But I Smile Anyway...

Not Moving Out by Jon Rance #BlogTour #BookReview #RachelsRandomResources @rararesources @HeraBooks @JRance75

18 May 2025 2 Comments

by Ritu in Reviews Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blog Tour, Blogger, Blogging, Book Tour, Hera Books, Jon Rance, Not Moving OUt, Rachel's Random Resources

Today, I am thrilled to be on the blog tour for Jon Rance’s Not Moving Out. I loved One Hundred Moments Of Us, and this one is wonderful, too!

The Blurb

Spouses Without Benefits – how can you move on without moving out?

Freya and Joe’s marriage has fizzled its way to the end, but for financial reasons, and to support their daughter in her final year of school, they decide they need to keep living together for six months.

They know it won’t be easy, but for Joe at least, it provides creative rewards: a struggling sitcom writer, he has found his new project. Why not write about his own situation? And the network loves it.

There is just one problem – Freya doesn’t know.

Can Freya and Joe navigate the six months together and might they find out something new about their relationship?

A relatable second-chance romcom perfect for fans of Mike Gayle and Beth O’Leary.

My Review

Not Moving Out: An uplifting second-chance romcom by Jon Rance
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was very excited to read an ARC of Jon Rance’s soon-to-be-released Not Moving Out, as I had loved his previous book, One Hundred Moments of Us.
A second chance, close proximity romance, disguised as a breakup, essentially, Not Moving Out centres around two characters in their 40s, married for almost two decades, and finding that their relationship has changed. There doesn’t seem to be that much romance or connection that was prevalent initially.
Joe is a comedy script writer, struggling to regain the successes from earlier in his career.
Freya is a paralegal secretary and a wannabe solicitor who gave up her initial dream of supporting her husband and giving more time to their daughter, Dolly.
After 18 tough months, they decide to separate, but they cannot live separately because of their finances.
Instead, they are stuck under the same roof, for their daughter’s sake, until she leaves for university six months later.
What a situation, eh?
That you can feel the love and affection that both characters still feel for one another, alongside how they have stagnated, is so realistic. I know relationships can become like this.
Joe’s (or his agent’s) idea for a new script was something I knew would implode from the moment it was mentioned!
Did I want to hit both characters’ heads together at several moments, and tell them to talk to one another? OMG, so many times!
But I enjoyed the whole story. An easy read with a bumpy journey that leads to a happy ending.

https://shorturl.at/L3P3j – Amazon UK

https://shorturl.at/nBE8E – Amazon US

https://shorturl.at/4KRU8 – Waterstones

https://shorturl.at/HfHHl – Apple books

https://shorturl.at/e19Lx – Kobo

About The Author

JON RANCE writes novels about love, family, relationships, and all the messy bits in between. His novels have been described as hilarious, romantic, and perfect for fans of Mike Gayle and Beth O’Leary. His first two books, This Thirtysomething Life and Happy Endings, were published by Hodder and Stoughton. Since then, he has written numerous novels including, Sunday Dinners, Dan And Nat Got Married, and The Worst Man. Jon signed a two-book deal with Hera in 2024 and the first novel, One Hundred Moments Of Us, was published in August 2024. The second book, Not Moving Out, a second chance rom com, will be published in May 2025.

Jon grew up in England and studied English Literature at Middlesex University, London, before travelling the world and meeting his American wife in Australia. He now lives in California with his wife, two kids, and a dog called Pickle, where he writes full-time and drinks far too much tea.

Social Media Links –

X – https://x.com/JRance75

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/jonranceauthor/

Guest Post with Willow Willers and Dan Antion -Chatting about Co-Authoring Poetic Justice

14 May 2025 77 Comments

by Ritu in Book & A Brew With Ritu Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Dan Antion, NEW Releaes, Willow Willers

I am so excited to hear that two of my good blogging friends and one who is a dear sister to me, Dan Antion and Willow Willers, have been collaborating and have co-authored a book! How exceptional is that? I had a quick catch-up with them both to find out how the process worked!

How was it, coauthoring? Wasn’t it hard?

Dan: The co-authoring experience is something I hoped would be an interesting topic to discuss. It was a first for me for anything longer than a short story. Willow’s role turned out to be quite different from what I imagined it would be, but I couldn’t be happier with how it worked out. At first, I thought I would write the poems, and I thought I knew what I wanted them to say. When I realised I wasn’t capable of doing that, I reached out to Willow. I expected she would provide poems-on-demand, for lack of a better term. In the very first poem, Willson Barcroft’s prayer card, Willow’s effort changed my mind. She gave the Poet an edge that I didn’t expect, and that changed the way I thought about the character, and it changed the book.

