I’ve devoured the previous books in this series and this was no different! Our resident nosy parker, Jodie is all set for her dream wedding to Nathan, except it’s like cases seem to follow her wherever she goes, and a murder on the first night ends up with their wedding as a sideshow to an investigation, because, quite frankly neither Jodie, nor Nathan, can stop themselves! Another great read, though, and it’s always fun with a series , to be able to catch up with all the characters. There were certainly some twists and turns throughout the story, and there was lots packed into what was essentially just a few days in the story. Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins, One More Chapter, for an ARC.
I’ve loved Nina Kaye’s previous novels, so I was excited to read this new book of hers (and also rather pleased to know there was a second part to the story coming not long after. The story centres around Emma, a young woman embarking upon a celebration for her birthday, however circumstances change rather suddenly, leaving her without her boyfriend, and stuck in a convenience shop, trying to find a bottle opener to drink her sorrows away. What follows is a string of events that somehow lead to her winning a substantial prize on the Lottery. Oh, and not to mention Jamie, a certain young man who just pops up in all scenarios, annoying the heck out of Emma! How do you deal with a win of that magnitude after a real personal blow? Emma lives the life of a millionaire for a week, treating herself as well as her friends, before being sensible with her winnings, and all sorts happen in the short 5 days of the week. I loved all the characters in this story, from Emma herself to her friends Cat and the rather outspoken Amber! Emma has an older friend, Lottie, whom she trusts more than her own parents, and her interactions throughout the story were brilliant. I think we all need a Lottie in our lives. We don’t really get to know James that well, but the times he shows up, I got to know enough to warm to him, and I was urging Emma to open her mind and eyes to the great person he was! (Unlike the ex, Dave, who , lets fact it, is a right idiot) That ‘will they/won’t they?’ romance thread runs through the story, and the conclusion is perfect, though frustrating as it is right at the end, and now I have to wait to hear more about that part of the story. Impatiently waiting, Nina!
Released March 27th, 2025
Releasing 1st April and there will be a Blog Tour post!
What a lovely story filled with cake, castles and love! Bella and Adam are very different characters who meet in Spain under extraordinary circumstances. Their whirlwind romance leads to a quick proposal, and all seems terrific until they arrive back home in Scotland, where Adam learns some sad news about his father. The thing is, he’s not told his now fiance much about his life, and he is a Laird and has his own castle (that the whole family refers to as a house). The way Bella and Adam fall in love is cute, and how Bella, a free spirit, deals with the possibility of a future very different from anything she has ever imagined is a great story. There’s not one, but two Dowager Lady Lowbridges to contend with, as well as a small, tight-knit community in the village of Lowbridge, where Adam’s family lives. Bella tries her hardest to ingratiate herself into the day-to-day running of the castle, offering so much to help the family get out of a tight spot. It is great to see how her character deals with the future looking very different from what she ever thought. An excellent cast of characters, including Poppy, the castle ghost, brings more flavour to the story. Of course, there is plenty of mention of food and cakes in particular, which I always enjoy. Looking forward to reading what comes next!
Published 27th March, 2025
Blog Tour post on 4th April!
Blog tour and review on 7th April!
Blog Tour on 14th April!
So, tell me what you have been reading, and what caught your eye from the above!
February. That month, for me, of birthdays. Oh, so many birthdays, meals out and cake! And Romance, obviously. Plus the added bonus of our February half term where I read loads.
My plan was to, aside from any arcs, go for love stories in any form; cosy, spicy, second chance, whatever. It ended up being a whole load of ARCs, but all with some level of romance attached (apart from one).
So, I read 13 books – And most were arcs ready for blog tours!
