Monthly Archives: March 2024

My Recent Reads and Reviews.

Book Review, , , , , , , ,
This week, I am sharing some of my recent reads.

Since 2012, I’ve reviewed most of the books I have read. I say most because I haven’t reviewed all of the books shared with my children or class — they’ve tended to write those reviews for me — but I have reviewed all of the books I have chosen to read for pleasure myself.

Knowing how important reviews are to authors, I always make time to write one. The great thing is that size doesn’t matter (a review can be as short as a couple of sentences and can brighten an author’s day), so writing one doesn’t have to be onerous.

I tend to read within the genre I write — romance / romantic comedy — as I like books that make me smile. There is enough angst in the world, and I have a busy life, so I enjoy books that offer heartwarming escapism. If you do, too, why not check out one of these fabulous reads…

Tracy Bloom’s The Time of Her Life:

With its delightful blend of humour, heart, and poignant self-discovery, this was another great book from Tracy Bloom. The author’s fast-paced dialogue and ability to capture comedic moments made for an engaging and enjoyable read.

I liked the main character, Kim, a spirited hairdresser thrown into turmoil when her husband admits he is having an affair. Forced to reassess her life, she finds solace in the company of her son and his eclectic housemates, each of whom I immensely enjoyed getting to know. Particularly memorable is Sonny, a character impossible not to adore.

With a refreshing spin on “starting over,” The Time of Her Life features a cast of characters who feel like old friends. It is a page-turner with a satisfying ending and a must-read for fans of witty dialogue, relatable characters, and heartwarming tales of self-discovery.

Discover more.

Sarah Morgan’s The Christmas Book Club (I’m including this in case you are like me and will happily read a Christmas book at any time of year):

Sarah Morgan’s “The Christmas Book Club” is a heartwarming addition to her annual festive offerings. Centred around friends Claudia, Erica, and Anna’s holiday tradition of reading and discussing books, the trio finds themselves at Vermont’s Maple Sugar Inn, chosen by Erica. However, beneath the cosy veneer, the inn’s owner, Hattie, is grappling with the challenges of widowhood, parenting, and maintaining her late husband’s legacy.

Morgan writes characters with their own quirks and relatable struggles; from Anna’s empty-nest apprehension to Erica’s guarded independence and Claudia’s personal and professional crossroads, I loved getting to know them all. The connection between the friends was lovely, and I cared for each of them and their individual journeys. Noah is a wonderful, dependable hero, and Hattie’s daughter, Delphi, is a delight.

The Maple Sugar Inn and its quaint town provide an idyllic backdrop for the unfolding story. Once again, Sarah Morgan transported me to a winter getaway with log fires, delectable food, and the warmth of enduring friendships, and I loved it.

Discover more.

Sue McDonnagh’s The Sea Sisters Swimming Club

“The Sea Sisters Swimming Club” by Sue McDonagh is a delightful exploration of self-discovery, resilience, and the transformative power of community. Fran, a retiree seeking solace after a life-altering incident, finds herself house-sitting in the tranquil Welsh village of Llabrin. Initially resistant to the quietude, Fran’s journey unfolds as she embraces the warmth of the close-knit community. McDonagh skillfully weaves a narrative that goes beyond retirement, capturing Fran’s relatable grumpiness and endearing evolution.

The novel beautifully portrays the slow-burning romance between mature characters and deftly addresses the theme of overcoming fears while challenging societal perceptions. Set against the enchanting Welsh backdrop, McDonagh’s storytelling shines, creating a captivating atmosphere. “The Sea Sisters Swimming Club” is another triumph for Sue McDonagh, offering a heartwarming tale of second chances, love, and the beauty of embracing life’s unexpected turns.

Discover more.

I add all of my reviews to Goodreads and Amazon. Recently, I have also started adding them to Bookbub, too. Positive reviews really do make a big difference to authors. Not only do readers’ kind words help them through the difficult days when the writing won’t flow, but they also help lift a book’s profile.

If you haven’t left a review lately, why not spread a little happiness and leave one for the book you’ve most recently enjoyed?

Thank you for reading my reviews. I hope you’ve found a book you might like to read among them. Have a happy week. x

Discover more about me and my writing here: Facebook | X (Twitter) | website | 

Meet Three Characters from To The Wild Horizon.

Guest Post, Meet Three Characters, , , , , , , , ,
Today, I am delighted to welcome Imogen Martin to introduce three characters from her latest novel To the Wild Horizon. Over to you, Imogen …

Thank you for inviting me onto your blog Carol.

