Book Tour | But I Smile Anyway...

Old Girls Go Greek by Maddie Please #BlogTour #BookReview #RachelsRandomResources @rararesources @BoldwoodBooks

10 Nov 2025 7 Comments

by Ritu in Reviews Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blog Tour, Blogger, Blogging, Boldwood Books, Book Tour, Maddie please, Old Girls Go Greek, Rachel's Random Resources

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 Old Girls Go Greek!

The Blurb

At 64, Meg Foster is ready to paint outside the lines

Newly divorced from overbearing husband Malcom and with only reruns of Bergerac and an irascible black cat called Ivan for company, Meg decides it’s time to add a little colour back into her life. So when she spots a flyer for a local art class at the Lower Begley community centre, she grabs a brush — despite her only painting experience being a half-hearted coat of magnolia in the downstairs loo.

Surrounded by a motley crew of charming amateur artists, Meg slowly begins to rediscover her spark with the help of the other old girls…and the only male in the group Derek. And when someone suggests a painting holiday to sun-soaked Santorini, Meg doesn’t hesitate to sign up. Whitewashed walls, turquoise seas and possibly even a Grecian god or two? Yes please!

As the sun sets over the Aegean, Meg starts to realise that life — like art — is all about perspective. Could this trip be more than just a wash of watercolour fun? Could friendship, freedom and a second-chance romance be just a sketch away?

Full of heart, humour and hues of every shade, relax with another joyful story from Maddie Please celebrating the power of reinvention, female friendship, and living boldly — no matter your age.

My Review

Old Girls Go Greek by Maddie Please
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I’ve read a few of Maddie Please’s romantic-themed books featuring more mature ladies, and this was another fun read to add to her already splendid books.
The story is about Meg, a divorcee in her 60s, getting to grips with her newfound single life, and she happens upon a local art club where she meets some real characters.
Some of these characters will be ones you have met before if you have read Maddie’s other books, namely the Old Ducks – a group of older ladies determined to make the most of life, regardless of age.
They end up at an art-themed holiday on the beautiful island of Santorini, where several members of the art group travel together, and they find another person has joined their group upon arrival.
It is a new, handsome male member of the group, and so of course, there is a spark, as well as some recognition from Meg and a bit of a connection which they begin to explore…
The rest, you need to read to find out!
The descriptions of the scenery, the food, the cute kittens and Meg’s cat, back home.
A lovely, easy read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an ARC.

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

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

Nine Dolls by Rupa Mahadevan #BookReview

23 Oct 2025 2 Comments

by Ritu in Reviews Tags: Blog, Blog Bost, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Book Review, Book Tour, Nine Dolls, Rupa Mahadevan

I apologise for not posting this sooner, but better late than never, eh!

I’m bringing to you a book with a psychological thriller twist, all with a sprinkling of Indian Masala!

Rupa Mahadevan has written a brilliant book, Nine Dolls, which I was honoured to read.

The Blurb

When a group of friends reunite to celebrate the Hindu Dolls festival in a Scottish manor in Oban, they’re hit by more than just the storm. Dolls move, and secrets are revealed. But which secret is worth killing for?

Nine nights.

Nine secrets.

And one unforgettable name…

NINE DOLLS – an award-winning psychological thriller – is almost here.

Dark. Addictive. Chilling to the core.

Every day unveils another secret.

Every lie pulls you deeper into the nightmare.

Every doll hides a truth you’re not ready to face…

Nine days that will change everything.

Nine Dolls.

I asked Rupa about the inspiration for her fantastic debut, and this is what she told me:

Golu (which translates to “display”), the dolls we set up during Navaratri, have always been a big part of my childhood. Navaratri is my favourite festival, even more than Diwali, which is far more popular. There’s something so visual and colourful about it—a way of storytelling that really captured my imagination. Growing up, my sister and I used to compete over whose side of the dolls told a better story.

