Category Archives: Blog Tour Review

Review of Lynne Shelby’s Summer in Rome.

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Today, I am delighted to share my review for Lynne Shelby’s latest romance novel, Rome for the Summer …

The blurb:

Kate Harper has always loved the painting that has hung in her parents’ dining room for years, never suspecting that it is worth a fortune. When her art dealer boyfriend cheats her family out of the proceeds of the painting’s sale, she is left devastated and alone.

Kate discovers that two hundred years ago, the girl in the painting, Charlotte Browne, ran off to Rome with the artist who painted her portrait, but her eventual fate is unknown.

Hoping to uncover the mystery of what happened to Charlotte, Kate seizes the chance of a summer job in Rome, where she strikes up a friendship with artist Jamie Taylor. As they explore the city and start to piece together the surprising secrets of Charlotte’s life, Kate finds herself wondering if a summer in Rome can mend a broken heart…

My Review:

What a lovely, uplifting read! I read the novel on holiday; it was the perfect book to relax and unwind with. Kate was a likeable heroine, her family were wonderful, and her newfound life and love interest in Rome was perfect. For a novel filled with artistic fervour, Jamie was the ideal hero; his passion for both the art exhibited in Rome and that created by his hand was evident throughout. The insights into the past worked well, and I enjoyed discovering more about Kate’s Italian girl (depicted in a painting). Overall it is a lovely escapist read that will whisk you off to Rome for the Summer, fill you with warmth and leave you with a big satisfied smile.

Purchase Links:  Amazon UK | Amazon US

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About the Author:

Lynne Shelby writes contemporary women’s fiction and romance. Her debut novel, French Kissing (re-released in e-book as Meet Me In Paris) won the Accent Press and Woman magazine Writing Competition, and her fifth novel, Love On Location, was shortlisted for a Romantic Novelists’ Association Award – the Jane Wenham-Jones Award for Romantic Comedy. When not writing or reading, Lynne can usually be found at the theatre or exploring a foreign city with her writer’s notebook, camera and sketchbook in hand. She lives in London with her husband and has three adult children who live nearby.

Discover more about Lynne Shelby and her work here: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Website

Many thanks to Lynne Shelby for the wonderful holiday-read, Headline Accent for the ARC, and Rachel Gilbey, of  Rachel’s Random Resources, for inviting me to be a part of the tour.

My reviews are added to Amazon UK, Goodreads and Cariad’s Choice Reviews in Frost Magazine. xx

 

Review of K. T. Dady’s Lemon Drop Cottage.

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Today, I am delighted to join the blog tour and share my review for K. T, Dady’s novel, Lemon Drop Cottage.

About the book:

Welcome to Pepper Bay. A small close-knit community where you’ll find chocolate box cottages, quaint shops, love, drama, and a happily ever after.

Snuggle down with this cosy, feel-good, comfort read that whisks you away to a beautiful bay on the Isle of Wight – Perfect for fans of Christie Barlow, Phillipa Ashley, and Holly Martin.

The Pepper Bay books are standalone stories that intertwine with recurring characters. Best read in order for maximum enjoyment.

The blurb:

At first glance, Scott Harper is a shy artist who keeps himself to himself, but he isn’t the man everyone thinks he is. Scott has a secret. One that has kept him firmly away from any chance of having an intimate relationship. The only woman in his life is the one he talks to online but has never met. It’s easier that way, for them both.

Dolly Lynch has just taken over her aunt’s shop in Pepper Bay. Between looking after her teenage son, running around for her old aunt, moving home, and opening a new shop, she barely has time to herself, so she really appreciates the moments she spends talking online with a man she’s never met. Little does she know he’s the same man who lives just up the road in the cutest cottage she has ever seen.

Purchase Links: Amazon UK | Amazon US

My review:

This is the first book by K. T. Dady that I have read and, therefore, my first visit to Pepper Bay. As each book in the series is standalone, this didn’t spoil my understanding of the story – though I would happily go back and read the others in the series, too.

