But I Smile Anyway…

The first month of the year has flown by, hasn’t it? I cannot believe we are in 2024, now!

I started the year with a few ARC requests that I was waiting on, one sitting waiting to be read, and one I hadn’t quite finished last year… I end the month with a few more.

I also promised myself that I would prioritize my writing over reading.

Don’t worry – that doesn’t mean I am going to stop reading! I couldn’t exist without the wonderful worlds created by other authors. It’s just that last year was such a crazy time in my life that my own writing took a real hit.

So, I am still reading ARCS and my other books, obviously, but I will be getting through them a little slower. My Goodreads goal is at 52, and if I go over, all well and good, but I won’t beat myself up if I don’t.

Point in case – 7 this month, but also almost 30K written by me, too, so I’d count that as a WIN!

The Dubrovnik Book Club: Escape to Croatia and join a new book club with friends, favourite reads and a mystery to unravel in 2024… by Eva Glyn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A wonderfully told story set in the city of Dubrovnik. Claire has come to live with her grandparents after suffering the aftereffects of Long Covid for far too long. Here, she has a job to manage a small bookstore with one employee, Luna.
They host a book club, and strong friendships are forged through this meeting. Karmela, a professor, is a reluctant member. Vedran, Claire’s cousin, is another person who is only there to support his cousin and would much rather be back in his apartment alone.
Each of these four characters has a history they are either trying to escape or a secret they need to be able to open up about. Through the book club, the characters become closer, but not without their own ups and downs, and help one another to come to terms with their lives.
So many heartrending issues are touched upon within this book: loss, grief, being unable to be yourself, LGBTQ and religion, and all handled with sensitivity.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the whole story, as well as learning more about a beautifully historic place: Dubrovnik.
It was part of a series, but I didn’t need to read the first at all, so it was a great stand-alone.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter for an ARC.

Releasing 8th March, 2024

The Curious Secrets of Yesterday by Namrata Patel
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Tulsi Gupta is training to take over the mantle from her grandmother in their family trade. The Gupta women are spice healers, using Ayurveda to suggest blends of spices to customers to ease aches and pains and ailments and to give them a chance to better their health and well-being.
They also operate their small one-shop business, Rasa, in Salem, a town known for witchcraft.
The thing is, Aruna Ba, and Devi, Tulsi’s mother, feel the spice healing running through their blood. Tulsi? Not so much. She’s never known anything other than working alongside her tiny family but has resisted the final test her grandmother wants her to take, which would show she is ready to be an official spice healer.
Keeping their centuries-old skills and knowledge to themselves, they advise those who come in. It’s a small business with a true personal touch.
Then social media happens. An influencer happens upon their store, and despite them asking her not to publicise their business, things snowball to uncontrollable levels.
Every family has secrets, and the Gupta women are no different. As Tulsi uncovers different snippets of her family history she had no idea about, she begins to dig deeper.
Meanwhile, in her personal life, Tulsi has her own worries. She wants to get away, whereas her grandmother is eager for her to find love so she can birth the next generation of spice-healing Gupta women. And there is someone, Lucay, but she’s not convinced she should get involved with anyone else, especially given the ‘curse’ on the women of her family.
I don’t want to say more about the story, as you should read it for yourself, but something that hit home greatly was how cultural appropriation could warp the simplest, most innocent traditions that people in different parts of the world have been practising for generations.
This was a thoroughly enjoyable read, filled with cultural snippets I could identify with, and the power of belief, friendship, family, and social media are all explored in a sensitive manner.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an ARC.

Releasing 11th June, 2024

Island in the Sun by Katie Fforde
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have always enjoyed Fforde’s writing, and Island in the Sun was no different.
A young woman with a passion and talent that she is unable to publicise to her family ends up in a situation where her talent is what can save a situation.
Cass visits her father on the remote Scottish Isle where he lives. While there, he requests that she complete a special photography mission for her on the island of Dominica.
She ends up travelling there with Ranaulph, a friend of her father’s. Though he is a bit older than her, she feels a connection.
While over there, they encounter disaster, which overshadows her reason for going there, and in the end, she uses her hidden talent to save the day.
She meets some interesting characters along the way, some of whom impact her life for good.
I’m not going to recount the story here, for it doesn’t end there. Plenty happens to keep a reader captivated. Will she find love? Will she be able to admit to her passion?
The descriptions of the beautiful island made me want to visit straight away, despite the hurricanes that can hit!
Another captivating Katie Fforde story, and made all the more interesting knowing her connection to Dominica.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK for an ARC.

Releasing 15th February, 2024

Nuclear Family by Kate Davies
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Nuclear Family is a very different story to In At The Deep End, the debut by Kate Davies.
Where there was a bit of a steamy shock factor in the first, this was something family-based but just as interesting.
A Christmas present in the form of a DNA test from Lena, one of a twin, to her father causes the beginning of a ripple effect of occurrences, as Tom is forced to admit he is not the genetic father to her and her sister, Alison. They were conceived using donor sperm.
Both girls are in very different situations as it is. Lena is married, as is Alison, but Alison and her wife are trying for a baby using donor sperm. The news sends them in very different directions. Alison is not interested in her genealogy, but Lena can’t help herself. After taking the DNA test herself, she discovers a half-sibling and then becomes obsessed with finding him.
I really enjoyed the story told from all three perspectives: Tom, Lena and Alison.
There were many questions that came to the surface regarding the ethics of egg and sperm donation and how both the donor and the children that result from it might feel.
A great read that had a good ending.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for an ARC.

