But I Smile Anyway…

No way has October left the building already?

Another busy one. (Yes, I know. When is the world of Ritu not busy?) School has finished for the October half-term, and I have been preparing for the release date of In God’s Hand, which is on 5th November! It is Diwali and Halloween today, so Happy Diwaloween! But, as Sikhs, we celebrate Bandi Chorr Diwas, which falls tomorrow, on 1st November. I also got diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, so there’s another interesting string to my bow.

The big question is, what did I read, and did I manage to write anything?

I started the month with one NetGalley ARC and finished it with NONE! I have been reading physical books from my TBR shelf, and it’s been great perusing my shelves to choose my next read!

I tried very hard to write something for my next project, but if I am honest with you, school has taken over my brain, at the moment. Plus I’m getting to grips with promoting In God’s Hands! Words will flow, soon enough! And, I’m having some interesting new ideas, right now, that may or may not be connected to the current series…

I read eleven books in total. Making my yearly total 97 so far!

Someone Like You by Sandy Barker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have a real soft spot for this series and loved jumping back onto Matchmaking Land with Poppy and her gang!
This time, matchmaker extraordinaire Poppy has to match Raff, recently crowned Britain’s Best Baker, without him knowing by one of his best friends and her co-worker, with the assistance of his other best friend, Gaby.
Matching without someone knowing is hard enough, but adding a friend discovering feelings for their friend after the matchmaking journey has begun is a whole lot more crazy.
Throughout the story, we have Poppy’s POV, and I found it lovely. She is the thread through the series, and we get to learn more about how she is getting on in life, as well as some important characters from previous books.
We have romance, friends to lovers and CHRISTMAS! What’s not to love?
It’s a fantastic addition to the series!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an ARC.

Releasing 12th November, 2024

The Ex-Mas Holidays by Zoe Allison
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I’ve wanted to read this for a while, and when I realized the second book, which is kind of linked, was due out, I sped it further up my TBR pile, and I am so glad I did!
Two exes (I’m not spoiler-ing there, it’s in the title!), Maya and Sam end up bumping into one another in a rather inopportune way, and this paves the path for an interesting set of circumstances where we see them both struggle with old feelings, new feelings and a whole load of barriers that come in their way, in the name of a girlfriend (Sam) and a father who has high aspirations (Maya).
Slow burn, lots of sizzle, dry wit and humour, and cuteness overload, and all in a snowy, Christmassy setting!
I truly adored this book, and now I cannot wait to dive into the next one, The Wedding Engagement, as I want to know what happens to the other characters in this fab read!

The Wedding Engagement: An utterly laugh-out-loud brother’s-best-friend rom-com, brand-new for 2024! by Zoe Allison
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Oh my, Zoe Allison, what spice!
I was thrilled to read The Wedding Engagement and to learn what happened to Liv and Arran, whom I had already met in her previous book, The Ex-Mas Holidays.
Liv and Arran have known each other since childhood. Arran is Liv’s twin brother’s best friend, and she’s been holding somewhat of a candle for him for a while.
Arran has not long got out of a relationship, with a broken engagement, and a gorgeous little boy, Jayce, in his life.
There is chemistry between these characters, though they both have their reasons for not taking the first step towards admitting any attraction. Then they get thrown together to help arrange the Sten do for Liv’s brother, Sam, and her best friend, Maya.
The sizzle starts and can be felt intensely, coming to an (ahem) climax in the second half of the book.
A typical friends-to-lovers story filled with slow-burn chemistry that a reader can really feel! I raced through this book in a couple of sittings and LOVED it!
Many thanks to NetGalley and HQ Digital for an ARC.

Released 8th October, 2024

Marriage & Masti by Nisha Sharma
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the third in the If Shakespeare Were An Auntie series, and I think this was the spiciest yet!
The third couple in the friendship circle finally gets together, as Veera and Deepak find themselves in a strange situation that crosses family and cultural expectations, as well as business aspirations.
Veera and Deepak are both best friends, and genuinely lovely people. They just can’t see beyond that friendship, and when they do, they can’t fathom the fact that the other may be feeling the same.
Loved it!

