I am thrilled to be on the blog tour for my dear friend Sandy Barker and her latest (and last) installment in the Ever After Agency series, I Knew You Were Trouble.
The BRAND NEW instalment in Sandy Barker’s gorgeously romantic Ever After Agency series. Don’t get mad. Get even.
Kate Whitaker has always believed in love, but when a stranger named Willem shows up on her doorstep, the news he has to share isn’t as exciting as his god-like looks might suggest. He’s come to tell her that Kate’s fiancé is also engaged to his sister.
Kate doesn’t know how she didn’t see the red Jon’s work as an airline pilot having him flying around the globe, the postponed dates, the huge rock of an engagement ring that isn’t her style at all.
Overcome with fury – and entranced by the Nordic god’s piercing blue eyes and quiet allure – Kate agrees to accompany Willem to his hometown of Amsterdam to help break the news to his sister. Yet what begins as a simple gesture of support soon twists into a deliciously devious plan to get back at Jon.
Kate is drawn into a world of retribution, revenge and – unexpectedly – romance. Because sometimes the best way to get over someone is to get under someone else…
A laugh-out-loud romantic comedy about broken trust, sweet revenge, and the surprising places we find love. Perfect for fans of Sophie Kinsella and Emily Henry.
😭😭😭 I’m not crying for any negative reason; it’s because this may be the last in the Ever After Agency Series, and I have become so invested in the characters that reappear, story after story! But let’s not dwell on my sadness. Let’s embrace the fun of the story! There’s a little twist in the tale this time, as Poppy, our favourite matchmaker from the Ever After Agency, engages in an activity for a client that is most definitely not matchmaking! Poppy’s client, Kate, is reeling from discovering that her fiancé, Jon, is a two (three?) timing serial fiancé. Having originally found him through a match with another agency, Kate contacts Poppy for some help with revenge! Oh, but the plot thickens. Kate finds she has feelings for the Thor-like Nordic Willem, who opens her eyes to the deception she has suffered. And he happens to be fiancé #2’s brother… I’m not saying any more about the plot because you need to read the book, but suffice to say it was so engaging that I read it in one sitting. We have a bit of travel, lots of ‘will they-won’t they?’ moments and some great side characters in the form of fiancé #2, almost fiancé 3, and Kate’s cousin Margot, who is hilarious! I love that though the story is about a particular client, we get constant updates about Poppy, a pivotal character in all the series books. And her life is about to take its own new turn… are you sure this will be the end, Sandy B? Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an ARC.
Sandy Barker is a writer, traveller and hopeful romantic.
Sandy’s first novel, One Summer in Santorini, a romantic comedy set in Greece and inspired by her own real-life love story with her partner, Ben, was published in 2019 by One More Chapter (HarperCollins), launching the 5-book Holiday Romance series. Also with One More Chapter are her Christmas Romance series, celebrating her favourite time of year, and The Dating Game, a stand-alone romcom set in the world of Reality TV.
Sandy’s new 5-book romcom series with Boldwood Books is about the Ever After Agency, a bespoke matchmaking agency based in London, with a brilliant cast of characters and settings around the world.
Not a blog tour, not a review, no birthdays or anniversaries to celebrate, just me here to have a catch up.
Some of you have been here since the beginning of my blogging journey, which started nearly ten years ago. And over that time, aside from me discussing topical issues, sharing family and cat stories, poetry and my writing journey, I have also documented when I have tried, and often succeeded, then failed, to start a weight loss journey.
I was so good with Slimming World, losing around 2 stone before I stilled and it all piled back on, then I also had a go at Noom, on two separate occasions, reading articles, logging food intake and weighing in every day… which again worked for a while before we moved house, and life went a bit topsy turvy…
I started to think this was it for me. I’d be that slightly podgy, bellied, double-chinned Ritu forever, and I had to accept it. After all, I also now have fibromyalgia to deal with – who I have also named Frank.
Fibro Frank is like that annoying houseguest who turns up unannounced, causing a flare up, and can sometimes overstay his welcome. While he is here, he exhausts me, and can play havoc with my joints. I just try and deal with him and his stay as each day comes.