I’ve loved previous Josie Silver books, so was excited to read this one, too. Slow Burn Summer is exactly that. A slow burn romance, that has us as readers simmering throughout, as well as the characters! Kate is reeling from a recent divorce and trying to find her feet again. Her daughter is at university, her ex living in what was their family home with his new partner, and Kate is in a flat belonging to her sister, attempting to make sense of her new life. She bites the bullet and contacts her old agent, from before she got married, twenty years ago, in the hope that she can rekindle her acting career as a means to an end, and finds herself with a most unexpected role. That of an author. Specifically, she is to act as the author of a book she hasn’t written because the actual author doesn’t want to have their already famous name associated with this particular story. Oh, and her agent? He’s not the person she started out with, two decades previously, the flamboyant Jojo Fernandes. Instead he is working with Charlie Fernandes, his son. And a rather lovely looking, decent kind of man! Without going into detail, Kate’s life is a rollercoaster as the publication day arrives and the popularity of the novel soars. She needs all the support she can get, and her sister is one amazing character, a real momma bear, who wonn’t let anyone hurt her sister. And, of course, Charlie… There’s a lot that goes on, and it makes for a very entertaining read, and the slow burn is brilliantly done. A fantastic summer read! Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for an ARC.
As a British-born Indian with Kenyan-born Indian parents, I am always drawn to stories that relate to my home country and the Commonwealth countries, and the premise of this novel really piqued my interest. I enjoy reading WW2-related stories, but I have never read one that focuses on Indians in Britain. This book shone a light on a part of the war era that I wasn’t even aware of. The story centres around Ruby, an air raid warden, and Kitty, a lawyer. Both have connections to India. Ruby is half Indian but has never made this public knowledge, and hasn’t had to as she favours her English mother in looks, rather than her Indian father. Hindu Kitty moved to England with her Muslim husband from Bombay after defying her family and marrying out of her religion. Their stories collide when Ruby finds herself drawn to the India Forum and begins attending meetings where Indians in England are supporting their home country by continuing to campaign for India’s independence from the British Empire. Kitty is already a member of the group, however she doesn’t trust the stranger in their midst, who doesn’t look like them. I know it is fictional, but it has highlighted a situation that I was unaware of, and I feel compelled to learn more. The occupation of India, and the subsequent independence and partition are such sore topics, right to this day, and the mode of story is just one way to educate those who don’t know. A passionately told story featuring prejudices, love, suspicion, trust, and the questioning of loyalties. Many thanks to NetGalley and Pan MacMillan for an ARC.
Gotta love a YA psychological thriller! Sariyah, our FMC is a girl with a bit of a special power. Somehow she can sense the ‘needs’ of people around her, except those she is very close to. It can be deafening, hearing random things in her mind, as she walks around crowds. She does her best to help, but it can get overwhelming. She and her friends are suddenly caught up in a missing person case, when one of their friends disappears at a music festival. Sariyah’s life turns upside down as they try to find out what happened to Deja, especially as she lost her best friend, as a missing person, never found, a few years previously. What is interesting, on top of all the twists and turns, which are 100% page-turning, is the theme of how a white girl’s disappearance and a black girl’s disappearance are treated. Social media traction, hashtags, news going viral… And, I was NOT expecting that ending! Many thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for an ARC.
I’ve not read the first in this series and it did not detract from the enjoyment of the book, at all. The Love Hotel in Spain is a boutique affair where singletons apply and are matched to holiday with a person who should be their perfect partner. Jasmine is one of the guest relations managers, and very good at her job. Alejandro is the sous chef, who also happens to be rather gorgeous. One rule of the hotel is no relationships between co-workers. But there are sparks between these two that they both try hard to ignore. Until they get sent on a work trip to Jamaica! Sun, sand… you know what the menu holds. The story simmers throughout as both parties try their hardest to stay professional, but boy, when the sparks fly, they are HOT! Though, will what happens in paradise stay in paradise? Both characters are damaged in their own way and have to learn to overcome their own flaws (which may only be flaws in their eyes) to even accept that another person would be attracted to them. I really enjoyed this book. A light-hearted read with a huge heap of spice! Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an ARC.
