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The Dolce Vita Divas by Maddie Please #BlogTour #BookReview #RachelsRandomResources @rararesources @BoldwoodBooks

01 May 2025 Leave a comment

by Ritu in Reviews Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blog Tour, Blogger, Blogging, Boldwood Books, Book Tour, Maddie please, Rachel's Random Resources, The Dolce Vita Divas

I do love a romantic story with a more mature FMC, and was pleased to be asked to join the blog tour for Maddie Please’s The Dolce Vita Divas!

The Blurb

Sunshine, Sisterhood, and Second Chances

At the ripe (and fabulous) age of 64, Joanna Dawson finds herself feeling ever so slightly… meh. Her husband, Greg, has run off with a TBT (thin, blonde, trollop, obviously), her kids have flown the nest, and her social calendar is emptier than her wine rack.

As Jo’s 65th birthday looms, she’s left wondering: Is this it?

Enter Susie, her best friend, with an offer Jo can’t quite refuse: an all-expenses-paid trip to Italy to honour their late friend Ellen. Jo’s not sure she wants to go all the way to Italy, but with nothing else to do and if only to make Susie happy, she agrees. A holiday is a holiday after all.

Capri is even more gorgeous than Jo imagined and soon she and Susie are having the time of their life, especially as Jo is reunited with her dashing first love, Paulo. The one who, most definitely, got away…

Things might have fizzled with Paulo decades ago, but in the land of sun, pasta, and far too much wine, Jo begins to wonder: Could this be her second chance at life…and amore?

Pack your bags for a heartwarming, fun, and sun-drenched adventure as Jo discovers that life after 64 might just be the most exciting chapter yet.

My Review

The Dolce Vita Divas by Maddie Please
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have enjoyed some of Maddie Please’s previous books with older FMCs and seeing as that is where I am in life, it is great to read feel-good fiction targeted at that age.
Joanne is a retired woman, about to celebrate a key birthday and reflecting on her life.
She’s going to hit 65, divorced, with an ex-husband shacked up with his secretary, three grown-up children, two granddaughters and has recently, reluctantly, welcomed her son back home while he mops up his life after a breakup.
A short birthday break with one of her best friends, Susie, gives her reason to want to stretch her wings a little further, out of the comfort of her staid life.
They find themselves in Capri, to celebrate the life of one of their friends, Ellen, who passed away, and Jo faces a person she classes as her first love. Paulo.
I’m not going to detail what what happens, but there is plenty of wine, pasta, and humour. The side cast of characters, including the indomitable Contessa, mother of Paulo, and little Eric, Paulo’s 5-year-old grandson, bring much enjoyment to the tale, and ultimately, seeing a woman grab her life back when others are saying “What? At your age?”, is just inspirational!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an ARC.

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

About The Author

Maddie Please is the author of bestselling joyous tales of older women. She has had a career as a dentist and now lives in rural Herefordshire where she enjoys box sets, red wine and Christmas.

Social Media Links –

Facebook: @maddieplease

Twitter: @MaddiePlease1

Instagram: @maddieplease1

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

Bookbub profile: @MaddiePlease

The House Of Lost Whispers by Jenni Keer #BlogTour #BookReview #RachelsRandomResources @rararesources @BoldwoodBooks @JenniKeer

28 Apr 2025 7 Comments

by Ritu in Reviews Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blog Tour, Blogger, Blogging, Boldwood Books, Book Tour, Jenni Keer, Rachel's Random Resources, Reviews

Absolutely thrilled to be a part of the blog tour for Jenni’s newest release, The House Of Lost Whispers!

The Blurb

On 15^th April 1912, RMS Titanic sank and Olivia’s life changed forever… but what if a world existed where it hadn’t?

When the ill-fated maiden voyage of the Titanic leaves thirteen-year-old Olivia Davenport orphaned, she’s sent to live with her guardians, the Fairchilds, in their huge Jacobean mansion – Merriford Manor. But the Fairchilds have more to worry about than a grieving young girl – with war in Europe imminent and four sons to protect.

Olivia feels alone and friendless. That is, until she hears a voice from behind the wall in her tower bedroom. A voice from a man called Seth. Convinced he’s merely a product of her grieving imagination, she learns to live with him but it’s not until after the heartbreak of the war that Olivia, now a young woman of twenty, discovers that he exists in an overlapping world that is just a shudder in time away from her own. A world where the Titanic never sank… And everything since has been just slightly… different.

All Olivia wants is to find a way into his reality. And not just to see the faces of her beloved parents once again. But also to meet Seth. Who might just be the love of her life…

An utterly unforgettable reading group historical novel, that is part romance, part gripping mystery, and part completely heartbreaking First World War historical fiction. Perfect for fans of Titanic, In Memoriam and Lucinda Riley.