Willow: Well, I found it easy… I found I easily got what needed to be expressed in the poetry. I discovered we could easily discuss things and that the miles between us didn’t create barriers. Dan was clear and concise in what he wanted the poet to say. In fact, he made me feel involved in the running of the plot… and of course it helped that I loved the plot, which was so different from Dan’s previous books. I love all his books, and through reading them, I really felt I could suss out where Dan’s story was going. Plus, all the familiar characters were a great comfort. Then, after a short while, I felt I had become the poet… He got inside my head. I was worried that Dan might not like some of my poetry but to my surprise he did as much as I liked the plot …being able to be open and discuss everything was a great help.‌

Dan, why Willow?

Dan : “Why Willow?” At the point where I realised I needed the help of a poet, Willow had just completed her series on child abuse. I knew the poet I would work with had to be comfortable with dark topics. I wasn’t sure she’d be interested when I first asked her. Her reply made me so happy; I knew at that moment that this was going to work. I also knew that I wouldn’t complicate the process by trying to box Willow into any arrangement.

Willow, how long did it take you to decide to accept the co-authorship of the Book?

Willow : Aha! Well, Ritu it took me … 5 minutes!

Did either of you find this process difficult?

Dan : Not at all, not in the least.

Willow: Absolutely not.

Well, this all sounds amazing, and the book is due out on June 11th! Keep your eyes peeled for a review!

The Blurb

Trevor Barcroft is convinced that mystery/true crime author Brody Thompson wrote the scene in which Trevor’s father Wilson Barcroft was murdered. What should be a simple answer to this five-yer-old crime is one that neither the police nor the FBI want to uncover; and one Bernie Bouchard doesn’t want his young investigative reporter, Rascal Todd, digging into. Warned to stay away from the investigation.. Brody and Trevor begin a dangerous quest, led by the musings of a mysterious poet who has been hiding in plain sight for decades. What does the Poet know that keeps him in hiding? What did Wilson Barcroft know that got him killed? Why can’t Brody walk away from a meaningless and dangerous pursuit?

Author Bios

Dan Antion’s Bio

Dan is retired from a 42-year-long career in systems development and other technology and began writing his first book the next day. He’s married, the father of one child, and although there are no pets around today, he and his wife have had four Irish Setters and a handful of Tuxedo cats over time. Dan is the author of the Dreamer’s Alliance Series and the Rascal Todd Mysteries. When Dan isn’t writing, you might find him in his woodshop, working around the house, or walking around with a camera. He also might be having a beer with friends and some of those encounters have inspired the fictional bar stories on his popular blog—NoFacilities.com

Author page: http://relinks.me/DanielAntion

Blog: Https://noFacilities.com
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:ptjdluuxckfau3dnaihh2sn5

DAntionYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNHXESp0LosdxjU-7elOu3g

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

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dantion/

Willow Willers’s Bio

London born Willow Willers is retired and lives in Berkshire, Southern England. Along with her husband and a steady stream of foster dogs mainly Guide Dogs for the Blind. Willow is mother to three sons all grown and flown and two fast growing grandsons.Writing, poetry and prose have always been her passion in fact she wrote her first pieces before she was eight. After two life changing accidents Willow started writing in earnest and has found it a life saver. You can find willow at willowdot21.wordpress.com

Author page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Willow-Willers/author/B0DZD1TNZX

Facebook page.https://www.facebook.com/share/16AwsHVCqk/

Blog at wordpress.https://willowdot21.wordpress.com

The Cornish Cottage By The Sea by Kim Nash #BlogTour #BookReview #RachelsRandomResources @rararesources @BoldwoodBooks @KimTheBookworm

12 May 2025 4 Comments

by Ritu in Reviews Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blog Tour, Blogger, Blogging, Boldwood Books, Book Tour, Kim Nash, Rachel's Random Resources, review, The Cornish Cottage By The Sea

Very happy to be a part of the book tour for my friend, Kim Nash, and her newest release, The Cornish Cottage By The Sea.

The Blurb

A gorgeous, uplifting, romantic read from the author of the Cornish Cove series, Kim Nash A new start by the sea…

For Jo Jenkins, life has always been about putting others first. But with her children grown and her ex-husband as rotten as ever, she knows it’s time to put herself at the heart of the story. So, when she inherits a beautiful beachside cottage in Cornwall, she grabs the chance to start over.