A tragic love story. Lucy is still somewhat in mourning after losing her great love, Gabe, ten years previously. She finds a slip of paper in his things with an Italian address on it and finds herself on a trip of discovery to find out more about who lives there, why they were important to Gabe, and to finally put his ghost to rest, so she can get on with her life. Lucy meets Dr Dax in Italy and finds her self drawn to him and some deep sadness within him. There is the matter of being a divorced mum of 3, with a tremendous secret hanging over the family, that could make or break many relationships. Lucy has a lot to deal with, not least the fall out of that secret becoming known, as well as navigating whether she is ready to move on, somehow, or whether she doesn’t deserve any more happiness. It was heartbreaking but equally beautiful to read. I’ve not read the first book The Love We Lost, but I could read The Love We Found with no issue.s I do, however, now want to read the first book to understand a bit more about how the whole situation arose! Many thanks to NetGalley and HQ Publishing for an ARC.
Releasing 18th March, 2025
Releasing 23rd March, 2025 – Blog Tour post to follow!
Releasing in April, and yes, another Blog Tour review from me then!
Every one of Emily Henry’s books captivates me in different ways, and Great Big Beautiful Life was just simply amazing! There is Grumpy/Sunshine in the mix, but so, SO much more in the story. Alice is a journalist who has finally been given a chance to stretch her writing muscles on a story that is close to her heart. Hayden is a Pulitzer prize willing writer looking to fill the gap he’s feeling after writing a biography that took his whole being to write. She’s full of the light of life, finding the silver linings in all situations. He’s – well – grump. Unapproachable, gruff, rude. And hot. The story finds both of them competing in a month-long interview to see who will be granted permission to write the biography for Margaret Ives, the infamous, reclusive heiress to the tabloid conglomerate built by the Ives family. The story is mostly told from Alice’s POV, with a subtle dual timeline that takes us back to Margaret’s past. We learn so much about all three main characters, and in between, the simmering chemistry between Alice and Hayden bubbles along in true Henry style. There is love, loss, grief, tragedy, scandal, and an unexpected twist at the end, which brings about pain and healing all at once. I LOVED this book. I think this might be her best, yet, and my favourite Emily Henry read. Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for an ARC.
I’ve not read any Fiona McIntosh books before, and I do love a bit of historical fiction. This story, set in Australia in the early 1900s was another first for me. Set in both the Outback and Flinders Range, as well as Adelaide, we start the story with a young 10 year old boy, Tom Catchlove, whose family lives among the sheep shearers. Suddenly losing his mum while she was in childbirth, and his father far away on a job, uncontactable, Tom is set on a fateful journey to Adelaide to her mother’s family, for a short while, where she meets a precocious young 8 year old, Fleur Appleby, the daughter of the undertaker looking after his mother. She leaves an indelible mark on his memory, which doesn’t dull as he gets older. As does he on hers. They meet, by chance, as adults, both in very different situations, and both orphans of a like. Tom is the wool classes he always said he would be, and Fleur is striving to be the best mortician in Australia, and one of the first female ones. What pursues is a love story that is achingly painful, and romantic, as well as a heart rending story as they fight the odds to be together. I sped through this book over one day. Beautifully written. Many thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for an ARC.
If you’re looking for a feel good, light summer read, then you won’t go wrong with a Heidi Swain story, and Best Summer Ever is a great choice. Daisy is back home after a breakup with her cheating partner. She’s looking forward to a chance to reset her batteries, but not looking forward to the grilling she’ll get from her parents, having lost yet another job, and now the boyfriend they thought was the bees knees. Before even getting home, she encounters Josh, a rather hot American tourist, several times in increasingly embarrassing situations as she reaches the Norfolk village of Wynmouth, near her childhood home. What follows is a series of events that eventually brings Daisy back to the job she always dreamed of, but was advised against, as well as a summer fling that may be so much more. Wynbrook Manor, the only home Daisy has ever known, is wonderfully picturesque. Its owner, Algy, is a wonderful character. He is Daisy’s surrogate grandfather, who only wants the best for her and hides his own grief. Daisy has a wonderful cast of side characters of her childhood friends, too, who help to carry the story along, as well as a little drama of their own to add a little more flavour. There are (not so) little secrets that all come together to a very satisfying ending, And I cannot forget little Luna the cat who has her own starring role! Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for an ARC.
