Reviews | But I Smile Anyway...

Book and a Brew with Ritu – I’ll Miss You this Christmas by @LucyMitchAuth @BloodHoundBooks #NewRelease #BookReview

15 Sep 2023 14 Comments

by Ritu in Book & A Brew With Ritu, Reviews Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Book Review, I'll Miss You This Christmas, Lucy Mitchell, New Release

One of my oldest blogging friends!

I am absolutely thrilled to have a wonderful blogging friend, and writerly sister, Lucy Mitchell, visit today to discuss books, writing, podcasts and her newest release, I’ll Miss You This Christmas!

Hello, and welcome to But I Smile Anyway, Lucy! Let’s get you set with a drink, first. Tea, coffee, herbal tea, hot chocolate, or maybe a masala chai?

A green tea with honey would be perfect.

I’ve got all sorts of nibbles here, from Indian savouries, to freshly baked cookies and even a carrot cake. What do you fancy?

I tasted your cooking back in 2016 at the Annual Blogging Bash Awards and your cakes were beautiful.

Aw, thank you, Lucy! I am glad you remembered my Bake Off attempts!

Please, can I have a generous slice of your carrot cake?

Of course.

You and I have known each other for a long while now, pretty much since we started blogging. I know you’ve wanted to be a published writer since forever… can you share your journey, from Wattpad to self-publishing, to being with Bloodhound Books?

You and I go back years. You’re right, we met in the WordPress blogging community many writing moons ago. We then met in the flesh at the Blogging Awards in London, and I knew we would always be friends. You have always been a true supporter of my writing and likewise me with your wonderful writing. Do you remember when I interviewed you on my blog and you had what you referred to as your teenage WIP (lol), was it 19 years old?

Absolutely! I remember that blog post well! I think it has hit at least 18 years when I had finally finished it!

I woke up on my 40^th birthday and decided it was time to sort out my life dream of becoming an author. Everyone stared at me in bewilderment when I announced to the family over breakfast, that I was going to be an author. I had not written anything proper for years. When I was 12 weeks pregnant in 2003 with my first daughter, high on pregnancy hormones, I did write a Space romcom which defied the laws of science. I had read it back once since giving birth and cringed so much at my characters having saucy moments as they passed the Rings of Saturn that I had to forget about writing for 10 years.

😂 I feel like I need to read this…

So, my husband paid for me to go on a 12-week writing course. This was a game-changer. I realised a lot of things over those 12 weeks. Firstly, I couldn’t call myself a writer and not write anything (lol), I couldn’t write books and not read books regularly, and everyone on that course was far better than me at writing. The tutor recommended we develop our craft and start a blog. In 2014 my blog was born.

I blogged every day for about 2 years. Short, snappy and diary-like entries about my life.

I loved those entries!

I won the Funniest Blog award for 2 years running, made a ton of writing friends, realised I had found my tribe and LOVED every single minute. Blogging taught me so many valuable things, most importantly discipline. I turned up every day to write. Then someone told me I should write a book….

I wrote a dreadful thriller which will never see the light of day again and I also went on Wattpad and wrote – The Diary of Roxy Collins. https://www.wattpad.com/story/54120403-the-diary-of-roxy-collins?utm_source=web&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share_myworks

Roxy Collins is my fictional heroine. Her funny diary entries got me 70k followers on Wattpad and over 270k views. She will always be my favourite character. She gave me validation that I could become an author.

Roxy has a special place in my heart, too. I keep telling you your publisher needs to do something with her stories. She is fab!

I wrote my first romance novel – Instructions for Falling in Love Again, and after a ton of rejections, I self-published it in 2019. This was one of the best things I have ever done and was a brilliant experience. It changed my life, and from that point on, I knew I wanted to be published before the age of 50. I had several years of working with agents, going on submission, a lot of rejections and then, at the start of this year, I got signed by Bloodhound Books. The book I wrote in the weeks after my dad died – I’ll Miss You This Christmas is coming out on 15 September.

https://geni.us/MissYouChristmas

Even better is that my first novel, Instructions for Falling in Love Again, will be re-published by Bloodhound Books in November. Yes, I have signed a 4-book contract with Bloodhound Books. I am becoming the author I used to dream about when I was a kid – squeal!

That is awesome! I am so proud of you and happy for you! (Doing my happy dance! 💃🏽💃🏽💃🏽)

And, I know you have written several novels already, but this is only the second one that has been published, so far. Will the other ones be coming out any time soon for a tweak and a publish?

Yes, I have signed a 4-book contract with Bloodhound Books. I am becoming the author I used to dream about when I was a kid – squeal! 🎉🎉

Where is your favourite place to write and create? I know you have a heap of notebooks (who doesn’t?) that you love to post about. Do you handwrite any of your draft, or just the plans?

This is what I have created for myself in terms of a writing space. I love it and even my cat – Harry loves it too.

He looks so much like Sonu Singh!

I am a true pantser. I write a few notes and then dump everything onto a Word document. I also think I have a weird writing process as I write things out of order and then piece them back together years later. Very odd. My ideas don’t come fully formed. They come in bits with no instruction manual.

Oh, if only there was a manual…

I am a huge lover of romantic novels of all sorts. What pulled you towards that genre?

I love reading romance. I love crying my eyes out over a good romance. I love thinking about the fictional couple for weeks after and wishing the author would send me an update on how their Happily Ever After is going.

Talking of romance writers, tell the readers about your newest non-writing project, Love At First Write – a podcast with the fabulous Lucy Keeling and Bettina Hunt! (who have both popped over for a Book & A Brew in the past, too!) What gave you three the idea to start this new venture?

I recorded a podcast back in 2016 when podcasts were very new. I recorded The Diary of Roxy Collins. Back then I don’t think audio-books were big. Anyway, I recorded her diary entries whilst huddled in my daughter’s shoe cupboard with a gin and tonic. I had such a giggle. One of the most enjoyable things I have done creatively.

And I loved listening to you reading them!

So, the podcast idea never left me. I wanted to reach out to a different audience of readers and romance writers. Then, I met 2 like-minded souls, Lucy Keeling and Bettina Hunt. At the start of this year, I pestered them both about creating a podcast and voila – Love at First Write was born.

We have had so much fun putting this together and it’s also been a steep learning curve.

It’s a podcast aimed at newbie romance writers, romance authors and romance readers who want to know what it’s like writing romance. It’s funny and full of useful tips. We are on all the main podcasting platforms and we go live on Friday 1^st September with our weekly episodes. https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/love-at-first-write/id1697505295

I’ve already heard the intro episode which is such fun! I was one of your first listeners on the 1st… well, after I finished my first day back at school! 🙄

Now, let’s come back to your new release, I’ll Miss You This Christmas. There are layers of grief among the rest of the romance and light-heartedness in this lovely story. I know you suffered your own loss around the time you were writing this. Was it cathartic?

