Reviews | But I Smile Anyway...

Secrets of the Italian Guest House by Sue Moorcroft #BookTour #Blog Tour @rararesources @SueMoorcroft

13 Jul 2026 4 Comments

by Ritu in Reviews Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blog Tour, Blogger, Blogging, Book Tour, Rachel's Random Resources, Sue Moorcroft

I am thrilled to have the President of the RNA, and fabulous author, Sue Moorcroft’s latest release, Secrets of the Italian Guest House, on the blog today!

The Blurb

Two sisters she’s never met
A first love who’s impossible to forget…

For Jade, life in Lake Como is la dolce vita. Until her beloved grandmother passes, leaving Jade not just the family’s bustling guesthouse to run, but two life-changing secrets to confront…

The pensione hasn’t just been left to Jade, it’s also been inherited by her sisters – who she had no idea existed. As Erin and Rosalie arrive in Italy, Jade is forced to face the heart-wrenching prospect of sharing her last remaining tie to the woman who raised her.

Jade is desperately trying to hold on to the past, but there’s one person she would prefer to leave firmly behind: her first love, Leo. He’s back in the city that is filled with the memories they once made together. But as Jade fights to take control of her future and her heart, why do all cobbled roads lead back to Leo?

Lose yourself in the first, utterly romantic novel in a brand-new trilogy, filled with new beginnings and second chances. Perfect for fans of Sarah Morgan and Milly Johnson.

My Review

Secrets of the Italian Guesthouse by Sue Moorcroft
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lake Como is calling me this time, and Sue Moorcroft is to blame for it!
We are whisked off to Lake Como to a small pensione, like a guesthouse, run by Jade and her grandmother. Only, her grandmother, upon her demise, reveals a secret via her solicitor that changes Jade’s life.
Such an intimate dissection of family relationships and politics, as we weave through Jade’s idyllic childhood, on the face of it, but the gaping holes that were papered over, like her non-existent father and Houdini mother. Then to find out she has siblings…
I really loved how this was written, and cannot wait to read more about these three sisters!

https://geni.us/ItalianGuesthouse

About The Author

Sue Moorcroft is a Sunday Times bestselling author. Her novels have been #1 on Kindle UK and Top 100 on Kindle US, Canada, Germany and Italy. She’s won the Goldsboro Books Contemporary Novel of the Year, Readers’ Best Romantic Novel award, two HOLT Medallions and the Katie Fforde Bursary. She’s the president of the Romantic Novelists’ Association.

Her novels, short stories, serials, columns, writing ‘how to’ and courses have appeared around the world.

Social Media Links –

Amazon page: Sue Moorcroft

Audible page: Sue Moorcroft

Website: www.suemoorcroft.com

Facebook author page SueMoorcroftAuthor

Twitter: @SueMoorcroft

Instagram: @SueMoorcroftAuthor

Linked in: Sue Moorcroft

Link Tree: linktr.ee/SueMoorcroft

Bookbub: SueMoorcroft

Giveaway to Win a signed copy of Secrets of the Italian Guesthouse and a Sue Moorcroft pen (Open to UK Only)

*Terms and Conditions –UK entries welcome. Please enter using the Gleam box below. The winner will be selected at random via Gleam from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves 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 Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

https://gleam.io/SCjXP/win-a-signed-copy-of-secrets-of-the-italian-guesthouse-sue-moorcroft-pen-uk-only

Marry Me in Seahaven Bay by Nicola May #BlogTour #BookReview #RachelsRandomResources @rararesources @nicolamay1

28 Jun 2026 2 Comments

by Ritu in Reviews Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blog Tour, Blogger, Blogging, Book Review, Escape to Seahaven Bay, Nicola May, Rachel's Random Resources

I’m back with another great blog tour review for fantastic author, Nicola May and her latest release, Marry Me in Seahaven Bay.

The Blurb

The emotional and uplifting new novel from the author of the million-copy bestselling Cockleberry Bay series.

Life at the Seahaven Bay Retreat is flourishing, but Rita Jory’s second chance at happiness is about to face its biggest test yet. When Jago’s glamorous French ex-wife appears on the doorstep with a five-year-old daughter in tow, their blossoming relationship hangs by a thread.