Releasing 15th February, 2024

Invitation to Italy by Victoria Springfield
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I do love to travel. But life means I don’t get the chance to go to all the places I’d love to visit. Thank goodness for books, eh? Stories set in other far-flung places and ones closer to home but still unvisited mean I get to expand my travel horizons a bit further, and to find another author with the ability to transport me is always a blessing.
This was my first Victoria Springfield book; I can safely say it will not be the last.
Abi is a single mum, aching from the break-up of her marriage, even though it was five years ago. Her ex, Alex, is firmly ensconced in a relationship with Marina, the woman he left her for, and they have what Abi considers to be their longed-for second child, Elsa, without her as the mother. She finds herself distraught at the thought of her daughter, Chloe, going on holiday for the whole summer to visit Marina’s family on Procida, a small island off the coast of Italy.
A bit of lateral thinking from Abi’s best friend, Cherry, and soon Abi finds herself on a flight to Procida to see how her daughter is. She stays at the stunning Hotel Paradiso, ably run by sixty-something Loretta.
What I loved about this book was that several stories ran parallel. We have the POVs of characters other than Abi, including Loretta, who has secrets and barriers to overcome, and Flavia, Marina’s mother, who provides the backstory for another tale of heartache.
The descriptions of the different parts of Procida and the surrounding areas were worded in a way I could just see myself standing there, viewing the pastel-coloured buildings and the dark volcanic sand.
There is subtle romance that kicks in, as the story flows, for more than one person, as well as seeing the development of relationships between mothers and their children. A delightful read that has made me want to visit Italy and its hidden delights even more!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Orion Publishing for an ARC.

Releasing 14th March, 2024

Seven Summers by Paige Toon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Okay, so after reading this, I am almost ashamed to admit that I haven’t read any Paige Toon books before. There is no specific reason, other than I have had so many others to read, that I haven’t got round to reading them.
However, and it’s a big however, I shall be hunting down her back catalogue after reading Seven Summers.
Talk about an author putting you through the rinse cycle about a MILLION times!
The story centres around Liv, a young woman living in St Agnes, Cornwall. She has come back after her studies, fully ready to embrace the life of a hopefully full-time sculptor.
She meets Finn, an acquaintance from secondary school, and they hit it off. Thing is, they want very different things from life, and though they are perfect for one another, there are many reasons why they can’t be in the same place all the time.
Both characters have tragedy etched in their souls that they support one another with, but equally, both have responsibilities and dreams that tear them apart.
Over six years, they are drawn together like magnets each summer, then pulled apart.
Except on the seventh, when Liv meets a stranger, Tom, who looks set to break this cycle of not quite toxic but unhealthy and unmanageable emotion.
I really don’t want to reiterate the story in this review, but I will say that I highly recommend reading this book.
Yes, there is loss, and yes, there are struggles, but there is genuine happiness and love, too.
Be ready to have your heart quivering with anticipation as it sings, then cries with heartbreak, only to rise again before a fall and then come full circle again to happiness.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House, UK, for an ARC.

Releasing 28th March, 2024

At the Stroke of Midnight by Jenni Keer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another amazingly told story by Jenni Keer is about a young woman swept up in a web of secrets spun by her father and others.
Set in the 1920s, we meet Pearl Glenham, a simple woman who asks for nothing. She and her father are invited to a dinner party somewhere she has never heard of- apparently, neither has her father.
Things start to become strange after they arrive, and she suspects she is not being told the truth. Then, a chance accident leads to her reliving the same 24 hours again and again as she tries her hardest to work out what is really going on.
An intriguing cast of characters, and an amazing storyline. I was hooked!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an ARC.

Releasing 12th March, 2024

So, tell me what you have been reading, and what caught your eye from the above!

2023… I read many, many books, which were wonderful, but I am glad to see the end of you, as a year. It’s not been my best… Goodreads I completed 157 books this year, and that isn’t counting some I proof read or read as an alpha reader! When they send me my update, I’ll be sure to share!

I’m starting the month with no arcs… You know it won’t last. It never does! (Okay, so there were at least 7 by the end of the month that were arcs!)

Small Hours by Bobby Palmer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Isaac and the Egg was a brilliant read, making me eager to get into this second novel by Bobby Palmer.
Jack is a man who thinks he’s got everything he wants in life until he doesn’t. His job suddenly disappears, and then he gets a call to scare him. His mother has disappeared.
Somewhere along the way, he saves a fox, who ends up following him as he goes to help his sister in finding his mother. Once home it becomes apparent how distant his relationship with his father has become.
I don’t want to go into it too much, but just, WOW!
A delicate, unique way of detailing the complex relationship of a father and son, with the added bonus of a talking fox!
Palmer has an intriguing writing style, and the book’s different voices are highlighted in different ways through the prose format.
It may not be for everyone, but if it is for you, it is guaranteed to be a hit!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Headline for an ARC.

