May 2021 Books #AmReading

05 Jun 2021 21 Comments

by Ritu in Reviews Tags: Arc Reader, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Book Blogger, Book Reviews, Goodreads, Netgalley

I can’t believe May has been and gone! And, the house move is responsible for this late May reading post!

I’m still on a bit of a writing hiatus, of sorts, but reading in fits and starts, when I can fit in time, where I am not falling asleep!

The Lucky Escape by Laura Jane Williams
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Seeing a new Laura Jane Williams book, being touted out there, I was like “Yes, please!”, when I saw it was available to request as an arc! I have thoroughly enjoyed her first two books and knew this would be no different.
And, I was right. Obviously!
The Lucky Escape charts the emotional journey of Annie, a thirty-something woman who is jilted at the altar.
Life was all planned.
They’d been together since university, and lived together for all these years. Marriage was the next logical step, they thought.
Well, so Annie thought, but not Alexander.
She’s left, with no contact from him, no idea what is going on.
Then she meets an old friend, Patrick, an acquaintance from her secondary school years.
As they rekindle their friendship, Annie is offered the chance to go away, to take the honeymoon she was meant to have, as a gift from who should have been her in-laws.
What better than a drunken dare with a still unfamiliar ‘old’ friend?
They both find themselves on the trip of a lifetime, in Australia.
Oh, my! What a situation to be in!
I did feel for Annie, though. Initially, I couldn’t work out why she was so accepting of everything that was going on, but as the story went on, and more from her own childhood was revealed, it became much more apparent, why she was the way she was.
Patrick, what a sweetheart! I knew I wanted them to get together right from the off, but then, his own little secret made me doubt my instincts.
Annie has some strong-willed friends, behind her, who feature a bit, and a family I had mixed opinions about. But, I loved her sister, Freddie! Who knew a youngster could be so wise!
All in all, a great easy read, and definitely one to enjoy on the beach, if you get to one. But, then again, you could enjoy it anywhere!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

Releasing on 1st June, 2021

High Heels on the Beach by Bettina Hunt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Looking for an easy, feel-good read, with plenty of romantic twists, as well as lots of talk of food? Oh, and the idyllic setting of a seaside town, complete with beautiful beaches?
Well, then you need to get yourself a copy of High Heels!
Becca, our MC is on the cusp of real womanhood. You know, she’s got it all figured out. Turning thirty. Decent job, fab best friend, great boyfriend, who looks like he’s about to take their commitment to the next level.. that sort of thing.
Then, as her birthday hits, it all goes wrong.
Finding herself without a man, said best friend, a flat, or even a job, for at least three months, Becca has some thinking to do and needs to do it fast.
Unfortunately, the only place she can turn to, initially, is back home with her parents and sister, in their little family-run B & B in Sunny Bay. Back to a place filled with memories, some of which she’d rather forget, as well as a handful of males who have all featured in her life at some point.
This is a story of finding the real you, after being swallowed up in trying to fit into what everyone else thinks is a success.
Becca starts up pretty messed up, but various events along the way, pull her towards her rightful place in life.
I was spoilt for choice with romantic interests, pre-empting what might happen at the end – who would be Becca’s ‘one’? And I have to admit, there were some great choices to pick from!
And I loved Madame DoTell! You need a crackpot psychic in every story, I think!
Overall, a lovely read, leaving me with the yearning to go spend some time at The Yellow Beach House, just so I can take some Gram-worthy food pics!
This was my first book by Bettina Hunt, and I have convinced myself that I’ll need to invest in the previous three, now, too!

The Things That Matter by Andrea Michael
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Things That Matter is a beautifully crafted story about a couple, together since the teen years. The glue that has held them together, is a combination of love, need, and a shared history.
Taz and Dan are two people from entirely different backgrounds, yet fate set them on a life journey together.
She comes from the local estate, living with her alcoholic father, and abandoned by her own mother.
He hails from a wealthy family, with the world at his feet.
One event changes both their lives.
This book sends you through all sorts of emotions.
I really felt for Taz. She never shook the trauma of childhood poverty from her life, even though she has everything she needs, materially. Then to experience a loss, as harsh as that of losing a child? Well, my heart went out to her.
The sense of abandonment appears in several forms, from when Taz’s mother disappears, to when Dan’s parents disown him, and even when Taz feels the need to get away from the life she is living as a thirty-something woman.
Finding herself in the Scottish Highlands, to visit that mother who had left her, Taz discovers so much about herself, from a whole new family to her own inner strength.
The fact that she could even contemplate cutting strings from the one anchor she’d relied upon, for most of her life – Dan – shows her strength.
I have to say I loved Kit, Taz’s aunt. She is a character and a half, filled with crooked wisdom, that actually makes total sense.
I truly enjoyed this read.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Harper Collins Uk and One More Chapter for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Published on 14th May, 2021

Yours Cheerfully by A.J. Pearce
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed Dear Mrs Bird, so was happy to discover that a book two was following, and even more delighted to be offered an advanced copy.
It was wonderful to be back in the world of Emmy, as she entered the world of journalism, in the WW2 era, as a fully-fledged reporter, with real responsibilities of her own.
Mixed in with her blossoming relationship with Charles, and her new friendship with Alice, being reunited with characters like her best friend, Bunty, the story was a true pleasure to read.
I loved how the plight of women, who wanted to be a part of the war effort, but who found themselves stuck, due to the ties of motherhood, was highlighted within this story, too.
And of course, the love story’s culmination was perfect, though not without its own fraught moments!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for an ARC, in exchange for an honest opinion.

