Guest Review: Snow is Falling by Sarah Bennett

When Sadie Bingham’s life takes an unexpected turn, her children treat her to a well-earned break at Juniper Meadows, the gorgeous Cotswolds estate owned by the Travers family.

The festive season is in full swing, and Sadie throws herself into the packed Twelve Days of Christmas programme, relishing the opportunity to make new friends and new memories.

Single father Dylan Travers hasn’t been to his childhood home of Juniper Meadows for decades. Estranged from his cantankerous father Monty, he has made a happy life for himself in the States. But now with teenage children keen to know more about their roots, Dylan has brought them back to the Cotswolds to meet his family.

As Sadie and Dylan both navigate a Christmas very different from the ones they had expected it's soon clear that, geography apart, they have a great deal in common. And as Dylan confronts his past and Sadie contemplates her future, perhaps the miracle of this Christmas will be the happily-ever-after they both deserve.

This is the fourth, and final, book in the Juniper Meadows series from this author, and as the title suggests it is a lovely Christmassy story to wrap up the series. The stories in this series are set in the Cotswolds, on the Juniper Meadows estate where the Travers family have lived for centuries. The Manor House has been converted into a luxury hotel and spa and most of the extended family, all of whom are involved in running the various activities on the estate, now live in the large farmhouse. Each of the books has focused particularly on one member of the family. Luckily, the author has included a character list at the beginning of this book, which I found very useful as I read along. While each of the books can be read as a standalone, I would recommend reading each in turn as the collection makes a most enjoyable family saga.

This story centres on Dylan Travers, who has been estranged from the rest of the family after an unfortunate incident many years ago. He has been living in Florida for a long time, his ex-wife and children close at hand. His teen-aged children, Theo and Avery, have persuaded him to take them to stay at Juniper Meadows for their Twelve Days of Christmas holiday programme. While there, they meet Sadie Bingham, whose grow-nup children have gifted her the holiday. As the days go by, Dylan and his children grow closer to Sadie as they enjoy their stay at Juniper Meadows. Initially unsure of his feelings, Dylan also enjoys reuniting with the rest of the Travers family. However, at the end of the holiday, he and Sadie wonder what the future holds for them as they face returning to their lives so far apart.

It was great to return to Juniper Meadows and the amazing Travers family. This series has been so good that I have found myself waiting with anticipation for the each successive part to be released. Now I find myself wishing I could be joining in their wonderful festive programme. I was wondering which family member would be the focus of this book. It was a bonus to find that Dylan came with two wonderful children and that they invited Sadie, another loveable character, into their group. I am sure that anyone reading this book can’t fail to feel full of Christmas spirit by the end. I am going to miss Juniper Meadows and all the characters gathered there; I may well be returning to reread the books in the future.

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Guest Review: The Best is Yet to Come by Jessica Redland

Emma is having a fresh start.

After a successful teaching career, an exciting new chapter awaits Emma – helping her fiancé Grayson run one of Beatrix Potter's farms. While imagining days spent supporting Grayson with his dream, working the land and helping with the animals, Emma harvests a dream of her own – to set up an alpaca-walking business around the farm.

But working together isn’t as easy as Emma expected. Soon her dreams are in tatters and, broken-hearted, she must start over yet again.

When Oliver, Rosie and the team at Willowdale Hall welcome Emma with open arms, she can't believe her luck. But starting a new business in a new place is a daunting prospect, especially when it comes with unexpected obstacles. With a reserved, prickly groundskeeper as a partner, rapidly changing family dynamics to contend with, and time running out to get her new career off the ground, Emma may have bitten off more than she can chew.

But even though things are not going to plan just yet, the best is yet to come for Emma, if she can just take a leap of faith and follow her heart...

Review: This is the third book in Jessica Redland’s Escape to the Lakes series, a collection of stories set in the beautiful Lake District. Having enjoyed the previous books in the series, I am looking forward to meeting up again with the characters I got to know in those stories. Each book in the series is a standalone, but I would recommend reading them in order to get full enjoyment. I love the bright and colourful covers of this series of books, and I think this is the best so far. It certainly gives a big clue as to what might happen in the story.

The central character in this story is Emma, who is leaving behind her long and happy career in teaching to join her fiancé in his dream job of running one of Beatrix Potter’s tenant farms in the Lake District. Looking for a new start for herself, Emma decides to set up an alpaca walking business based on the farm. However, before long, she finds herself homeless and broken-hearted as her fiancé decides to go it alone. Luckily, she has the support of a wonderful family and her long time best friend, and with their help she is able to establish her business at Willowdale Hall, home of her half-brother Oliver and his girlfriend Rosie. The only drawback is that she must work with handyman Killian, who at first seemed unfriendly and unapproachable, to set up a home for her alpaca herd. However, as Emma deals with family upsets and pressures of timing, she realises that Killian is not the gruff individual she suspected, but someone who could help and encourage her to achieve her dreams.