Releasing 14th March, 2024

The Lifeline by Tom Ellen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Oh my goodness, I LOVED this book so much!
The scene is set five years ago with a young journalist and the lead singer of an up-and-coming band meeting at an interview and hitting it off in multiple ways.
Fast forward to the present.
Annie is stuck in a mediocre job for an online website, writing content that is nothing groundbreaking. Then her boss throws her a lifeline, but it means interviewing someone she really doesn’t want to.
Will is in a dead-end job, barely existing, and he spends his spare time helping out on an anonymous crisis line. This wasn’t the life he dreamed of.
Through twists of fate, Annie and Will end up on the phone, unidentified, and they develop a strong bond despite not knowing anything about one another.
But fate has other ideas…
I was gripped through the whole story and whizzed through it in a day. As a reader, you know what you want to happen, but you have to see the grizzly bits through first until fate finally delivers!
Many thanks to NetGalley and HQ for an ARC.

Releasing 29th February, 2024

Mrs. Quinn’s Rise to Fame by Olivia Ford
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What a beautiful book!
I love GBBO as much as anyone else, and preparing to read a story based on a similar programme excited me. But the biggest pull was that the main character was a woman in her senior years.
Jenny Quinn is seventy-seven years old. She doesn’t feel like she has achieved much in her life, apart from being a brilliant baker, her husband of fifty-nine years, Bernard, would agree. As would her neighbours and family, who are treated to her baking delights regularly.
She watches Britan Bakes regularly, and this year, something prompted her to apply. She is probably the most shocked when she is invited to an audition. Keeping that a secret is one of the hardest things for her, as she hides nothing from Bernard.
Well, almost nothing. There is one more secret. Something huge that eats away at Jenny. It is revealed in short bursts through the story, as we see Jenny’s journey through the contest, how she has to deal with modern life alongside her traditional way of baking and living, and how she interacts with the different people she meets along the way.
I don’t quite know how to praise this book as much as I want to. I loved it. Jenny is a beautiful character, as is Bernard. I already recommended this one to my mum!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House, for an ARC.

Releasing 28th March, 2024

Starting Over by Kay Bratt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

With this eighth instalment in the Hart’s Ridge series, Kay Bratt has done it again!
We have each family member beginning to move forward in their disrupted lives, and of course, there is an awful case that Taylor has to help solve, too.
Initially, this was meant to be the last in the series, but I am thankful that Bratt has decided to continue for now with another story in the series, and now I can’t wait for that, too!

Hunter’s Christmas and Other Stories.: A gripping collection of short stories especially for crime fiction readers. by Val Penny
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I’ve not read Val Penny’s books as yet, but I was sent this collection, and I must say that this collection of stories has whetted my appetite for the different series Penny writes.
Each of the stories hook you in. Some are slightly longer, involving two of Penny’s famous DIs, and some are shorter, but each story is captivating, and I thoroughly enjoyed each one!
It has made me want to add the rest of Penny’s books to my neverending TPR pile!

Out 16th January, 2024. Bettina will be joining me for a Book and a Brew in January, so I will share my review then!

The Household by Stacey Halls
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Having read The Familiars, I was intrigued to read another of Stacey Halls’s historical books, and The Household did not disappoint.
With a base planted in truth, Halls adds a layer of imagination to the story of Charles Dickens’ home for fallen women, Urania Cottage, backed by Miss Burdett-Coutts and some of its earliest (fictitious) residents.
In the 1800s, Dickens had the idea of creating this refuge or home to rehabilitate those known as fallen women, teaching them household jobs and skills, with a view to transporting them to Australia to start new lives.
In reality, he had much to do with choosing the women granted access to this opportunity. In the book, we don’t see much of Dickens. The story revolves around the girls who are the first residents and their backstories, as well as the horrific stalking that Angela Burdett-Coutts experienced for a length of time.
The historical aspect of the story, peppered with facts but liberally seasoned with fiction leaves readers with a wonderful reading experience.
And a mention of Gravesend (my home for 20 years!) at the end made my day!
Many thanks to Netgalley and Bonnier Books for an ARC.

Releasing 11th April, 2024

Christmas at the Keanu Kindness Café by Isabella May
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Evie meets Joe while she is dressed as the Sugarplum Fairy and he the Nutcracker. Sounds like it was meant to be from the off… however, if that were that, we would be finished within the first couple of chapters.
No. Evie is not feeling things at work as an editor or in her personal life. The chance meeting with the fancy-dressed Joe sparks a moment of reprieve until he disappears.
Disheartened, she takes extended leave from her job and disappears to Glastonbury, recommended by a work colleague, Milly.
There, she meets a host of intriguing characters who take an interest in her life, and she is led to the Keanu Kindness Cafe. I LOVED this concept. Keanu Reeves is one of the most amazing souls out there, and to have a cafe dedicated to him and his philanthropic work was an idea of genius, as was the RAOK jar!
Oh, and Joe? He turns up, too! What a coincidence! There is a brilliant ‘will they/won’t they?’ aspect of the story as it builds, and faces Evie would rather not see turn up, too.
Great fun, and a wonderful way to get into the Christmas Spirit!

