But I Smile Anyway…

September came, and so did the new school year. And year 51 for me, too! My birthday was a lovely time, with lots of love from family, friends and colleagues, and we had a lovely meal out at a restaurant, Coco Asia, a fusion place. (Not-so) Lil Man was thrilled that he was able to arrange this meal as it was a place he frequents regularly with clients, and he does love being a bit of a big shot, lol!

Lil Princess has started a job, too, which is pretty big for her, as well as continuing to take her driving lessons. The countdown is on for when my Mum Taxi duties are almost redundant!

School – well, what can I say? I must admit to feeling my post-half-century age when working with the little ones. They are gorgeous in many ways, but such hard work, and I know I reiterate this every year, but it is flabbergasting how many parents send their children to preschool/school with not many of the skills they should be taught at home. We have twins who are such funny characters – they are identical, and constantly on the go, but they are also not toilet trained fully, plus when one goes, the other does – synchronised! I have never seen anything like it! One is getting the hang of it, and kind of indicates she needs to go. As we rush her to the loo, we have to get the other one, as she hasn’t a clue and will just wet herself, or plonk herself on the toilet without pulling down her pants! And they aren’t the only ones! Some behaviours aren’t fantastic, and we can see where parents may have been giving in to keep the peace rather than setting boundaries, so that’s another nut to crack! But, all in all, it’s not bad. We aren’t full, either, so imagine what it would be like with a full cohort!

As a result, I have been exhausted every night. It is unbelievable: the tiredness from work mixed in with Perimenopausal symptoms, and fibromyalgia flare-ups, as well as this wonderful plantar fasciitis I have in my heel. I haven’t walked as much as I had hoped, but I have to listen to my body, and walk when I feel able.

Did I write? Around 100 words… but that is something, eh!

So I read and listened as best I could. And I didn’t do too badly

The Earl’s Inconvenient Nemesis by Emma Bennet
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

If you love a bit of Bridgerton, then this may be right up your street!
Alice, our MC, is a young lady who finds she needs to marry, whether she wants to or not, for her family’s sake.
She heads off from the one place she feels most secure, her countryside home, surrounded by nature and her horses, to London, to live with her aunt for a season, to procure herself the proposal that she hopes will secure everyone’s future.
The thing is, it is not proper for her to be unescorted, and as her brother is now head of the family and busy dealing with estate issues, his rather annoying Earl of a best friend, Anthony, volunteers to step into the chaperone’s shoes, much to Alice’s disdain.
You can feel the chemistry and attraction, but it is fun to read how they keep avoiding the elephant in the room. And then, as you learn more about Anthony’s situation, another layer of confusion kicks in, and as a reader, you wonder how the couple you know should be together, get their happy ending, as well as honouring the predicament he is in, too.
I loved this easy-to-read enemies-to-lovers story, with a bit of proximity thrown in. Regency-era books always capture my attention!

Fabulous and Furious: Don’t miss this hilarious and relatable new novel from Harper Ford about middle-age RAGE! by Harper Ford
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Oh, my, when a book resonates, it REALLY resonates, and this was one of them!
A brilliant read for those perimenopausal, menopausal, and possibly post-menopausal women out there!
Nell is a woman of a certain age, in her fifties, divorced, and grandmother to young Freddie. Somehow she has the inability to control her rage and blows up at the slightest inclination, so her daughter subtly buys her a package at the local Rage Room – a place where a person can smash the whole room to smithereens while letting some of that anger out.
She has pent-up PTSD from an incident when she was much younger, anger at how her husband treated her, frustration with her new boss, Adrian, and even though she tries to control it, sometimes it’s like a match brought too close, and she blows. Often in inappropriate situations, but also when she’s had enough and simply cannot keep her frustrations in.
Whether it is rage or a chance to vent, Nell discovers the satisfaction in ranting, too, and brings on board a few different females to share her newfound therapy!
The book deals with so much, from misogyny to how invisible women of this age feel, and I could totally relate.
Now, where’s my nearest Rage/Rant room?

