March 2022 TBR: New Book Releases & Other Audiobooks To Be Read

 How is it March already? Where did February go? Will I actually get to any books in March?

All very vaid questions the way my year has been going, busy and hectic is a bit of an undertstaement and I'm just not sure what March will be like since its a busy busy time at work BUT there are March releases I want to read and some audiobooks I have on my phone that want listening to so I will share my March reading plans and then we'll get together again for my monthly wrap up and see how it all went!

March Releases

This one comes out on June 1st in the UK but the US audiobook comes out on March 1st so I'll be listening to this one soon. 

March 3rd

March 3rd

March 3rd

March 10th

March 15th

March 17th

April Releases

April 14th

April 14th

Other Audiobooks

Guest Review: The Hidden Beach by Karen Swan

Two’s a love story. Three’s a crowd.

In Stockholm’s oldest quarter, Bell Everhurst loves her job working as a nanny for the rich and charming Hanna and Max Mogert, caring for their three children.

But one morning, everything changes. A woman from a clinic Bell has never heard of asks her to pass on the message that Hanna’s husband is awake. But the man isn’t Max.

As the truth about Hanna’s past is revealed, the consequences are devastating. As the family heads off to spend their summer on Sweden’s idyllic islands, will Bell be caught in the crossfire?

Review: I have read very few books by this author, but was attracted by the title and cover of this one, and very much intrigued upon reading the synopsis. It is set in Sweden, a country I have visited once and I looked forward to visiting again in this story that features the stunning archipelagos off the coast, where many people spend their summer.

The story centres upon the Mogert family (Max, Hanna, 9-year-old Linus and 3-year-old twins Tilde and Elise) and their English nanny Bell, who live in Stockholm. Thanks to Bell, all runs smoothly in the busy household. Everything changes, however, when Bell answers a telephone call from a doctor leaving an urgent message for Hanna telling her that her husband, Emil, has woken up. Bell is confused by this information: surely Max is Hanna’s husband and she just saw him a few minutes ago. However, it appears that Hanna is not confused, and this news heralds a whole series of events that threatens to change the lives of Bell and the family forever.

I absolutely loved this book and can highly recommend it. It is one of those books that I really did not want to put down, so involved was I in the drama and mystery of the story. I am not going to go into too much detail since I wouldn’t want to risk spoiling the story for other readers. I will say that the book is beautifully written, drawing the reader into the world of the characters on the page. There are some almost heartbreaking moments, but also some romance. The marvellously well-described settings had me dreaming of a sunny beach holiday. This is definitely a book that would make a perfect summer read.

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

Book Haul: New Books, Graphic Novels & Exciting Audiobook Pre-orders!

via IFTTT

Guest Review: Should I Tell You? by Jill Mansell

Amber, Lachlan and Raffaele met as teenagers in the Cornish seaside home of kind-hearted foster parents. Years on, the bond between them is unbreakable

But Amber has a secret. She's in love with Lachlan. She can't tell him, because that would never work - he's definitely not the settling-down type. Surely it's better to keep him as a friend than to risk losing him for good?

Raffaele has his own dilemma. He had the dream girlfriend in Vee, until it all went horribly wrong . . . and he still can't understand why. Is Vee hiding something from him?

Now their widowed foster dad Teddy has found new love. Younger, charming and beautiful, Olga seems perfect. But is she? Or will she break Teddy's fragile heart?

Against a backdrop of sparkling seas and sunny skies, the unexpected is always just around the corner. Welcome to Lanrock!

Review: I have yet to read a story from Jill Mansell that I did not enjoy, so I was looking forward to the release of her book for 2022. I bought the audiobook as soon as possible and was immediately absorbed in the story. The setting is a lovely Cornish seaside town; a map of that town showing some key locations is included at the beginning of the book, a feature that I always enjoy. 