Between juggling retreat guests seeking healing, her daughter Sennen’s desperate need for a last-minute wedding venue, and dealing with Elodie’s impossible demands, Rita’s already stretched to breaking point.

Then some very unexpected news forces her to reconsider everything she thought she wanted. But can she trust Jago with her secret and embrace the new life ahead?

Rita must decide whether to protect her heart or fight for her future.

A joyful, tender and laugh-out-loud tale of family, forgiveness and finding the courage to say yes to life’s beautiful surprises. Perfect for fans of Jill Mansell, Jojo Moyes and Amanda Prowse.

Purchase Links – https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0GMXMX9BF

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GMXMX9BF

My Review

Marry Me in Seahaven Bay by Nicola May

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was swept right back into the world of Rita Jory and the community in Seahavem Bay with this second book in the series.
Rita is a woman of a certain age, a widow with two grown children and a fledgling business started after the death of her husband. The wellness retreat has been well received by the locals and those who have stayed, and Rita’s romance with the neighbour, who also has a bit of a complicated connection with her late husband, is blossoming.
In the first book, we hear so many secrets, and though most are accepted, there are still other little things coming out of the woodwork through book two.
First, an ex-wife appears, then Rita discovers something about herself…
All with the retreat needing to be used for a wedding, a new band of guests with their own issues, and an intruder who threatens to put the kibosh on the whole site and business!
So much going on!
I loved seeing what the original characters were up to, and I love Teo, Rita’s husband’s son from another relationship, who treats Rita like his own mother. Rita certainly goes through the wringer, again, losing another loved one, but gaining many more in the process
If you love stories with family at the heart, and a gorgeous village setting, then you won’t be disappointed!

View all my reviews

About The Author

Nicola May is a bestselling author renowned for her heartwarming and humorous romantic comedies. With twenty-two books to her name, her work has captured readers’ hearts around the world, has been translated into fifteen languages and consistently ranks in the top 100 of Amazon’s Kindle bestseller charts. As a self-published author, she achieved the remarkable feat of reaching number one on Amazon twice, and has been a strong advocate for indie authors, pushing for a dedicated chart for them in The Bookseller magazine. Now signed to Storm Publishing, Nicola continues to write heartfelt rom-coms with her signature blend of warmth and wit.

When she’s not writing, she enjoys cream teas in her beloved Devon, hikes through nature, and occasionally places a bet on the horses.

Social Media Links –

i: author_nicola

X: @nicolamay1

f: NicolaMayAuthor

Tiktok: @nicolamayauthor

A Venice Summer by Lynne Shelby #BlogTour #RachelsRandomResources @rararesources @LynneShelby5

20 May 2026 2 Comments

by Ritu in Reviews Tags: A Venice Summer, Blog, Blog Post, Blog Tour, Blogger, Blogging, Book Review, Book Tour, Lynne Shelby, Rachel's Random Resources, Shaldo Books

I am delighted to be on the Blog tour for Lynne Shelby’s A Venice Summer!

The Blurb

Art conservator Rose Bennet is still reeling from a bad break-up when she is offered a dream job in Venice, restoring an art collection in the Ca’ D’Ambra, a six-hundred-year-old Venetian palazzo. Despite her fears about travelling to a foreign country on her own, Rose is soon heading to Italy for the summer.

While she is awestruck by the breathtaking beauty of Venice, Rose finds the owner of the palazzo, the arrogant and short-tempered Luca Casserini, insufferable. When he questions her ability to do her work, she almost heads straight back to London, but decides that she won’t let herself be intimidated or driven away before she’s even had a chance to ride in a gondola.

Losing her way in Venice’s picturesque maze of canals and alleyways, the last person Rose wants to see is her employer, but when they meet by chance and, to her surprise, he offers to show her around the city, she feels it would be churlish to refuse.

Spending sunlit summer days exploring Venice with Luca, Rose discovers a passionate side to him, very different to her first impression, and her feelings towards him begin to change …

Rose knows she can restore a damaged painting, but can she mend Luca’s damaged heart?