I have followed this series with great interest over the last few years, and I was so thankful to receive this ARC. We are back to visit the characters of the Wild Isles series, and this time, the story begins with the POV of Jayne, a woman who can foresee certain events. She’s married to Norman, a nasty piece of work, but she doesn’t have the strength to fight back in any way. What she witnesses during her last night on St. Kilda is something she doesn’t realise will be significant until further on in the story. Through this book, we follow Effie, Mhairi, and Flora, key characters in the first three books, and each is left with loose ends that are slowly tied up through The Midnight Secret. As the book progresses, we visit Canada, different parts of the Highlands, and a return to St Kilda. The stories of the fictional St Kildan community leading up to the catalyst that finds them leaving their beloved island and all they know and following them as they try to settle on the Scottish Mainland were beautifully crafted. The entire series is just amazing. Karen Swan made me care about every character, and their stories unfolded unforgettably, so each addition to the series enhanced the previous book. I hope we will see more series in this vein from the author. Many thanks to NetGalley and Pan MacMillan for an ARC.
Releasing 29th April, 2025
So, tell me what you have been reading, and what caught your eye from the above!
And so it begins, doesn’t it? A new year means a new Goodreads challenge and lots of lovely books to read.
One thing I know for sure is that I am not making any big promises.
I won’t say no arcs because I know myself. I won’t say only my TBR books because I know that won’t happen!
I’ll just enjoy the stories that come to me, and let you know what I think!
So, I read 13 books – unlucky for some, but not for me! Lots of lovely stories. Some to be released, some from my TBR, and lots for blog tours! (I went a bit mad saying yes to things before Christmas!)
A February Blog Tour Review
A February Blog Tour and Book and a Brew appearance!
I read Seven Summers last year, and knew Paige Toon was one of those authors who would hook me with pretty much whatever she wrote. What If I Never Get Over You absolutely hooked me, reeling me in so much that I read the whole book in a day! Set in three parts, the story is told by Ellie. We start a few years previously, where she is nearing the end of what should have been an adventure of a lifetime, inter-railling around Europe. Only circumstances are much sadder than she expected. As she gets ready to finish the trip, and plod into the family business, continuing to bow to the demands of her parents, she meets Ash, a young Welsh guy, who has the free soul she years to have, too. And he’s hot. Fighting attraction is always tough, especially in these circumstances, but they forge a connection through shared situations and mutual attraction. Only plans don’t always work out. After losing touch, the second part shows Elli happy in her new life. She’s not totally forgotten Ash, having taken some of his life advice, and is forging ahead with her dream job as a gardener. Ash comes bounding back into her life unexpectedly, causing turmoil and even more attraction. The third part jumps ahead again, drawing the story to a rocky, but ultimately heartwarming conclusion. Oh goodness, I loved this, so much! The book explores many themes, including grief, dealing with parental expectations, conforming to societal norms, and not feeling good enough. Was the conclusion a surprise? Not really, but that’s not a bad thing. There are many rocky moments before we reach that point of satisfaction! A very good read. Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House, Cornerstone for an ARC.
It is a beautiful romance laced with Gujerati culture, set in 1980s Britain, specifically the Midlands. Reena is from a simple Gujerati family and attends Warwick University. Her father is unhappy that she is leaving home, but she has hopes and dreams. She literally bumps into Nikesh, a rich boy from a London-based Gujerati family, and though there are sparks, she tries to ignore them because nothing can come of their union. However, Nikesh never relents in his efforts. So we follow the next few years of their tumultuous relationship as they overcome certain social taboos, meet each other’s families, and face difficulties laced with spice from their cultural backgrounds while living the life of Western-brought-up young people. Nikesh and Reena have their own familial burdens to carry, as well as the cultural expectations and these provide the barriers they have to overcome to be together. This book caught my attention from the off, as I am a Midlands girl, myself, and British Asian, so there are many parallels I could identify with. I am a little younger than the MCs, but I could understand the pull of independence and university life, that covert relationship status, and the disapproval of certain family members. I recognised and loved reading about specific locations, such as Leicester, certain roads and shops, and even Warwick University, which I visited as a schoolgirl on various trips. Reading about Nikesh’s aunt, and her obsession with astrology, following her Guru blindly, felt very accurate. There are still folk who allow their lives to be governed by the words of soothsayers, and this is not always for the better. A wonderfully written story with huge elements that were relatable and many topics covered would speak to readers of a particular demographic and educate those from others.