Very Very Lucky by Amanda Prowse
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another beautiful story written by the queen of women’s fiction, Amanda Prowse!
This story follows the lives of two individuals, with no real connection, from different walks of life, who somehow meet and enrich the life of the other.
Emma is drowning in responsibility, with three children, each with different needs and demands, a husband who does try to help, a best friend with a bombshell of her own, and an ailing mother who requires her support, all while grieving her father.
Thurston is an octagenarian, recently bereaved, losing his beloved wife of sixty-two years. He feels life is not worth living without his precious wife.
A chance meeting sparks the beginning of an unconventional friendship, where they slowly change each other’s thinking.
I loved the main characters Prowse created here. Both are relatable to readers. Emma, the rushed off her feel mother, with so much going on, hit a nerve with me. Thurston is the nail on the head as that man who devoted his life to a woman and feels lost without her beside him. The cast of side characters was brilliant, too, from Roz, Emma’s best friend, to Nancy, Thursston’s niece and the piece in the puzzle that initially connects the two.
Grief is the story’s main theme, and how we can overcome it without forgetting.
A beautiful read, as always.

Releasing 7th January 2024

The Love Interest by Victoria Walters
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the first of Victoria Walter’s books I have read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Firstly, I love a book set in the book world (A library), with literature and writing at the heart, as well as romantic films!
Liv is working in her dream place, in a university library, with a colleague turned best friend, Stevie, living with her brother Dan, in London. Her dream of writing a romantic book floats in her mind, but she feels it will never happen, seeing as she can’t even sort her love life out.
Enter her brother’s best friend, Aiden. Annoying, and her nemesis for the last ten years. She suddenly finds herself living with and working with him as he changes jobs and needs a place to stay,
But, the thing is, they have history. A past event which haunts her, and an annoyingly sexy Irish accent to go with his annoyingly Mr Darcy-esque looks…
As Liv battles to control her emotions, inspiration strikes and she begins writing her first ever romantic novel, with, annoyingly, Aiden as the base for her romantic lead. And as she writes, life begins to imitate her art, or is it the other way round?
This was a fun, easy read, I loved Liv and her fantastic dress sense! Her confusion at her feelings makes for a great story, and Aiden reads like the perfect romantic hero. A great enemies-to-lovers story with a little bit of a spice alert, too!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an ARC.

Releasing 12th February, 2024

Courier by Zoe Rosi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed Zoe Rosi’s thrillers so far, and Courier was no different, but unique in its way.
Bob is a courier who becomes infatuated with the haunted-looking face of a woman in a house where he makes deliveries. His infatuation leads him to become much more involved in her life than he should, as he begins to dream of a future and becoming her saviour. Something quite easy for a faceless delivery man who no one takes notice of.
Courier is a novella written in the first person, filled with twists and turns that keep a reader involved in the story from beginning to end. I have to say I felt quite sorry for Bob and his life, though I wouldn’t recommend the route he decides to take!
A well-written story about stalking and obsession and consequences.
I will definitely be paying more attention to our couriers in the future, that’s for sure!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Lighthouse Press for an ARC.

Releasing 30th January, 2024

So, tell me what you have been reading, and what caught your eye from the above!

Can you believe we are one month away from another year?

Okay, so I got through all the arcs I had been sent by November 5th… Will I have managed to not say yes to anymore? Will that TBR pile get any smaller? BEcause I need to be writing my own book, too!

Christmas Hearts by Tammy L. Grace
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a simple, sweet addition to the Soul Sisters collection, where we focus on Leslie and the rekindling of her romance with her ex-husband Eric.
It can’t be easy, living in the same small town and avoiding one another, but somehow she has managed for three years, then fate takes charge, and she ends up with a Christmas wish come true, as well as helping to make the wish of another a reality too.
Sweet story.

Released 17th November, 2023

Back to her future by Cary J. Hansson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

We are all flawed.
We, our parents, and our children will be too.
The thing is, some of our flaws will inevitably hurt those we love, even if that is not the desired effect.
Back To Her Future is a deep story of culture, identity and the need to conform.
Meryam is estranged from her whole family, yet on his deathbed, her father calls for her. He imparts a secret buried thirty-odd years previously that impacts everything Meryam’s adult life was built on.
I don’t want to go into detail. Still, the story deals with the sometimes stifling expectations of certain cultures, the necessity of conforming when moving to different countries, and the need to maintain one’s culture.
She’s been through hell as she grew up, but Meryam is unaware of certain reasons behind the decisions that shaped her future.
As she goes on a journey of discovery, she rekindles friendships lost many decades before and learns some upsetting truths.
Sensitively done.

