July 2022 TBR New Book Recommendations and Audiobooks For Road Trips

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July 2022 TBR New Releases and Audiobooks for Road Trips

So July is very busy at the start of the month with the end of the school term but then after that I should have a little more reading time. I also have a couple of road trips lined up and so I have already pre-ordered some audiobooks for those so yey!

July Releases

7th July

6th July

7th July

21st July

21st July

21st July

Leftover Quick Reads for 2022

Then the Penguin Random House Volumes App is going away very soon so I have some audiobooks from there that I would like to get to over the next 2 months before they disappear...

Movie Review: Did Lightyear Send Me To Infinity and Beyond?

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Top Ten Tuesday: Books on my Summer 2022 TBR

 

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. 

Summer is around the corner, 4 weeks left of term and August is within reach! You're getting a preview of my July and August TBR here-enjoy!

Guest Review: Chasing Dreams at Hedgehog Hollow by Jessica Redland

Samantha has a secret. Returning home from her dream honeymoon to the normality of running her beloved Hedgehog Hollow rescue centre, she's ready for the next chapter of her life with Josh. Or is she? Samantha is hiding something which could forever change the dreams they shared and bring their happy ever after crashing to the ground.

Lauren has given up on love. Twenty-six years ago the love of her life, Shaun, left her a note and was never seen again. Two painful divorces later she still can't face opening up to anyone. But little does Lauren know that the closure she's dreamt of for all these years may be closer than she thinks, and perhaps the only way to let new love in is to forgive and forget.

Samantha and Lauren will need the love and support from the Hedgehog Hollow family more than ever. After all, some dreams are worth chasing...

This is the fifth, and penultimate, book in this series, which follows the fortunes of Samantha and her hedgehog rescue centre, based at Hedgehog Hollow farm in the Yorkshire Wolds. I have been following the series from the start and eagerly looking forward to each new part. For those new to these stories, or as an aide memoir, this book begins with a list of recurring characters from previous parts, with details of where they fit into the series, and an explanation of the overall story so far. At the end of the book, there is information about hedgehogs and their care.

This book carries on from the last one, which culminated in the wedding of the two principal characters, Samantha and Josh. This story is told from the point of view of Samantha and Josh’s aunt, Lauren, different chapters being told from the perspective of one or other of them. Following the tragic breakdown of two marriages, Lauren shares her house with Samantha’s dad, who is now separated from his wife. As she begins to wonder if she might have feelings more than friendship for him, it looks as if he may be reuniting with Samantha’s mum. However, a chance for love appears from an unexpected direction, but is Lauren ready to trust another man? Samantha also has a decision to make. Is she ready to take the next step in her relationship with Josh; is there room in her life for the busy rescue centre and a family?

I have loved all the books in the Hedgehog Hollow series, and this one is no exception; I can highly recommend it to readers new to Jessica Redland as well as those familiar with these tales. The descriptions of the hedgehogs at Samantha’s rescue centre are amazing and make me realise how lucky I am to have these nightly spiky visitors to my garden. This story incorporated most of the characters from previous books in the series and I very much enjoyed catching up with them all. Samantha was, of course, one of the principal characters, but it was good to find Lauren coming to the fore. There were some painful and tear-jerking moments for her and some big surprises for the reader which had me, for one, gasping. I am looking forward to the next book in the series, but sad that it will be the last; knowing Jessica’s writing, I am sure that more than one character may appear in future books.

To order your copy now, just click here!

Live Interview with Carmel Harrington Author of A Mother's Heart

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Guest Review: An Island Wedding by Jenny Colgan

Olivia and Anthony are planning A Very Extravagant Wedding at the newest hotel on the tiny Scottish island of Mure. They're flying in chefs, musicians and something called a living flower wall... and no one is even allowed to think the word bridezilla.

Flora is trying - and failing - not to let Olivia and Anthony's wedding distract her from planning her own big day with Joel. But the couple have wildly different ideas about how to celebrate and somehow, just when their relationship should be plain sailing, everything is suddenly very hard indeed.

And then there's Lorna and Saif. The local headmistress and the GP desperately keeping their relationship a secret to protect his sons. But while they're looking out for the boys, who's looking out for them?

Three couples. One midsummer's night. Can everyone get their happy ever after?

Review: This is the latest book in a series following the fortunes of Flora MacKenzie and her family, who live on the tiny and remote Scottish island of Mure. At the beginning of the series, readers met Flora as she returned to her childhood home following the death of her mother and settled back into island life. Much has happened in the intervening years, happy and sad events being chronicled in the books, all of which I have enjoyed immensely. Jenny Colgan has charmed me once again with this book, but as well as the story within, I must mention the cover, which this time is absolutely stunning. 

In this next part of the saga, Flora is preparing finally to marry her American partner, Joel. Joel wants a small wedding, but everyone on the island is assuming it will be an event involving the whole community. Meanwhile, there is to be another wedding at the Rock, the island’s prestigious hotel run by Flora. The strikingly beautiful Olivia who left the island many years ago is planning to stage the society wedding of the year there, with a whole host of outlandish ideas proposed by her wedding planner. At the other end of the island, doctor Saif is struggling with the decision of whether he should once more uproot his young sons and return to Damascus, where he feels he could be useful and the boys might be reunited with their mother. But what of his growing relationship with the island’s teacher Lorna?

This is another triumph of a story from Jenny Colgan, filled with drama intertwined with her usual brand of humour. As someone who has been following this series from the beginning, I really enjoyed catching up with Flora and other recurring characters, but I equally enjoyed meeting the new introductions. Having said that, I think that the book functions perfectly well as a standalone for those who are new to Mure. For newcomers and returning readers alike, I love that the author has included an update on the ‘story so far’ at the beginning of this book, along with a pen picture of the island and, most precious of all, a map. I can heartily recommend this book; it is entertaining from start to finish and kept me guessing right to the end.

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