Breaking Free by Neha Nayak
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The blurb made Noya’s story sound good.
A young Indian woman travels around India alone to forget her woes after a broken engagement, and she encounters a guy who keeps popping up to either antagonise or help her.
She is convinced he is a stalker, or someone hired by her family to monitor her.
Ranbir turns out to be a genuinely good guy, and then it is up to Noya to decide whether to follow her head or her heart.
On the face of it, a fantastic idea and story. The storytelling was slightly stilted, a bit simplistic, and unrealistic at the same time.
Not a bad story. But not the best, either.

The Friendship Circle: A magical heartwarming story about second chances and friendship for fans of cozy small-town emotional reads in 2026! by Amanda James
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this new read by Amanda James, having read many of her books before.
Eve moves to the coast after a settled thirty years in a different location, leaving her beloved bakery business behind, and meets an inquisitive neighbour, Ruth, who introduces her to a little magic at the bottom of her garden.
As the story unfolds, their friendship circle grows, and a local legend involving a circle of hag stones casts its magic.
Each of the women has a reason that they are drawn to this friendship circle, and together the five women make many changes for the better.
Though the pages reveal loss and grief, they also offer plenty of positivity, making it an easy read.
Is it realistic? Maybe not, but then we often reach for a book to take us out of reality to a place where things do have a happy ending, and this is that kind of book.
This one is lovely and full of whimsy.

The Mysterious Bakery on Rue de Paris by Evie Woods
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love Evie Woods’ stories, filled with whimsy and a little paranormal twist. This time, our FMC, Edith, ends up in what she thinks will be her fresh start in Paris, but she gets her wires crossed and lands in a small town an hour from the French capital, working in a strange little bakery with a huge secret.
I loved how she slowly pieced together tidbits and worked out the entire history of the quaint boulangerie and its fascinating story, along with the romantic twist added by her encounters with Henry.

The Cornish Halloween Murder by Fiona Leitch
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another fab story to add to the Nosy Parker series, with a murderous Halloween mystery to solve, entwined with a different story about a convent where girls were brought to have babies in secret.
Creepy dolls appearing, nooses, and then a body! I enjoyed reading Jodie’s adventures as a not-quite-police-officer with her DCI hubby, Nathan!

Strictly Business by Carrie Elks
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was my first experience with Carrie Elk’s books, and I will be back for more!
The first in this series follows Ava and Myles. Enemies at work, then forced to work together, with an unexpected twist: Myles agrees to be a sperm donor for Ava’s long-awaited child.
It has enemies-to-lovers and forced proximity, and I loved how they ultimately got to know one another; Ava found herself falling for the man she thought she hated, and Myles realised there was more than sexual tension between them.
A little far-fetched? Possibly. But isn’t that why we read romances? For the HEA.

A Winter’s Trail by Jane Lovering
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A Winter’s Trail is a slow-moving mystery that turns into a romance.
Faith has recently lost her father, a famous TV personality and historian, and discovers he left her a small task. Unaware of the trail’s purpose, she visits five specific churches, as requested, with the help of George, a Welsh guide her best friend insisted she use.
Forced proximity keeps them together, and you can feel the chemistry between them. The trail’s mystery, though, is bewildering. We learn a lot about Faith’s father’s philanthropy along the way, but that still isn’t the main revelation.
It was a little slower than my recent reads, and the addition of a rather eccentric pup definitely added some laughs.

Working Class Hero by Kay Bratt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another fantastic read and addition to the Hart’s Ridge series by Kay Bratt.
This time, though, we follow our Sheriff Taylor Grey through an investigation regarding the sad death/ murder of a young pregnant woman; there is considerable time spent on the story of Tula Rose, a character introduced in several books previously, and her own family predicament. It sets the scene for the story to come.
I always love Kay’s writing, and since each story has a little root in truth, it flowers with her imagination; it makes the reading more powerful.