I began to read this book straight after the first in the series, My Heart Sings Your Song, to follow the journey of Reena and Nikesh, a British Gujerati couple who, against many odds, have come together in marriage and are now at the next stage of their relationship, becoming parents. Whereas the first book was a romance with cultural threads, this story is much more hard-hitting, as it has a tragic theme. There is a love story within, but it is not lighthearted. Reena and Nikesh are blessed with a beautiful son, Amar, but it becomes apparent that Amar has enormous difficulties and a limited lifespan. As the story develops, we see how the support of family and friends can help a couple through tough times and how these challenging times can affect the couple themselves. Again, there is the cultural theme of astrology, and some families blindly follow the words of their Guru, hoping to reverse whatever ‘bad luck’ has befallen the family. However, there is also the stigma of what previous readings have shown and how that affects relationships. There is sadness, but there is hope, and love does win, after all. With the author threading her personal experiences of having a profoundly disabled child through the story, this is deeply emotional. And so many of these situations are relatable. Taboos surrounding infertility and loss, are still here, and echo the sentiments in this book, though the time of the story is decades before the present.
I’m not quite sure where to place this book, if someone were to ask me to pinpoint a genre. There are so many elements to it. Yes, it’s a sapphic romance, but that’s not the entirety of it. There is friendship, loss and grief, discovery and some pretty tough cultural topics raised throughout. Jade and Nia are two-thirds of a friendship group. Three years previously, the third friend, Michal, died after being diagnosed with a brain tumour. There were things left undone and unsaid at the time, and misunderstandings, along with grief, meant their friendship fractured. With the help of letters written by Michal before she died, the two friends, along with Jonah, Jade’s twin brother and boyfriend of Michal, embark upon a painful but ultimately eye-opening road trip that had been planned by the three friends way before. They explore their Jewish heritage and learn disturbing facts about their ancestor’s history, facts that were never taught in school. Because of their mixed heritage backgrounds, they encounter other barriers. And then, there is the elephant in the room. Unspoken feelings that have not been discussed. It was an education, an emotional ride and a good read all in one.
I enjoyed Ronali Collings’s first book, so I was eager to read this second offering, and it did not disappoint. Ingrid is a woman in her 40s, trapped in a loveless marriage with an absent husband, a young daughter and a mother with very high expectations. She works hard to keep her family in the manner they are accustomed to until her husband reappears, having had the ultimate midlife crisis, and asks for a divorce. The story follows Ingrid, who is shell-shocked by the request. However, as she processes what her new life will look like, she discovers more about her character and realises she needs to change, not just in her personal life but also in her work life. And some of those changes aren’t looked upon favourably by certain members of her family and community. It is a journey of change and development for more than one throughout. And there is romance. It is an age-gap romance, and seeing as how much of a nasty character her husband is, Jacob is the knight in shining armour. He’s hot, caring, considerate, hot, and good with her daughter and family. Did I mention hot?! Idealistic? Maybe. But then again, why do we read stories? For the happy ending, and I definitely felt the feel-good factor once I finished this. Releasing 11th February, 2025
Not a love triangle, but a love SQUARE in this one! Laila is a clinical scientist, and she has been working hard to secure a promotion at work, putting in the hours, as well as looking after her mother, who suffered a fall and is incapacitated. Things take a downturn at work at the same time as her two closest friends decide to stage a Love Intervention for their friend, knowing that relationships are very low on her priority list. Laila finds herself on a trip to the US and beyond, under the guise of work, to meet three men from her past, to see if they might just be her one, but things are never that simple, are they? I did enjoy the story, though not sure that planning to meet and possibly hook up with three different men, knowing there may be emotions attached, was the best play, however I know which of the three was my favourite from the off, and Laila definitely has fun as she meets each one, with a bit of sizzle and spice (And sometimes a lot!) included. There are different factors in Laila’s past, including her estranged father and her mother, who won’t talk openly about many things, given her background, that also come up during the trip, just to add some more seasoning to an already spicy story! An easy, fun read. Many thanks to Canelo Books for an ARC.
