Guest Review: Retreat to the Spanish Sun by Jo Thomas

Eliza has a full house! When her three children grew up and moved out, she downsized to a smaller property... but now they're all back. Every room in the house is taken and Eliza finds herself sharing her bed with her eldest daughter and her daughter's pug. Combined with the online course she's trying to finish, plus her job to fit in, there just isn't the peace and quiet that Eliza needs.

So when an ad pops up on her laptop saying 'house-sitters wanted', Eliza can't resist the chance to escape. She ends up moving to a rural finca in southern Spain, looking after the owner's Iberico pigs, learning about secret gastronomic societies... and finding a new zest for life and love along the way.

Review: I am a big fan of Jo Thomas books and look forward to finding out where her latest release will be taking me. There is always an interesting setting, some delicious fare and at least one romance on the go. The title of this book gives away the general location for the action, but I didn’t suspect that I was going to be given a lesson in production of a very specific food item in sunny Spain. 

The main female character in this story is Eliza, divorced mother of three who finds herself once again sharing her accommodation with her grown-up children who have returned home for various reasons having previously fled the nest. Having downsized after they all left the first time, Eliza is finding conditions difficult when she is also working from home and trying to study for a qualification. An agency advertising for house sitters seems an ideal solution to her problem. Before she knows it, she finds herself in southern Spain looking after not just a house, but also a herd of Iberico pigs and two large dogs on a finca while the owner is away for two weeks. However, her plan to use the time to do some work for her course is interrupted by a series of events as she also gets involved with the local village and the people there. There is also the fact that the owner of the finca, Josep, arrives home unexpectedly and the pair gradually develop a friendship. 

I found this book truly compelling reading from start to finish and can certainly recommend it. I really felt for Eliza as she tried to cope with the crowded conditions at home; it was definitely not what she was expecting when she moved to a smaller place after her divorce. A 2-week stay in a warm climate with time and peace to finish her course seemed like a dream, but she hadn’t counted on the need to learn all the ins and outs of Iberico pig rearing and the guarding of the valuable hams, never mind being drawn into the problems of a local village being smothered by its secret and exclusive gastronomic society. I was absolutely fascinated to learn all about these special pigs which Eliza took to her heart. As well as the animals, the book contains an interesting cast of human characters, including a group of ex-patriots supposedly trying to learn Spanish and some locals trying to make ends meet. The finca owner Josep was initially a rather unfriendly individual, but mellowed with time and I came to like him also. I think it is the sign of a good story that I missed all the characters once I had finished and would love to go back to the village and find out what happened next.

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

Review: A Wedding at Sandy Cove Part 2 (Stitched Up) by Bella Osborne

 Possible spoilers for part 1 if you have haven't read that yet...

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a bride in search of the perfect dress must be a total pain in the bum…

Wedding dress whisperer Ella is striking out on her own. After years of taking orders from the owner of the bridal shop where she worked, she will answer to no one.

Except the brides, that is.

Helping to make the dream of running her own business a reality is handsome builder Kit, the man she mistook for her blind date. But is it strictly professional between them or is there more behind Kit’s passion for this project than meets the eye?

But Ella doesn’t have too much time to dwell on matters of her own heart.

Because the hen weekend for her best friend Brittany has arrived.

Two full days of bridesmaids gone wild, coupled with juggling her demanding new set of Bridezilla clients may just push Ella to her limits…

The second instalment of this totally addictive summer read, full of laugh-out-loud moments, romance and friendship.

Review: Now part 1 of this series introduced us to the wonderful characters we were going to meet, in particular Elle and Laura but part 2 has a hen do so you know you’re in for a good time. 

I love the wedding aspect of this series and really exploring the ups and downs of your friends getting married and the madness that comes with it. I’m so excited to see what we get up on on the journey to the wedding in part 3 because this hen do had it all, let me tell you. I felt the stress that Laura and Elle had to go through and I felt their exasperation at the organisation of the whole thing!

This story also has an entrepreneurial side to it too though and we get to see Elle make moves to strike out on her own and start her own business in this instalment though. I love the fact that she ends up enlisting the help of builder Kit who we got to meet in episode 1 of this series because I knew I definitely wanted to see more of him. I think Elle feels like a lot of us when it comes to starting over again and being our own boss and I love how he helps her to make that a reality. 

There are also more dark time for Laura ahead. I love how much she only thinks with her head and not her heart but we get to see a softer side to her in this instalment and I really can’t wait to see where she goes on her journey. To be honest I could handle a whole book about just Laura alone. 

The other aspect of this story that I am really enjoying and really can’t wait to watch develop is Kit and Elle’s espionage against their parents. They had a lot of false starts in part 2 and so I hope they finally get some answers in part 3! I can't wait to read it!

To order your copy now, just click here!

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

To order the paperback of all 4 parts just click the link: UK or US

Top Ten Tuesday: Books With a Unit of Time in the Title

 

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. 

Love this one! I'm sure I've read more of these but here are a few to get us started. Let me know in comments which books with units of time you've read!

Review: A Mother's Heart by Carmel Harrington

 Before we dive into my review of this fabulous new book from Carmel Harrington, I have an interview with this author coming up on my channel on Thursday at 6pm BST. If you're reading this before then, you can set a reminder or if you're reading this after the interview I'll leave it below for you to watch!

Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand

While Rachel Butler likes her life in a pretty Dublin coastal village, her heart lies in Hawke’s Bay, where she grew up. Visiting for the first time since tragedy tore her family apart, she and her stepchildren fall for its beauty and outdoor lifestyle.

Malahide, Ireland

As Rachel picks up the threads of her life as a single parent, she can’t shake off the memories of her loving family in New Zealand – and her dream house, the villa on the bay. But it’s time to move forwards with their life in Ireland, close to the children’s grandparents, amid the familiar surroundings they all know well.