It’s Only Love by Kay Bratt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Book 17 in the Hart’s Ridge series still carries Kay Bratt’s inimitable style, but with a little twist: Sam, Sheriff Taylor Grey’s husband, ends up in the limelight, and she takes a backseat.
We also change locations as a case Sam works on as a private investigator takes him out of town.
A man went missing, presumed dead, eight months ago, and his brother feels there is unfinished business. He arrives on the Gulf Coast, staying in one of the marina cottages, looked after by Daniel and Tula, a couple of characters from previous books. As they learn why he is there, Daniel enlists Sam’s help and, inadvertently, Taylor’s, to dig a little deeper.
What was meant to be a little family break for Taylor and Sam ends when she rushes back with the children, leaving Sam to continue his investigation.
Inconsistent evidence, intriguing answers, unexplainable phone calls – all these things help Sam and the team to find out what really happened to Wade.
Along the way, we meet the cute Danny Boy, nephew and adopted son of Tula and Daniel, as well as Daniel’s sister Josie and Wade’s brother Walker, where a bit of romance may or may not blossom.
But we end on another cliffhanger! Kay! Oh my! At least I know another Hart’s Ridge book is coming!

The Secret Keeper of Jaipur by Alka Joshi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have to admit I haven’t read The Henna Artist, the book that precedes this story, yet it didn’t detract from my engagement with it. If anything, it made me want to read it ASAP so I could understand some elements mentioned in The Secret Keeper.
The story is set in two very different parts of India: Simla and Jaipur. Simla is a picturesque mountain area known for its cold, beautiful scenery, and Jaipur is hot and known for its history and opulence.
Malik is one of the POVs we follow. He is an orphan who has lived with Lalita for many years, like a surrogate son to her, and she has ensured he completes his education, wanting to give him every opportunity to succeed in life. She sends him to Jaipur, the town they both came from, to learn another business, where the Maharani of Jaipur is involved in building a new cinema with the latest technology.
He leaves behind Nimmi, a young widow, a tribal woman who has left her tribe and their ways to support herself and her two children in Simla.
As he meets old friends and contacts, he writes regularly to Nimmi, missing her simple ways, but since she cannot read, Lalita, his Lady Boss, reads the letters to her.
The other two POVs are Lalita and Nimmi.
A huge tragedy starts the story, and the rest of it recalls the buildup and then the ensuing investigations taken on by Malik and, later, Lalita to find out the truth.
I was engrossed in the whole story and look forward to reading the first book, and the one that comes after!

A Dash of Christmas Spirit: NEW for 2026: the perfect heartwarming cosy romance to snuggle up with this Christmas! by Susan Buchanan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Catch the blog tour post tomorrow!

The Sugar and Spice Bookshop Bakery: the perfect small-town cosy romance to curl up with this autumn by Jennifer Page
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was looking forward to diving into this after having read Jennifer Page’s previous cafe-related series, and I was not disappointed,
Louise, the FMC, has fled London and her prized job as an editor, after making an epic mistake and arrived back in her hometown, Applethwaite, to seek solace in a familiar place, near her mother. Only to find herself back at the bakery her family has run for two generations, and she knows her mother hopes she will continue the business now that she is back.
Poor Louise had a few dilemmas to solve, as well as meeting old and new faces, some more welcome than others. Her ex-stepdaughter, Maddie, also turns up and becomes a genuine support as she tries to decide what she really wants in life.
Then there is Jack, or Giacomo, the gorgeous Italian/Yorkshireman, who is there to support his ailing father.
There is chemistry, along with questions from both of them, as each hides a secret eating at them inside.
I loved how Louise finally followed her dreams and managed to encompass the hopes of her mother with her bookshop bakery, as well as finding happiness in other areas of her life, and I have to say, I would love to visit somewhere like her new business venture!

13 books read this month! Which one caught your eye?