What a brilliantly written story. I loved it! The Mountain Between Us is a story set in the gold rush era around San Francisco and California in the 1800s. Grace Randolph and her husband, James, have just travelled far, to get to her brother’s home in Oregon hoping to settle when news comes of gold being found. Eager to be among the first, James plans to leave to join the Argonauts already there, and Grace accompanies him, begrudgingly leaving her brothers to be with her husband. The tale details the hardships they face along the way, the successes they savour and the tragedies. They forge new friendships ,and unfortunately make new enemies, as well as welcoming faces of old. During one period of hardship, Grace is left alone, with another woman and her family, as the menfolk go to find more gold to support their families, and James is captured. It is not the story of just one woman’s bravery, but of several, in their own way, forging a path that rescues the captured men, and begins to create justice in a lawless society. Grace is a tough woman, who I admired. Ling Mei, a Chinese immigrant, brings her own calm and knowledge to their story. And I did love Cora, one of a pair of French sisters, originally brought over as courtesans to work in a saloon, but who show their own strength of character as they build their own business. I read this pretty quickly, eager to know how it ended, and I’m mighty glad that there is already a book detailing how James and Grace met, which I was unaware of. Many thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for an ARC.
Releasing 18th February, 2025
Blog tour post coming in Feb!
Blog Tour post coming in March for full review!
So, tell me what you have been reading, and what caught your eye from the above!
Okay, now who went and pressed fast forward on the year? Come on, own up. How is it the end of December already?
Tis the season to be jolly and all that, and what is more festive than the lead-up to Christmas in a school, especially with the younger children? We’ve been making all sorts of Christmas crafts, had a Festive Fayre, performed a nativity, and juggled plenty of absences as the lurgy hit, and staff have scheduled days off, too. And then, school finishes in time for the craziness of the holidays. I’m just glad we aren’t back into school until the 6th Jan!
The big question is, what did I read, and did I manage to write anything?
This month, I realised I really cannot say no! I have numerous book tours in January, so there was a bit of reading for them, as well as everything else. (Hence the lack of actual reviews on here as I am saving them for the tour posts!
Writing – I thought I would end this month saying no new words, but I would be lying… I have written a tentative beginning for what could be book 4 in the Rishtay Series, as well as started a plan for a separate project that would be a two-book venture… Just hoping my publisher is loving the ideas, too!
I read man books… it totals 116 this year!
Blog tour review on 12th January
Blog Tour Review coming 18th January
Blog tour review in A Book & a Brew coming 19th January – Five star, by the way!
Book 11 in the Hart’s Ridge Series by Kay Bratt, and it’s another page-turner! This story is just as good, if a little different, than the rest of the series. We are still focussing on the Grey family; however, this time, Taylor, our usual police officer, is still incapacitated after an incident in the previous book. The crime in question is under Deputy Shane Weaver, though he still feels he needs Taylor’s support. A quadruple homicide is the case this book is dealing with, along with Taylor and her own family’s issues. Sensitively told and page turning, as is standard for a Hart’s Ridge novel.
I always loved Victoria Scott’s books, and she’s 100% done it again with this one, the Storyteller’s Daughter! A dual timeline story told from the points of view of Nita Bineham in the 1940s and of her great niece Beth in the present age. Nita was a bit of an enigma during her time. She does not have the figure and looks preferred in those times, but she comes from a family of means. Her mother laments that the war has not given her daughter a chance to be presented to society, meaning less chance of a suitable match. On top of it all, fewer men are around, as they are all being called up. Her father arranges for Nita to escape the house for a few days here and there, helping at the local paper. What was meant to be a brief break becomes a massive part of her life as she embarks on a junior reporter career. On her deathbed, Nita requests that her great-niece, Beth, find a box in the attic with secrets for her to unfold. This strange task comes at the perfect time for Beth, though she doesn’t realise it. Suffering the news that her marriage is about to end and that her job in the family business may not be there for her, she embarks upon an adventure. She mourns her great aunt and tries to piece clues together to solve the cryptic puzzle that Nita has left her. Pages were turned quicker and quicker as I became absorbed in this story. I’ve always loved dual timelines done well and throwing the war years into it, and I am hooked! The way Nita and Beth’s lives and connections come full circle kept me reading. Fantastic story! Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an ARC.