Thinking back, that is where my love of stories started. I’ve always been passionate about crime stories. I practically grew up with Enid Blyton and Agatha Christie, as well as legendary writers in Tamil (my mother tongue) like Kalki. You’d think it would be a no-brainer to combine the two. The nine nights of Navaratri, with its theme of good versus evil, naturally lend themselves to the structure of a crime thriller.

But it wasn’t until a writer friend, Angela Nurse, asked if I’d ever thought of weaving it into a story that the idea truly clicked. The rest, as they say, is history!

Purchase links

TG Jones – https://www.tgjonesonline.co.uk/Product/Rupa-Mahadevan/Nine-Dolls/15823260?_gl=1*197lkrq*_up*MQ..*_ga*Nzk4NjM3OTc2LjE3NTYwNTg4NzQ.*_ga_9YDXQFM2GM*czE3NTYwNTg4NzMkbzEkZzAkdDE3NTYwNTg4NzMkajYwJGwwJGgxNjUwNjA3ODk1

Waterstones – https://www.waterstones.com/book/nine-dolls/rupa-mahadevan/9781805732327

Amazon –https://www.amazon.co.uk/Nine-Dolls-absolutely-addictive-psychological-ebook/dp/B0FMRJD19R/ref=sr_1_2?crid=30J8XEUBLJCIA&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.bGzb8DbTJULt4zkjL_fgupuxUhUxPY6aCS-EDkqcNuE_a2JBs5gWYbSQ-5nBVFtI1Wgoe-lb_yRBIoqcrw-PHaoAg36aZAnanh5GIICggCFEkCqrgVIA18bf2z-CrzmT.mYB659hNq32mGogOAAXUflaZ3CPBWQ5–UARWDKyJzk&dib_tag=se&keywords=nine+dolls+rupa&qid=1755969072&sprefix=%2Caps%2C66&sr=8-2

My Review

Nine Dolls by Rupa Mahadevan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Okay, so I have just finished this, Nine Dolls by Rupa Mahadevan and OMG, what a ride!
I’m all for any books with anything Southeast Asian within the covers, and Nine Dolls has that in spades, as well as being a compelling psychological thriller.
Ten people, some friends and some new to the group, end up in a house in Oban on a holiday that coincides with the Hindu festival of Navratri. Leela, wife of one of the original friend group members, is newly married and also religious, so she wishes to observe the holy festival while they are away. Part of this involves displaying nine dolls in a particular manner to honour different goddesses.
The dolls on display are a little different to the traditional ones; however, once everyone has consented to take part, she happily sets up her display and makes plans for the nine-day festival.
However, things go awry when she discovers that her display has been tampered with, and in the following days, more and more strange things happen to the dolls, as equally strange things occur in the house to different people, all while the Beast from the East takes effect.
I was hooked on this book from the start, and it had so many twists and turns, with the reader trying to work out what was going on and who was responsible for all these awful things…
Fantastic read!

About The Author

Rupa Mahadevan is a passionate story-teller of character led and page turning thrillers that keeps you guessing till the last chapter. Her books aims to be an alluring mixture crime and culture.

Social Media Links

https://linktr.ee/rupa_mahadevan

Website –https://rupamahadevan.com/

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

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/rupa.mahadevan.2024

Twitter – https://x.com/chith84

The Approval Of Sheep by Karen Storey #BookTour #Blog Tour @karen_king @rararesources Plus a #giveaway!

17 Oct 2025 2 Comments

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

Another wonderful blog tour stop this time for Karen King and her fab book, The Old Gals Bucket List.

The Blurb

The Approval of Sheep

Gordon Slee fears he was never meant to be born. Anxious since childhood after hearing he was an accident, the forty-two-year-old is still struggling to escape the shadow of his high-achieving family.

But a glimmer of hope is on the horizon – a huge promotion within his hotel group is up for grabs, and he is sure that his time has come to make a mark on the world.