Released 1st November, 2023

Sisterhood by Cathy Kelly
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another fantastic Cathy Kelly story.
Lou’s life turns upside down on her fiftieth birthday as her mother reveals a huge secret.
Together with her sister, Toni, Lou heads off in search of the truth, as well as to find herself and build an inner strength that she had lost.
There were plenty of twists within this tale, but the character development was fantastic. There could have been a simple HEA, but the way Kelly took the story meant the characters and we, the readers, must work for it.
Lou is there for everyone. She helps to keep her whole family on an been keel, from her husband to her mother, as well as being the organised brain behind the company she works for.
Tori is that confident woman who appears to have it all.
Both sisters learn disturbing facts about their families and lives, which means they end up on a trip to Sicily to find out what the truth is.
Their mother, Lillian, is a nasty piece of work, though.
So many women out there end up like Lou, taken for granted. The ones who keep everyone else going, anticipating all needs, and dropping everything at the drop of a hat to make life easier for others. I love that this ends with Lou finding herself and realising she can still be there for others without losing herself.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for an ARC.

Releasing 15th February, 2024

The Eternal Bachelor: The perfect friends to lovers romance to fall in love with by Lizzie Chantree
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have thoroughly enjoyed the Cherry Blossom Lane series and was eager for this third instalment, where the story develops between the third friend in the group, Demi, and the third of the brothers, Miles.
Right from the previous stories, I have wanted to shake Demi. Her relationship with her long-term boyfriend appears a bit toxic, and we see the extent through this book.
Miles’ unrequited love for his best friend, Demi, has been noted throughout the last two books, and his friends are aware, too. Pretty much everyone can see, apart from Demi.
It was great to see Demi’s character develop over this story, and we visibly see her backbone gaining strength as she navigates a breakup, leaving the one job she thought she would do forever and begins to understand the feelings of her best friend and the fact that she may just feel the same way.
Miles is a great character. He’s been touted as the playboy kind, but he has a heart of gold.
The best thing about a series is that you get to revisit some of the characters from past stories, and though this can be read as a stand-alone, it’s always great to find out what is going on with other favourites!
Exactly the HEA we all want, with a few spanners thrown in, because it can’t be that easy, can it? I don’t know if there is scope for any more books in this series, but there are a few side characters who deserve a happy ending, too! (Hit hint, Lizzie Chantree!)

The Single Mums’ Book Club by Victoria Cooke
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A lovely, easy read about a single mum who finds herself lost in this new world of not being a traditional family unit.
Having lost contact with the ‘friends’ she had with her ex-husband, Steph is struggling.
A chance encounter with a neighbour she barely passes time with starts a chain of events that lead to them starting their own little book club, which, over the story increases in size as they find more and more women whom it will help.
Along the way, Steph finds herself and a new love interest, too!
I enjoyed reading this. It cheered me up no end.

Stand Up Guy: The most uplifting romance you’ll read this year by Nina Kaye
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Nina will be on a blog tour stop in January when I will share my review, and possibly a Book & A Brew, too!

Releasing 18th January, 2024

A-Z of Warwick: Places-People-History by S. C. Skillman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A-Z of Warwick: Places-People-History is a fascinating alphabetical collection of facts about Warwick.
I have always enjoyed SCSkillman’s Warwick-related books as I grew up not far from there, and many places she mentions are places I have visited.
It is an interesting read, where we learn many facts about the important people of Warwick, little tidbits of information about historical aspects and some wonderful stories about key locations.
I always enjoy reading about Warwick Castle as we visited there many times as a family.
It’s an interesting read with plenty to enchant you!
https://www.amberley-books.com/az-of-warwick.html

Releasing 7th December, 2023

Blog Tour post will include the review in December.

Fairytale of New York by Zoë Folbigg
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Charlie Brown is an in-demand make-up artist with fantastic friends, a home of her own, Mabel the cat, and the perfect partner she is off to visit in New York right after her current job ends.
Only, when she gets there, do things start to go wrong.
Stranded in New York, Charlie ends up on a strange journey, meeting handsome strangers, discovering horrifying secrets, and leaving there even more confused than before.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story. I won’t say it was a light-hearted read, as there are some more delicate matters within, but it was a good read, and I have to say I loved Pete and his family.
Charlie’s support network in London and at home with her parents is awesome, and Mabel the cat is just wonderful.

Enemies to Lovers by Portia MacIntosh
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Enemies to Lovers gives the game away with the title from the off. Yes, this is a story, and the trope is exactly that. Enemies to Lovers.
Two people who have an age-old vendetta against one another, Lara and Sonny, work together as journalists in the same role, but for two separate magazines. There is plenty of one-upmanship going on all the time.
One such occurrence goes a step too far and their editors decide to send them off on a secret mission, where they will need to spend a lot of time together, which is not something either of them want to do.
The concept is there. It’s an easy read. They hate each other, then they fall in lust/love. With a job to complete on the side!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an ARC.

Releasing 4th January, 2023

Releasing 23rd January, 2024

Blog tour appearance in January will contain my review.