The story concerns three people who met as teenagers when they were fostered by a caring couple, Teddy and May, living in the small seaside town of Lanrock. Sadly, May has since died, but the three she cared for have stayed firm friends with each other and with Teddy. Amber owns a stained glass studio in the town, chef Lachlan has a restaurant there and celebrity hairdresser Raffaele has a salon round the corner. All is not as peaceful as it seems in their lives. Amber is hiding her love for Lachlan for fear of spoiling the dynamic among the friends, Lachlan also has hidden feelings for her, Raffaele is worried about the behaviour of one-time partner Vee, and all three are worried about Teddy, who has turned up with a new, younger girlfriend, Olga. Amber, Lachlan and Raffaele are concerned that Olga may have ulterior motives for the attention she is giving Teddy.

This is a lovely story of family, friendship and romance, told with Jill Mansell’s usual warmth. The characters are all well developed and believable, with their own stories and their own secrets. As well as the central characters, there are many others in the story, some of whom also have a major part to play in the overall tale. Of course, since there is a chef amongst the cast, there is mention of some mouthwatering dishes as well. The setting for the book sounds like the kind of place we would all like to visit and stay awhile, with the sea on the doorstep and some interesting places to explore. I’m sure that other readers will enjoy this book as much as I have.

I must add that I had problems with the audio version of the book that I bought from Audible. Unfortunately, it was faulty in that there was a portion in the wrong place that contained a big spoiler, and another chapter had been missed out altogether. I was advised to download the book again for a fault-free version, which I did, but I was disappointed that the original version had spoiled my enjoyment of the story to a certain degree.

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

Movie Review: Belfast (Is This The Oscars 2022 Best Picture Winner?)

via IFTTT

Guest Review: The Farmhouse of Second Chances by Helen Rolfe

Home is where the heart is...

Joy has made a family for herself. She's turned her beautiful old farmhouse into a safe haven for anyone who is looking for a new beginning. She's always ready with a kind word, a nugget of advice and believes that anyone can change their life for the better, if they really want to.

Libby has exchanged her high-flying job in New York for a break in the quiet Somerset countryside. She's soon drawn into Joy's world and into her family of waifs and strays - including Drew, whom Joy once helped get back on his feet.

So when a secret from Joy's past threatens everything, can the unlikely group come together to give Joy a second chance of her own?

Review: This author is a firm favourite of mine; I have read and enjoyed most of her books. This one unusually took me a while to get into, but once it had me hooked, I finished it in no time and was glad that I had stuck with it. The book has a lovely setting on a farm in the peaceful Somerset countryside that is owned by an amazing woman. 

The story concerns Joy, who is living in The Old Dairy, a farmhouse on the edge of a Somerset village. Now approaching the age of 70, she has shared the farmhouse with many less fortunate young people she has met along the way, trying to help them deal with their problems and set them on a better path in the world. She inherited the house and adjoining land from a kindly couple who took her in and helped her once upon a time. She herself was disowned by her family; the reason for this is a secret that she has kept to herself for many years and which emerges gradually as the story progresses. The only family member who has kept in contact is her niece, Libby, who arrives from the USA for a visit out of the blue; she knows nothing of the drama which caused the family rift all those years ago. She soon fits into life in the farmhouse, and becomes drawn to Drew, one of the people given a second chance by Joy’s kindness, and now a local business owner. However, Joy’s secret suddenly threatens to disrupt everything when it becomes known by an unscrupulous character, and she suddenly needs saving herself.

I can highly recommend this heartwarming story of a caring woman, her adopted family and a wonderful community. I was interested to read the background stories of some of the people who Joy has helped over the years, and loved that many have stayed around to repay her kindness. The story is full of likeable characters, whether in Joy’s immediate ‘family’ or in the village. I enjoyed the way in which the story was arranged, with different chapters told from the perspective of Joy or Libby. You can almost feel Libby relaxing into the new environment in which she finds herself - a far cry from the hustle and bustle of New York and a high pressure job. The way in which Joy’s secret of why she was cast out from her family emerges is very clever. There are little hints as to what went on, but I could never have guessed at the whole truth; it was a sad and amazing story with many repercussions. Once again, a marvellous story from Helen Rolfe that I’m sure others will enjoy.

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

Top Ten Tuesday: Books Too Good to Review Properly (I have no words!)

  

    

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.

Ooo I like this list, sometimes it's so hard to do a book justice when you review it and sometimes its so hard to review without giving spoilers!