Published on 24th June, 2021

The Patron (Emerson Pass Contemporaries #2)

The Patron by Tess Thompson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Oh, I do love a Tess Thompson series, and the Emerson Pass books are so wonderful, with the historical set of stories, alongside the modern.
I love the way history entwines itself through the contemporary books!
Crystal and Garth are recovering from the aftermath of a fire that took their homes from them. Both feeling keen senses of loss, from events previous to the fire, then having this loss on top, leave them both fragile and emotional, and they begin to rely upon one another, more than they had planned to.
The ‘will they, won’t they?’ nature of the story leaves you wanting more until you reach the climax, But there is so much more to this story. A tale of families, ripped apart by tragedies, or lost loves, all which surface during The Patron.
I am happy to say that there was more than one happy ending!
I can’t wait until the next one comes out!

Published on 18th May, 2021

Saving the Day by Katie Fforde
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’ve read Katie Fforde’s books for years and loved the idea of getting a small dose of her storytelling in this Quick Read.
A cute story, which may or may not be a little too good to be true, but I have to admit, I wanted more!
Allie, our heroine, is stuck in a dead-end job, with a wastrel for a boyfriend, and, just as she thinks this is all life has in store for her, fate has other ideas.
Finding a dream job, eyeing up a much more suitable candidate for a life partner, and meeting a wonderful older woman who ends up giving her the boost she needs, to improve her future, it all falls into place for Allie, but not without a little drama.
As I said, before, it is a cute story but I really wanted to dig deeper into the characters, and the story! Katie Fforde, you might just have to develop this one a bit more and make it full length!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

The Promise of Summer: Part One – With this Ring… by Bella Osborne
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’ve read a couple of Bella Osbourne’s books in the past and found them pleasant to read. This one, or part one of The Promise of Summer, was no different.
Ruby’s life is passing by. She’s in her mid-thirties, with no real aim in life, no partner, and a job she enjoys, with no real future.
A huge decision, made after a comment made by her mother on her deathbed, causes her to take a trip that will change her life.
On the train to London, she meets not one but two men whose inputs into her day change the course of her destiny,
Then there’s Kim, owner of the florist Ruby works at. She’s got her own secrets,
I don’t know what more to say, without giving too much away, but in all honesty, I can’t tell you much more, anyway, because this was just a short part one of this story!
We were left with many open-ended threads that make this the tale it is. What will happen with Ruby and Curtis, What about Lewis? And that letter that Kim hasn’t opened yet?
It took me a little while to get into the beginning of the story but once in, I was gutted that it stopped where it did!
Roll on the 26th, when I hope we get to read the full story!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Published 26th May, 2021

The Man Ban by Nicola Marsh
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The moment I finished The Boy Toy, Nicola Marsh’s last Contemporary Romance, I was intrigued by the character Manish Gomes, the Anglo Indian Doctor who had an aversion to relationships. I was ‘stoked’ as the Aussies say, to hear that The Man Ban was going to follow, concentrating on the story of Manny, the unattainable Dr!
So, here we have Harper, a woman who is on a self-imposed man ban, following the awful breakup she had with her last long term relationship, triggered by an extremely superficial reason.
Then she goes and meets Manny, the cocksure, but hot doctor, at her friend’s wedding. And, despite everything, he’s the first man to make her doubt her ban decision.
Manny might seem like a shallow guy, but he’s got plenty of reasons for keeping people at arm’s length, yet the moment he meets Harper, things are different.
I loved the chemistry between both these strong characters, as they try their hardest to keep away from one another, but fate has other ideas.
There is sizzle and steaminess, as well as more serious issues covered, in a sympathetic manner, such as dealing with a diagnosis of Vitiligo, and cultural pressures to get married.
A real fun read!
Many thanks to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Published 27th July, 2021

Any of them tickle your fancy? Let me know what you’re reading, too!

Poetry Treasures #BlogTour featuring @geofflepard @bakeandwrite

26 May 2021 46 Comments

by Ritu in Blog Tours Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blog Tour, Blogger, Blogging, Geoff Le Pard, Poetry Treasures, Robbie Cheadle

I am so pleased to welcome my dear friend, Geoff Le Pard, or His Geoffleship, as he is affectionately known, to my blog, in a touring capacity, where he has featured in the latest book by Robbie Cheadle, and Kate Lynne Booth, Poetry Treasures.

Blurb

A collection of poetry from the poet/author guests of Robbie Cheadle on the “Treasuring Poetry” blog series on Writing to be Read in 2020. Open the book and discover the poetry treasures of Sue Vincent, Geoff Le Pard, Frank Prem, Victoria (Tori) Zigler, Colleen M. Chesebro, K. Morris, Annette Rochelle Aben, Jude Kitya Itakali, and Roberta Eaton Cheadle.

Purchase links Poetry Treasures

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Poetry-Treasures-Sue-Vincent-ebook/dp/B0933KSJR9

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Poetry-Treasures-Sue-Vincent/dp/B093QLNGC5

Oh, and there is a lovely little giveaway that you could take part in, too…

Follow the tour and leave a comment at each stop for a chance to win one of three digital copies of Poetry Treasures to be given away. (Winners will be randomly selected following the end of the tour.)