Yes, very much so. I wrote it on the trains back and forth from Leeds after Dad died suddenly in May 2021. I live in Wales, and he lived in Leeds. The train journeys were so painful, and I think on the first one I cried the whole way there. I’d spoken to him a few days before and he was his usual happy self. Then I got a call to say he had suffered a huge stroke and was on end-of-life care. We spent 5 days by his bedside in a Leeds hospital. He never woke up and it broke my heart. On the way home, I knew he’d want me to write. He was my biggest supporter of books and writing. So, I did. My novel, I’ll Miss You This Christmas, was born.

Huge hugs, Lucy. 🤗🤗

I love how the title reflects the different meanings of ‘miss’ within the story. Missing people emotionally and missing them physically. What made you think of setting the majority of this story on the trains?

It was all the time I spent on trains going back and forth from Wales to Leeds. Not only after he’d died but also in the weeks after to support Mum.

I have already told you this, but I loved the fact that you had a third main character, Felix, who is a young boy, and his point of view about the whole story. He is pivotal to the plot. Did you base him on anyone you know?

He was a boy on the train who I saw when I was crying over dad. A young boy with freckles and red hair was down the carriage and he was doing what Felix does in the book. I won’t give the game away as that’s an important part of my story.

Oooh, now that is even more intriguing!

And I’m sure my readers would love to know… what do you have in the pipeline? Is there anything up your sleeves, already?

Instructions for Falling in Love Again – November 2023

The Car Share – April 2024

My Café story – but not confirmed title yet.

Thank you for having me over, Ritu.

You are most welcome, Lucy. It was a pleasure having you visit! And, I can’t wait for the other books, now, too! 😊

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of The Christmas Trip so please find my review below, as well as the buy links and some more information about my fabulous guest, Sandy!

The Blurb

As the holidays draw near, she’s missing him—again and again. . . . “[Mitchell’s] writing is deliciously funny and has so much heart.” —Sandy Barker, author of One Summer in Santorini

Emily feels like her life’s been shattered into tiny pieces and glued back together the wrong way. With her heart still aching after her sister’s sudden death, Emily has stepped up to care for her nine-year-old nephew, Felix. Trying to do the right thing, she also ended her two-year relationship with Rory, who wasn’t ready to settle down, so she could focus on Felix.

But when she takes Felix into London to see the Christmas displays, he wanders off and the two of them wind up on a train to Leeds . . . where Rory just happens to live. The long ride will give her time to reflect on whether she made a mistake letting Rory go. But as Rory embarks on his own journey at the same time, will the three of them manage to cross paths in time for Christmas?

My Review

I’ll Miss You This Christmas: A life-affirming and uplifting Christmas romance by Lucy Mitchell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have been looking forward to reading this for a long time now. Lucy Mitchell’s second book was eagerly anticipated!
Emily is not looking forward to Christmas. It is far too different to Christmases past, with loved ones no longer around her and a new responsibility on her head. That of a carer to her nine-year-old nephew Felix, and a rather overexcited dog, Baxter, who has a penchant for running off with her underwear!
Things used to be so good between them, but nowadays, they spend forever fighting, bickering, and generally having no fun whatsoever.
She misses Vivi, her sister, who was tragically taken from her. And she desperately misses her ex, Rory, though she doesn’t really know that.
But Felix does. And he tries his hardest to help in his own nine-year-old way.
The story is set over the space of a couple of days, and trains feature heavily as the characters end up on eventful journeys to try and find their own happy endings, with so many near misses!
This story is written in multiple POVs; Emily, Rory and Felix.
Can I start by saying I loved having Felix’s side of the story? Felix is a beautifully complex character with his secrets and wishes, and the ideas he has to help his little family be happy are just epic, cute and kinda crazy!
I just wanted to hug Emily and tell her things would be okay. It’s a lot to take on responsibility for a child, even if that child is your nephew.
And Rory. Bless him. He’s suffering his own grief and trying to overcome everything without the woman he loves by his side.
My heartstrings were tugged from the book’s first pages as we were thrown into the midst of chaos, with arguments, tantrums (and Baxter running off with Emily’s lingerie!)
Grief shows in many different ways and the way Lucy has explored this through various angles is sensitive and heart-rending, but there are brilliant dashes of humour to keep the reader upbeat.
I wanted that happy ending and kept turning pages, on the edge of my seat, as they very nearly got there… then something else happened to stop the inevitable, but each and every twist kept me hooked through to the end.
An incredibly wonderful story. Funny, poignant and hopeful.
I can’t wait for the next Lucy Mitchell story!

These are the buy links for #MissYouChristmas

https://geni.us/MissYouChristmas

And here’s a little about Lucy.

I live in a house with two teenagers, an over-excited Labrador, a gang of unruly cats and a rugby-mad Welsh husband. On the morning of my 40th birthday, I decided to follow my dream of writing books. I’ve always enjoyed writing funny stuff and my mum still has the letters I used to write to her when I was at university and turned aspects of my student life into a comedy. When I am not writing, I am eating scampi & chips at my local pub, reading romance books or co-hosting the podcast – Love At First Write.

Follow Lucy:
linktr.ee/LucyMitchAuth

Book & A Brew with Ritu and Jodie Homer @umbrellacafe Married by Thirty #BookReview #BookAndABrew

05 Sep 2023 8 Comments

by Ritu in Book & A Brew With Ritu, Reviews Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Book & A Brew With Ritu, Book Review, Jodie Homer, Married By Thirty

Today, I have a lovely visitor to my Book & A Brew with Ritu segment, and that is Jodie Homer, talking about all things writing and her newest release, Married By Thirty.

Hello, and welcome to But I Smile Anyway,Jodie! Let’s get you set with a drink, first. Tea, coffee, hot chocolate, or maybe a masala chai?

Hello Ritu

Ooh, I wouldn’t say no to a hot chocolate, especially with cream. Yummy.

Love a bit of whipped cream! I can offer you some homemade pakoras, but I also a Victoria sponge, freshly baked by my daughter! What’s your preference?

I could take some pakoras right now thank you.

So, could you tell me a bit about your journey to becoming a published author, Jodie?

I love this question, I’ve always loved writing and reading, and I wish I had started a bit sooner, but I started writing with a little idea after joining the chick lit group and came up with my first novel Raindrops on the Umbrella Cafe. I have learnt so much since I started with editing and writing I feel like I’m finally getting it now.

It’s amazing what you pick up as you go along, isn’t it? I think, having self-published my first book, before being signed, I have a different way of thinking about the whole process.

Do you have a favourite out of the books you have published so far?

Is it bad to have a favourite? Of course not! Is it like having a favourite child? Erm, kinda. But we all have one! I do have a favourite but ssh, don’t tell the others. A Magical Christmas on the Isle of Skye is my favourite. My two main characters Emilia and Harry are my favourite couple.

I know you are busy, like me, juggling childcare and work with trying to write. Do you have a special place where you do all your creating and writing?

I wish I had an office to write but unfortunately, I write where I can so in bed or on the sofa with the remote next to me and a snack on the other side.