My Review

A Venice Summer: a sunlit summer romance by Lynne Shelby
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What a gorgeous story!
This dual-timeline tale focuses on an art conservator, Rose, who moves to Venice for the summer to work on a special project.
While there, she begins to unravel a mystery connected to the 16th-century painting she is restoring, and possibly falls headlong in love not only with Venice but also with a certain young man.
Reading the short snippets relating to a young Italian noblewoman, rumoured to be the subject of the artwork being restored, really added another layer of depth to the whole story.
Rose’s character warmed to me as she isn’t a flighty young thing but is undergoing her own metamorphosis when she escapes to Venice for a job that fell at her feet at an extremely convenient time.
Luca, the owner of the palazzo where Rose is stationed, is a brooding Italian hero with his own responsibilities, which he never forgets, and I love that in a man!
When I read destination books, I always want to go there to experience the place, and this book did exactly that. The authors’ fantastic descriptions of the areas in Venice and the architecture really made me want to visit personally, too.
The details regarding the restoration of artworks were fascinating, and I now want to go to a proper Venetian masked ball!

Purchase Links

https://www.amazon.com/Venice-Summer-sunlit-summer-romance-ebook/dp/B0GGX58TWJ/

About the Author

Lynne Shelby writes contemporary women’s fiction/romance. Her debut novel, ‘Meet Me In Paris,’ (originally titled French Kissing), won the Accent Press and Woman magazine Writing Competition. She has done a variety of jobs from stable girl to child actor’s chaperone to legal administrator, but now writes full time. When not writing or reading, Lynne can usually be found at the theatre or exploring a foreign city – Paris, New York, Rome, Copenhagen, Seattle, Reykjavik – writer’s notebook, camera and sketchbook in hand. She lives in London with her husband, and has three adult children who live nearby.

Social Media Links –

Facebook: www.facebook.com/LynneShelbyWriter

Instagram: lynneshelbywriter

Bluesky: @lynneshelby.bsky.social

Threads: @lynneshelbywriter

Twitter: @LynneShelby5

The Sunshine Teashop Shop by Jaimie Admans #BlogTour #BookReview #RachelsRandomResources @rararesources @BoldwoodBooks @be_the_spark

04 May 2026 4 Comments

by Ritu in Reviews Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blog Tour, Blogging, Bloggr, Book Tour, Finding Love At The Magial Curiosity Shop, Jaimie Admans, Rachel's Random Resources

I am delighted to be on the blog tour for Jaimie Admans’ The Sunshine Teashop/

The Blurb

Dolly Lymford is having one of those days… 🧁🫖

The kind that starts with dreams of opening a café… and ends with discovering your boyfriend kissing your best friend!

Heartbroken and with nowhere else to go, Dolly accidentally-on-purpose borrows her now-ex-boyfriend’s campervan and drives until the road runs out. This leads her to Thimblenouth, a picture-perfect Yorkshire Dales village where life moves more slowly and the kettle is always on.

After literally bumping into gorgeous local builder Reece Sterling, Dolly begins to feel something she hasn’t in a long time: safe. She also rediscovers her love of baking, filling the campervan with the scent of warm scones and freshly brewed tea. And Reece is always around to share a lemon pie or two…

When Dolly has an idea to open her own pop-up café, Reece is all too happy to help. And as the summer sun begins to warm everything it touches, Dolly wonders if she’s finally found a place to call home… maybe even with Reece.

But can she really build a future on borrowed wheels?

