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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

Love, Lies and Family Ties by Florence Keeling #BookTour #Blog Tour @rararesources @KeelingFlorence

21 Sep 2025 Leave a comment

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

I am excited to be on the blog tour for Florence Keeling’s new novel, Love, Lies and Family Ties!

And I love to be able to support authors whom I have met with and interact with regularly. I was lucky enough to meet Florence at the MeetCute Festival in June!

The Blurb

A heartwarming, feel good romantic comedy. ‘I absolutely adored this book. It gave me all the feels! A charming read full of warmth and heart.’ ***** Kim the Bookworm

Bea Winters is in desperate need of a fresh start. Being bullied at work is not her idea of fun and she longs to follow her dream of becoming a published author. When an advert appears in her local paper to work in a publishing house in the sleepy village of Bloomsdale, it sounds too good to be true.
She strikes up an instant friendship with gorgeous aspiring author, Eddie Richards and her dashing millionaire boss Scott Summers. But all isn’t as it seems in the sleepy village of Bloomsdale.
How does the local clairvoyant know her name? Who does the little black dog that keeps appearing belong to and why does she keep bumping into the mysterious Charlie?
As she starts to unravel the truth, it seems that everyone in Bea’s life is keeping secrets.
An uplifting romantic comedy that will warm your heart – perfect for fans of Cathy Bramley, Milly Johnson and Carole Matthews.

My Review

Love, Lies and Family Ties by Florence Keeling
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story. In fact, I spent the day lying on the sofa, lapping it up!
Bea is in a bit of a rut. She is in a job where progression doesn’t appear to be a possibility, and her home life isn’t much to write home about. Her dream of becoming an author looks destined to stay just that.
A chance opportunity prompts her to uproot from the Midlands and resettle in Yorkshire, where she ends up working for a publisher and living on a boat.
Bea meets many people who have interesting connections to one another, and although she is still not in her ideal situation, she finds inspiration and writes.
I don’t want to give lots away, but it’s safe to say that there are so many secrets and subtle lies that tie her to a place she had never really known existed before coming to live there.
And there is someone for her, there, but who is it, exactly?
I love that Bea’s past creeps up on her and how the twists and turns slowly reveal themselves, making for a fantastic read!

Purchase Link – https://amzn.eu/d/40GUHk8

About the Author

I was born in Coventry but now live in Nuneaton. I married the love of my life over 20 years ago and we have two almost grown up children. We share our lives with two mad dogs as well.

Writing is a great passion of mine, that one day I hope to be able to turn into a career but until that day comes, I will continue working in accounts and payroll.

Social Media Links – @KeelingFlorence

Tweets by KeelingFlorence

The Irish Midwife by Seána Tinley #BookTour #Blog Tour @rararesources @CatherineTinley #Hodder&Stoughton

10 Sep 2025 2 Comments

by Ritu in Reviews Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blog Tour, Blogger, Blogging, Book Tour, Rachel's Random Resources, Seána Tinley, The Irish Midwife

I am thrilled to be able to shout out about this book today, written by the incredibly talented and wonderful Seána Tinley, also the Chair of the Romantic Novelists Association! It is The Irish Midwife, and the first in a new series. I was lucky enough to get a copy, which the lovely Seána signed for me at the recent RNA Summer Fling Event in Birmingham!

The Blurb

Can she finally put herself first, in order to find love?

Peggy Cassidy is a milly, working in the Belfast linen mills to just about get by. But Peggy also has another job – a secret one. She works as a handywoman – an illegal midwife, tending to the women of her community in their time of need.

When Peggy is offered the chance to leave Belfast to receive formal midwifery training in Dublin, it sets off a chain of events that will change her life forever.

But amongst her middle-class colleagues, Peggy must keep the truth about her past secret at all times. If the realities of her life in Belfast are revealed, she could lose everything she has worked for.

And when she meets a well-to-do doctor down in Dublin, she must make a decision: should she protect her family and her history? Or can she let herself fall in love?

The first book in a heartwarming new historical romance series, for fans of Dilly Court, Anna Jacobs, Rosie Goodwin and Call the Midwife.