That was me, too, before we moved and I was able. to have my own room! Old habits die hard though, and I can still be found with my laptop in bed!

Why romance? And why Scotland?

I’ve always loved romance novels. I am the most hopeless romance there probably ever was and I love happily ever after. The myths of Scotland came before the towns the books are set in. I research the myth and base the book on that town. I’ve never been so I spend a lot of time on Google Maps.

Google Maps is a godsend, isn’t it?

Let’s get back to your latest release, Married by Thirty. Two friends with a pact, that gets thrown off course because of a haunted house. Was this storyline based upon any real myths?

Yes, it is. It’s not the clearest myth. Basically, the manor house is real and the myth is the earl’s (not duke’s) wife dies and the earl locks the door of the manor house, and there are all sorts of rumours as to what happened to the wife so I basically rewrote it but added in Freya and James.

The friends-to-lovers trope is quite a big one. Is that a trope you enjoy to read, too?

Yes! I absolutely adore the friends-to-lovers trope I love the history of characters and their feelings. When i was in year 7 I got together with my best friend and we stayed together through the whole of secondary school.

Have you ever had any experience of ghosts or hauntings?

No, I haven’t, but I absolutely loved writing any scene with Dahlia in there. She is actually my favourite character. I wish I had a more interesting haunting story to tell, but I don’t. Never say never!

I know you have another book lined up for release soon, too. Care to share any details about that?

I do. I have a Christmas book called A Village Called Christmas, out in November. It’s about a character called Holly who loves Christmas, and she runs away from her cheating boyfriend to a village called Christmas where all of the characters have Christmassy names, and it’s like a Hallmark Christmas movie where the male character Joseph’s family may or may not be the real Santa Claus.

Sign me up already! That sounds fantastic! Peeps, already another one to add to your TBR piles!

Thank you so much for visiting me here on my blog, Jodie! We’ll have to do it again, soon!

Thank you so much for having me today. 😊

The Blurb

Almost fourteen years ago, Freya and James made a pact to marry if they were both single at thirty. When Freya inherits Mulberry Manor and its rumoured ghost, she returns home and enlists James’ help in figuring out the truth behind the ‘haunted house’. But it’s not just the house that is being a little weird. Can James and Freya figure out the mystery of Dahlia Mulberry without the spark between them setting both their lives on fire? And now they’re both thirty… when the clock strikes midnight, will they really put a ring on it?

Buy it by clicking below!

My Review

Married By Thirty by Jodie Homer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Freya arrives back in her hometown on the Isle of Skye after a bout of bad luck. She wishes she’d never moved away to chase her dreams.
Instead, she is back, having inherited a supposedly haunted manor house, and back in the midst of her best friends, including Jamie.
Jamie, who she also shared a pact with about getting married to each other if they were still unmarried by thirty.
Jamie, who was her first love.
But, before she can think about her love life, there are some more pressing issues at play in her new house…
Issues that begin to make Freya question the one relationship she thought was solid.
I loved Dahlia Mulberry, an extra special character, who I don’t want to talk about too much, but I almost wish there were another book detailing her story … hint, hint!
A quick, fun read with a haunting mystery to solve.
Married by Thirty is the second book in the series For The Love Of A Scottish Myth.

About the Author

Jodie lives in a small village in Solihull with her husband and two children. She loves nothing more than dancing around embarrassingly to 90s music and eating mint chocolate. Jodie enjoys reading and writing books full of romance and swoon-worthy fictional men.

Follow Jodie on Social Media!

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/jodietheauthor

Twitter
https://twitter.com/umbrellacafe

Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/jodie_loves_books/

Goodreads
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21824053.Jodie_Homer?ref=nav_profile_l

August 2023 Books #AmReading

31 Aug 2023 10 Comments

by Ritu in Reviews, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Am Reading, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Book Reviews, Goodreads, Netgalley, reading

This year I have a full August off from school. The last few years, we have started back in the last week of August, so aside from trying to get words down, I hope I get a load of reading done, too!

Who am I kidding? Words? My own? They did not flow. I was caught up in an awful exhaustion. However, I did get to read plenty and so far, my arc list is empty, but I am sure that won’t be for long! (It wasn’t. I read a lot of arcs!)

I can try and get some of my actual TBR books read now!

End of month Update: I finished all my arcs! And I managed to read at least five books from my TBR pile and on my Kindle, so I think that is a win! Seventeen books, bringing my yearly total on Goodreads, so far, to 103 books read. I have read more, but some are betas which aren’t on Goodreads so far!

The Last Train Home by Elle Cook
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I steamed through this one, I have to say!
I love a book that is set a little while back. Not enough to be deemed proper historical, but old enough for me to feel that nostalgia… more modern history, I guess.
The Last Train Home felt exactly like that.
Abbie and Tom meet, officially, on a train in 2005, and their introductory conversation goes from that to a disaster movie scene in what feels like seconds.
A derailment. A blackout. An unexpected hero. A lot of confused feelings.
Being two people involved in such a tragedy can bring them together like nothing else could.
But is it friendship, a mutual support acquaintance, or something else?
Set over seven years and told from the viewpoint of both Abbie and Tom, this was a beautifully heartrending story where, as a reader, I wanted to bang heads together but felt the internal pull of conflicting thoughts that both characters were feeling.
I loved the will-they/won’t-they element of the story, and a little further on, I was in love with Teddy! A cute little person is always a bonus to bring that ‘awww!’ element.
So many moments from the not-so-distant past are mentioned, including the London Bombings, the awful recession of 2008 (and ongoing) and how these events fractured people’s lives and brought others together.
Thoroughly enjoyed reading this!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone, and Penguin, for an ARC.

Releasing 9th November, 2023

Swimming For Beginners: The emotional and uplifting new read of 2023 by Nicola Gill

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What a beautiful story.
A woman with her life planned, finds everything deraild by a young child.
After being present during a tragedy that has nothing to do with her, Loretta can’t stop thinking about that little girl. Even though she has never had any interest in children in her life.
This was a lovely tale about how sometimes we need a catalyst to find that human compassion side within.
There are hints of different ASD behaviours in both the MC and the child, which was interesting to read.
And the way Loretta’s connections with her colleagues, friends and loved ones, also evolves in a satisfying manner.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Bedford Square Publishers for an ARC.

Releasing 14th September, 2023

A December to Remember by Jenny Bayliss
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Three estranged half-sisters are brought together after the death of their father.
Each woman is a very different character from three different mothers, and after a relatively close childhood, spending idyllic summers together, they drifted apart.
But a few stipulations in their father’s will leaves them with little choice but to spend time together to complete certain tasks and try and get on.
Maggie is the oldest, the strong one, who seems to be left holding the fort all the time. She finds it hard to accept happiness.
Simone is in a good career and struggling with pregnancy issues, which strain her relationship with her wife.
Star is a lone spirit, drifting here and there but also trying to run away from a toxic ex.
They each have an opinion on each other’s predicaments, which aren’t always favourable.
I loved the curio shop that Augustus, the father in question, left for the girls, filled with amazing objects and fascinating tat.
Each woman has a romance to either start or allow to bloom, and we, as readers, see that.
A lovely easy wintery read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for an ARC.