My Review

The House of Lost Whispers by Jenni Keer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The moment I saw this book up for review, I jumped at the chance because I have enjoyed every one of Jenni Keer’s novels, and I love the way historical aspects are woven into her fantastic fiction.
The House of Lost Whispers is no different. I think it is one of my favourite Jenni Keer books!
There is a dual timeline, with a difference. Olivia Davenport, the FMC and daughter of a famous author, is grieving after losing her parents tragically as passengers on the ill-fated Titanic.
Olivia is taken to the village of Merriford Lode to live with her legal guardian and her father’s best friend, Sir Hugo, in his large manor house. Olivia loses herself in the fantasy world created in her mind until she is reintroduced to four sons of the family, one younger, one a similar age, and two much older.
She finds herself drawn to a particular wing of the house and requests that she be allowed to stay there, displacing a young gardener.
The dual timeline bit comes here, where Olivia finds someone else here, not a ghost, but someone who appears to live in the same place, but in a different dimension.
He’s the same gardener she displaced, Seth Tanner, and as they go through time, they build an unlikely friendship that sees them through personal ups and downs and the First World War. They never see each other but are strangely able to hear one another.
Like the movie The Butterfly Effect, one difference in their lives at a key moment garners different effects to their lives.
You have a bit of history, along with fiction, a bit of a murder mystery and a little paranormal romance thrown in.
I was hooked from the beginning and loved it.
I’m sure I won’t be the only one hoping and wishing for a secret portal to open up, allowing these two very different individuals to meet…
I’m not saying anything else. Don’t want to ruin the story for anyone, but it was pure magic!
Can’t wait for whatever comes next, Jenni!

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

About the Author

Jenni Keer lives in the glorious Suffolk countryside with her four grown up children, three demanding cats, but just the one husband. She is often frustrated by their inability to appreciate that when she’s staring into space, she’s actually working, and that watching television counts as research. Much younger in her head than she is on paper, she adores any excuse for fancy-dress and is part of a disco formation dance team.

Keer has written two contemporary rom coms and five quirky historicals, with two more due out in 2025.

The best-selling No. 23 Burlington Square (her 1920s sliding doors mystery) has now sold over 100,000 copies.

Social Media Links –

Facebook: @jenni.keer

Twitter: @JenniKeer

Instagram: @JenniKeer

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

Bookbub profile: @jennikeer

Meet Me Under The Clock by Jo Lovett #BlogTour #RachelsRandomResources @rararesources @BoldwoodBooks @JoLovettWrites

15 Apr 2025 2 Comments

by Ritu in Reviews Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blog Tour, Blogger, Blogging, Boldwood Books, Book Tour, Jo Lovett, Meet Me Under The Clock, Rachel's Random Resources

Today’s blog tour introduces Meet Me Under The Clock by Jo Lovett.

The Blurb

The BRAND NEW gorgeous, uplifting romance from Jo Lovett

Sometimes love happens when you least expect it…

When Nadia and Tom are both unceremoniously stood up by their dates under the clock at Waterloo Station, fate throws them together in the most unusual of circumstances.

What starts as a brilliant story for future dinner parties soon turns into a wonderful friendship, and both Tom and Nadia realise they’ve found the perfect partner in crime.

Tired of dating but always needing a plus one for weddings, parties, and the like, they agree to fake date each other. But as their pretend relationship starts to feel more real, Nadia and Tom begin to wonder if there’s more to their connection than convenience.

Could the relationship they’ve been faking be the one they’ve been waiting for all along?

A heartwarming fake dating rom com, perfect for fans of Beth O’Leary and Sophie Kinsella.

My Review

Meet Me Under the Clock by Jo Lovett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Love it when a coincidental meeting sparks a bit of fake dating and plenty of confused feelings!
Five people are coincidentally under the clock at Waterloo Station when a lockdown occurs. Two are celebrating an engagement. One is reeling from finding out her husband was cheating on her. And the other two… both stood up by their prospective dates.
Nadia and Tom end up with a friendship that takes on a different guise as they both find themselves unhappy with their current situations.
Step forward the friends and their fake dating idea. Never the best idea, though!
As with any good romance, it was clear from the off to the reader, but not to the MCs, that they were going to be perfect for each other, but the journey they took to get to that end point was very entertaining. There was an obvious chemistry between Nadia and Tom, and I was willing it to finally spark from the beginning!
Plenty of laughs out loud awkward moments as well as those ‘will they? won’t they’ ones to keep you on your reading toes, and a lovely bunch of supporting characters.
I enjoyed this light-hearted story.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an ARC.