Anyway, here is the lovely Geoffles!

‘Let’s do the Three Peaks.’

I don’t remember who suggested it but there was pretty much universal agreement that this was the answer. The question had troubled us for a few days. We’d agreed to undertake a group challenge at work, to raise money via sponsorship for a charity. The question that vexed us was: ‘What challenge?’

Being a bunch of lawyers the sponsored silence was a common suggestion. We rose above the perceived slight with the nobility expected of our profession. A legal bake off caused heart flutters amongst some whose culinary skills ran to the speed dialed pizza delivery. The truth that soon became apparent was that the challenge would have to be a physical one. We might be the second oldest profession but the majority of its members employed at my firm were under forty. At this point I was the exception, weighing in at a crisp 52.

The Three Peaks takes its name from the three highest peaks, in each of England, Scotland and Wales. We call them mountains but those countries with seriously craggy rock walls covered in glacial ice might quibble. The challenge is to climb them all inside 24 hours. This involves not just the elevation but some ten kilometres of distance and an equally challenging 450 miles of driving between. To achieve the goal in daylight also limits you to mid-summer.

The first peak and the highest is the Scottish leviathan, Ben Nevis at a squidge over 4500 feet. Yes, I know, feet, not metres. But still…

I hadn’t expected to be inspired to write the poem. Poetry is an inspirational form of writing. It comes to me unannounced, whispering couplets and phrases, demanding I look anew at a prosaic action such as climbing uphill. I think the combination of the physical efforts, the glorious evening weather, the nerves induced by this being a timed challenge and not wanting to let down my colleagues by slowing them up, just as much as not wanting to let down the charity we were supporting combined to stimulate my poetical synapses.

I remember sitting in the van, sucking down liquids and nursing my feet as we drove south in the increasing gloom of a Scottish evening. We needed to be in the North of England before 6 am, if we were to start Scarfell Pike, our English monster (yeah, yeah, 3200 feet and small change – it’s a lot, okay?) in time to make it across Wales for the final peak, Snowdon (or Yr Wyddfa as we are to know it, going forward, and no, I can no more pronounce it than I can explain Schrodinger’s Cat or explain the point of Prince Andrew). The other climbers were already sleeping but I felt wired. That bloody poem was nagging and niggling at me. I probably surprised our driver by putting on a head torch – we thought we might have to climb in the dark at some point – and begin writing. But poetry is no respecter of sleep. It, as much as the Three Peaks, is a challenge, and one I can never ignore.

The result? We smashed the challenge, finishing inside 23 hours.

The Poem?

You decide…

Ben Nevis

The summit sits alone, brooding.

It has to be aware we are coming and it can’t be pleased.

We sit and fiddle with our socks

Ironing seams with our fingers

Removing granite grit

And soothing away the terror and sweaty mist to come.

The incessant ring tone of midges pricks our ears

And disturbs our skin-deep musings.

We flap a little, alert to the next pass.

On goes a shoe; we tug at laces,

Tightening the knot in our stomachs.

Still not right.

Scotland’s Red Baron leads another wave,

Dive bombing our hairline,

Piercing soft exposed flesh, fracturing our temper and releasing a logarithm of pain.

We are distracted by corrugated socks, our defences are lowered

And the formation, delighted to pass through unimpeded,

Strikes the target and sucks the joy out of our walk.

The slope steepens as hopes tumble,

Horizons pile up, one on the next,

Crowding forward in their excitement.

We struggle on, the skies now clear of the air defence

But relief is as short as our breath;

Shattered lungs, gassed to shreds by effort.

And all the while the Troll in the hill slumbers;

Is he disturbed by our laboured tread?

Little irritating pinpricks distracting him from his quiet repose?

The weather is clear; squally showers pour down our faces

From the clouds in our hair, stinging our eyes with our own acid rain and drenching our

vision;

Little drops of liquid midge, irritating and incessant.

We flick uselessly, trying to stem the flow.

A moment’s relief and then another flood, one aggravation follows another.

The sun can’t set on this Leviathan we are climbing.

We stay on his back, avoiding his gaze, sure he must be wakening to our insistent feet.

He breathes out patches of slippery white, remnants of winter, to slow us down.

Any moment

He might rise up,

Angry,

To swat at us,

Hard.

We are so small he would miss most of us if he flapped.

We have no sharp proboscis to annoy, just our shoes, repetitive irritations

Cutting a path up his aged old back.

Would we cower and return to the fight, like midges, like sweat?

Or run like hell.

Author Info

Geoff Le Pard (not Geoffrey, except to his mother) was born in 1956 and is a lawyer who saw the light. He started writing (creatively) in 2006 following a summer school course. Being a course junkie, he had spells at Birkbeck College, twice at Arvon and most recently at Sheffield Hallam where he achieved an MA in Creative Writing. And what did he learn? That they are great fun, you meet wonderful people, but the best lessons come from the unexpected places. He has a line of books some published and some still waiting. Details of his work can be found on his blog, TanGental at https://geofflepard.com/ where he writes about anything and everything. His aim is for each novel to be in a different style and genre. Most people have been nice about his writing (though when his brother’s dog peed on the manuscript he was editing, he did wonder) but he knows the skill is in seeking and accepting criticism. His career in the law helped prepare him. His first book of poetry, The Sincerest Form Of Poetry was published last year.

My Father and Other Liars is a thriller set in the near future and takes its heroes, Maurice and Lori-Ann on a helter-skelter chase across continents.