This is a wonderful addition to the Escape to the Lakes series of books and I recommend both this book and the entire series to other readers. The characters have their ups and downs just as in real life but there is a message of hope throughout. The settings, both at the farm Emma briefly shared with her fiancé and at Willowdale Hall, are of course idyllic; the writing easily conjured up the majestic scenery in my mind. Emma is an interesting character, not easily daunted by events in her past or present. I felt for her as she was certainly unlucky in love, having been in long-term relationships with men who were not as they seemed. I was hoping that she might have more luck with the lovely Killian, and look forward to hearing more about him in future books in this series. I loved the way in which Emma was supported by her extended family and, particularly, her loyal friend Rachael, who were always ready to rally round and help in any way they could. This story is definitely a must for anyone who, like me, is fascinated by alpacas. Emma’s herd plays a big part in the story, and the author has included lots of information about alpacas as Emma learns how to look after them. I am already looking forward to the next book in this series and hoping to meet up with the gorgeous alpacas again.

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Guest Review: Winter Magic on Railway Lane by Alison Sherlock

Globetrotting Libby Jacobs has lost her job but is looking forward to spending more time in her home village of Cranfield.

She dreams of turning her chocolate making hobby into something more permanent. There’s only one problem - Ethan Connolly.

Despite being soul mates growing up, Libby hasn’t been close to Ethan since their disastrous date at the school prom. But now he’s back and he has just what Libby needs… a large kitchen! But can they even bear to be in the same room together?

Ethan never stays in Cranfield too long as it reminds him of his parents’ terrible marriage. But when disaster strikes, he’s forced to stay and help realise his grandad’s dream of a Christmas train. Can the whole village help Ethan create a seasonal spectacular in time?

Can Libby confront her secrets and realise her dreams?

And can Ethan ever stop running from his past and trust his heart?

Perhaps the magic of winter on Railway Lane might just give Libby and Ethan a second chance after all...

Review: This is the fourth, and final, book in the Railway Lane Series from Alison Sherlock. The books in this series are set in the small village of Cranfield and concern events in the lives of some of its inhabitants. The village was adversely affected by the closure of its station many years ago, but thanks mainly to the characters in these stories, new life is gradually being breathed into it. I have enjoyed watching its development in previous books and am looking forward to seeing what is to come in this new addition to the series.

This story focuses on Libby Jacobs and Ethan Connolly, both born and bred in Cranfield. In their youth they were inseparable, until a disastrous date on prom night, after which both followed careers which took them away from the village for most of the time. When Libby loses her job, she decides to try to make a living out of her chocolate making hobby. Scaling up the process means she needs a larger kitchen, and the only one available unfortunately belongs to Ethan, who is between contracts and unusually living in the village for a few months. Sharing the kitchen is not as difficult as the pair feared, but when Ethan’s grandad falls ill, it looks as though Ethan may have to stay longer than planned. In fact, the whole village is brought together in spectacular fashion when Ethan decides to make his grandad’s dream come true and resurrect the Christmas train which used to run from the station. In the midst of the preparations, can Libby and Ethan forget the past and admit their feelings for one another.

This was a wonderful final chapter in this series. Libby and Ethan have featured in all of the other parts, but in minor roles, and there has always been the mystery about why they disliked each other. I was pleased to find out what had happened in their past and was willing them to get together throughout this book. Once again, through Ethan’s determination to get the Christmas train up and running for his grandad, the reader sees the power of community, which is always evident in stories about Cranfield, and which has turned the village around as the series progressed. It has been heart warming to witness developments as new characters have been introduced to the area and the village has gradually woken up. I shall certainly miss all of the villagers who have become like friends as I read each successive book. I can heartily recommend this book and the whole series to anyone wishing to escape to this little village for a few hours.

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Guest Review: Irresponsible Adult by Lucy Dillon

Sisters Cleo and Robyn may be close in age but their attitudes to life could not be further apart. While Cleo's a fully-fledged adult with a family, a business and a signature scent, Robyn is still waiting for the instruction manual to Adult Life and success is keeping her houseplant alive. Skating by at her job as an estate agent, she's adept at avoiding housework, ignoring admin, and evading her mother's anxious questions about her love life. But then Robyn's fired in the most publicly humiliating way imaginable - and her chaos catches up with her.