Releasing 9th November, 2023

Nobody Told Me by Kay Bratt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

You know I love Kay Bratt’s Hart’s Ridge series, and I was privileged to receive an ARC before the publication date.
Again, we have Taylor Grey, the main character who runs throughout the series. She is the older sister and a cop in the small town of Hart’s Ridge. Each story concentrates on a specific crime that has been committed, and each book’s crime is based on something that has happened in reality.
This time it is about the disappearance and suspicious death of a young lad known to Taylor and her family, as well as her also investigating another assault that was committed against her a few years before.
The other person who Nobody Told Me concentrates on is the younger sister, Lucy. We were already introduced to her in a previous story and learned of one part of her past. However, another secret in her life is unearthed and stalker issues cause her great distress.
Together with her daily load of work and helping out at the family shelter, Taylor tries to assist her youngest sister but is filled with scepticism based on past experiences.
However, after a good few twists and turns, they come together and there are several great plot endings, as well as more to really get us ready for the next couple of books!
An engaging, fabulous read as always!

Released August 21st, 2023

Starlight at Snow Pine Lodge by Rachel Barnett
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Since the weather has made a bit of a downturn, it feels right to be reading Christmas-themed books in August, and I dived into Starlight at Snow Pine Lodge with high hopes.
Tania and Rose are staging an intervention for their close friend Clara.
Having faced a huge loss, Clara is floundering in life, and her friends think a week away at Tania’s family lodge for a spot of skiing and a Christmas that means she won’t be alone is the best thing for her.
Though both the other women are struggling with their own battles.
Tania is the daughter of an uber-famous Hollywood actor and half-sister to Lysander, a huge name in his own right in modelling. She’s spent her life in the spotlight, but never for what she wants to be known for. And this trip might be just what she needs, as she flees the paparazzi and rumours circulating about her.
Rose, on the face of it, seems to be the one who has everything together; however, she’s got her own secret turmoil. She invites one of her own friends to the trip, who brings a different spin to all their problems.
There is beautiful scenery, uninvited guests, sadness, happiness, romance and relationships; plenty to keep a reader busy!
An easy read, filled with lots of threads and points of view, so you have to keep on your toes to know who is thinking what.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Embla Books for an ARC.

Releasing 26th September, 2023

Christmas At the Snow Covered Inn by Lucy Coleman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Ria is an interior designer flying out to a snowy village in New Hampshire, USA, to complete a very important job.
Hayden is the man who employed her to help his parents update an old family business.
The inn in question is beautiful, set with a gorgeous wintery backdrop; however, it has lost its edge, which Lucy is set on finding again.
But she ends up not only helping to redecorate the inn but help with some family issues that have cropped up too.
Meanwhile, Hayden finds this trip back home eye-opening, and there appears to be something happening in his heart, as well…
A simple, festive love story with an inevitable happy ending.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Embla Books for an ARC.

Releasing 12th October, 2023

Say You’ll Be My Jaan by Naina Kumar
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Meghna is at that age when her parents seem just to want her married and settled. She is already in a job of her choosing, which isn’t what her mother wanted.
Karthik has made a deal with his mother. She can introduce him to as many women as she wants for one year. He has no intention of getting married but this will placate her.
Somehow they get introduced and end up settling for an engagement of convenience, since he needs to show his mum he is willing, and she needs a date to an awkward wedding invitation.
But things never quite run to plan. Feelings and the heart have a funny way of making themselves known at the most inopportune moments too.
A fun read with a lovely happy ending!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin UK for an ARC.

Releasing 18th January, 2024

Beer Fest: Epic friends-to-lovers romance by Lilo Moore
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

If you want a quick spicy romcom read, this is definitely one to jump on!
Fi is travelling to Germany to the Oktoberfest and to see her best friend, Max, as well as some of the other friends she made fifteen years ago when she was studying abroad.
She’s working for a promotion, but she feels stagnant in her love life.
Then when she sees Max, after four years, feelings she never expected rise to the surface.
The story sees the group of friends accept a challenge to do a series of silly activities and dares in a group, as well as in partners, and the knock-on effect of these things creates a fantastic build-up for a perfect friends-to-lovers story.
And yes, there is a bit of graphic naughtiness!
Many thanks to NetGalley and LM Books for an ARC.

Releasing September 1st, 2023

The Knowing by Emma Hinds
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What a stunning debut by Emma Hinds!
The Knowing is set in 19th-century New York, where a young slum-dwelling girl has a gift for card reading and communicating with ghosts. The voices that guide her steer her away from any dialogue with the spirit world, but circumstances keep bringing her to face them.
Flora is young but has seen a lot in her life already, including witnessing the person who cared for her and looked out for her as a child being abused and abducted. She ends up in the care of a tattooist who gives her affection for a while, protection, tattoos, and a roof over her head, but at a cost.
Then she meets Minnie, who turns her life upside down. She flees her home, then lives a life filled with worry that she will be found and ‘dealt with’ in an unpleasant manner, as well as the added concern about the man under whose roof she now resides.
Her inked body becomes a lure for people keen to watch the freak shows common at that time and the chance to hear from a ‘painted mystic’. Yet the spirits keep knocking at her door, despite her trying not to listen.
Events occur which push her and Minnie to a different destination in another country, where her nightmares follow.
I was intrigued by the characters, the story, and the twists and turns. I love a bit of supernatural!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Bedford Square House for an ARC.

Releasing 18th January, 2024

The Catch by Amy Lea
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Melanie is an influencer who is losing her influence, so a chance trip to a small Canadian town to promote a new hotel is a bonus. However, dates get mixed up, and she ends up there early, at the height of the fishing season, with nowhere to stay. Luckily, there is one Air BnB booking.
But that is a bit of a let down too. The grumpy owner, fisherman Evan, is hellbent on getting her to leave until his cousin convinces him otherwise.
A reluctant boat trip to spot whales, a tragic accident, and Melanie finds herself with a fisherman fiance! (Pretend, of course…).
It is an enemy-to-lovers story, with a heap of family drama, some sizzling romance and a sprinkling of spice!
The Catch is #3 in the Influencers series, but you can read it as a stand alone.
An easy read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin General UK – Fig Tree, Hamish Hamilton, Viking, Penguin Life, Penguin Business, Penguin for an ARC.

Releasing February 13th, 2024

Join me in September for a special Book and a Brew with my dealer friend and writerly sister, Lucy Mitchell, where I share my review of this 5-star read!