To The Wild Horizon is my second historical romance and came out in February. It is the story of the Oregon Trail: the pioneer journey from the Midwest to the Pacific coast. Whilst I did plenty of research to get the details right, at its heart this is a slow-burn romance. Here’s an introduction to three characters.

Grace Sinclair

Grace is brave, determined and resourceful. Her parents have died and the most important thing for her is to take her brother Tom to join their older brother who has settled in Oregon. While preparing to leave, Grace shoots her landlord in self-defence. Fearful that being arrested would leave Tom, a twelve-year-old with no-one to protect him, she decides to join the next train leaving town. As the army captain in charge will not let single women travel alone, she pretends to be married. Inevitably, this lie catches up with her.

I loved writing Grace. She has many of the characteristics I admire in a woman. She is hard working, prepared to endure hardship, and helps her fellow pioneers whenever she can. Importantly, she is brave enough to challenge male expectations about what a woman should and shouldn’t be. Grace has many skills: being able to handle a gun is one of the most important.

Captain James Randolph

Whilst Randolph may be tall, dark and handsome, there is no getting round the fact that he’s a misogynist. As the story progresses, the things that shaped his personality are revealed. Initially he’s furious that Grace has deceived him but she talks him into a deal that might let her travel further. He watches her each day in hope that she will fail, but instead begins to fall in love with her. High moral standards are important to Randolph, so he is troubled by his feelings, as he still believes she is a married woman.

Randolph is partly based on a historical figure Captain Randolph B Marcy (as my favourite romantic hero is Mr. Darcy, I thought the coincidence of the name was encouraging). Captain Marcy travelled the Oregon Trails many times and wrote an important book much used by pioneers: “The Prairie Traveler: a handbook for overland expeditions.”

I use images of actors when writing, and this shot of Tom Hughes playing Prince Albert helped me visualise Captain Randolph.

Jane Eliot

Jane is a shy young woman, aged 19. She has a beautiful older sister who sets her cap at Captain Randolph. Jane develops a relationship with Corporal Moore and this leads her to being attacked by an unknown man. Grace puts her own safety at risk in order to find out who the culprit is.

For much of the book, Jane lacks confidence and does not stand up for herself. One of the things I like most are characters who develop over time. In the end, Jane is crucial to the dénouement of the story.

Thank you for the great introduction to your characters, Imogen. I really like the sound of Grace Sinclair. x

About the book:

Missouri, 1846: In the frontier town of Independence the sound of a gunshot shatters the night. As the pistol drops from her hand and clatters to the ground, Grace knows she has no choice but to leave. Now.

In this inspiring and deeply moving story of love, courage and endurance, a young woman on the run from the law sets off on a desperate journey of survival on the treacherous Oregon Trail.

This unputdownable and heart-wrenching historical novel shows the true strength and resilience of a woman’s heart, even when she has everything to lose and the odds are stacked against her. Fans of Kristin Hannah, Amy Harmon and Olivia Hawker will lose themselves in To the Wild Horizon.

What readers say about To the Wild Horizon:

“Incredible!!!!!” Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“One of my favourite reads of the year. I absolutely loved it. A heartwarming, enticing, and intriguing tale of courage, love, compassion and resilience. This story will keep you on edge until the very last page.” Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“I absolutely loved this book. I couldn’t put it down. I couldn’t fall asleep because I had to know what was going to happen next. Incredible… I loved every second.” Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Publisher: Storm Publishing
Publication date: 7.2.2024

Link to purchase: To the Wild Horizon.

About the author:

Imogen Martin writes sweeping, historical fiction. Her first two novels are set in nineteenth century America.

As a teenager, she took the Greyhound bus from San Francisco to New York. Over those three days of staring out of the window at the majestic mountains and endless flat plains, stories wound themselves into her head: tales of brooding, charismatic men captivated by independent women.

Since then, she has worked in a coffee-shop in Piccadilly, a famous bookstore, and a children’s home. She has run festivals, and turned a derelict housing block on one of the poorest estates in the UK into an award-winning arts centre.

During 2020 Imogen was selected by Kate Nash Literary Agency as one of their BookCamp mentees, a mentorship programme designed to accelerate the careers of promising new writers.

Married with two children, Imogen divides her time between Wales and Sardinia.

Discover more about Imogen and her work: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

You can also visit Imogen’s website and join her monthly newsletter. (Sign up to get a FREE map of the Oregon Trail you can look at while reading.)

Meet Three Characters from New Beginnings at Lullbury Bay.