Then a friend of mine recommended something she had started, Slimpod. It’s not a diet. It’s not about controlling your food intake, it’s about talking to your subconscience. She is much younger than me and has had trouble with her own joints and needed something to help, so she tried a 10-day free trial, and felt there was some change in her approach to food. She was going to sign up for the full programme and recommended it.
Again, no specific diet. No calorie counting. Just a way of retraining your mind and how it things about food and eating.
What is it, then?
Basically I listen to a pod (a short audio clip around 10 mins long) every day, before bed or sometimes more often, and our friend Trevor speaks to our subconscience. There are two to start with, but the Slimpod you should listen to daily. After 5 weeks there will be another pod released. And there are videos to watch, which are not long, and you can either watch them in one go once a week, or watch them over the week, before the new ones are released.
It’s all about Neuroscience, and unpacking possibly decades of emotional eating triggers. (Stress is one of mine.)
Plus you are encouraged to write down three wins a day. And to not weigh yourself.
I know. That’s a bit mad. A weight loss thing but you don’t weigh? Well, I guess the long and short of it is that we get so reliant on the numbers that show up, sometimes we forget to remember the other plusses that have occured
And I won’t go into it because, let’s face it, I’m not the expert, but after my first ten days, I wanted to share what I am feeling.
So, within a couple of days I did notice that, aside from a really stressful day where I ate three chocolate bars, I have stopped automatically reaching for snacks in between meals, and if I fancy something, I’m bypassing most naughty treats, and going for fruit. Don’t get me wrong, I haven’t stopped eating all things that give me pleasure, it’s just I can finally eat and stop before I finish a whole pack of something.
I’m eating three good meals a day, drinking more water, and snacking less. I’ve refused the takeaway that Hubby Dearest wants to order on most occasions, trying to cook from scratch more.
We aren’t meant to weigh in, but I did this morning, and I have lost 4lb in the ten days!
I’m trying to hit my step goals most days.
And I am starting to sleep better.
I’ve invested in a Snoozeband so I can fall asleep wearing it while listening to the pods as it is flat on the ears and I am a side sleeper. I am wearing it right now, as I type while listening to a podcast. So comfortable!
And I have realised that I don’t have to wear tent-like tops. I have worn a couple of outfits that cinch in at the waist, and usually I am paranoid because I feel conscious of my tummy, however people have made a point of saying how lovely they look on me. The tent-tops of which I have many, are comfortable for work, but they do make me look bigger because they hang in a certain way…
So, tomorrow, my free trial ends, and I am 100% going to be continuing. There are 3 monthly payment of £39 then the pods and videos are mine to keep and continue to listen to.
This isn’t me being paid to advertise. This is a genuine recommendation, that so far I am loving this! You can click below if you want to read more… You get 10% off if you use it!
My Blog Tour visit for Under One Sky By Zoe Folbigg.
From bestseller Zoë Folbigg comes this beautiful, romantic tale of finding love in the most unexpected places. Under the midnight sun of Arctic Norway, Cecilie goes online looking for friends, and stumbles across Hector Herrera. They start chatting and soon realise that they might have just fallen in love. But there’s a Hector lives thousands of miles away in Mexico. And he’s running from a tragic past.
Cecilie’s whole life has been anchored by sticking to what she knows and her job at the cafe in the town in which she grew up. Can she really make a leap of faith for someone she’s never met? And will Hector break free to change the path he’s on?
An unforgettable story about two people, living two very different lives under the same sky, and whether they can cross oceans, seas and fjords to give their love a chance.
Told from the viewpoint of three characters, this story is set in multiple locations, from Arctic Norway, Mexico and England. Cecilie is a young woman who has never veered further than the country she was born in, Norway. She leads a self-contained life and is happy not to be too involved in anyone else’s life. She strikes up an online friendship with Hector, known as The Mexican by many in Cecilie’s life, but this becomes something more profound. Then there is British Kate. A woman who is struggling in her marriage, with a man who doesn’t appreciate her, and with a tenuous connection to Hector. There is a lot of time hopping within the story which can get a little confusing, but essentially, we are following how Cecilie and Hector met in a chatroom, how their relationship developed and all that happened in between. Kate’s chapters did feel a little redundant, as she is not really involved in Cecilie and Hector’s story, per se, until the end of the book. Maybe she deserves her own story. Many thanks to Boldwood Books for an ARC.