Releasing 15th September, 2023

Shame Travels: A Family Lost, a Family Found by Jasvinder Sanghera
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I read the first and it was horrifying, and I applaud Jaswinder Sanghera for coming out into the public with this story.
The second, again, highlighted the awfulness of these forced marriages, and honour crimes.
This, the third, felt a little repetitive in places.
I know it is her own story, however, there wasn’t much new in in, apart from the travelogue to India, and her amazement that Indians in India are more progressive than their NRI counterparts.
A sad story in many ways, but good to see she got some sort of closure.

The Faking Game by Portia MacIntosh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’ve meant to read a Portia MacIntish book for ages, but life got away with me.
First, I didn’t know this was a follow-up story to characters introduced in a previous book, but that didn’t detract from my enjoyment. In fact, it’s made me want to get the first book so I can learn more!
Cara and Millsy are the perfect couple in everyone’s eyes. Only they’ve broken up but can’t tell anyone until a huge planned Christmas holiday is over.
It has a delightful cast of characters and a few annoying ones. But you need that. We all have those annoying people in our lives, don’t we?
Tally being one of them. I wanted Millsy to man up and tell her to disappear, but he never did!
I wish Millsy’s gran Iona had a bigger part, though. Even from the few scenes she was in, you could feel the power she would hold over things. A true character.
You could feel the romantic tension between both characters throughout the book. There were a few moments where I thought Cara would find her true love somewhere else but that wouldn’t be second-chance romance, would it?
Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an ARC.

Releasing 5th October, 2023

Ninja School Mum by Lizzie Chantree
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’ve read a good few of the more recent releases by Lizzie Chantree and finally got around to reading one of her earliest novels, Ninja School Mum.
Skye is a widowed mother in the run, so it seems, from something dark. She has skills that she needs to hide, but they become more and more apparent as she navigates her son being bullied by a child in his school.
Another carer is facing similar problems, and slowly, they forge a friendship that is the start of more for the children.
Skye’s landlord is a single father and seems pretty unapproachable. However, somehow, their paths cross in a more personal way, sparking a romance that Skye never thought she would be ready for.
Then we have some big twists and turns as secrets are unveiled and old faces come out of the shadows.
I enjoyed the unravelling of mysteries in this story and read it quickly!

The Woman Who Felt Invisible by Lizzie Chantree
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another twist and turn-filled tale by Lizzie Chantree.
This story is about a woman of a certain age who feels as if she is beyond that age where anyone notices her. Olivia works a rubbish job in a large firm, replenishing stationery around the office, and no one notices her.
However, just because she looks and acts the way she does doesn’t mean people should dismiss her.
Over the story, we find out why Olivia feels so downtrodden, and slowly, the secrets she is hiding and her skills are revealed.
She has a best friend, Darius, who is like a brother to her, but he has different feelings for her.
Connie, her boss’s wife, becomes a good friend, too, as she leans on Olivia for help.
And then there is Gabe, in the police, trying to solve a crime and getting involved emotionally with someone he shouldn’t.
Some so many twists and turns are brought out into the open at the end; I wasn’t expecting them at all! There were lots, but they were all tied together brilliantly!

It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Trigger Warnings: Domestic Abuse
It Ends With Us is one of those books that has been hyped up and talked about all over the internet.
BookTok was crazy over it; the #CoHo fans were crazy for it.
So, only when it was on offer I bought it. And it has sat on my TBR shelf for a while until I had time to reach for it. It was my first Colleen Hoover book.
The story is sadly beautiful.
Lily comes from an abusive household. She’s witnessed things. And seen them brushed under the carpet.
Then she meets Atlas, a homeless young man, who somehow becomes her closest friend and more until he has to leave her life.
Fast forward a few years, and she lives happily in Boston.
She meets Ryle under strange circumstances, and through twists of fate, their lives intertwine until the inevitable happens.
As Lily begins to live her dreams, opening up a business with the help of a new, good friend, she can’t help but revisit things that happened when she was younger, and a set of journals she used to keep gives the readers the voice of the younger Lily.
I’m not going into it too deep, but there is a time when the past and present meet, and it isn’t always pretty.
Domestic abuse is a heavy part of this story, and then I read the acknowledgements at the end. (after I finished the book. Don’t read them before; it will ruin the story. Unless you don’t like surprises.)
It’s a poignant story that was possibly quite painful yet cathartic to write.
Three very damaged souls portray an echoing sentiment from the book. There aren’t bad people, just those who make bad decisions sometimes to the detriment of their loved ones.
Was it the best book I have ever read? Not quite. Does it deserve the hype heaped upon it? I’m not sure.
However, if you like emotional YA fiction, I am sure you would enjoy it.
I read it in a day. I didn’t want to leave the story. And I got It Starts With Us to read after. So I was invested enough. A very good read.

It Starts with Us by Colleen Hoover
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read this straight after finishing It Ends With Us, and I am glad I did, as it capped the story off in a positive way.
A more lighthearted conclusion to a rollercoaster of a story focussing more on Atlas and Lily in a dual POV, and how they navigate life after Ryle and his behaviour towards his now ex-wife, Lily, with a small child in tow.
I enjoyed it.

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

Book and a Brew with Ritu – The Gingerbread Christmas Village by @KileyDunbar @HeraBooks #NewRelease #BookReview

31 Aug 2023 11 Comments

by Ritu in Book & A Brew With Ritu, Reviews Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Book and a brew with Ritu, Book Review, Kiley Dunbar, The Gingerbread Christmas Village

Aren’t you loving these posts? I am!

Oh, how exciting to have another of my wonderful guests come back for a repeat visit! Today the wonderful Kiley Dunbar is here with me to chat about her latest release, The Gingerbread Christmas Village!

Welcome back to But I Smile Anyway, Kiley! How lovely to have you back here with me! We’d better get a drink sorted first, so let me know what you are craving, be it a hot drink or cold… or since we will be chatting Christmas, maybe mulled wine might be more appropriate.

And, I have even baked some gingerbread men as a nod to a certain book. 😊

It’s so nice to be back. Thanks for inviting me. I’m happy with a brew to dunk my gingerbread man in, thanks lovely. Cheers!

Since I saw you last you’ve released the gorgeous Straight As A Jalebi. Congratulations!

Thank you so much, Kiley! I have been so nervous about it, but the release went extremely well.

I think we need an update on all things Kiley, before we start! What have you been up to, since your visit last year?

I’ve been writing non-stop and lecturing at the Manchester Writing School, as well as running my ‘Write Your Romance Novel in 2023 with Kiley Dunbar’ online webinars. It’s been a LOT! Phew! But you know all about it, teaching, writing, blogging and somehow still finding time to read and review!

You need to tell me all about your new garden and writing space! It looks amazing!

Thanks, Ritu! Since we’re not off on holidays this year, I decided to make my garden a relaxing spot where I can take a break. We knocked down two little sheds and revealed a lovely big border where I dug a pond, and we planted trees and shrubs and even some veggies. It’s so nice to sit there on my ridiculously big lounger and watch the fish swimming. There’s a little arbour seating area with a table where I can write on warm days too. It’s added so much to our quality of life. I’m very lucky!