Wait for January when Jeevani is visiting my blog for a Book and a Brew. I’ll share my review, then!

Releasing 11th January, 2024

So, tell me what you have been reading, and what caught your eye from the above!

Yes, it is the end of October. Really? How did that happen?

So, somehow, the ARCS kept coming… However I did read a couple of books I already had, and at the last minute, I gave myself another series challenge! This time, it was Tammy L. Grace’s Sisters of the Heart series. She will be a guest on my Book & a Brew with Ritu series soon, so I dived into this wonderfully cosy series!

The Twat Files by Dawn French
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I had to giggle when I read the title of this book, and when I was offered a promotional copy. I jumped at the chance.
What a brilliant set of recollections by Dawn French, as well as a reminder that we all have our moments of tw@tiness!
Absolutely loved it and devoured it in a day!

Released 12th October, 2023

The Little Board Game Cafe by Jennifer Page
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When I think of board games, it is the traditional ones, like Snakes and Ladders and Monopoly, that come to mind. I forget about all the other types that many people obsess over…
What a delight of a book by Jennifer Page.
Emily, the MC, is trying to rebuild her life after losing her job and fiance within a few days of one another.
She’s always had a dream, a shared dream with her mother, of opening a cafe and serving customers delicious cakes and meals in a homely environment.
An opportunity arises, and she has the money, but she’s unsure if she can do this alone.
It’s amazing how you can build a community around yourself, even when you doubt yourself.
Emily has an extra supportive best friend, Kate, and her father, though he struggles with grief. Even though they are apart, her ex-fiance is still a support of some sort, and then you have caring, board-game-obsessed GP Ludek, who comes into her life in a very unorthodox way.
The cast of side characters is delightful, and the idea of a cafe with the delights of board games as an addition to having a sweet or savoury delight sounds amazing. I would visit!
A wonderful, feel-good read, and I can’t wait to read more from this author.

A Game of Deceit and Desire by Ruby Roe
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Well, my girl, Ruby Roe, has done it again, hasn’t she?
Another steamy sapphic addition to the girl games trilogy, and what a cracker!
Each book has focussed on a different character from the original group we were introduced to in book one, and this, the final instalment, allowed us into the lives of Remy and Bella, rivals in their field but with a history filled with love/hate experiences.
Of course, they need to solve/compete over something huge, and plenty of suspicion is being thrown around. There is also the HUGE steam factor running through the whole series. This time, we have a true slow-burn element that can get extremely hot as things begin to sizzle!
A great end to the series, and I love the hint of a new story that may just be coming out in the future…

Released 26th October, 2023

Releasing 20th November, 2023

Review to follow in Blog tour post near release day!

Love Letters on Hazel Lane by Jennifer Page
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Having recently read and thoroughly enjoyed Jennifer Page’s debut, I was excited to jump into Love Letters on Hazel Lane.
Jo finds it tough settling into a new area with no friends, a job she is not sure she enjoys, and a hidden passion for Scrabble that she feels no one will ever understand. She’s tentatively hopped on the dating app wheel, but that isn’t giving her many positive experiences.
Then she meets a new friend, Kate (who happens to be one of the side characters from the first book), who encourages her to take some chances and suddenly pushes her into directions she didn’t think she would ever take.
One minute, she feels unwanted and unloved, then things change, and she begins to look at life differently, with some interesting dates, and then the start of her association with the local Scrabble club. It is run by quirky local GP Ras, who happens to be one of her previous ‘disaster’ dates.
Jo’s organisational skills are not left unnoticed, and she finds herself in charge of arranging a Scrabble festival, as well as getting her own life into gear.
This time, the story still had all the cosy feels, with a will they/won’t they romance and being able to revisit some of the lovely characters from The Little Board Game Cafe. However, there was an added, more serious thread to it, exploring childhood bullying, merging into workplace bullying, toxic relationships, and coercive control.
Ultimately, the biggest bonus in this story was the theme of self-love, and the author has done very well.
Recommended read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for an ARC.

Releasing 4th January, 2024

The French Chateau Escape by Gillian Harvey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Gillian Harvey is fast becoming one of my must-read authors because her protagonists are always so relatable,
This time, we have Emma, a middle-aged woman, married to Mark, a man a little older than her. they take a step to change their lives by buying a chateau in France to ‘do up’, with the hope of creating business opportunities with a venue for weddings and events and living a more relaxed lifestyle once all the renovations are done.
However, it’s unlikely to ever be so easy, especially when there are renovations to do, little spare cash, an overenthusiastic husband with limited capabilities, the language barrier as well and trying to start a family.
An unfortunate accident leaves Mark unable to work on the property and feeling like they should just give up, and Emma goes from feeling despondent to turning around her way of thinking.
I like that this was not a ‘fluffy’ book. Harvey has dealt with real issues, here, from that feeling of insecurity when you move locations, all the anxieties about being somewhere where you don’t really understand anyone, learning to build your independence, the stresses these changes can put upon a marriage, as well as the threat of infertility as age creeps up on you.
I thoroughly enjoyed this read and loved the character development of Emma.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an ARC.