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

My Review

The Irish Midwife by Seána Tinley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have always loved stories from the war years and thereabouts, so this was a no-brainer read for me.
I’ve never visited Ireland before, but I feel an affinity for it. I think many Indians do, as the Irish have many similarities to us in so many ways… plus, my uncle, who is a doctor, lives in Belfast. But I digress… on with the review!
Peggy is a young woman training to be a handywoman under the guidance of her very experienced aunt. Unfortunately, being a handywoman, which is akin to being an unqualified midwife, and much more, is illegal. Through a tragic twist of fate, Peggy’s aunt passes away, leaving her with a small inheritance. Her aunt’s wish is that she uses the funds to train as a proper midwife.
Peggy is from what many may call the wrong side of just about everything: a working-class family, known as a milly, as she works part-time in the mills, living in a small two-up, two-down with her large family, including her Catholic faith, and as a trainee handywoman.
But she finds herself at the prestigious Rotunda in Dublin to complete that training, and finds herself face to face with a handsome trainee doctor, who seems to have a hand in a tragic part of her past.
Dan Sheridan, or Daniel as his mother insists on calling him, is determined to do good as a medical man, like his own father, yet cannot get the midwifery student, Peggy, out of his head.
The details of childbirth, complications and celebrations, were so real, and sensitively written, and the settings were described with a depth that I could immerse myself completely in the story.
Both the main characters, Peggy and Dan, as well as the others, were written to perfection, giving the reader a genuine sense of emotion as they read the story, willing it to go one way and getting emotional when it doesn’t quite unfold as planned.
A beautifully written story, and I cannot wait to read the next one!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an ARC.

About The Author

Seána Tinley is an Irish author of saga historical romance. She also writes regency romance as Catherine Tinley.

After a career encompassing speech and language therapy, Sure Start, being president of a charity, and managing a maternity service, she now works as NI Country Director for a leading UK charity.

Seána was appointed as chair of the Romantic Novelists’ Association in August 2024.

Social Media Links – https://lnk.bio/seanatinley

The Word Is Love by Florence Keeling #BookTour #Blog Tour @rararesources @KeelingFlorence

08 Sep 2025 2 Comments

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

I am excited to be on the blog tour for Florence Keeling’s rebooted The Word Is Love!

The Blurb

Lucky in life but unlucky in love, Lucy Greenfield owns a successful carriage business along with her best friend Max, and they have never been busier since their shire horses gained fame from their roles in the hit movie A Little in Love.

Too busy for romance, Lucy is surprisingly swept off her feet when Spencer arrives seeking help with his horse, and something more from Lucy. As quickly as Lucy falls, she wonders if all is not as it seems. Max can prove it, but that means he will have to express his true feelings for Lucy.

Relationships are strained as secrets unravel, and Lucy needs to solve the riddle of words to best describe how she feels… For her best friend.

Together, they must overcome what’s keeping them apart before it’s too late, if they are going to realise that the word they are searching for is love.

Purchase Links

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FH2J3M55

My Review

The Word Is Love by Florence Keeling
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Oh, I loved this book! The word definitely is LOVE!
I was excited to travel back to Weddington to read more about Lucy and her horses and, of course, about how love falls into her life.
There were a great number of twists to the plot, but all helped it make it a book I didn’t want to put down!
Lucy and Max have pretty much grown up together, working in Lucy’s family business after her father passed away.
He’s that older brother figure…
And you have Lucy’s mum who wants her girl to settle down with the right kind of monied chap who will ensure her girl won’t ever want for anything.
Put it this way, you sure have to kiss or date a few frogs before finding your Prince Charming, and Lucy managed to find a real toad!
It was a great read, and I’d love to know if there is more coming from the Weddington Crew!

About the Author

I was born in Coventry but now live in Nuneaton. I married the love of my life over 20 years ago and we have two almost grown up children. We share our lives with two mad dogs as well.

Writing is a great passion of mine, that one day I hope to be able to turn into a career but until that day comes, I will continue working in accounts and payroll.

Social Media Links – @KeelingFlorence

Tweets by KeelingFlorence