Your writing room always looks so calming! How do you keep your workspace so tidy? Mine ends up cluttered with mugs and paperwork! Haha!

I think it is because I don’t get to use it as much during term time, because of work stress and exhaustion! However, I am a typical Virgo, and I need organisation and calm around me to work well!

Totally not book related, but I love all the pics of your vintage finds that you post. What inspired your love of vintage pieces, be it clothing or accessories?

Oh, I LOVE a rummage in a charity shop or on eBay or Etsy looking for vintage clothes and houseware. I especially love 1980s clothes and accessories, and I share pics of how I style them on my Instagram account @kileydunbarauthor

Are you a magpie for vintage stuff?

I don’t tend to go out looking, however I do like to recycle wonderful things that my mum has squirrelled away! She has some gorgeous Indian outfits that were barely worn, and I used to wear them loads, when I was slightly smaller. (They came from an era when she was slightly smaller too! Probably would fit my daughter, now!)

Now, back to the writing side… You’ve written a few books with Christmas at the core of them. Is Christmas a favourite time of year for you? Can you share a special memory from a Christmas past?

I was brought up in Scotland and my favourite memories of Christmases past are of the heavy snows in the 80s and of spending Christmas day at Gran and Grandads with their Scottish country music records playing and me twirling in my Christmas dresses! And then there was New Year’s Day at my great aunt’s (she was a wonderful home cook), I loved going there. And my birthday is on the 29^th, and wedding anniversary on the 16^th of December, so all our celebrations are at Christmas. It’s a big deal for me. Plus, I just love the darkness! I think it’s my Scandinavian roots! Hehe!

I was lucky enough to read an early copy of The Gingerbread Christmas Village, and I absolutely loved it! But books with food at the heart don’t half make me hungry! Are you a good Gingerbread baker?

I’m not bad but not a gifted baker. I’m better at cakes than biscuits. Luckily there’s a very famous bakery where I live (Chatwins) who make the best gingerbread men! My kids were raised on them!

Mind you, your gingerbread men are giving them a serious run for their money, Ritu. These are delicious! Thank you!

Something I loved about The Gingerbread Christmas Village was that your main character, Margi, was an older woman. The majority of romance novels tend to have younger heroines, and even when there is a second chance romance, they might be in their 30s or 40s, but you chose a woman in her 60s, and portrayed her so well. Sixty is not old at all, and that really echoed positively in me. Why did you choose for her to be a much older woman?

I’m so glad you loved Margi! Yay! Lately, I’ve been thinking so much about ageing, since I stopped dying my hair, letting my greys shine, and since I started HRT. There’s so much we don’t talk about when it comes to ageing, and one of those things is how older people fare romantically. I don’t see why characters in their 20s and 30s should have the monopoly of happy ever afters.

I love this, being a full embracer of the greys, too, and on that HRT journey! yay for more relatable heroines, for us!

Your cast of side characters were, as ever, an entertaining bunch! Do you ever base your characters on people you know?

Never ever! Haha! That wouldn’t be very fair. But I do notice and remember traits, quirks and little habits of speech and behaviour and they all go into my brain’s big writing scrapbook to draw upon when I need them.

As I mentioned above, I have read and reviewed this fantastic book, already, and I will share my review, below, but as always, I must ask you, what can we expect next from Kiley Dunbar?

I was so touched by your review, thank you so much, Ritu!

What’s next? Well, I’m just finishing the fourth ‘Borrow a Bookshop’ novel. So far, it doesn’t even have a title or cover art, but I’ll be able to share that soon enough. Then, after that, there’s a fifth book in the series. I ADORE writing about my Devonshire bookshop Airbnb and could write these stories literally forever!

I am SOOOOO excited, and I cannot wait!

Shall we have another brew and gingerbread man and you can tell me your writing plans for the rest of the year, Ritu? I need a good catch-up on all the gossip!

I’ll never say no to another cuppa, Kiley!

So, my plans are that I need to get WORDS written over this summer break, for book three which is due out in June next year! It is going to be my tightest turnaround, so I have tried to factor in writing time over the Summer break, and I have signed up for Anita Faulkner’s Autumn Writer’s retreat, in September, which is a virtual weekend filled with encouragement! So, the hope is to get the manuscript finished before the end of year in order for the pre-reading and editing to get done!

Thank you so much for coming over again, Kiley. It has been a pleasure! 🥰

Thank you Ritu. 😊

Now, as I mentioned before, I was lucky enough to read an ARC of The Gingerbread Christmas Village, so let me share the blurb and my review.

The Blurb

Everyone deserves a Christmas treat…

The annual Wheaton gingerbread exhibit (a model village made of gingerbread) and grotto has been an important part of the sleepy Cotswold hamlet’s Christmas celebrations for decades. For years the gingerbread exhibition drew visitors from across the region and each year the model town grew more elaborate and ambitious but recently, interest has been dwindling.

The gingerbread grotto needs to be rehomed or close forever.

Sixty-four-year-old Margi, the event’s founder, has had enough of village life (and its total lack of eligible men) and is planning to sell up and head to Birmingham to live closer to her niece. She has lost her spark and her Christmas spirit and decides this will be her last gingerbread village, but despairs when she finds her only support is her old friend, Izzy, her niece Lucy from Birmingham, and Fern, the shy young farmer’s daughter.

Oh, and Patrick, the gorgeous, reliable school caretaker.

As if this wasn’t enough, Lucy is determined to get her out dating again and persuades her to try some online dating apps but Margi’s had her heart broken too many times and wonders if she has just missed her chance.

Can they save the Gingerbread Grotto and can Margi get her old spark and her Christmas spirit back?

A cosy, totally feelgood seasonal read that will have you smiling. The perfect read to snuggle up and have you feeling festive! Fans of Jenny Colgan and Trisha Ashley will love this book.

Buy it here! https://geni.us/3APDxAR

My Review

The Gingerbread Christmas Village: A totally uplifting and romantic seasonal read by Kiley Dunbar
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love diving into Kiley Dunbar’s books, and I was looking forward to this latest one, and it didn’t disappoint.
Margi, our main character, is a 64-year-old woman who is in a bit of a dilemma in life. She feels like the laughingstock of Wheaton Village after a messed up shortest-ever marriage the previous year and wants to start afresh. Only she has a huge responsibility on her shoulders, in the form of a gingerbread village that she creates annually with the help of some friends. It is a tradition started by her mother and one she can’t bear to stop. However, circumstances seem to be pushing her in the direction of ending it.
I am not going to regurgitate the story as my review, as that won’t be fair on any prospective readers.
What I will say is that if you want a feel-good romance with heart, and a HEA, then Kiley Dunbar is definitely the author to turn to.
Kiley has also written a slightly different character as her main one, this time, in the form of an older woman, not quite in her twilight years but feeling past it.
Women in their 60s are not perceived as how they were a couple of decades ago. They aren’t all automatically a part of the blue rinse brigade and only fit for knitting, tea and low walks with zimmer frames. Margi, I feel, thinks she is not worthy of another shot at happiness, especially with someone younger than her, and I loved the morphing of her thinking towards the end of the book. (Even though doubt is never far away.)
And all the reading about gingerbread made me crave some, in the middle of the summer, too! I’d love to see a gingerbread village like the one Margi’s mum and then Margi created.
A wonderful festive read!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Hera Books for an ARC.