Releasing 8th November, 2023

The Old Ducks’ Hen Do: A BRAND NEW laugh-out-loud, feel good read from #1 bestselling author Maddie Please for 2023 by Maddie Please
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’ve not read the linked first book to this; however, it was easily read as a stand-alone.
Denny is hitting a certain age and is welcomed into her older stepsister Juliette’s group of Old Duck friends when a hen do is planned for her wedding.
The group of women end up in Mallorca, where Denny slowly learns to embrace her recent retirement and begins to think about whether she is happy alone or whether it would be good to meet someone to share her upcoming twilight years with.
It is a lovely read, where second-chance romances are discovered, and the author has rightly shown that you can have a good time at any age and dreams can come true!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an ARC.

Releasing 16th November, 2023

Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A simple tale of relationships and connections, all-encompassing building a love of books and reading.
Takako is a young woman floundering after discovering her boyfriend is marrying someone else.
She responds to a request from her uncle to come to his second-hand bookshop to stay and help out for a while as she gets to grips with her life again.
Translated fiction is always a chance you take. This was an interesting story, but I felt it was sometimes a little disjointed. Still, a short, entertaining read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Bonnier Books for an ARC.

Hello Goodbye by Kay Bratt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I’ll say it now, and I’ll repeat it. Kay Bratt, you might need to keep going with these wonderful Hart’s Ridge books. I fear eight won’t be enough!
We are back in Hart’s Ridge with our favourite Deputy, Taylor Grey, who is again embroiled in a dark investigation regarding a double murder.
As usual, plenty of things are going on in her personal life, too, which take up a lot of her headspace.
Newly engaged, she’s trying to support her fiance with some unexpected news and dealing with a much more personal investigation that, if solved, will make her future feel more secure.
The twists and turns throughout this story take your breath away, and Bratt’s story-telling is fantastic, as always.
I cannot wait to read the next (hopefully not the last) instalment when it is out!

Releasing 16th November, 2023

Greetings from Lavender Valley by Tammy L. Grace
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a stunning introduction to a new series by Tammy L. Grace, which I admit to downloading immediately after reading.
The book shares journal entries from a wonderful woman, Jewel, a foster mum with her husband, Clive.
Through her years of being there for different children, she also, alongside Clive, ran a dog and animal sanctuary, as well as a Lavender farm.
We are given a glimpse into her experiences with five specific young wards who stayed with them throughout a couple of decades, and we also learn a little about their lives after they leave the safety of Jewel’s care.
This lays a brilliant base for the journey the rest of the series will take us on as the five women come together, never having met one another as their times with Jewel never crossed.
I can’t wait to get into this series!

Pathway to Lavender Valley by Tammy L. Grace
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I am so glad I downloaded the rest of this series, knowing I would want to keep reading, after each instalment finishes.
After reading Jewel’s journal entries in the first book, I couldn’t wait to learn more about the five girls she had fostered long-term.
Harriet McKenzie, better known as Harry, has just retired after thirty years in the Salem Police Department. Her job has been all-consuming, leaving little to no time for a personal life. Her only comforts are Chief, the dog she inherited after her long-term police partner passed away, and the letters and phone calls from Jewel, her precious foster mother.
Fresh from packing away her desk, she is confronted with a letter containing news she never wanted to hear. Jewel was no more. But more than that, she left Harry as the executor of a slightly complex legacy. The hardest part was to contact four other women whom Jewel had fostered, whom Harry had never met, and to pack up her life in Salem and head back to her childhood home in Lavender Valley to try and complete Jewel’s other requests.
Certain jobs never leave you alone, and Policing is one of them. While there, she finds herself at the heart of a local investigation, helping the sheriff and community.
This was a moving story of a more mature woman coming to terms with some huge changes in her life and dealing with a loss greater than she could have expected. Along the way, she finds a tribe who could be her people and new friends, a renewed sense of belief in love and quite possibly a new vocation!
Wonderfully written with a rue moreish quality. So moreish that I am diving into the third right away!

Sanctuary at Lavender Valley by Tammy L. Grace
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Did I mention how much I am enjoying this series?
Tammy L. Grace has a beautiful way with words, and this little town she has created with such caring folk… well, I want to live there, too!
The next Sister of the Heart who we meet is Olivia. Foster parents Jewel and Chuck helped her navigate out of a tough childhood, which left her with scars, both internal and external.
Her love of animals is credited to the caring nature of Jewel who, along with her canine friend, Willow, helped Olivia to come out of the darkness.
When she arrives, Olivia is reeling from losing her son, Simon, and a divorce. She’s apprehensive but finds that she feels Jewel at every turn once she is at Lavender Valley Farm.
Restarting the animal rescue centre that Jewel and Chuck started when she was living with them is just the tonic for her, and getting to know her new ‘sister’, Harry, as well as her new neighbours and the local folk, especially Duke, the vet, helps to build Olivia’s self-esteem back up.
A beautifully crafted story, and I am about to dive into the next one right now!