Smashwords

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Dead Flies and Sherry Trifle is a coming of age story. Set in 1976 the hero Harry Spittle is home from university for the holidays. He has three goals: to keep away from his family, earn money and hopefully have sex. Inevitably his summer turns out to be very different to that anticipated.

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In this, the second book in the Harry Spittle Sagas, it’s 1981 and Harry is training to be a solicitor. His private life is a bit of a mess and he’s far from convinced the law is for him. Then an old acquaintance from his hotel days appears demanding Harry write his will. When he dies somewhat mysteriously a few days later and leaves Harry in charge of sorting out his affairs, Harry soon realises this will be no ordinary piece of work. After all, his now deceased client inherited a criminal empire and several people are very interested in what is to become of it.

$C:\Users\Geoff\Pictures\Sven Andersen KDP Cover 1.jpg$

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The third instalment of the Harry Spittle Sagas moves on the 1987. Harry is now a senior lawyer with a well-regarded City of London firm, aspiring to a partnership. However, one evening Harry finds the head of the Private Client department dead over his desk, in a very compromising situation. The senior partner offers to sort things out, to avoid Harry embarrassment but soon matters take a sinister turn and Harry is fighting for his career, his freedom and eventually his life as he wrestles with dilemma on dilemma. Will Harry save the day? Will he save himself? $C:\Users\Geoff\Pictures\Booms + Busts_FINAL FRONT_KDP Cover.jpg$

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Life in a Grain of Sand is a 30 story anthology covering many genres: fantasy, romance, humour, thriller, espionage, conspiracy theories, MG and indeed something for everyone. All the stories were written during Nano 2015

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Salisbury Square is a dark thriller set in present day London where a homeless woman and a Polish man, escaping the police at home, form an unlikely alliance to save themselves.

This is available here

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Buster & Moo is about about two couples and the dog whose ownership passes from one to the other. When the couples meet, via the dog, the previously hidden cracks in their relationships surface and events begin to spiral out of control. If the relationships are to survive there is room for only one hero but who will that be?

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Life in a Flash is a set of super short fiction, flash and micro fiction that should keep you engaged and amused for ages.

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Apprenticed To My Mother describes the period after my father died when I thought I was to play the role of dutiful son, while Mum wanted a new, improved version of her husband – a sort of Desmond 2.0. We both had a lot to learn in those five years, with a lot of laughs and a few tears as we went.

Amazon.co.uk

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Life in a Conversation is an anthology of short and super short fiction that explores connections through humour, speech and everything besides. If you enjoy the funny, the weird and the heart-rending then you’ll be sure to find something here.

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When Martin suggests to Pete and Chris that they spend a week walking, the Cotswolds Way, ostensibly it’s to help Chris overcome the loss of his wife, Diane. Each of them, though, has their own agenda and, as the week progresses, cracks in their friendship widen with unseen and horrifying consequences. $C:\Users\Geoff\Pictures\Walking Into Trouble_KDP Cover.jpg$

Amazon.co.uk

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Famous poets reimagined, sonnets of all kinds, this poerty selection has something for all tastes, from the funny, to the poignant to the thought-provoking and always written with love and passion.

$C:\Users\Geoff\Pictures\Sincerest Form Poetry_KDP Cover.jpg$

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Geoff Le Pard’s Amazon Author Page

Because Of You by @Dawn_French #Paperback #BlogTour @MichaelJBooks #BecauseOfYou

09 May 2021 23 Comments

by Ritu in Reviews Tags: Because Of You, Blog, Blog Post, Blog Tour, Blogger, Blogging, Book Review, Dawn French, Paperback

The fabulous new release by the awesomeness that is Dawn French is now out in paperback!

Because Of You by Dawn French

Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock . . . midnight.
The old millennium turns into the new.
In the same hospital, two very different women give birth to two very similar daughters.
Hope leaves with a beautiful baby girl.
Anna leaves with empty arms.
Seventeen years later, the gods who keep watch over broken-hearted mothers wreak mighty revenge, and the truth starts rolling, terrible and deep, toward them all.
The power of mother-love will be tested to its limits.
Perhaps beyond . . .

I was honoured to receive an arc copy of this book, and my review follows.

I was extremely excited to be chosen to read an advanced copy of Dawn French’s new book, Because of You, having read all of her previous novels, and enjoyed them immensely.

The story centres around two women, due to give birth on New Year’s Eve/Day, 2000.
Anna, wife of wannabe politician Julian, and Hope, the girlfriend of gentle Isaac.
Tragedy surrounds both women, yet out of the despair, one baby, Minnie, emerges.

It took me a little while to really get into the book, but within a few pages, I was truly immersed in the story.
A story about mothers and daughters, and love that grows. How real relationships are formed. Matters of the heart.
Dawn French has created beautiful, rounded, characters, that cause you to either to care deeply about them, or want to throttle them (Julian, anyone?)
Every step of the way, I wondered when the truth would be exposed. I had an inkling, but I wasn’t sure.
The book is written from the point of view of Hope, Anna and Minnie, in turn, with snippets of Julian and Isaac too, giving you a complete picture of the thoughts of everyone throughout a surreal situation.
I don’t want to give too much away, but suffice to say, I had tears in my eyes by the end of the book. Absolutely wonderfully written.