Although Cleo steps in to give Robyn a temporary job in her cleaning firm, it comes with very firm instructions: Robyn must BEHAVE RESPONSIBLY. And that includes meeting the high standards of Jim, her enigmatic supervisor. But when Robyn learns to navigate the catastrophic kitchens and judgemental dogs of total strangers she learns some unexpected truths about her own messy world. No one's life is spotless...

Review: I always know that I can look forward to a great read when I pick up a book by Lucy Dillon. This one certainly has an intriguing title and I was looking forward to seeing where it was going to take me. I was amused by the cover, but its message soon became clear once I met the lady depicted there. As I began to read, I was quickly absorbed into the lives of the main characters and was left wondering what their futures held long after I had finished the book.

The story introduces sisters Robyn and Cleo. Although from the same family, they couldn’t be more different from each other. Cleo is married with two children and a successful cleaning business. Estate agent Robyn, on the other hand, is messy and disorganised in her private and professional life and is constantly dodging her mother’s questions about her love life. When she is sacked in the most public and humiliating way, Robyn reluctantly accepts Cleo’s offer of a temporary cleaning job while she searches for something more suitable. Cleo wisely teams Robyn up with her best employee, Jim, who sets exacting standards for his new partner. As Robyn gradually learns the secrets for cleaning and tidying other people’s property, she thinks about how they apply to her life. She also unearths some unexpected things among the clutter in her home and some family secrets begin to be revealed.

I absolutely loved this book, with its strong characters, very amusing situations and messages for us all. Robyn was having a wonderful time to start with, floating along until suddenly life caught up with her and she had to grow up. It was funny watching her as she realised the meaning of organisation and responsibility as she had to do her job to a timetable and meet expectations. She learned some valuable lessons about herself and I found myself feeling happy that this knowledge was going to help her be OK in the future. Even though the sisters were so very different, there was a strong family vibe in the book and there was a lot going on within the family outwith Robyn’s development, adding other interesting threads to the story. A feature of the book that I really enjoyed was that each chapter begins with a cleaning tip, many of which I hadn’t heard before; I may just be referring back to some of these. This is definitely a book that I can recommend.

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Guest Review: Funny Story by Emily Henry

Daphne always loved the way Peter told their story.

That is until it became the prologue to his actual love story with his childhood bestie, Petra.

Which is how Daphne ends up rooming with her total opposite and the only person who could possibly understand her predicament: Petra's ex, Miles.

As expected, it’s not a match made in heaven – that is until one night, while tossing back tequilas, they form a plan.

And if it involves posting deliberately misleading photos of their adventures together, well, who could blame them?

But it’s all just for show, of course, because there’s no way Daphne would actually start her new chapter by falling in love with her ex-fiancé’s new fiancée’s ex . . . right?

Review: This is actually my first novel from Emily Henry and, having just finished listening to the audiobook and enjoyed the story, I’m not sure why. I think I may just be going back through some of her earlier books soon.

This story tells of how Daphne came to be flat sharing with Miles and how these people with nothing at all in common developed a relationship. When Daphne was informed by fiancé Peter that he was in love with someone else and gave her a week to leave his house, she was left heartbroken and with nowhere to live. She turned to Miles, whose fiancé, Petra, had been snaffled by Peter, and who, more importantly, had a spare bedroom going begging. Librarian Daphne and bartender Miles couldn’t be more different, but somehow they managed to get along and gradually become friends, plotting revenge against their exes. Soon they began enjoying time together, each showing the other new experiences. Could their unlikely friendship be turning into something more?

I absolutely loved this sometimes humorous, sometimes serious romance, filled with interesting, well-developed characters and surprising situations. The way in which the author brought together two very different people who then slowly began to understand each other was brilliant. I liked the way in which the story was told in relation to Daphne’s plan for leaving the town which she now hated behind. The change in Daphne as she began to realise how much her life had been shaped by her ex was truly heartwarming, as was the way in which Miles gradually opened up to reveal the real person underneath the persona. I recommend this book and hope that others will also enjoy it as an introduction to Emily Henry’s novels.

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Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Books From Series That I Loved

 

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. 

This was a real thinker for me, I think we definitely need to include trilogies in this but how do I even think about which my favourite is from some of my favourite series???

August 2024 TBR: New Releases and Other Audiobooks I Want To Read

August is usually a really good reading month for me because I have time at home that I don't usually have during term time but in actually fact I don't have an awful lot of time at home this August becasue I seem to have found myself here, there and everywhere this year! I do have a couple of longer flights this month where I may read some things and I also have some longer road trips where I may listen to some audiobooks so here's what I want to read this month!

August Releases (Both 1st August)

Leftovers from July!