggested by Giacomo! Throughout the story, there is a strong message about the importance of women in the family and in business, and that they are well able to fill roles traditionally left to men. As with any of Jo Thomas’s books that I have read, I can throughly recommend this one to other readers. It is an excellent read, not just for summer, but will lift the spirit at any time of year.
To order your copy now, just click the link: UK or US
Tuesday, 6 April 2021
Guest Review: Date With Deceit by Julia Chapman
Julia Chapman’s sixth Dales Detective Agency novel, Date with Deceit, sees Delilah going undercover at a shoot involving dangerous criminals. Perfect for fans of Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club and M.C. Beaton.
A woman in tears in the Dales Detective Agency is never the best way to start the week. But when that woman is the wife of Bernard Taylor, town mayor and eminent businessman, there is even more cause for alarm. So when Nancy Taylor asks the detectives to investigate whether her husband is having an affair, Samson O’Brien and Delilah Metcalfe know they will have to tread carefully.
The case, however, proves to be more complex than even they had imagined. While Delilah is undercover at a local shoot to better keep tabs on the errant husband, she is on the scene for a fatal incident that sends the town into turmoil. Soon the detective duo are embroiled in a far more serious investigation than mere infidelity as they discover that deceit is rife in Bruncliffe. And it may well prove deadly . . .
Review: This is the sixth book in the Dales Detective Series by Julia Chapman. All these books are set in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales in and around the town of Bruncliffe, and feature Samson O’Brien, owner of the Dales Detective Agency, and Delilah Metcalfe, owner of the Dales Dating Agency, who frequently work together to solve cases. I have been a fan of these books since the very first one and always look forward to the next as soon as I finish the current story. The attractive covers of these books always give a flavour of the story that lies within, this one being no exception. As usual with a series, there are many recurring characters and references to previous events in these books, but each could be read as a standalone.
This particular story begins with the wife of the Bruncliffe mayor asking Samson to look into the comings and goings of her husband, who she suspects may be having an affair. However, such a seemingly simple request leads both Samson and Delilah into a very dangerous case. The mayor is involved in something far more sinister than his wife suspects, in partnership with local property developer Rick Procter and some very dangerous people from further afield. When a fatality occurs at a local shoot, the detectives become involved in the investigation. Was it accident, suicide or murder? Some very clever sleuthing is required if innocent people suspected of involvement in the death are to be cleared.
This was a very enjoyable book that kept me guessing all the way through. I can certainly recommend it, and indeed the whole series, to readers who enjoy a mystery in a picturesque setting. Here, the main storyline is accompanied by many incidents involving other residents of Bruncliffe who will be familiar to fans of the series and of course Tolpuddle, Delilah’s faithful Weimaraner, adding extra interest and often a touch of comedy. It is good to see that Delilah’s dating agency is doing well, but not at all encouraging that Samson’s past seems to be catching up with him. Just when I thought that everything was nicely tied up, and there may even be romance in the air, the book ended on a cliffhanger - skilful writing, but now I’m itching to find out what happens in book 7!
Monday, 5 April 2021
March 2021 Reading Wrap Up
So March was a challenging month, there's no point in sugar coating the fact that this had an effect on my reading this month and so whilst I did read most of the books on my TBR I didn't meet some of the books that I held myself to in my own mind...
I took part in the kindle clear out readathon and you can watch that vlog linked below. It was mostly a success but I did extend into the second weekend that wasn't technically part of the readathon.
As always I will break my reading down into ebooks, audiobooks and physical books and leave links to any reviews I have already posted or book vs movie videos I have made.
Ebooks
Physical Books
Audiobooks
This Month's Videos...
Thursday, 1 April 2021
April 2021 TBR (New Book Releases and Reading Plans)
Ok this TBR is going to be a really loose one with some general reading plans. I have really enjoyed picking back catalogue titles from my shelves and also really loved the Kindle clear out readathon last month so I'm going to have some April releases that I will definitely read and then some choices from my real and my virtual shelves to choose from as well.
April Releases
April 29th
Buzzwordathon-Space/Galaxy Terms
Other Books I Will Choose From
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