Shh… It’s Our Secret by @Lizzie_Chantree #BlogTour

06 May 2021 11 Comments

by Ritu in Blog Tours Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blog Tour, Blogger, Blogging, Book Tour, Lizzie Chantree, Shh... It's Our Secret

I am excited to be handing my blog over to the wonderfully talented Lizzie Chantree, today, to let you know about her new release!

Shh… It’s Our Secret, by Lizzie Chantree

Thank you for inviting me onto your beautiful blog today and for the amazing support of the
launch of my latest book!
Shh… It’s Our Secret, is about a shy woman called Violet, who is trying to silence her inner
critic and step out of the shadows. Her best friends and sister support her, but she feels like
they don’t see the real her, or understand that she has ambitions of her own and skills that
could help them all.
To them, she is reliable, slightly dull and not very talented, but she is hiding a secret that
could blow this theory sky high. Violet will have to eliminate old demons, learn to stand up
for herself and show the world who she really is.

Book Blurb:
Violet has a secret that could change the lives of everyone she knows and loves, especially
the regulars at the run-down café bar where she works. After losing her parents at a young
age, they are the closest thing she has to a family and she feels responsible for them.
Kai is a jaded music producer who has just moved outside of town. Seeking solitude from
the stress of his job, he’s looking for seclusion. The only problem is he can’t seem to escape
the band members and songwriters who keep showing up at his house.
When Kai wanders into the bar and Violet’s life, he accidently discovers her closely guarded
secret. Can Kai help her rediscover her self-confidence or should some secrets remain
undiscovered?\

I was honoured to read an arc of the book, and I really enjoyed it! Here’s my review.

Shh… It’s Our Secret by Lizzie Chantree
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Shh… Can I tell you a secret?
I finished this in a day!
I have read several of Lizzie Chantree’s books already, she is an extremely versatile author, and this book is another little gem in her book jewels.
Violet loves to sing. She has since she was young, but the joy of singing ends when her parents pass away.
Since then, she’s hidden her talent, singing in secret, and succumbed to an awful relationship. The only silver lining in the cloud that is her life is the cafe she works at, and the family she has built from her regular customers.
Life takes a huge turn when music producer Kai walks into the cafe and hears her voice.
All in all, an enjoyable read, quick and easy, and the happy ending we all want!
Many thanks to NetGalley and BHC Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

Purchase here.

International bestselling author and award-winning inventor, Lizzie
Chantree, started her own business at the age of 18 and became one of
Fair Play London and The Patent Office’s British Female Inventors of the
Year in 2000. She discovered her love of writing fiction when her children
were little and now works as a business mentor and runs a popular
networking hour on social media, where creatives can support to each
other. She writes books full of friendship and laughter, that are about
women with unusual and adventurous businesses, who are far stronger
than they realise. She lives with her family on the coast in Essex. Visit her
website at http://www.lizziechantree.com or follow her on Twitter
@Lizzie_Chantree https://twitter.com/Lizzie_Chantree.
Short bio:
International bestselling author Lizzie Chantree, started her own business
at the age of 18 and became one of Fair Play London and The Patent
Office’s British Female Inventors of the Year. She writes books full of
friendship and laughter, about women with unusual businesses, who are
stronger than they realise.

Book links: Lizzie Chantree.
Universal book buy link: The little ice cream shop: viewbook.at/IceCreamShopByTheSea
Universal book buy link: Networking for writers: viewbook.at/NetworkingForWriters
Universal book buy link: If you love me, I’m yours: viewbook.at/IfYouLoveMe-ImYours
Universal book buy link: Ninja School Mum: viewBook.at/NinjaSchoolMum
Universal book buy link: Babe Driven: viewbook.at/BabeDriven
Universal book buy link: Love’s Child: viewBook.at/Amazon-LovesChild
Universal book buy link: Finding Gina: viewbook.at/FindingGina
Universal link: Shh… It’s Our Secret: mybook.to/ItsOurSecret

Social media links:
Website: www.lizziechantree.com
Author page: https://www.viewAuthor.at/LizzieChantree
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Lizzie_Chantree
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LizzieChantree/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7391757.Lizzie_Chantree
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lizzie_chantree/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/LizzieChantree/pins/
FB Groups: https://www.facebook.com/groups/647115202160536/
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/lizzie-chantree
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lizziechantreeauthor
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnCop-RlAcGqggZG3JfE-Mw

April 2021 Books #AmReading

01 May 2021 12 Comments

by Ritu in Reviews Tags: Arcs, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Book Blogger, Book Reviews, books, Goodreads, Netgalley, Reviews

So, last month I went ARC mad and read quite a few from my list, hoping to lessen it… then over the month, I managed to amass the same amount again in new arcs! So, I will try and mix up arc and TBR list reading, this month. the first two weeks I am on holiday so I hope to get a bit read, then!