Until the children’s grandmother, still grieving, starts to interfere, questioning Rachel's position as stepmother.

Until Rachel’s attempts to strengthen the family she loves so dearly backfires, pitting everyone against each other.

And until her late husband’s parents mend the rift that has existed as long as she’s been married – bringing with them an explosive secret . . .

Review: I listened to this book on audio and the narration was excellent!

I just love the many meanings hidden in the title of this book. A Mother’s Heart. Rachel is a mother and she is our main mother that we follow in this book but then there is the mother of Olivia and Dylan whom Rachel has recently adopted. Then there are 3 grandmothers all with concern for their own children as well as their grandchildren. Finally we have Rachel’s sister who is yearning to be a mother too. The stories of all 6 of these mothers are woven together so beautifully in the way that Carmel Harrington knows how to do so cleverly.

The wonderful thing about this book is that we get to hear about and from all of the mothers in question over the course of this novel. We get to hear from them and therefore each and everyone of them gets our sympathy as a reader and probably if you are a mother yourself then your empathy too. I love a book with multiple narratives and this writer does that so well. Just when you think you’re about to make a breakthrough with a character or someone reveals something in their life, we switch direction and you hear from someone else. This makes for an excellent page turner though!

Not only does this book have multiple points of view but it also has multiple locations. This is another thing that I loved about Carmel Harrington’s previous novel. Switching between New Zealand and Ireland is quite a contrast but both settings are written so well they both feel like home. Switching settings also allowed some of the tension to diffuse between some of these mothers and I think I was as grateful as Rachel in some instances to get away from things and have a change of scenery. 

Rachel is definitely the star of the show in this book. She is instantly relatable and easy to empathise with because she goes about her life in such a considered and caring way. She loves her step children and she has done the very best for them the entire time she has been in their lives. Everything she does outs them first but she is so torn after tragedy has followed her and affected her so many times. Whilst this may not sound like the most appealing concept to deal with in a novel, it is the way that Rachel deals with this stress and the tragedies that face her that is the uplifting thing about this book and what endears her as a character. I am sure that she will touch many hearts and that this novel will bring hope and joy to many people.

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

June 2022 TBR: New Releases, Audiobooks and an Author Interview!

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Guest Review: The House Swap by Jo Lovett

Island house off coast of Maine, with private beach, sea views and the occasional farmyard animal, seeks super swanky Central London penthouse overlooking Holland Park, complete with concierge service and spurned ex-lovers…

When thirty-somethings Cassie and James find each other on a home swap website, it feels meant to be. City hotshot James needs a bolthole after a relationship goes sour and Cassie needs to leave the comfort of her little island to research her new book.

Soon, James is living in Cassie’s cute but ramshackle beachside cottage, and Cassie’s living in James’s luxurious London apartment. It’s the perfect solution.

Except James didn’t imagine he’d be sharing his home with eleven chickens and three alpacas, not to mention the unusually friendly neighbours, who seem to find any excuse to drop by. And Cassie is less than impressed when James’s ex-girlfriend turns up at his door, demanding to know where he’s gone.

The more Cassie and James talk, the more the tension between them mounts. But as the insults fly so do the sparks, and when the time finally comes to swap back, Cassie and James find they aren’t quite ready to give each other up.

But there’s more than just distance between them – and when Cassie makes a surprising discovery, the pair are forced to confront their feelings and decide what kind of life they really want.

Review: Jo Lovett is a new author to me. I saw this book on my local library’s website and liked the sound of it, so I borrowed the audiobook. The premise sounded reminiscent of the film The Holiday, which is one of my must-watch films for the festive season. I’m so glad that I did borrow it, because I was instantly hooked by the story and the characters. It took me no time at all to finish because I was so immersed in the world that the author had created.

The main characters in the story are Cassie and James. Cassie is originally from Glasgow, but now lives on a small island off the coast of Maine, where she keeps alpacas and chickens and writes children’s books. Business man James lives in a luxurious apartment in central London and has a concierge service on hand to provide him with his every need. When Cassie needs somewhere to live in London for a few months and James needs to get away from the city for a while, they find each other’s homes on a house swapping website and decide that this seems an ideal solution. The problem is that neither of them is quite prepared for what they find, and there are more than a few heated texts and phone calls across the Atlantic. However, as time passes, the situation calms down and the pair find that they can actually enjoy talking to each other and that they will miss this when the swap ends. When Cassie subsequently has to make a business trip to London, she even meets up with James. However, she makes a startling discovery once she returns home that will change both of their lives forever.

Oh I did enjoy this wonderful romcom! It had me laughing out loud and completely drawn into Cassie and James’s world. I loved both of the central characters, but also their respective friends and neighbours. The change in James after he had been living on the island for a while was particularly heart-warming. It is not all comedy; both Cassie and James have some serious issues, which are dealt with sensitively by the author. I was attracted to both of their homes, but I could absolutely enjoy living on Cassie’s island with her animals, the sea at the door and some very interesting neighbours, to say nothing of the social events organised by the community. This is definitely a book that I would recommend to anyone wishing to escape from the pressures of the real world for a while. I personally shall be looking out for more books from Jo Lovett.

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

June 2022 TBR-What Will I Be Reading This Pride Month?

 June reading actually started at the end of May for me because I knew I was goingf away on a trip and wanted to read on the plane without having to faff around with putting one thing in one month and one in another so I will actually have an extra long reading month this June! June is also pride month and there's one big release I'm very excited for so let's dive right in...

Let's start with some May releases I didn't get to...

Then there's the QuickReads I didn't get to in May...

And finally, some June releases. 

I would also like to read some fabulous pride-filled books but I'll just have to see which audiobooks come my way!