Category Archives: Book Review

Review of Georgina Troy’s Winter Whimsy.

Blog Tour, Blog Tour Review, Book Review, Writing & Reading, , , , , , , , , ,

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.

Blog Tour, Blog Tour Review, Book Review, , , , , , ,

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.

Follow the tour here: 

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 T.A. Williams’ Under A Siena Sun.

Blog Tour Review, Book Review, , , , , , , , ,

I am delighted to share my review of T.A. Williams’ latest novel, Under A Siena Sun.

The blurb:

Lucy needed a change of scene. She didn’t expect the change of a lifetime.

Doctors Without Borders has been Lucy Young’s life for the past four years. After being rescued from a conflict zone, she’s making a change from saving lives under gunfire to practising medicine in safe, serene Siena.

Now treating wealthy patients at a private clinic, she’s never felt less comfortable. She’s used to helping those in dire need – not those in need of a nip and tuck. Her turmoil grows when she encounters injured tennis star David Lorenzo, whose smiles make Lucy forget her aversion to the rich.

She’s soon falling for the sportsman but is she losing herself in this world of excess? All she’s ever wanted was to help the underprivileged, so can her future lie in Siena at the clinic – with David?

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Canelo

My review:

After the unusually dramatic and gripping opening comes the sunny escape to Siena. I always enjoy T.A. Williams’ books and this was no exception. I was transported to beautiful Siena through the sumptuous setting. I liked all the characters, though lead character Lucy’s wrangle with her conscience made me question the depth of her commitment and feelings for David at times. I adored Boris the Labrador – it wouldn’t be a T. A. Williams read without a gorgeous dog to make you smile!

Overall, it was a lovely, escapist read, that will transport you to Siena. Great for all those who like a female lead who will stand up for her beliefs, no matter what the stakes.

Buy the book: Amazon | Kobo

About the author:

T.A. Williams says, “I’m a man. And a pretty old man as well. I did languages at university a long time ago and then lived and worked in France and Switzerland before going to Italy for seven years as a teacher of English. My Italian wife and I then came back to the UK with our little daughter (now long-since grown up) where I ran a big English language school for many years. We now live in a sleepy little village in Devonshire. I’ve been writing almost all my life but it was only seven years ago that I finally managed to find a publisher who liked my work enough to offer me my first contract.

“The fact that I am now writing romantic comedy is something I still find hard to explain. My early books were thrillers and historical novels. Maybe it’s because there are so many horrible things happening in the world today that I feel I need to do my best to provide something to cheer my readers up. My books provide escapism to some gorgeous locations and, as a writer, I obviously have to go there in person and check them out first. I love my job…”

Discover more about T.A. Williams and his work here: Twitter | Website | Facebook

Thank you to T.A. Williams, for another great read – including a Labrador, of course! Thank you, also to Rachel of Rachel’s Random Resources, and Canelo for the advance copy of Under a Siena Sun.

This review is posted on NetGalley, Amazon UK and Goodreads. xx

Review of Rachael Stewart’s Losing Control.

Book Review, Publication Day Push, , , , , , , ,

Today, I am delighted to share my review for Rachael Stewart’s Losing Control!

The Blurb:

She watched him walk away…

…and now he’s back to claim her!

A family feud forced me to walk away from the woman of my dreams, Alexa—but I didn’t expect her to betray me by falling into my brother’s arms. Now, after a tragic accident, I’ve returned home to find Alexa leading the family business…and the chemistry between us is hotter than ever. The sparks reignite our electrifying connection, but can we learn to trust each other again?

Genre: EroticRomance
Published by: Mills & Boon Dare

My review:

It’s always great to indulge in a hot new read from Rachael Stewart, and I do like a second chance romance story! Losing Control ticked both of these boxes.

A little darker than previous books I’ve read by this author, Losing Control takes you on a roller coaster of emotions. With loss, love and moving forward as its central themes, you can’t help but feel for the characters and all that they have been through. That’s not to say there aren’t lighter moments too, and, of course, as it’s a Rachael Stewart novel, there are plenty of well written steamy scenes also.