The Borrow a Bookshop Holiday by Kiley Dunbar
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A holiday that involves books, a bookshop, baking, a dog and a hunk? What’s not to love?
Jude’s life revolves around her family, caring for her grandmother, and pottering around, helping her parents in the family bakery business, alongside completing her English degree part-time. Books are her faithful friends throughout her life.
When her forbidden romance, ends badly, along with finding out her parents are shutting up shop, and her gran wants to move to a retirement village, she’s at a loss as to what to do, until an email arrives, confirming a booking Jude and her then-boyfriend had made for a two week holiday, running a bookshop and a cafe in a small village in Devon.
She arrives, after being forced by her parents and best friend to take the break, hoping for a fortnight of solitude, books and baking, and is rudely awakened on her first night by an intruder.
I won’t go into more detail, other than to say that the intruder ends up being hot, and the bookstore comes with a mangy mutt, who both end up stealing the reader’s heart.
Jude is a character who has such low self-esteem and feels like she doesn’t have a real place in the world, and this story gives her a chance to grow into herself, and find the life she always wanted.
Elliott – that’s the intruder – well, he’s just a fab character, all big and brooding, but gentle and kind, too, and he’s an animal lover. Oh, and he has a bit of a past that he’s trying to get away from.
Aldous, the dog, oh, what a star! I loved his connection with the bookshop, and wished I could be the one to coax him out of his grief and stupor!
And all the characters in the fictitious village of Clove Lore, from Mrs C and her ‘book’ filled with bets on who will get together and stay in the village, to Minty, owner of the Estate, who has her suspicions about Elliot and why he’s here.
A wonderful, sweet, feel-good read. And if you, like me, are someone who doesn’t get along with maths, you’ll relish this story all the more!
When I heard about Kiley Dunbar’s latest book, I eagerly awaited the release date and was honoured to be approved to read an arc, as I have loved all of Kiley’s previous releases.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Hera Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Releasing 5th May, 2021

When I Last Saw You by Bette Lee Crosby
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What a touching tale, based upon truths that are a part of author Bette Lee Crosby’s own history.
Margaret is grieving. Her husband of fifty years passes on, leaving her alone, aside from her housekeeper, cleaner and friend, Jean.
No family to speak of, no children, Margaret is at a loss.
She happens upon a stack of paperwork when clearing out her deceased husband’s desk that leads her on a voyage of discovery, where she ends up with a lot more family than she ever thought possible.
Based partially in the early 1900s and the 1960s, the story is told of Margaret’s journey to reunite herself with the family she thought she had lost, and the story of her mother, Eliza, a woman whose children meant more to her than the world, and how they go from being a family to being spread around the country, estranged from one another.
A heartwrenching read, I’d recommend to all.

Releasing 4th May, 2021

The Summer Seekers by Sarah Morgan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When I see Sarah Morgan, my first thought is Christmas stories, because she writes such amazingly memorable ones. I know there are others, but that is the genre that sticks in my mind.
Having said that, seeing The Summer Seekers blurb whet my appetite for another cracker of a story.
It seems to be a common theme in recent books I have read, for the story to be set around a road trip, this was the third in as many weeks that I read.
Kathleen is an eighty-year-old woman, living alone, fiercely independent, but afraid of what impending age will do to her life.
Liza, Kathleen’s daughter wants only the best for her mother. She spent her childhood watching her whirlwind of a mother, taking off to all sorts of glamorous locations as the host of a famous travel show, with little time for her, She has spent her adulthood determined to be more like the mother she wished she had, there, always, for her twin girls and husband, Sean, but that life begins to take its toll.
A chance encounter featuring an intruder, a skillet, the police and a head injury, fires up the urge for Kathleen to take one last trip of a lifetime. She’s always wanted to travel Route 66, but, rather like the crock of gold at the end of the rainbow, there is something important she knows she might find at the end of the trip, only she’s not so sure if she wants to find it.
However, driving over two thousand miles alone at eighty is probably not a good idea, and there is no way she wants to take this trip with her daughter.
Cue Martha, a mid-twenties woman with nothing to lose. An incomplete education, failed marriage and family disapproval behind her, the intrigue of an advert, requiring someone to drive, on an all-expenses-paid trip, spurs her on to take a step in a direction she has never considered before.
A wonderful premise for a story filled with so much, from realisation, to love, new beginnings to happy endings; it’s all there and written in a way that has you falling in love with all the characters, and the places they visit, too.
Many thanks to NetGalley and HQ for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Releasing 27th May, 2021

Duvet Day by Emily Kerr
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What a fantastic feel-good read!
Alexa Humphries is a young lawyer who is feeling the grind. Daily, she is pouring her heart and soul into her job, which leaves little time for her life. (And I know this is a reality, as my own solicitor emailed me last night past 11 pm, and I wanted to tell her off for still working!)
That morning arrives when it all becomes too much, and after much deliberation, she takes her brother’s advice and calls in sick… Duvet Day!
It would, ordinarily, be a simple thing, call in, make excuses, then settle down for a day filled with series binges, comfort eating, and relaxing.
Simple, if you didn’t live in a houseshare with one of your lawyer colleagues, who needs to learn a little about sympathy, and another mystery housemate who has never introduced herself.
Hilarity ensues, as, cosied up in her Unicorn onesie and teddy bear fluffy slippers, Alexa finds herself locked out of the house, after making the (bad) decision to answer the door for a delivery, addressed to her unknown housemate.
Oh, what a giggle, from start to finish!
I really felt for Alexa, being in a job that can drain everything from you, myself. The thought of a duvet day would buoy me up, too, but equally, fill me with dread about what I’d backlog of work I’d encounter when I got back to work.
Poor Alexa has her heart in the right place, and all she wants is the best for the world, to make a difference.
I’m sure she wasn’t ever expecting to make that difference, dressed up as a unicorn, though!
I won’t spoil the story for you, but it’s a wonderful read, and yes, there is definitely a slow simmering romance, which takes the whole book to begin to boil, but, when you think about it, it’s all rather fast, since the book takes place over the course of one day!
Fantastic!
Many thanks to NetGalley, Harper Collins and One More Chapter, for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion