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

Kiley Dunbar writes heart-warming, escapist, romantic fiction set in beautiful places.

One Winter’s Night is shortlisted for the RNA Romantic Comedy Novel Award 2021.

CHRISTMAS AT THE BORROW A BOOKSHOP COMING SOON

Take your pick from Kiley’s six novels (for author’s accompanying content/trigger warnings go to kileydunbar.co.uk):

Matchmaking at Port Willow (NEW FOR SEPT 2021) Beatrice is back in this sequel to Summer at the Highland Coral Beach, and she’s loved up and wanting other inn guests to experience the same magic she did last summer. Low-tech dating profiles, empty-nesters on a second honeymoon, and a lonely New Yorker in exile. With added puppies and Heiland Coos.

The Borrow a Bookshop Holiday (May 2021) Jude rents a tumbledown bookshop by the sea in Clove Lore, Devon, for a fortnight. When fellow bookseller-holidaymaker Elliot turns up unannounced, she discovers she’s not the only one running away from real life. Only one bed, bookselling and blossoming romance.

One Winter’s Night (September 2020) Return to Stratford-upon-Avon for a winter full of adventure, romance and family drama. Mystery, new neighbours, and a show-stopping theatrical procession. The sequel to One Summer’s Night.

Summer at the Highland Coral Beach (2020), the first in the Port Willow Bay Series, takes you on an impromptu crafting holiday in the Scottish Highlands and reminds us that after the storm comes the rainbow. Crafts, ceilidhs, coral bays and gentle recovery.

Christmas at Frozen Falls (2019) will fly you to snowy, remote Finnish Lapland over Christmas where Sylvie Magnussen is getting a second chance at love with an old flame – sexy Stellan Virtanen – the one who got away – well, he ran away actually, and Sylvie never understood why. Hot kisses in a cold climate, Northern lights and a stunning resort setting.

One Summer’s Night (2019) whisks you away on a working staycation in beautiful Stratford-upon-Avon during a sultry heatwave summer. A starting-over story, handsome actors, backstage passes, and a whole lot of drama in the Heart of England.

Twitter: @KileyDunbar

‘Kiley Dunbar Author Book Page’ on Facebook

Website and newsletter: www.kileydunbar.co.uk

Instagram: @kileydunbarauthor

Book and a Brew with Ritu – All Good Things by @MrsAmandaProwse #NewRelease #BookReview @AmazonPub

15 Aug 2023 8 Comments

by Ritu in Book & A Brew With Ritu, Reviews Tags: A Month In Provence, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Book and a brew with Ritu, Book Review, Gillian Harvey, New Release

Loving this series!

Today, I can barely contain myself as I have got my dear, dear friend and hugely prolific author, Amanda Prowse visiting for a cuppa!

Hello, and welcome to But I Smile Anyway, Mandy! I am so happy you have popped over for a chat! Before we start, tell me what you’d like to drink. Tea? Coffee? Herbal? Whatever you fancy, I am sure I can magic it up!

Lil Princess made a gorgeous Victoria sponge if you fancy a slice, too.

I’ll take a coffee – black no sugar and of course a slice of cake – have you met me? Do you even have to ask?

Thank you so much for coming to visit the blog, today, Mandy. Actually, this blog is what brought us together, isn’t it? I remember, all those years ago, receiving an email from you asking if I would be interested in reading a pair of books with intertwined stories to feature here. That was in 2018, I think. And five years later, here we are, good friends and virtual sisters! Can you remember how we met?

It feels like longer than five years ago! Yes, I stumbled across your blog and loved it and thought you’d be a perfect place for the love story of Anna and Theo to be reviewed. I don’t remember us not being friends, you are one of those people who connected with my soul and that was that really – you can’t shake me off!

And I wouldn’t want to!

I know about your story from writing and publication. Care to share it with the readers here?

Always an avid reader, I didn’t dare try to write myself until I hit my 40s. My first novel Poppy Day was self-published, after which I got picked up by an agent and it was traditionally published – in the last ten years, I’ve published over 34 books and sold millions of copies all over the world in about 22 countries – and I’m still learning my craft and feel as if I’m just getting started.

I am in awe of you! You have written soooo many books. In excess of 25, now, and each one has been progressively better than the next. (If that is possible since even your first ones were brilliant!) Is there a favourite of your stories?

I always love the book I’m about to write! I have the attention span of a gnat once a book is finished – I never look at charts or sales etc. I just want to beaver away on the next. I literally send off a final edited version to my editors (one in the UK and one in the US) and after a quick loo break and a cuppa, I start the next. Which is precisely what I am doing today!

I don’t know how you do it, Sis!

And over the last 11 years of your writing, has there ever been a time you felt writer’s block?

Nope. Never. I always know the next two or three books I’m going to write.

You are so lucky! I have ideas floating around in my head, but I focus so dee[ly on what I am writing at the time, I can’t think too much about others!

You have written two books that are biographical in nature, one, The Boy Between, with your son Josh, and Women Like Us, which is your memoir. Were they therapeutic to write or painful? I can only imagine what it felt like to relive some of the journey you and Josh went through.

Both of these were painful and cathartic. I find writing helps me make sense of otherwise complex situations, particularly when it came to my son’s mental health – Josh kind of unravelled in his late teens and as a family, we went through some pretty dark times. My memoir, I hope, serves as a reminder that no matter where you come from or your background, you can achieve your dreams. I never thought a woman like me would get a book published, let alone find the success I have. But if I can do it, you can do it!

I understand what you mean about being cathartic. Though I would never publish them, I find writing thoughts and events out helps me to process the feelings and emotions they evoke.

You’ve co-written a series of books where different authors contribute stories about a fictional small town in the USA called The Wishing Tree. I imagine writing something like that is quite complex as you each have your own styles, but you need your stories to link with each other, too. Do you think you could ever co-write a fiction book with someone? (If so, maybe one day we can try!)

I loved the collaboration as it was different authors with very different styles that created this whole world, and of course, the different styles and unique author voices make the characters entirely believable – it was a great experience and I love how the stories all knit together with lovely cross over, to create the place that feels real. I write in a unique way and so I don’t know how I’d collab with one person. I can’t imagine any other author wanting to put up with my speedy, three-in-the-morning idea sessions!

Ha ha, I see what you mean!

Switching the tone a bit now, can you share a little about where you like to write? I know you have quite a unique way of formulating your stories. I remember you said that they run like a movie in your mind, and you just write them! Does that mean you can write pretty much anywhere? And do your pups, Beau and Dotty, help or hinder the process?