I liked Cain and Alexa’s backstory and learning about their happier past. I also liked Cain’s mum, who was always there, attempting to keep her family together despite her own losses. The HEA was, of course, expected but nonetheless sweet, it felt well deserved in balance with the turmoil of the past and certainly left me with a big smile.

Click to buy the book: Amazon UK | Amazon US

Giveaway to Win an e-copy of Losing Control by Rachael Stewart (Open INT)

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then I reserve the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time I will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

ENTER here.

About the author:

Rachael Stewart adores conjuring up stories for the readers of Harlequin Mills & Boon and Deep Desires Press, with tales varying from the heartwarmingly romantic to the wildly erotic.

She’s been writing since she could put pen to paper as the stacks of scrawled on A4 sheets in her loft will attest to, and the lovingly bound short stories that her father would run off at work and proudly share out with his colleagues. Thinking it was a pipe dream to be published one day, she pursued a sensible career in business but she was really play-acting, achieving the appropriate degree and spending many years in the corporate world where she never truly belonged. Always happiest when she was sat at her laptop in the quiet hours tapping out a story or two. And so here she is, a published author, her full-time pleasure, a dream come true.

A Welsh lass at heart, she now lives in Yorkshire with her husband and three children, and if she’s not glued to her laptop, she’s wrapped up in them or enjoying the great outdoors seeking out inspiration.

Discover more about Rachael Stewart via her website | Twitter | Facebook

Many thanks to Rachael Stewart for the great read, and thanks to Rachel Gilbey of Rachel’s Random Resources and Mills & Boon Dare, for the advanced read copy.

My reviews are added to Amazon UK and Goodreads. x

Review of Jules Wake’s The Saturday Morning Park Run.

Blog Tour, Blog Tour Review, Book Review, , , , , , , , ,

Today, I am delighted to join the blog tour for Jules Wake’s The Saturday Morning Park Run.

The blurb:

The Saturday Morning Park Run

This is the story of two women.
One old, one young.
One looking for new adventures. One looking for a purpose.
Both needing a friend.

And this is how, along with two little girls in need of a family, a gorgeous stranger, and a scruffy dog, they bring the whole community together every Saturday morning for love, laughter and a little bit of running…(well, power walking).

Some people come into your life when you need them the most.

Pre-order Links: Amazon UK | Amazon.com

 My review:

This is my first Jules Wake read, and I LOVED IT! The story is a wonderful wake-up call about achieving a good work-life balance, making good friends and taking time for the things that matter. The characters are mostly warm and friendly – people you are happy to share time with. Claire’s sister, Alice, is the exception, but her actions help provide the catalyst for change in Claire’s work filled, but otherwise empty, life. Hilda, an older character, was a blast – I loved her no-nonsense say it as it is ways. Claire and Ash shared a lovely connection that held me from the beginning of the story and kept me interested all the way to the end. It was refreshing for the hero to be vulnerable and to make mistakes, even after it seemed things might be sorted. Overall this is a fab book that will leave you with a big smile. And there’s a dog, what’s not to like?

This is just day one and so you can follow the rest of the blog tour here:

About the author:

Jules Wake announced at the age of ten that she planned to be a writer. Along the way she was diverted by the glamorous world of PR and worked on many luxury brands and not so luxury brands. This proved fabulous training for writing novels as it provided her with the opportunity to hone her writing and creative skills penning copy on a vast range of subjects from pig farming and watches, sunglasses and skincare through to beer and stationery.

She writes best-selling warm-hearted contemporary fiction for One More Chapter as Jules Wake and under her pen name Julie Caplin, she writes the Romantic Escapes series.

Between them, the two Js have written fourteen novels, The Saturday Morning Park Runbeing the latest.

Discover more about Jules Wake and her work here: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

My reviews are added to NetGalley, Amazon UK and Goodreads. Thank you, to Jules Wake for the fun read, and also to Rachel of Rachel’s Random Resources, and One More Chapter for the advance copy of The Saturday Morning Park Run. xx