Releasing 27th May, 2021

Just a Boy Friend by Lucy Keeling
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Do you ever have those moments when you read a book that has been sitting on your TBR for a while, and then you kick yourself for not having read it earlier?
Well, I had that revelation as I became more and more engrossed in this wonderful debut by Lucy Keeling.
I have been following her progress for a while, but, ashamedly I hadn’t managed to read one of her books.
Knowing that book 3 (yes, three, that means I still have another to catch up on!) comes out in less than a week, I felt I simply had to get caught up on the Friends series (not the TV one, obvs!) and so I did.
I must add, as an aside, that Lucy’s book came at a time I really needed something to keep my spirits high, put a smile on my face, and generally help me feel good.
And Just A Boyfriend did exactly that!
Sophie is a wannabe social media influencer. She’s got her five-year plan, and, as long as she sticks to what she has mapped out, she’ll be a wannabe no longer, but, the thing is, her plans don’t really involve life in it, as well.
Because, other than work, there is a whole host of other entities that can affect your future plans, including your friends, family, kittens, and men. Specifically, romance with said men.
Romance is a no-no, right now. She has no time for it. But why do feelings keep creeping up on her?
Especially for a certain male who happens to be the brother of one of her best friends?
Such a fun story, with plenty of laugh out loud moments, and cringe factors, where I buried my head in my hands, peeking out that the words that followed, in case that awful thing I thought might happen actually did…
Sophie is surrounded by a fantastic supporting cast, including Paige, her friend and employer, as well as a new foster mum for four gorgeous kittens, Mya, another friend, from uni, as well as her landlady, a woman with a few mysteries of her own, and Polly, Sophie’s childhood best friend, who also happens to be the one with the hot bro!
Marcus, (said hot bro), is a gardener and oh, he is such a cute character! With strong feelings already attached to his sister’s best mate, he takes on a job, landscaping her garden, not knowing whether he will be able to face Sophie every day.
Oh, I really did love it! Sweet, sexy and sassy, all rolled into one story, and I am so excited to dive into the next one, to find out what is in store for Polly!

Just Friends by Lucy Keeling
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Just Friends centres on a different one of the group of friends we met in Just A Boyfriend, Lucy Keeling’s debut novel.
This time we become more intimate with Polly, sister of Marcus, who was the hero du jour in book one.
Polly’s got some unprocessed feelings for a certain gardener, who also happens to be her brother’s best friend, but the player that he is, she can’t trust herself to get too close, so she settles for an office romance that seems to be safe. Oh, and she’s got another secret passion that no one knows about.
Bailey’s got issues. He’s harbouring a huge crush, bordering on unrequited love, for his best mate’s sister. But she hasn’t a clue, and she’s also in a new relationship. And, to add icing to his issue cake, his mum is ill. Really ill. And all she wants is to see him happy and settled.
What ensues is a brilliant story, filled with will they, won’t they moments, amidst the planning of a huge wedding, (not theirs!) and a ton of sexual chemistry!
I love Bailey, he’s giving out Jason Momoa vibes… Polly, I just wanted to scream at her to TELL HIM HOW SHE FEELS!
Eager to get into book two, I pretty much devoured this in a day!
Oh, Lucy, you have created such a great cast of characters, here. I loved each moment. And with that ending, now I HAVE to read the next one as soon as it is out!
Good thing I only have two days to wait!

Just Friends in Vegas by Lucy Keeling
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Oh, such fun!
I read the previous two books, last week, in anticipation of this third coming out, and I was not disappointed in the least!
Mya has always been the mysterious one, out of these four friends, even though Paige appears to have some sort of psychic talent. We’ve been led through the first two books, with no inkling as to what her secret job is, but now, we finally find out.
I won’t spell it out, since you need to read the book to get your own confirmation, but I had an idea…
Finding herself at her next ‘job’, Mya is faced with a rival she’d rather not be dealing with,
Smithy.
A friend of her best friend, Sophie’s husband, hot as hell, and a past conquest Mya would rather forget, especially as she didn’t do ‘that’ twice, with anyone.
But it’s hard to get your heart and mind on one track, sometimes.
Smithy is the same, battling feelings he’d rather not experience towards this sexy woman, who holds some sort of power over him.
I’ve never been to Vegas, but I tell you what, I really want to go, now, to experience some of what these two got up to, even though I know artistic license has been applied!
It is great to see a POC main character, with her ethnicity not thrown in your face all the time. Mya may be of Indian heritage but she just proves that women are all the same, really, and can experience the same as any other woman out there. (Heck, her heritage may have just made her even hotter, but then as an Indian woman, myself, I might be biased!)
Another cracker of a book, read with ease and speed. So fast that I need the next one, so I know what Paige is up to, too! Come on Ms Keeling, we’re waiting!