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

About The Author

Jo Lovett writes heart-warming, feel-good romcoms. Her latest book, We Were On a Break, published by Boldwood, will be released on 29 July 2024.

Jo lives in London with her family. She started writing romantic comedy when she realised that she was regularly begging her oldest son to let her do his English homework but she wasn’t actually that interested in haunted houses or Macbeth. When she can escape her laundry mountain, she enjoys reading, tennis and wine.

Social Media Links –

Facebook: @Jo Lovett Author

Twitter: @JoLovettWrites

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

Too Hot To Handle by Portia Macintosh #BlogTour #RachelsRandomResources @rararesources @BoldwoodBooks

11 Apr 2025 4 Comments

by Ritu in Reviews, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blog Tour, Blogger, Blogging, Boldwood Books, Book Review, Book Tour, Portia Macintosh, Rachel's Random Resources

It is blog tour time for another book! This post is dedicated to Too Hot To Handle by Portia Macintpsh

The Blurb

The laugh out loud, sun-drenched holiday romance from MILLION COPY BESTSELLER Portia MacIntosh ✨ Tropes & Themes ✨ ✧ Wedding💗✧ Sun-drenched romance ☀️ ✧Forced proximity 🤭 ✧Sweet and spicy 🌶️✧ 😬Rivals

One bachelorette party. One stag do. One double-booked villa and only one way to decide who gets a competition.

Workaholic Molly is buzzing when her best friend tells her she’s getting married. As maid of honour Molly can’t wait for the perfect bachelorette party in Spain. What could be better than a week in a stunning villa? Sun, sea, cocktails and gossiping – and best of all, no boys allowed. But when the hens arrive they discover that they are not alone. The villa has been accidentally double booked by a group of stags who make it very clear they’re not leaving!

It’s a disaster, and no one wants to give up their place in paradise. Attempts at compromising fail instantly, so their only option is to have a winner takes all competition. Battle lines are drawn and it is girls v boys – but will the competition be too hot to handle?

As their rivalry heats up, and Molly finds herself gravitating towards stag Travis, it’s clear that he’s enjoying the attention – but Molly can’t let herself get distracted, and under no circumstances can she fall for the enemy.

My Review

Too Hot to Handle: Discover the next hilarious romantic comedy from million copy seller Portia Macintosh by Portia MacIntosh
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lots of fantastic romance tropes rolled into one to make this a proper page turner of a read!
A luxury villa for two weeks in Spain, a destination wedding at a much sought after hotel, four girls (bride included) excited about a hen week, before a glam wedding… what could go wrong?
Finding that the villa was double booked. And there are four rather hunky male specimens already there, and not willing to give up their spot in paradise without a fight!
Molly, one of the ladies group, and a bridesmaid, is here after a break-up, which has left her doubting the male species. And she has a whole heap of work stress to deal with, too.
However, she keeps getting drawn to one lad, Travis, despite a girl pact that they would not get involved with any of the ‘enemies’ and concentrate their efforts on winning the villa for the second week.
This is 100% a romantic comedy with plenty of laugh-out-loud moments. It also has the added spice of forced proximity, enemies to lovers, and that underlying spice throughout the trip.
I finished it in a day and thoroughly enjoyed it!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an ARC.

About the Author

Portia MacIntosh is the bestselling author of over 30 romantic comedy novels.

From disastrous dates to destination weddings, Portia’s romcoms are the perfect way to escape from day to day life, visiting sunny beaches in the summer and snowy villages at Christmas time. Whether it’s southern Italy or the Yorkshire coast, Portia’s stories are the holiday you’re craving, conveniently packed in between the pages.

Formerly a journalist, Portia has left the city, swapping the music biz for the moors, to live the (not so) quiet life with her husband and her dog in Yorkshire.

Find out more at www.portiamacintosh.com

Social Media Links –

Facebook: @macintoshportia

Twitter: @PortiaMacintosh

Instagram: @portiamacintoshauthor

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

I knew You Were Trouble by Sandy Barker #BlogTour #RachelsRandomResources @rararesources @BoldwoodBooks

23 Mar 2025 4 Comments

by Ritu in Reviews Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blog Tour, Blogger, Blogging, Boldwood Books, Book Tour, Ever After Agency Series, Rachel's Random Resources, Sandy Barker

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.

My Review

I Knew You Were Trouble by Sandy Barker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

😭😭😭 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.

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

About the Author

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.

Facebook: @SandyBarkerAuthor

Instagram: @sandybarkerauthor

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

Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/sandy-barker