Anything by Amanda Prowse is an automatic buy/read for me, and though This One Life has a different feel, it was by no means anything less than a brilliant read. A dual timeline provides us with the current story and the background as we meet Edith-Madelaine, a young child living in the East End of London. Although she has little in her home, love surrounds her. Fast forward to now, we meet Madelaine, the exquisitely put-together interior designer with a career to dream of, wealth, respect, and suitors she can pick, as well as a new chapter about to begin in her work and life abroad. We are then taken back to eight years before, when Madelaine, as she now likes to be known, is facing a significant decision in her life. Madelaine comes from a small, loving family, but expectations and disappointments remain regardless of how much her parents care for her. It’s hard to be a woman who has it all. Amanda Prowse has sensitively explored this topic, and the lesson I learned from this story is that it is possible, but a life like that will always involve compromises. I read it in a day, and the ending did leave me all warm and fuzzy.
Releasing 7th January 2024
Another 29th January Blog Tour read!
So, tell me what you have been reading, and what caught your eye from the above!
And November is done. That means Christmas is upon us!
This month was filled with excitement, with my book release, going back to school, observations, school craziness, and our 23rd wedding anniversary. Hubby Dearest excelled with his gift… a ReMarkable e-notebook tablet. It is so cool!
The big question is, what did I read, and did I manage to write anything?
I started the month with no ARCS, so another month to put a dent in that TBR of mine. Then I got signed up for a few tours in the next few months, so I read a mixture!
I tried very hard to write something for my next project, but if I am honest with you, school has taken over my brain, at the moment… Plus getting to grips with promoting In God’s Hands! Words will flow, soon enough!
I’ve read a few of Nikesh Shukla’s books, and when I saw this was another one he had written, I was eager to read it. I don’t know about other readers, but certain premises pull me in when reading blurbs, and the fact that this was a book about a British Indian with roots in Kenya was my hook. I guess we look for stories where we might be able to connect with the characters, and here I am, a British Indian with roots in Kenya. Though interestingly told, the story wasn’t entirely true to that blurb, as it is 25% about Neha, that girl diagnosed with cancer who wants to delve deeper into the possibility of destiny and whether it is a thing. The other 75% is split between the views of 3 other key characters: some set in the past, some in the present, which all add to the story’s layers. First, it is about Mukesh, Neha’s dad, who recently arrived in the UK from Kenya, and how he settled and met Nisha, Neha’s mum. Then comes Neha, and the discovery of her illness, and how she tries to come to terms with it, The next is Raks, Neha’s twin brother, after her death, and how he handles his grief and last wishes. The final segment is through the eyes of Ba, Neha and Rak’s maternal grandmother, and it focuses on a week when the children were very young after their mother had passed away. It was a slow start, and there is much about the racism faced and the uphill struggle of the early immigrants, which is returned again and again. I did get into it, but I don’t think I enjoyed it as much as I thought I would.
A woman gets caught up in the evil clutches of a Social Media scandal, with disappearing family members, the sudden appearance of a baby, and a threat to her life. Some may say this is a farfetched storyline, but as the mother of teenagers, I found it shockingly real. The influence people, influencers, have on young, impressionable minds, and even those older, is immense and can be extremely negative if not checked up on. I was fully immersed in the story, and yes, it was extreme. However, it highlights how the effects of very real influencers (I shall not name names) can alter the perceptions and thinking of large members of the public and just how bad things can get. Misogyny, sexism, and control are all explored fantastically. Well done, DK – I loved it!
I loved this cute delve into Winnie Mehta’s life. A student, about to head to college to continue fostering her love of all things cinema, especially Bollywood, she’s also dealing with her fate, or destiny, as predicted by her family pundit. Winnie fights with her inner Bollywood heroine as she tries to determine whether her destiny is Raj or her future is Dev. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this, an easy read with a tasty dose of Indian masala! The references to Bollywood films that I have watched already ignited the need to go and find them on whatever streaming service possible, so I could watch them!