Summer at the French Olive Grove by Sophie Claire
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is my first Sophie Claire book, and I was not disappointed, at all.
Lily has been transported back to her grandmother’s home to recuperate, after a nasty accident during work.
Back to where she spent idyllic childhood times before her world crumbled around her.
But not a place she calls home, herself.
Though they say home is where the heart is, and her heart seems to be pining for someone, equally attached to that same place.
Olivier grew up with Lily. Craving a family of his own, and that anchor that makes you feel at home, he is constantly pulled back to where his parents live, despite being a successful baker in Paris, with a chain of bakeries.
This was a love story, but not as traditional as some. It involved a whole lot of accepting yourself, and self-love, as well as the romantic kind.
Lily is a character damaged, physically and emotionally by the events of her past.
Olivier’s own experiences growing up and coping with knowing no one was really ‘his’, shape him to be the man he is today, and the dreams he holds for the future.
And then we have Mamie. Lily’s grandmother. She is an anchor for both these lost souls and wants to use her power over them to protect them in a way only she knows how.
A beautiful story, a compelling read and definitely recommended.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Releasing 27th May, 2021

Both of You by Adele Parks
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I do enjoy a good Adele Parks book, so was thrilled to get my hands on a copy of Both Of Them, a psychological thriller that sounded intriguing.
Two women, two disappearances, two husbands confused.
Leigh Fletcher is a happy woman, step-mum to two lovely boys and wife to a gorgeous husband. Do they have ups and downs? Sure they do. But nothing major.
Kai Janssen is another blissfully happy woman. Married to a rich man who desires her completely, and surrounded by luxury, she wants for nothing.
Then one day, they both disappear.
The story follows the mysterious disappearance of both women, told from the viewpoints of various characters from the book, including both husbands, Leigh’s eldest stepson, the investigating DC, and her best friend Fiona. Information is drip-fed in a way that makes you want to keep turning the pages until you find out what has happened to them both.
I can’t really say much more, because I don’t want to give anything away, but once you get into it, this book is extremely hard to put down again.
Did I guess what the ending would be? Well, I’d be lying if I said yes, straight out. I had my suspicions, then they got sent awry as I was led down other paths…
Very good.
Many thanks to NetGalley and HQ for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Releasing 27th May, 2021

Waiting to Begin by Amanda Prowse
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Waiting To Begin is the story of a woman, Bessie, but told on two simultaneous days, her birthday, but thirty-seven years apart.
At sixteen, Bess thinks she has it all. Her results are out today, her future is all but planned out, she just needs those results to get where she wants. Bess’s family is your usual type, a caring, but an annoying set of parents and an older brother who is just – urgh! She’s got a tentative boyfriend and dreams of their life together
Thirty-seven years later, Bess is content. Well, on the surface, anyway. Nothing quite panned out how she hoped, but she’s not unhappy with her life. A doting husband, two great kids, one of them married, their own home. But, there are still gaping holes in her life. There are still secrets that are eating away at her, affecting everything she does, though no one else knows.
Not wanting to give the story away, I will comment on the essence.
Decisions we make, flippantly, can have huge effects on our life. The need to be keeping up with the rest of the world can eat away at you, making you do things you might not have, otherwise.
My heart filled with pity for teenage Bess. I wanted to scoop her up into a hug, and tell her everything will be okay. I will admit to wanting to physically harm a certain young man, too,
The same sorrow was felt for older Bess, who is sifting through her life decisions, not sure whether to rock the boat, but finding herself in a situation where she has no choice.
An emotional story that will definitely tug, hard, at your heartstrings.
When Waiting To Begin flashed up as another new book to come, by Amanda Prowse, I jumped at the chance to read, because she is my all-time favourite author.
Her stories never fail to touch the heart, and the way she tells them leaves you emotional for a long time to come,
Many thanks to NetGalley, Amazon Publishing and Lake Union Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

Releasing 8th June, 2021

The Wedding War by Liz Talley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What happens when two best friends lose each other, because of a man, and then, many years later, get thrown together to plan a wedding… for their children?
This is exactly what happens to Tennyson and Melanie.
Both from two very different backgrounds, but at the same school, they form a firm friendship, promising to be there for each other, forever.
Then life happens, and love happens, and men, or rather, man, happens.
This story was written cleverly, interweaving the story from the past in with the present day, when two almost sworn enemies have to face each other with smiles, when their children fall in love.
Enjoyable read.

Adulting by Liz Talley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another really great read from Liz Talley.
Chase London is a child star, thrown into fame’s spotlights from a young age, but, as is the story for many, the fame doesn’t translate as well as an adult.
Battling addiction, rehab, and a failing career, she ends up in the hands of therapist, Olivia Han, who’s been hired to straighten her out and get her ready for her next role.
They end up in a small wooden cabin, inherited by Olivia and her sister, Neve, as an opportunity for Chase to learn how to Adult – something she has never been taught to do. Simple tasks, such as grocery shopping, clearing leaves from a garden as well as the simple pleasures of eating a candy apple or going fishing.
On the surface, it seems like a straightforward story of spoilt rich kid needs bringing down a peg or two, but quite quickly, the story shows the depth of trauma that Chase has suffered over the years; something quite tangled for Olivia to unpick.
Beyond that, the treatment ends up being a time of reflection for Olivia, as well, facing some disturbing truths from her own life, building bridges and burning some, too.
Of course, there is the element of relationships, too.
Olivia is avoiding her supposed ‘soulmate’, and Chase has never really thought about the future, and who might be her ‘one’.
A touching book, with some moments to make you smile, but equally, some distressing moments, with talks of child abuse, but handled sensitively.

So, I ended up finishing twelve books, in April. Not too shabby, considering all I have going on with life!

Was there anything above that caught your eye? Tickled your fancy? Let me know in the comments!

I’d love to hear what you’ve been reading and enjoying, too!