The crumbling old cottage needs a little love, but so does Jo. And with the help of her new friends – a kind-hearted jeweller, a no-nonsense businesswoman, and a local Jack of all trades with a past of his own – Jo begins to rebuild more than just bricks and mortar.

But tucked away inside the cottage is a secret that could change everything. As the waves roll in and the sea air clears her mind, Jo must decide if she’s ready to let go of the past. Will she finally learn to embrace the life she truly deserves?

My Review

The Cornish Cottage by the Sea by Kim Nash
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love Kim Nash’s books. Always a focus on a slightly older FMC and second chances.
In The Cornish Cottage By The Sea, Jo Jenkins is a divorcee and mother to two grown-up daughters. She’s stagnating in her little flat, in a place that only holds sad memories, staying there in case her family wants to come ‘home’.
An inheritance she never expected leaves her as the owner of a Cornish cottage owned by her ex-husband’s aunt, which she coveted when she first. It’s a big move. The cottage is not quite what she remembered, but the place is still beautiful with idyllic surroundings and views she could stare at forever. Knowing there are members of her family who weren’t on board with the move, Jo carries on, hoping for the best, but doubting she will perform miracles.
I loved that Jo found terrific, supportive friends from the beginning, conquering her reluctance to talk to people she doesn’t know, after advice from her mum, and beginning every friendship with simple conversations.
The way she builds her new gang of ‘people’ is lovely. It gives hope that there is a way to move forward positively even when everything you lived for has changed.
Jo meets Seamus, a local handyman, through his father, and one of her new “I am brave’ conversations with strangers. He is friendly, helpful, and somewhat handsome, but Jo is so used to seeing herself as the frumpy middle-aged mother figure that she can’t believe he would be interested in her.
Her new friends help to build her self-confidence back up to where it should be, and they even form a Friday Club, which sounds like a blast, and support others around them.
A mystery that she didn’t even know she wanted to solve also presents its solution to her towards the end.
Such a wonderful story. I read it in a day!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an ARC.

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

About The Author

Kim Nash is an author of uplifting, romantic, feel-good fiction, having wanted to write books since she was a little girl. She works as both Digital Publicity Director for publisher Bookouture. She lives in Staffordshire with her son Ollie and English Setter rescue dog Roni. When she’s not working or writing, Kim can be found walking her dog and reading, as well as running a book club in Staffordshire and organising local and national reader/author events.

Social Media Links –

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kim.nash.10

Twitter https://twitter.com/KimTheBookworm

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

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

Bookbub profile: Kim Nash Books – BookBub

You Can’t Hurry Love by Susan Buchanan #BlogTour #BookReview #RachelsRandomResources @rararesources @Susan_Buchanan PLUS a GIVEAWAY!

11 May 2025 3 Comments

by Ritu in Reviews Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blog Tour, Blogger, Blogging, Book Review, Rachel's Random Resources, Susan Buchanan, You Can't Hurry Love

I’m back with another great blog tour review for my friend, Susan Buchanan and her latest release, You Can’t Hurry Love!

The Blurb

A delicious friends to lovers, forced proximity, workplace romance for 2025.

A 30th birthday celebration. A sloth sanctuary in Costa Rica. A split-second decision.

When Kat MacDonald takes the trip of a lifetime to Costa Rica, she doesn’t count on ditching her dead-end job, sending her uber-controlling boyfriend packing and volunteering at a sloth sanctuary.
But when she finally meets the swoon-worthy assistant manager Dexter, the chemistry between them is unmistakeable and sparks fly. Despite a rival for his affections, and her ex’s inability to know when to give up, she and Dexter are drawn to each other like magnets.
Just as she’s settling into life at the sanctuary and making friends, a letter arrives from back home in Scotland. A letter which could both upset her new plans and give her everything she has ever wanted. Everything except Dexter.
Kat is should she stay in the tropical rainforest paradise with her beloved sloths, new friends and the delectable Dexter or pursue her lifelong dream? Or can she find a way to have it all?

A fun, escapist read full of romance, beautiful scenery and humour, perfect for fans of Emily Henry, Beth O’Leary Leonie Mack and Portia MacIntosh.