I do indeed write anywhere – waiting rooms, buses, planes, on a beach but my favourite place to write is on a sofa curled up with the pups, who definitely help the process as they keep me calm and insist on regular breaks for snacks and wee’s in the garden – I do of course mean them, not me! My stories come into my head fully formed in about twenty seconds, as if they’re downloaded into my head like a film, and then all I have to do is write what I see – and all the detail is there, beginning, middle, end, twists, turns, characters – hence how I can write so quickly!

It’s the ability to fully form your story that is a gift, Sis!

Talking of writing, let’s get back to your new release! All Good Things is a bit of a departure from your usual stories, isn’t it, with the different points of view? How did it feel writing something so different to usual?

I love this book! It takes place in twenty-four hours which is very different for me and the pace was thrilling to write! I also like the idea that each character reveals a little bit more of the story – until we have a full picture of how two families live, and I think it’s fair to say that the end picture is very different to what we first thought… as it often is when you get to know someone.

Daisy and her situation is exactly that of people thinking the grass must be greener on the other side, but pretty often, that isn’t the case, as you demonstrate in All Good Things. What inspired this story?

My husband and I went out to dinner a couple of years ago and I was, as ever, watching the families all around us (I am the nosiest person on the planet).

I think that goes for all writers!

There was a large family who were loud and treating the restaurant as their own personal performance space. I was fascinated and concentrated on the people who weren’t shouting, taking in their facial expressions, their micro gestures of discomfort etc and POW! All Good Things came into my head on the drive home.

What with there being so many characters we get to know through the book, which one was your favourite?

My favourite was probably Julie, who is married to Lawrence, daughter-in-law of Bernie and Winnie. I loved her as I related to her background and the way she describes trying desperately to fit in and not sure if she is accepted or not – it’s hard to talk about without giving away any spoilers, but let’s just say I really admire her courage and her personal growth. I LOVE this story and hope readers will too.

Oh, I know they will! I certainly did!

And think of it as a sneak preview, but what is in store for us readers after All Good Things? What has been playing in Amanda Prowse’s movie mind, ready to pour out on a page?

The next book is “Very Very Lucky”, which is out in January 2024 – a fabulous tale of human connection in the face of loss. Then comes “Swimming to Lundy”, which is out in summer 2024 – a story of love at first sight and reconciling how life doesn’t always turn out how we think it might. Then “A Pocket Full of Sunshine”, out in Jan 2025 – a story of a woman overcoming adversity to reach the highest heights, but not without paying a heavy emotional price. All very different but all fab!

Wow! I am so excited to know there are at least three coming out soon after!!!! (Hence the multiple exclamation marks!)

Thank you so much for popping over, Mandy, it has been a pleasure to have you here on But I Smile Anyway. 😊

Thanks for having me, Ritu!

The Blurb

“Gripping…I couldn’t put it down!” -bestselling author Katie Fforde

In this captivating story from the bestselling author of Picking up the Pieces , Daisy has always envied the perfect family next door. But will a weekend of unexpected drama prove that the grass isn’t always greener? Daisy Harrop has always felt like she exists in the background, and since her mother stopped getting out of bed, her life has come to a complete standstill. Daisy would give anything to leave the shabbiest house on the street and be more like the golden Kelleways next door, with their perfectly raked driveway and flourishing rose garden… Winnie Kelleway is proud of the beautiful family she’s built. They’ve had their ups and downs―hasn’t everyone? But this weekend, celebrating her golden wedding anniversary is truly proof of their happiness, a joyful gathering for all the neighbours to see. But as the festivities get underway, are the cracks in the ‘perfect’ Kelleway life beginning to show? As one bombshell revelation leads to another and events start to spiral out of control, Daisy and Winnie are about to discover that things aren’t always what they seem.

My Review

All Good Things by Amanda Prowse
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I am a firm Amanda Prowse fan and have read all her books.
All Good Things was every bit as good as all her other ones, with a difference.
I feel it was a different way of storytelling from her usual.
This time, the whole story revolves around the happenings of one evening and the fallout the morning after.
Daisy lives in a neglected house with her depressed mother, hermit brother and a father she doesn’t see much as he is out working when she is home.
She’s embarrassed about how they live, considering the area. And she craves the life of the Kellaways: The neighbours who seem to have everything she craves.
They are a tight-knit family with a successful business funding a glittering lifestyle. Winnie and Bernie, the couple living there, are glossy and filled with the joys of having everything they want. Their children are settled happily, and the grandchildren are the perfect addition to a picture-perfect family. Especially Cassius, the grandson, who has a special place in Daisy’s mind and heart. However, he doesn’t know it.
A chance evening spent with them all, celebrating a key moment in their lives, makes her wish to be a part of their lives even more.
The thing is, there is nothing truer than this adage: The grass isn’t always greener on the other side.
All Good Things demonstrates this perfectly.
We, as readers, get to experience the same situation from the eyes of all the characters. I won’t say one is the main, as they are all important in their way.
I loved peering into the minds of everyone, and I felt a mixture of sadness and relief for Daisy as she comes to terms with the fact that life really isn’t perfect for anyone.\
There are characters who I rooted for, applauding the backbones they displayed as the story unfolded and frustrated at the ones who were unable to change, despite everything that was happening.
It was a fantastic book, and I highly recommend it!

Buy links
https://bit.ly/_AllGoodThings

Author Bio

Amanda Prowse is an International Bestselling author whose twenty-eight novels, non-fiction title and seven novellas have been published in dozens of languages around the world. Published by Lake Union, Amanda is the most prolific writer of bestselling contemporary fiction in the UK today; her titles also consistently score the highest online review approval ratings across several genres. Her books, including the chart topping No.1 titles ‘What Have I Done?’, ‘Perfect Daughter’, ‘My Husband’s Wife’, ‘The Girl in the Corner’ and ‘The Things I Know’ have sold millions of copies across the globe.

A popular TV and radio personality, Amanda has appeared on numerous shows where her views on family and social issues strike a chord with viewers. She also makes countless guest appearances on BBC national and independent Radio stations including LBC, Times Radio and Talk FM, where she is well known for her insightful observations and her infectious humour. Described by the Daily Mail as ‘The queen of family drama’ Amanda’s novel, ‘A Mother’s Story’ won the coveted Sainsbury’s eBook of the year Award and she has had two books selected as World Book Night titles, ‘Perfect Daughter’ in 2016 and ‘The Boy Between’ in 2022.

Amanda is a huge supporter of libraries and having become a proud ambassador for The Reading Agency, works tirelessly to promote reading, especially in disadvantaged areas. Amanda’s ambition is to create stories that keep people from turning the bedside lamp off at night, great characters that ensure you take every step with them and tales that fill your head so you can’t possibly read another book until the memory fades…

Social Media Links

https://www.facebook.com/AmandaProwseAuthor

https://www.youtube.com/user/AmandaProwseAuthor

https://www.instagram.com/mrsamandaprowse/

Tweets by MrsAmandaProwse