A Wish in the Wind: The Wishing Tree Series Book 17 by Kay Bratt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love the Wishing Tree series, and Kay Bratt’s next instalment was another feel-good story that added layers to the community stories.
Hunter Glenn has moved to the area with his daughter, Ava, to rebuild his life after his marriage broke up.
Nicole has been in Linden Falls for a while and feels optimistic about the future.
And a small slip of paper that escapes from the Wishing Tree finds its way to the right place to ensure happiness for all.
It was lovely to catch up with Neva and the rest of the residents, too.
Another feel-good story to warm the heart.

Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Queenie has been sitting on my TBR pile for a while now, and I didn’t want to watch the series before reading the book.
A story with a lot of angst and confusion within the mind of the MC, Queenie, a 25-year-old black woman, working in journalism, coping with a failed relationship, and trying to work out how to live alone. She bounces from one disastrous hookup to another, damaging herself more and more as she goes.
I was compelled to read more, however one thing I don’t agree with is the constant use of the word ‘funny’ to describe this book. It is not light-hearted, or traditionally romantic, nor is it funny in a way that should be the first word to describe it. There are laugh-out-loud moments, but it’s not a comedic masterpiece.
That label, to me, seems to detract from the story being told.
Enjoyed the read, though!

The Cosy Cat Society by Charlie Lyndhurst
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I am a cat mum/nan so that title would draw me in before anything else!
The Cosy Cat Society centres around a cat sanctuary, its owner, Sacha, and several key volunteers who spend much of their time supporting a just cause.
When it becomes apparent that there is an even bigger worry about the sanctuary’s future, Sacha tries to keep it from the others until it becomes apparent that a problem shared is a problem halved.
The same goes for the rest of the volunteers, who each have their own worries that they need the help of their friends to work through.
It is a delightful read, cleverly intertwining the stories of several characters and highlighting the plight of many of our feline friends.
And there is a little romance within, too!
The kitties and I approve!

Liv Is Not A Loser by Lauren Ford
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A new author and a promising debut.
Liv is at an age where most of her friends are settled, and here she is, still in a part-time job doing nothing much, and in her 7th year of trying to finish her degree. There is no relationship on the horizon and nowhere to live, thanks to being ceremoniously evicted with brief notice.
The story revolves around a list Liv makes with her brother, Joe, his boyfriend, Seth, and their friend, Henry, to pull her out of loser territory.
It is an easy-to-read story with a friends-to-lovers feel, including a bit of ‘will they won’t they?’ and plenty of family dynamics.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I’ve had this on my TBR for a while, now, and boy, am I glad I’ve finally read it.
The Help is a fantastic story told sensitively, showing the precarious relationship between the white folk of Jackson, Mississippi, and their household help.
Told through the voices of Aibileen and Minny, two of the maids, and Miss Skeeter, a white woman who has a conscience and who wishes to find out what happened to one of her family’s own former maids, who brought her up.
I felt many emotions, reading this, from rage, to sympathy, to solidarity.
Well written and heartrending.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another of my TBR books was finally pulled from the shelf to read, and I was not disappointed!
A fantastically written tale of Evelyn Hugo, an ageing Hollywood siren who is ready to tell all about her life to Monique, a little-known journalist at Vivant magazine.
I loved how we were immersed in Hugo’s memories with the first-person telling of the story as she began to recount her upbringing, rise to fame, and need for fame and fortune alongside her seven husbands. There were also little chapters showing Monique’s present life situation.
Interspersed with short excerpts from newspapers and magazines, the story is strengthened as the reader is made to feel the pressure of the paparazzi on those whose lives play out in front of cameras and their heartaches at not being able to live their true lives all the time, for fear of repercussions.
From the beginning, Hugo hints at a connection between her story and Monique, the young journalist, which leaves the reader guessing what that may be.
I couldn’t put this book down, and I almost wish I had read it sooner! It lives up to the hype!

Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another one I finally got to after what feels like years of it being on my TBR pile.
There’s been a lot of hype about Hamnet. Some reviews are mind-blowing, some are not, so I was determined not to let these other ones fill my mind before I made my mind up.
And I must say the entire premise entirely took me in.
Hamnet is a deeply fascinating tale loosely based on the story of William Shakespeare’s son, Hamnet, who passed away at 11. It gives some fabricated details to a story that does not have much background other than that Hamnet did exist; he died at eleven, and Shakespeare wrote Hamlet not long after.
I appreciated that Shakespeare’s name was not used directly in the entire book so as not to detract from the main story of that little boy and his family, the possible lead-up to his death, and their coping after.

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