My Review

You Can’t Hurry Love by Susan Buchanan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I must admit wanting to move to Costa Rica and see the Sloths!
That, Susan Buchanan, is because of you and your fantastic book!
Kat is in Costa Rica on the holiday of a lifetime. True – she’s not there with the person she wanted. That would have been Dad, with whom she shared many passions, including travel and sloths. She should have been there with her best friend in his absence, who ended up in a cast at the last minute and could not travel. That left her boyfriend, Aiden.
Sounds like a dream holiday. Beautiful tropical beaches, fantastic food, the love of your life by your side… However, things go awry when a particular person begins to show his true colours.
In Costa Rica alone, Kat wants to continue to honour the memory of her dad by doing all the things she promised herself she would do, including going to the Sloth Sanctuary.
I’m not going to recount the whole story for you now.
Kat’s adventure is longer than planned, and she finds herself in many beautiful places, in fantastical situations with someone rather gorgeous!
It’s never smooth sailing for her, though.
Kat ends up with some decisions to make, and because of being burned far too much in her near past, she sometimes allows that to dictate her plans, without putting the proper thought into things.
I don’t envy Kat. Well, the Kat at the beginning, anyway. Grief is complicated to deal with, and a broken relationship on top of that is not going to make it any easier. But, as she grows within the story and begins to experience things she never would have thought possible, that Kat, I envy!
The Gorgeous person I mentioned earlier, Dexter, is a beautifully sensitive soul, and a typical man. Seriously, why can they never say what they mean?
Still, everything was described in such a way that as I said at the start, I just want to go and see this gorgeous country, and get to know some sloths, with whom I had no affinity before!
A wonderful read!

Purchase Link – https://books2read.com/u/mKG0p5

About The Author

Susan Buchanan writes contemporary romance and women’s fiction, usually featuring travel, food, family, friendship and community.

She is the author of The Leap Year Proposal, The Christmas Spirit, Return of the Christmas Spirit, A Little Christmas Spirit, Just One Day – Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn, The Dating Game and Sign of the Times.

As a freelance developmental editor, copyeditor and proofreader, if she’s not reading, editing or writing, she’s thinking about it.

She is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, the Society of Authors and the Alliance of Independent Authors.

She lives near Glasgow with her husband, two children and a crazy Labrador.

When she’s not editing, writing, reading or caring for her two delightful cherubs, she likes going to the theatre, playing board games, watching quiz shows and eating out, and she has recently discovered a love of writing retreats.

Social Media Links –

Website – www.susanbuchananauthor.com

Instagram – authorSusanBuchanan

Facebook – www.facebook.com/susancbuchanauthor

Twitter – susan_buchanan

Threads – AuthorSusanBuchanan

Bluesky @susanbuchanan.bsky.social

Giveaway to Win a paperback of You Can’t Hurry Love (Open to UK Only)

*Terms and Conditions –UK entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/33c69494612/?

The Start Of Something Wonderful by Jane Lambert #BookReview @JaneLambert22 @HQStories

10 May 2025 6 Comments

by Ritu in Reviews Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Book Review, Book Reviews, books, Fiction, JAne Lambert, romance, The Start of Something Wonderful

Thrilled to share my review of the lovely Jane Lambert’s book The Start of Something Wonderful. This is a relaunch by Jane’s publisher, HQ, of what was previously debuted as Learning to Fly.

The Blurb

It’s never too late to follow your dreams…

Forty-year-old air stewardess, Emily Forsyth, thought she had everything a woman could wish for: a glamorous, jet-set lifestyle, a designer wardrobe and a dishy pilot boyfriend. Until he breaks up with her…

Catapulted into a mid-life crisis she wishes she’d had earlier, she decides to turn her life upside-down, quitting her job and instead beginning to chase her long-held dreams of becoming an actress!

Leaving the skies behind her, Emily heads for the bright lights of London’s West End – but is it too late to reach for the stars?

My Review

The Start of Something Wonderful by Jane Lambert
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I do love a book with a relatable FMC.
Emily is a woman in her early 40s, recently single after being in a long-term relationship, and in need of a change.
She quits her career in the air as a flight attendant, and embarks upon a lifelong dream – to become an actress.
And why shouldn’t one aspire to make those dreams come true?
Emily is lucky to have supportive friends, but her mother does not necessarily believe that Emily is doing what is right for a woman of her age.
Emily meets some wonderful people who become a second family to her in a small Italian restaurant, where, like most jobbing actors, she has found a job to keep her head above water, until she lands the perfect role. And she also meets someone rather special too.
Let me not regurgitate the story here, but in a nutshell, we have a lovely story of second chances in both love and life.
Remember, it’s never too late!

About the Author

Jane travelled the world as cabin crew before making the life-changing decision to become an actress. She has appeared in Calendar Girls, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, Deathtrap and True West in London’s West End. She is currently adapting The Start of Something Wonderful into a 6-part comedy drama for TV.