However, within his own department, redundancies are afoot. He may lose his job before he gets the chance. Until he learns of a historic covenant that preserves the right for sheep to run through the company’s top London hotel. Could he convince his boss that he’s the man to save the hotel from catastrophe?

Up in Bryn Nefyn, North Wales, live the descendants of the covenant owner. The elderly sheep farmer and his aging hippy brother could use the money the hotel might offer. But along with their strong-willed American shepherdess, they laugh at Gordon’s attempts to negotiate a deal. Surely, they couldn’t use a covenant that’s been forgotten about for over a hundred years.

Or could they?

For lovers of upmarket commercial fiction with a touch of romance and comedy, The Approval of Sheep is an uplifting story about family and love, overcoming adversity and discovering our reason for our place in this world.

Purchase Links

https://www.amazon.com/Approval-Sheep-Karen-Storey-ebook/dp/B0FNLYFSV6

My Review

The Approval of Sheep by Karen Storey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This debut novel by Karen Storey was a wonderfully well written tale with it’s heart based on a true covenant.
I’ve heard of sheep in London and covenants about them being allowed to run through certain areas according to these ancient covenants, so to have this book’s core being about a similar covenant, was intriguing.
Gordon, our MC is in a bit of a bind at his job, in that due to possible redundancies, he may be out of a job, on top of a failed marriage proposal. He’s feeling quite useless, compared to his heigh flying siblings.
Then with the knowledge of a covenant involving sheep being allowed to run throught the hotel he works at, he tries to bargain for a promotion.
He finds himself in Wales in order to negotiate with the owner of the covenant, and finds himself stuch with some stubborn, untrusting folk and a lot of sheep.
The whole story was highly entertaining, and there were some lovely emotional elements that made Gordon appear more human as the story progressed, and I was more than satisfied with the ending.
A little romance, a lot of self discovery and a shedload of sheep!

About The Author

Karen Storey is an award winning fiction writer and has been featured on the acclaimed book podcast, The Bestseller Experiment. As well as a novelist, she is a prolific short story writer. Her stories have been published in various anthologies and placed in several international competitions. Her memoir pieces have also been published within the New York Times bestselling book series, Chicken Soup for the Soul.

Originally from New York City, Karen lives in Warwickshire, England and has written articles for American in Britain magazine. She lives with her husband, whose surname Storey was the perfect wedding gift. They share their home with a snarky cat who writes Karen’s monthly author newsletters and a crazy little Bichon Frise dog who barks at his own reflection. You can visit her website and subscribe to her newsletter at http://www.karenstoreyauthor.com

The Approval of Sheep is Karen’s first novel.

Social Media Links –

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

Threads karenstoreyauthor https://www.threads.net/@karenstoreyauthor

X StoreytellerK https://twitter.com/StoreytellerK

Facebook Karen Storey https://www.facebook.com/karen.okeefe.773

Blue Sky karenstoreyauthor https://bsky.app/profile/karenstoreyauthor.bsky.social

Giveaway To Win a signed copy of The Approval of Sheep and a luxury Welsh chocolate bar featuring a sheep by the award winning Welsh chocolatier, Sarah Bunton. (Open to UK Only)

*Terms and Conditions –UK entries welcome. Please enter using the Gleam box below. The winner will be selected at random via Gleam 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.

https://gleam.io/31Hye/win-a-signed-copy-of-the-approval-of-sheep-a-welsh-chocolate-bar-featuring-a-sheep-by-the-award-winning-welsh-chocolatier-sarah-bunton-open-to-uk-only

Karen Storey is also running more giveaways over on her Instagram / Newsletter – take a look here for more details – https://www.instagram.com/reel/DMrpDcusjRN/

The Old Gal’s Bucket List by Karen King #BookTour #Blog Tour @karen_king @rararesources @BoldwoodBooks

16 Oct 2025 2 Comments

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

Another wonderful blog tour stop this time for Karen King and her fab book, The Old Gals Bucket List.

The Blurb

‘It’s time to really live our lives!’