About the Author
Zoë Folbigg is author of Amazon number-one bestseller The Note, based on the true story of how she met her husband on her daily commute and Amazon Prime’s biggest selling Kindle book of 2018. Zoë has written for magazines and newspapers in the UK and around the world; she wrote a weekly column in Fabulous magazine documenting her year-long round-the-world trip with ‘Train Man’ – and now lives with him, their sons and their cat Margot in Hertfordshire. Her seventh book Five Days is out 26th July 2024. You can follow her on Instagram @zoefolbigg
Today, I am thrilled to be on the blog tour for The Ick by Holly Muculloch.
The Blurb
Girl meets boy. Girl gets the ick. Girl moves on.
Gem has a chronic case of the ick. Luckily for Gem, these icks are actually her intuition in disguise, warding her off of greater red flags which would surely develop later… or that’s Gem’s theory. Her best friend, Shanti, doesn’t buy it. In fact, in her training to become a Clinical Psychologist, Shanti decides to design her graduate study around Gem. To see if the ick is real, she challenges Gem to look past her intuition and date someone for an unimaginable six weeks, all for a fee of £5,000.
And who better to test the hypothesis than Atlas. He eats soup for lunch, wears a gigantic rucksack and winks at the end of cringy jokes – all impossible to look past. But, despite Gem’s best efforts, he’s also, she hates to admit it, quite funny, attentive, and kind (and not to mention extremely good looking). And whilst her gut shouts at her to run away, one date becomes, two, three, four, before she stops counting all together.
Can Gem do the impossible and start falling for Atlas? And what happens when he finds out she’s being paid to date him?
The Ick is a hilarious romance about the judgements we pass, the insecurities we harbour, and those relationships that force us to embrace vulnerability whole-heartedly.
Can I say that one thing this book didn’t give me was the Ick? It starts as a mild-mannered story, with Gem, our FMC, who finds it hard to commit because each time she meets a date, something inevitably puts her off, be it food, clothing, or a specific behaviour… also known as The Ick. She marks down the first date of the book… because he ate soup for lunch! Gem lives with her best friend, Shanti, who is training to be a clinical psychologist. She thinks there are commitment issues and that these ‘icks’ are more of an unconscious attempt to never say yes. And so, the central part of the story starts. Gem is signed up for a clinical study for Shanti’s thesis and has to date one person for a long time, despite ‘icks’ to see what happens. Enter Atlas. – Okay, so he entered earlier. He’s the soup eater. But what a wonderful character! He is that pure, gorgeous specimen, and you know he is just right for Gem. Only, can she get over the ‘ick’? And the side characters are just as great. Uncle Mick, who is like a surrogate father figure; Jay, the miserable corner shop owner who despite not uttering a word through the book, has his presence, and Shauna, the attitude-filled young footballer. I enjoyed reading this book because it goes deeper than the fundamental Ick issue. Gem’s background and her relationship with her mother all contribute to how she is right now.
Author Bio
As the fourth child in a busy household, Holly was often left to entertain herself. She wasn’t cool enough to hang out with her oldest siblings, and she wasn’t a good enough goalie to hang out with her younger sibling. Luckily, she quickly found the world of books and since then, she has never looked back. As a kid, Holly often went to sleep with at least four books underneath her pillow just in case she needed them. And she often did. Books have saved her time and time again.
After a stint working at a literary agency, then a stint working at a big four publisher, and then a stint working as a book buyer, Holly made the terrible decision to become a management consultant. After four years, and still no idea what the job actually entailed, books saved her once again. She wrote her first novel Just Friends (published by Transworld in 2020) when she needed to escape. Her second novel, The Mix-Up followed in 2021.
She is currently working as a freelance editor and writer, and lives in the outskirts of Oxford with her dog, who she lovingly named Schitthead (Ted) after the best TV programme known to man. She is fuelled by baked goods and a need to make people laugh.
If you want to get to know Holly (and Ted) better, follow her over on Instagram (@by.holly.mcculloch) where she mainly shares dog photos and curates memes.
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!
But I Smile Anyway... 