Releasing 23rd January, 2025
Kiley will be joining me for a Book and a Brew in January, so I shall save my review for then, but it is another 5 stars from me. I love the Borrow A Bookshop Series!
A very different story to the previous book, Prickly Company, which I read and enjoyed earlier this year. Closest Kept is a story of a woman with secrets. Secrets she has kept hidden for the whole of her adult life. Secrets that keep threatening to spill. Lily and Inga are best friends. They are artists, struggling to make a living in the big wide world, but they keep going, in the hope that one day their dreams will come true. Both women have reasons for not trusting, but they have faith in one another. A drunken night out introduces them to Matt and Alex, and after a quick regroup in the ladies, Inga pairs herself off with Matt, leaving Lily with Alex. They end up in happy relationships until things happen that threaten to push Lily to tell the truth about her own childhood, especially when her little sister turns up. Oh, and also wondering whether she really got the right guy… I was so torn for Lily. She had such an enormous burden on her, her whole life, and no-one she felt she could share with. And the feeling that you might be thinking of your best friend’s partner in the wrong way can’t be an easy situation to be in, either. There is a lot of trauma in this. It’s not a light-hearted read, but a very well written, solid read. Many thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an ARC. Releasing 6th May, 2025
A review will follow as I am part of the blog tour in January. 🙂
Radha is a kathak dancer who loses her will after learning something about her mother’s behaviour that could cost Radha her reputation. Jai is a Bollywood dancer and captain of a dancing group which is lacking a choreographer. Both end up at the same school, with similar goals but different motives. Of course, there are family issues. (When are there not in an Indian household?) and there is romance. And food. Lots and lots of lovely food! Lovely to read another story with loads of Bollywood and Indian cultural references, as well as get to hear about some characters from a previous book. I enjoyed this easy read.
A great story featuring the ever-popular reality show arc as a side plot to a rocky romance. Temi is an aspiring writer who’s struggling to get a publishing deal. To make ends meet, she ghostwrites. Wale is her ex-boyfriend. She thought they had something special, and it meant even more to her, as a woman with generous curves, to be attractive to such a gorgeous specimen of manhood. But something happens, causing them to split. Wale ends up on TV on a reality dating show, hopping from woman to woman, rubbing Temi’s face in the misery of their breakup. She writes. It’s cathartic. Words that will never see the light of day. Then she is approached to ghostwrite a memoir for a young reality TV star who wants to redeem his reputation… Guess who it turns out to be? I won’t go into any more story detail, but there is so much more to this story than a good-looking guy trying to make himself look better and a struggling author struggling to make a name for herself. An enjoyable read, touching on young carers, alcoholism, parental expectations, and second-chance romances. Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Books for an ARC.
Book 2 in the new multi-author Dragonfly Cove and Dog Park series. The series follows a litter of labrador puppies and the households who adopt them. Kay Bratt starts the first puppy story (book 1 sets the scene) with aspiring author Emily, who finds herself dog mama to a new pup, Daisy. She’s not sure whether she can do this whole dog thing, but she somehow gets sucked into another dog-related tragedy when she meets a girl whose new puppy, bought from a pet store, dies within a week. The story explores the awfulness of illegal dog breeding and puppy mills and a blossoming romance for Emily. Of course, we get to know the delightfully bouncy pup Daisy and meet Valor, a brave soldier of a dog. A beautiful start to the series.
It’s an age-old question. Do parents have favourites? The Favourite follows the story of three sisters, together with their families and parents, to celebrate with a fancy naming ceremony for a young child. Here they are in an idyllic setting, in the forest, staying in a state-of-the-art glass house for a week, when something happens that raises a question in everyone’s mind: Does Dad really have a favourite? All three women have vivid memories of their childhoods, and all three’s memories have differences. It was an intriguing premise, but I found it a little hard to stay engaged. Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Randon House for an ARC.
Releasing 12th June 2025
So, tell me what you have been reading, and what caught your eye from the above!
But I Smile Anyway... 