Guest Post, Meet Three Characters, , , , , , ,
Today, I am excited to welcome a first-time guest to my blog, Georgia Hill, to introduce three characters from her latest novel, New Beginnings at Lullbury Bay. Over to you, Georgia …

Thank you so much, Carol, for having me on!

My new contemporary romance, New Beginnings at Lullbury Bay, has just come out. I really loved writing it as there are some fun characters. Here’s my quick introduction to three of them. They all work in Va Va Bloom, the florist’s shop, which is at the heart of the book.

Meet Three Characters

Marion Crawford

Marion is the part-time assistant in the shop and is a monster. I had such fun writing her. She’s late forty-ish (never admits to her real age) and loves a spa, yoga with goats and a bargain designer dress. She’s always immaculately made up, is fond of a micro-bladed brow and doesn’t baulk at wearing stilettos for a job where she’s on her feet all day. She may be a monster, but she’s a magnificent one! She tolerates working in Va Va Bloom part-time as her children have mostly left home, and her husband works away. It means she can keep tabs on the town gossip, as she hates being the last to know what’s going on. Along with violently pink Moschino jumpsuits, gossip is her passion. Daisy, the owner of Va Va Bloom, puts up with her because, underneath all the caustic snobbery, lies a generous warm heart, a lonely soul and a genius for upselling!

Mia Lodell

Mia is a delight. She’s the possessor of fine intelligence and a fierce work ethic, and, along with jobs in a supermarket and at the local primary school, she squeezes in working at Va Va Bloom part-time. Now in her early twenties, she struggled at school, flunked her exams and is taking A Levels at evening class. She’s got her eye firmly fixed on university. As well as a passion for nineteenth century poetry, Mia’s the one who teaches the others all about the Victorian language of flowers. It’s a system of coded messages hidden in bouquets that any Victorian Miss would know. Want to declare your passion? Send red roses – but make sure the thorns are removed. Want to show disdain? A bouquet of yellow carnations will do the job nicely.

Daisy Wiscombe

Daisy is the owner of Va Va Bloom. Her father died when she was sixteen, just when she was at that crucial moment of choosing her academic future. To appease her grieving mum, she found herself becoming a science teacher. Several years in, Daisy realises two things: one, she’s a hopeless teacher and two, she’s desperate to do something else. In a huge, life-changing decision, she sets up Va Va Bloom. When the novel begins, she’s been running it for five years and is at that awkward stage of needing to expand the business but isn’t sure she has the finances. A workaholic, the early mornings and full-on Saturdays mean her love life is put on hold. And then, a handsome stranger pops into her shop. He’s wearing thigh-skimming chinos, has a head of luxurious wavy hair and a pair of dark eyes permanently on the brink of humour. Daisy’s rusty romantic muscles are twanged, and she’s instantly smitten. It’s just her luck, then, that he’s buying his girlfriend a bouquet of expensive flowers. Having had her heart broken, Daisy’s confidence in her sex appeal is low. What would a gorgeous man like Rick want with a scruffy Croc-wearing florist who frequently sports rose stalks in her messy hair?

About the book:

Va Va Bloom is the brand new florist shop in Lullbury Bay, run by the talented – and heartbroken – Daisy.
As soon as she set foot in Lullbury Bay, Daisy knew it would be the perfect place to heal from her past and rebuild her life. Working in her very own florist shop by the sea, life couldn’t be better.

Except… arranging beautiful flowers for the weddings of the seaside elite, including the coastal wedding of the year, she can’t help thinking about what could have been.

Then Rick comes into the shop one day, and she finds herself open to a new romance for the first time in ages. But as it turns out, he isn’t without his own baggage… Will love ever bloom again for Daisy?

New Beginnings at Lullbury Bay is out now! Click to find out more or purchase.

Thank you so much for your great post, Georgia. It has been lovely to have you and to meet Marion, Mia and Daisy. xx
About the author:

Georgia Hill writes warm-hearted and up-lifting contemporary and dual narrative romances about love, the power and joy in being an eccentric oldie and finding yourself and your community. There’s always a dog. It’s usually a naughty spaniel of which, unfortunately, she has had much experience. She lives near the sea with her beloved dogs and husband (also beloved) and loves the books of Jane Austen, collecting elephants, and Strictly Come Dancing. She’s also a complete museum geek and finds inspiration for her books in the folklore and history of the many places in which she’s lived. She’s worked in the theatre, for a charity and as a teacher and educational consultant before finally acknowledging that making things up was what she really wanted to do. She’s been happily creating believable heroines, intriguing men, and page-turning stories ever since.

Discover more about Georgia and her novels here: X/Twitter | Facebook | Website