A warm, uplifting story of fresh starts, village kindness, and finding love where you least expect it — best enjoyed with tea and cake.🍰

My Review

The Sunshine Teashop by Jaimie Admans
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Oh, what a lovely story to read, as I am on the comedown from a glorious holiday!
Dolly starts the story with a bang, and not a good kind. Set up to start a wonderful business with her best friend, a cafe, she finds herself betrayed in the worst possible way by both friend and boyfriend.
This is where the fun starts.
Stuck with no home, no family to support her and no other real friends to turn to, Dolly does whatever comes into her mind, and that is escaping, to anywhere, in the campervan of her ex-boyfriend. She finds herself in Thimblenouth, a little village up North with fond memories attached.
I loved the entire story, her confused, panicked exit from her disaster of a life, to the slow-paced calm of the Yorkshire village.
Her unconventional meeting with Builder Reece, and the way their friendship grows, is a perfect slow-burning example.
Dolly loves nostalgic baking, and just how her little business venture from the campground grows is heartwarming, as she begins with a simple bake to soothe and creates sweet masterpieces that remind all those who eat of fond memories.
I loved the little family she finds herself with, as the local gossips warm to her, and end up being her biggest supporters,
A story that warms you and has a real feel-good quality.

Purchase Link – https://mybook.to/SunshineTeashop

About the Author

Jaimie Admans is the bestselling author of several romantic comedies – including The Little Christmas Shop on Nutcracker Lane and The Chateau of Happily-Ever-Afters. Her series for Boldwood, The Ever After Street Series, is based on the magical world of fairytales.

Social Media Links –

Facebook: @JaimieAdmansBooks

Twitter: @be_the_spark

Instagram: @jaimieadmans1

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/JaimieAdmansNews

Bookbub profile: @jaimieadmans1

Wed or Alive by Portia Macintosh #BlogTour #RachelsRandomResources @rararesources @BoldwoodBooks

02 May 2026 Leave a comment

by Ritu in Reviews, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blog Tour, Blogger, Blogging, Boldwood Books, Book Review, Book Tour, Portia Macintosh, Rachel's Random Resources

It is blog tour time for another book! This time, Wed or Alive by Portia Macintosh

The Blurb

She’s not getting hitched. He’s just here for the ride.

Whitney’s life is not going to plan. Her romantic comedy novel isn’t selling, her career feels stuck, and by the time she realises she’s in love with her best friend and roommate, Andy, he’s back from his work trip with a fiancée – and a wedding date that is alarmingly soon.

Enter Jake: a cowboy with his own problems, including a country estate he’s desperate to buy and an owner who doesn’t trust developers – or men without roots. When a viral moment throws Whitney and Jake together, they strike a deal. Whitney gets the real-life love story publishers want. Jake gets to look like a committed, family-minded man who belongs at Rosewood. All they have to do is pretend they’re in love.

As Andy’s wedding approaches, Whitney uncovers a plot twist that could change everything for him – but the romcom she’s acting out with Jake is starting to feel dangerously real.

Falling for your best friend is complicated, but riding off into the sunset with a cowboy is pure fiction… Right?

My Review

Wed or Alive: The BRAND NEW smart and hilariously funny rom-com from Portia MacIntosh for 2026 by Portia MacIntosh
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I honestly loved this story, where I was convinced one thing was going to happen. I thought I KNEW the ending, but then – PLOT TWIST – and a curveball came and moved the target!
Whitney is in a funk. Her book idea isn’t selling, her agent is trying, but all she can get are ghostwriting gigs. Plus her love life is pretty bad, too.
JJ, her agent is trying hard, as one of her besties, to set her up.
Her other long-term bestie and flatmate, Andy, is away, and Whitney has a realisation that maybe he is the one for her.,.
Here is where the plot twist hits, and I won’t tell you what it is, but let’s just mention Cowboy, and Jake… a fountain, a proposal, a lot of lies and a bit of little too late honesty…
It all makes for a fantastic beach read!
Many Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an ARC.

Purchase Link – https://mybook.to/WedorAlive

About the Author

Portia MacIntosh is the multi-million copy bestselling author of over 40 romantic comedy novels. Whether it’s southern Italy or the French alps, Portia’s stories are the holiday you’re craving, conveniently packed in between the pages. Formerly a journalist, Portia lives with her husband and her dog in Yorkshire.

Find out more at www.portiamacintosh.com

Social Media Links –

Facebook: @macintoshportia

Twitter: @PortiaMacintosh

Instagram: @portiamacintoshauthor

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/PortiaMacIntoshNews

Bookbub profile: @portiamac