But I Smile Anyway…

Can you believe we are one month away from another year?

Okay, so I got through all the arcs I had been sent by November 5th… Will I have managed to not say yes to anymore? Will that TBR pile get any smaller? BEcause I need to be writing my own book, too!

Christmas Hearts by Tammy L. Grace
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a simple, sweet addition to the Soul Sisters collection, where we focus on Leslie and the rekindling of her romance with her ex-husband Eric.
It can’t be easy, living in the same small town and avoiding one another, but somehow she has managed for three years, then fate takes charge, and she ends up with a Christmas wish come true, as well as helping to make the wish of another a reality too.
Sweet story.

Released 17th November, 2023

Back to her future by Cary J. Hansson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

We are all flawed.
We, our parents, and our children will be too.
The thing is, some of our flaws will inevitably hurt those we love, even if that is not the desired effect.
Back To Her Future is a deep story of culture, identity and the need to conform.
Meryam is estranged from her whole family, yet on his deathbed, her father calls for her. He imparts a secret buried thirty-odd years previously that impacts everything Meryam’s adult life was built on.
I don’t want to go into detail. Still, the story deals with the sometimes stifling expectations of certain cultures, the necessity of conforming when moving to different countries, and the need to maintain one’s culture.
She’s been through hell as she grew up, but Meryam is unaware of certain reasons behind the decisions that shaped her future.
As she goes on a journey of discovery, she rekindles friendships lost many decades before and learns some upsetting truths.
Sensitively done.

Released 1st November, 2023

Sisterhood by Cathy Kelly
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another fantastic Cathy Kelly story.
Lou’s life turns upside down on her fiftieth birthday as her mother reveals a huge secret.
Together with her sister, Toni, Lou heads off in search of the truth, as well as to find herself and build an inner strength that she had lost.
There were plenty of twists within this tale, but the character development was fantastic. There could have been a simple HEA, but the way Kelly took the story meant the characters and we, the readers, must work for it.
Lou is there for everyone. She helps to keep her whole family on an been keel, from her husband to her mother, as well as being the organised brain behind the company she works for.
Tori is that confident woman who appears to have it all.
Both sisters learn disturbing facts about their families and lives, which means they end up on a trip to Sicily to find out what the truth is.
Their mother, Lillian, is a nasty piece of work, though.
So many women out there end up like Lou, taken for granted. The ones who keep everyone else going, anticipating all needs, and dropping everything at the drop of a hat to make life easier for others. I love that this ends with Lou finding herself and realising she can still be there for others without losing herself.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for an ARC.

Releasing 15th February, 2024

The Eternal Bachelor: The perfect friends to lovers romance to fall in love with by Lizzie Chantree
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have thoroughly enjoyed the Cherry Blossom Lane series and was eager for this third instalment, where the story develops between the third friend in the group, Demi, and the third of the brothers, Miles.
Right from the previous stories, I have wanted to shake Demi. Her relationship with her long-term boyfriend appears a bit toxic, and we see the extent through this book.
Miles’ unrequited love for his best friend, Demi, has been noted throughout the last two books, and his friends are aware, too. Pretty much everyone can see, apart from Demi.
It was great to see Demi’s character develop over this story, and we visibly see her backbone gaining strength as she navigates a breakup, leaving the one job she thought she would do forever and begins to understand the feelings of her best friend and the fact that she may just feel the same way.
Miles is a great character. He’s been touted as the playboy kind, but he has a heart of gold.
The best thing about a series is that you get to revisit some of the characters from past stories, and though this can be read as a stand-alone, it’s always great to find out what is going on with other favourites!
Exactly the HEA we all want, with a few spanners thrown in, because it can’t be that easy, can it? I don’t know if there is scope for any more books in this series, but there are a few side characters who deserve a happy ending, too! (Hit hint, Lizzie Chantree!)

The Single Mums’ Book Club by Victoria Cooke
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A lovely, easy read about a single mum who finds herself lost in this new world of not being a traditional family unit.
Having lost contact with the ‘friends’ she had with her ex-husband, Steph is struggling.
A chance encounter with a neighbour she barely passes time with starts a chain of events that lead to them starting their own little book club, which, over the story increases in size as they find more and more women whom it will help.
Along the way, Steph finds herself and a new love interest, too!
I enjoyed reading this. It cheered me up no end.

Stand Up Guy: The most uplifting romance you’ll read this year by Nina Kaye
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Nina will be on a blog tour stop in January when I will share my review, and possibly a Book & A Brew, too!

Releasing 18th January, 2024

A-Z of Warwick: Places-People-History by S. C. Skillman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A-Z of Warwick: Places-People-History is a fascinating alphabetical collection of facts about Warwick.
I have always enjoyed SCSkillman’s Warwick-related books as I grew up not far from there, and many places she mentions are places I have visited.
It is an interesting read, where we learn many facts about the important people of Warwick, little tidbits of information about historical aspects and some wonderful stories about key locations.
I always enjoy reading about Warwick Castle as we visited there many times as a family.
It’s an interesting read with plenty to enchant you!
https://www.amberley-books.com/az-of-warwick.html

Releasing 7th December, 2023

Blog Tour post will include the review in December.

Fairytale of New York by Zoë Folbigg
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Charlie Brown is an in-demand make-up artist with fantastic friends, a home of her own, Mabel the cat, and the perfect partner she is off to visit in New York right after her current job ends.
Only, when she gets there, do things start to go wrong.
Stranded in New York, Charlie ends up on a strange journey, meeting handsome strangers, discovering horrifying secrets, and leaving there even more confused than before.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story. I won’t say it was a light-hearted read, as there are some more delicate matters within, but it was a good read, and I have to say I loved Pete and his family.
Charlie’s support network in London and at home with her parents is awesome, and Mabel the cat is just wonderful.

Enemies to Lovers by Portia MacIntosh
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Enemies to Lovers gives the game away with the title from the off. Yes, this is a story, and the trope is exactly that. Enemies to Lovers.
Two people who have an age-old vendetta against one another, Lara and Sonny, work together as journalists in the same role, but for two separate magazines. There is plenty of one-upmanship going on all the time.
One such occurrence goes a step too far and their editors decide to send them off on a secret mission, where they will need to spend a lot of time together, which is not something either of them want to do.
The concept is there. It’s an easy read. They hate each other, then they fall in lust/love. With a job to complete on the side!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an ARC.

Releasing 4th January, 2023

Releasing 23rd January, 2024

Blog tour appearance in January will contain my review.

Wait for January when Jeevani is visiting my blog for a Book and a Brew. I’ll share my review, then!

Releasing 11th January, 2024

So, tell me what you have been reading, and what caught your eye from the above!