I enjoyed meeting Scott and Dolly and spending time in this close, friendly community as their feelings developed. Dolly’s son, Dexter, is a great character who shone through; it was nice to see a teenage boy represented in a positive, caring way. There is an interesting sub-plot with the local retirement home being under threat and a good cast of secondary characters – I liked Giles, who has a close link to Scott and his secretive past. Having visited the Isle of Wight, I enjoyed the setting. And I loved the sound of Lemon Drop cottage – a sunny cottage for a sunny read!

Overall, this is a warm-hearted novel full of kind, caring characters who will make you smile.

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About the author:

K.T. Dady is an Amazon best-selling author, reader, mum, chocolate lover, and a huge fan of a HEA. She was born and raised in the East End of London, and has been happily writing stories since she was a little girl. When not writing, she is baking cakes or pottering around in her little garden in Essex, trying not to kill the flowers. She is the author of contemporary romance, middle-grade, and the thought-provoking thriller about mental illness, The Focus Program.

Social Media Links: Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook

Many thanks to K. T. Dady for the great read, and Rachel Gilbey, of Rachel’s Random Resources, for inviting me to be a part of the tour.

My reviews are added to Amazon UK and Goodreads. x

Review of Georgina Troy’s Winter Whimsy.

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Today, I am delighted to join the blog tour for Georgina Troy’s Winter Whimsy, the third in the Boardwalk by the Sea series.

About the book

Zip up your puffer coat, winter has arrived!

When Lexi Davies discovers that her father has sold the fishermen’s cottages she runs as holiday lets and where she also lives, she is heartbroken. Then, when Oliver Whimsy arrives at the boardwalk and announces that he is the new owner, Lexi realises that the future she was looking forward to enjoying at her cottages is over.

Oliver might be handsome, wealthy and very sexy, but he’s new to the island and has already made a terrible impression on the locals. When he offers Lexi a job, she’s unsure whether she should accept. Unfortunately, she has little alternative if she wants a roof over her head for the winter.

As Lexi gets to know Oliver better, she discovers there’s far more to Oliver Whimsy than she or anyone else had imagined. Just what is the heartache Oliver’s trying so desperately to hide and why was he so determined to buy the cottages? Lexi wants to find out, but in order to do so she’s going to have to spend time with him…

My review:

This is the first book I have read by this author. While it is the third in the Boardwalk By The Sea series, I read and enjoyed it as a standalone story. I greatly enjoyed getting lost in the lovely descriptions of the Jersey coastline. The characters were likeable, especially the leads Lexi and Oliver. I also liked the community around the Boardwalk and the touch of snow that added that all-important wintery feel. The ending was warm and cosy; overall, the story offered a moment of escapism at this time, when we can all do with a big hug and a smile.

Purchase Links: Amazon UK | Amazon US

About the author:

Georgina Troy is a pseudonym of author Deborah Carr, USA TODAY bestselling author of The Poppy Field, Broken Faces and the Mrs Boots series.

She was a finalist in the Contemporary Romance Category of the Romantic Novel of the Year Awards 2016 (RoNAs) with A Jersey Kiss, book 1 in her Jersey Scene series.

Georgina lives on the island of Jersey with her husband and three rescue dogs and is 1/3 of The Blonde Plotters.

Social Media Links: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Huge thanks to Rachel Gilbey of Rachel’s Random Resources, and to the author, Georgina Troy for the advanced copy. I look forward to reading  more in the series. xx

Review of Helen J Rolfe’s Christmas at the Little Waffle Shack.

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Today, I am delighted to join the blog tour for Helen J Rolfe’s Christmas at the Little Waffle Shack.

The blurb:

Heritage Cove is in full swing for the festive season and as the temperature dips, who will be lucky in love this Christmas?

It’s December in Heritage Cove and along with the village Christmas tree, frosty mornings and the promise of the most wonderful time of the year, the new waffle shack is about to open. And its owner isn’t a stranger to the Cove, because after all this time, Daniel is back to make amends with his brother Harvey – as well as a few other locals he might have offended along the way.