It’s been eight months since Sandra lost her beloved husband, and she knows something has to change. Her son wants her to sell up her home and move into a retirement apartment, close to him. But she doesn’t feel ready for that yet.

Then she bumps into her old friend Patti, heading off to get her first tattoo. Patti explains she’s beaten cancer and now she’s ready to make every second count… And – sitting down for a cuppa and a slice of cake – the women land on the perfect idea – a bucket list!

As they set out to fulfil dreams, overcome fears, and have the adventure of their lives, their lives intertwine with others who feel the same, including Mary and her anxious husband…

If anyone can help them live their best lives… it’s the old gals!

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

My Review

The Old Gals’ Bucket List by Karen King
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I do love a story centred around characters of a certain age, and this was a perfect pick-me-up, A reminder that just because you are a bit older, it doesn’t mean you can’t keep on learning and experiencing new things in life.
Sandra is widowed and struggling to get the confidence to live without her beloved husband Brian. Her son wants her to up sticks and move closer to where he will be living with his family, as they are also moving.
A chance meeting with an old colleague and friend, Patti, who is also alone now and a cancer survivor, kick-starts a life-changing set of decisions that helps both women begin to live again.
They create their own bucket lists, including learning new things and defeating lifelong fears, and with the help of Patti’s granddaughter, they start an Instagram account following the Old Gals and their Bucket List quest.
I loved this. The idea of a bucket list has always intrigued me, but I haven’t ever created one myself. I think I may have to, now, after reading this!
There is so much to revel in from rekindling old friendships to igniting other sparks, as well as a good old-fashioned adventure.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an ARC.

About The Author

Karen King writes psychological suspense and women’s fiction and is celebrating her fortieth year of publication. She is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, the Society of Authors, the Crime Writers’ Association and the Society of Women Writers and Journalists.

Social Media Links

Facebook: @KarenKingAuthor

Twitter: @karen_king

Instagram: @karenkingauthor

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

Bookbub profile: @KarenKing

The Pumpkin Pact by @CharlieADean @rararesources #BlogTour #Book Tour

29 Sep 2025 4 Comments

by Ritu in Reviews Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blog Tour, Blogger, Blogging, Book Review, Book Tour, Charlie Dean, Rachel's Random Resources

I am thrilled to be on the Blog Tour for the fab Charlie Dean! Check out this gorgeous cover for The Pumpkin Pact.

The Blurb

Welcome to The Pumpkin Patch at Pickle Grove.

Andi is worried that her relationship with Drew has become dull and boring. They never do anything exciting these days, in or out of the bedroom. So when a swoon-worthy stranger appears, she is instantly swept off her feet.

When they unexpectedly meet again, they realise they have more in common than they thought possible so draw up a pact to spice up their lives! The plan they conjure up while working together at The Pumpkin Patch, to make their partners jealous, brings them closer than ever.

Andi plucks up the courage to finish with Drew but there are no signs of Andrew doing the same and she thinks she’s lost him forever.

With meddling exes, misunderstandings and miscommunication getting in the way, can The Pumpkin Pact bring them back together?

Purchase Link – https://amzn.eu/d/iAh5Mtx

My Review

The Pumpkin Pact by Charlie Dean
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Aw! What a lovely Autumnal read!
If you want something to give you the warm and fuzzies as the nights begin to draw in, and the chill is starting to make itself known, this is the one, with a teeny bit of spice to add to the warmth!
Andi is stuck in a relationship with Drew that she is not sure of, but she knows no better. She meets Andrew by chance and there is a spark but there’s nothing she can do…
Or is there?
Plenty of well-meaning and loving characters who are all cheering Andi on to make the right decision, but there are also lots of blockades in the way.
And then there is Pumpkin. I love Pumpkin! He’s Andi’s gorgeous husky dog who appears to be a brilliant judge of character!

About the Author

Follow Charlie Dean on Twitter – https://twitter.com/CharlieADean