But I Smile Anyway…

Is she a glutton for punishment, or does she just like my nibbles? Kiley is back for a fourth visit!

Today, I am thrilled to welcome amazing romance author Kiley Dunbar to my blog for a cuppa and a bit of a chat about all things writerly, especially her newest release, A New Chapter at the Borrow a Bookshop. It’s out, TODAY!

Welcome back, Kiley, for your fourth Book and A Brew with Ritu! Something of a record,
there! What drink would you like? I’ve got all the usual, tea, coffee, hot chocolate, masala tea?

Hi! It’s so nice to be back round at yours! Thanks for having me back. I’ve been reading
your lovely characters in In God’s Hands. (I’m hiding behind my hands -eek!) and getting FOMO – so
please can I have some, with sugar!

Absolutely! And, today there are fairy cakes! ��

Ooh, nice! I brought some Scottish tablet, which I make every new year. Hope you love it,
it is ridiculously sweet. Why, thank you! The last time I had tablet was when we went camping for my Duke of Edinburgh Award nearly 35 years ago! (Jez, that makes me sound old!)

I love that you are back here for another cuppa with me, Kiley! How have you been?
What is new in Kiley Dunbar land?

Cheers! It’s so nice to be back. I feel like I’ve spent the last couple of weeks with you as
I’ve been reading In God’s Hands every night before bed and loving it!

Sheesh! Thank you!

What’s new with me? Well, I have lots of happy news this new year! A new book just released called A New Chapter at the Borrow a Bookshop, as well as a new book series coming up later in the
year! Phew! It’s all go in Kiley Dunbar land!

And any new vintage bits you’ve acquired recently to tell me about?

Sooo many! From my vintage 1980’s Stead and Simpson (remember them?) ankle boots
(somehow never been worn and on eBay) and lots of little vintage trinkets for the house. I
can’t resist glassware or plant pots from the charity shops! I’d rather find and fix than buy
new. It’s all about the fun of the search for me!

I love seeing your posts with your finds!

I’m going to the Meet Cute festival this year. Will you be there? Is there anywhere
else that your reader fans may meet you this year?

Sadly no, I’m going to be laying low in 2025 (as far as events go) as I have two books to
write for my new series. It’s going to be a busy year. I’ll miss seeing you there, though; the
Meet Cute Festival always sounds amazing! Make sure you tell us all about it on your
blog!

Oh, I will do that! I have somehow managed to volunteer for one or two talks there, too!

Have you joined the Bluesky revolution? I have, but I don’t know if I am giving myself
more work, lol!

I’ve only just got on Threads, haha. Not sure I can cope with another new socials! I think
I’ll stick to enjoying my Instagram for now, I feel like I have most fun on there. I’m full of
admiration for folks branching out with Bluesky. Maybe I’ll see you over there one day!

I’ll be honest; I’m there, but not really active… I think Insta/FB are my main platforms and Tiktok/Threads come second!

Let’s return to the book of the moment, A New Chapter at The Borrow a Bookshop.
Book 5 in one of my favourite series! I did love this kind of second chance/friend-to-
lovers theme! Did you enjoy writing Annie and Harri’s story?

I enjoyed it more than any other book I’ve written. It’s my first ever attempt at my
favourite ever trope ‘friends to lovers’ and every page was fun! Harri and Annie were
made for each other, but of course they take a while to realise and there’s a lovely ‘will
they/won’t they’ slow burn with a tiny bit of spice along the way.

And the mystery of the Clove Lore Castle… that was entertaining! Inspired by
anything real that you may have read or a total figment of your imagination?

I wanted to explore a bit of the countryside around Clove Lore in this one and so the
creepy old castle and its mysterious hermit owner came into being. I also really wanted
Harri and Annie to spend the night accidentally locked-in somewhere away from the
bookshop, hence the castle’s old gothic library with the roaring fireplace where they,
ahem, realise they might be more than just friends. That was perfect!

Please tell me this isn’t the end of my dream holiday spot!

Well… I never say never. I hope one day I can go back to Clove Lore and make more book
nerds fall in love, but for now there’ll be a break in the series. I’m going to miss everyone
sooo much! I know that feeling. Right now, I am toying with the idea of a series book 4 or something totally different, but those Rishtay characters are so compelling!.

Now, what do we have in store for you, book-wise, next?

I have a brand new series launching in summer 2025 (with publisher Boldwood Books)
called The Highland Repair Shop. It’s set in my version of the Scottish Cairngorm
mountains and centres round a community of expert fixers. It’s all about people who love
their planet and will not take broken for an answer. That goes for broken hearts too. I
promise it will be very, very romantic as well as community and sustainability-minded.
Are you a make-do-and-mender, Ritu? It suits my thrifty (read ‘tight with money’ haha)
disposition.

This sounds like another corker, Kiley! I cannae wait! And, while I’m not much of a mender, I totally agree with the thrifty mentality!

Thanks so much for a lovely cuppa and chat! You really know how to help a girl celebrate
a book launch, Ritu! I’ve had a blast.

I am thrilled to have been able to host you again, Kiley. I know it won’t be long before you are back!

Now, as I mentioned before, I was lucky enough to read an ARC of A New Chapter At The Borrow A Bookshop, so let me share the blurb and my review.

The Blurb

A decade after they said goodbye after graduation, old friends Harri and Annie reunite in the beautiful village of Clove Lore in Devon – what more could these bookworms want than a holiday running the tumbledown bookshop?

Unbeknownst to Annie, Harri is arriving with a bruised heart after the end of his long-term relationship, while Annie is running away from painful memories in Texas.

Elsewhere in Clove Lore, the mysterious owner of Castle Lore has died, causing much gossip in the village. When Harri and Annie are sent to investigate the huge Gothic library, they find themselves locked in overnight and soon, are discovering their connection might be more than just good friends…

My Review

A New Chapter at the Borrow a Bookshop by Kiley Dunbar
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I make no secret of the fact that I am a total Kiley Dubar Fan. I have read every one of her books and love the worlds she builds. They are relatable and visitable all in one!
Clovelore is somewhere I want to go, and I’ve already said in previous reviews that if there were a Borrow A Bookshop holiday scheme, I would 100% be up for it!
This time, we meet the new borrowers, Harri and Annie, old friends who were Uni pals and flatmates, then separated after graduation. Harri stayed in Wales with his girlfriend, and Annie flew back to The States.
The simmering chemistry between these two friends is obvious, and Kiley turns the heat up in teeny notches. You can feel the attraction slowly reaching the boiling point, and I love how she does that!
Of course,, we get to catch up with all the other Clovelore locals and some of the previous borrowers, as well as meet a wonderful new character, William Sabine, who has a heartbreaking story of his own.
I thoroughly enjoyed this beautiful read. Although it can be read as a stand-alone, I recommend the rest of the series, too, simply because it is such a brilliant concept!
May thanks to NetGalley and Hera Books for an ARC.

LINK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/New-Chapter-Borrow-Bookshop-ebook/dp/B0DGL9Z2ZY

And here’s a little about Kiley and her other books.

Kiley Dunbar is Scottish and lives in England with her husband, two kids and Amos the Bedlington Terrier. She writes around her work at a university in the North of England where she lectures in English Literature and Creative Writing.

Twitter: @KileyDunbar

‘Kiley Dunbar Author Book Page’ on Facebook

Website and newsletter: www.kileydunbar.co.uk

Instagram: @kileydunbarauthor