Fairly new to the village, local blacksmith Lucy has kept up the pretence of being with her ex for the sake of his gran but she’s fed up with all the lies. Determined to come clean and live the life she wants to live, she’s devastated to find that her attraction to Daniel is tainted by the fact he’s hiding a few things of his own. And his secrets are ones she isn’t sure she’ll ever be able to get past.

Heritage Cove is full of friendship and community; it’s a welcoming place people visit and never want to leave. But will it work its magic for Daniel and Lucy?

My review:

This was a sweet (in more ways than one) festive read, with plenty of feel-good family and friendship filled moments. I liked both Lucy and Daniel and was interested in learning more about them as the story progressed. The ending is all the more lovely as a result of the issues they have to overcome.

I loved Heritage Cove and its inhabitants, who were warm and welcoming and a pleasure to spend time with. The community Christmas tree sounded a delight, as did the waffles served in Daniel’s waffle shack. The descriptions frequently made me hungry!

This is the second in the Heritage Cove series but can easily be read as a standalone story (I hadn’t read the first). Overall, it was a sweet festive read, ideal for snuggling up with on a winter evening.

Purchase link.

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About the author:

Helen J Rolfe writes romantic fiction and contemporary women’s fiction and enjoys weaving stories about family, friendship, secrets, and community.

Location is a big part of the adventure in Helen’s books and she enjoys setting stories in different cities and countries where she thinks her readers might like to escape to.

Helen loves to hear from readers so please don’t hesitate to get in touch. She can be found via: website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram 

Many thanks to Helen J Rolfe for the great read, and thanks to Rachel Gilbey of Rachel’s Random Resources, for inviting me to take part in the tour and providing an advanced read copy.

My reviews are added to Amazon UK and Goodreads. x

Review of Emma Jackson’s One Kiss Before Christmas.

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The blurb:

Could it be the start of her happy ever after?

Ashleigh could use a little Christmas magic. She’s still living in Brighton with her Nan – who could give the Grinch lessons in how to be miserable – her acting career has been reduced to playing one of Santa’s elves, and not even the prospect of a friend’s winter wedding can cheer her up…

That is until Olivier, the gorgeous French chef, reappears in her life. Or more accurately, next door.

When they were teenagers, Olivier would spend every Christmas with his mother, who just happens to be Ash’s neighbour and owner of the best chocolate shop in England.

If anyone can bring a little sparkle back to Ash’s life, it’s Olivier. All she needs is one kiss before Christmas…

Purchase links: AmazonUK | Amazon.com |

My review:

This was a sweet, second chance romance story set in Brighton (not that far from where I live), and so I greatly enjoyed recognising places mentioned and visited. The lead characters, Ashleigh and Olivier, were both likeable, as were the supporting cast. I especially liked Romesh and his matchmaking. There is a lovely sprinkling of Christmas throughout as Ash and Olivier both learn to be the people they want to be. While the middle slowed a little in terms of the will they won’t they, I really liked the ending; it provided the kind of warmth you expect from a cosy Christmas film.

About the author:

Author of the Best Selling A MISTLETOE MIRACLE and contender for the Joan Hessayon Award 2020, Emma has been a devoted bookworm and secret-story-scribbler since she was 6 years old. When she’s not running around after her two daughters and trying to complete her current work-in-progress, Emma loves to read, bake, catch up on binge-watching TV programmes with her partner and plan lots of craft projects that will inevitably end up unfinished. Her latest romantic comedy, SUMMER IN THE CITY, was released in June, with a festive romance, ONE KISS BEFORE CHRISTMAS, was released on 2nd November 2020.

Emma also writes historical and fantasy fiction as Emma S Jackson. THE DEVIL’S BRIDE was published by DarkStroke in February 2020.

Discover more about Emma Jackson via: newsletter | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

Huge thanks to Emma Jackson and Orion Dash for the advance read copy and special thanks to Rachel Gilbey of Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me along to be a part of the blog tour. xx