Blossoms at Lavender Valley by Tammy L. Grace
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

You know when you’ve worked out the formula for a series of stories, and the familiarity of how things pan out feels comforting? That is how I feel with the Sisters of the Heart Series right now! Almost as comforting and soothing as the scent of lavender…
Book 4 concentrates on the third ‘sister’ story, Micki. She’s also floundering in life, and it seems like her foster mother, Jewel, even in death, knows exactly what her special girls need. When Micki was living at the farm, she was the one who helped Jewel and Chuck set up the lavender fields and more on top, so she was the perfect person to help get ready for the Lavender Festival.
Micki arrives to a heap of affection from her new ‘sisters’, Harry and Olivia, but has a few nasty surprises in the form of her estranged real sister.
All this, along with problems with her relationship with her daughter, Meg, cause heartache, but with the aid of her new ‘sisters’, as well as a newfound friend, Buck, Jewel’s attorney, and the serenity gained from working with the earth, again, prove to be the formula for a peaceful, fulfilled future.
Sometimes, you need happy endings. I love that each book dives into the separate sisters, giving us readers plenty to form our bonds with the characters and the development of relationships, proving that you can still find happiness, no matter your age.
Also, I still want to visit this make-believe place!
On to book 5!

Comfort in Lavender Valley by Tammy L. Grace
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I had thought this next book would have been about Georgia, the oldest of the Sisters of the Heart since Harry had been unable to find Lydia, but the epilogue in book 4 had me informed that the prodigal sister was on her way back.
And her story didn’t disappoint!
Lydia has been running away for most of her adult life. The brief five-year stint with Jewel in her teens was the best time in her life, but since then, even though she enjoyed many successes with her cooking and love of food, her experiences with men left a bad taste in her mouth.
When she arrives at Lavender Valley, she comes to fulfil the last wish of her beloved Jewel, intending on heading off, as soon as she is able, frightened of something catching up with her.
What she doesn’t expect is that feeling of home that engulfs her and how every person she encounters in the small town welcomes her with open arms.
Still, secrets that haunt don’t stay silent forever, and she has her fair share of drama that her new-found sisters and friends help her navigate. That chance of a future settled in one place becomes a distinct possibility.
This is another wonderful addition to the series, and I cannot wait to learn more about the final sister, Georgia, in the last book, which is loaded up and ready to read!

Reunion in Lavender Valley by Tammy L. Grace
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I feel rather sad now that I’ve read the last of the Sisters of the Heart books…
This last story focused on the oldest of the foster sisters, Georgia. She arrived late because of an injury sustained just as she was preparing to leave for Lavender Valley.
Another soul tormented by loss recently, Georgia arrives hoping that, like before, the farm and Jewel’s memories will help her.
And it does.
The lavender festival brings so much joy to everyone, and she even manages to meet someone she never thought she would see again. Someone with whom she could possibly enjoy the rest of her life.
Each story was so well rounded off within this book that readers were happy they all got the happiness they deserved.
And I must admit speaking to the Hubby about a dream of getting a dog one day…
Tammy L. Grace, I blame you!

No. 23 Burlington Square by Jenni Keer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I do love a bit of early 20th century-based fiction and this truly did the job!
Agnes Humphries is looking for a new lodger to fill the void after the sudden death of one of her long-standing paying guests, and she is stuck deciding between three candidates: Clara, her niece; Stephen, a respectable bank clerk; and Mercy, a young widow.
The book has a wonderful parallel timeline as we learn plenty about each of these prospective lodgers. The three stories intertwine beautifully, to bring more and more about the characters and the current lodgers in the house, as well as about Agnes, her past, and how she came to be alone in this large house in the middle of London.
I loved learning all the different stories, and absolutely loved the ending!
A great set of characters with plenty to hide, and a wonderful MC, Agnes, whose habit of speaking what she thinks all the time isn’t a bad thing at all!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an ARC.

Published 31st October, 2023

So, tell me what you have been reading, and what caught your eye from the above!

The first month of school! I had plenty to keep me busy, so what time did I have for reading?

Well, I can tell you honestly that I started the month with NO ARCS on my list! That is a little less pressure since it is the beginning of the school year.

By the end… There were a couple or more, but no pressure to read… though I did! And I created my own little Series reading challenge, too, which I completed before the 10th September! (Fiona Leitch will be a guest on Book & a Brew with Ritu, soon, too!

15 books read, as well as being unwell, and battling schoo stuff, too… not bad, eh!

The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

An engaging story about two people who end up sharing a bed in a flat at different times, but they somehow build a friendship through post-it note messages until, eventually, they meet.
I enjoyed this story,and it dealt with some important issues around emotional abuse within relationships, as well as giving people a chance.
How the two POVs were written helped mould the readers’ understanding of the two main characters.

The Cornish Wedding Murder: Book 1 by Fiona Leitch
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have wanted to read this series for a while and finally started book one, The Cornish Wedding Murder, yesterday.
And what can I say?
I LOVED it!
Jodie (Nosey) Parker is an ex-police officer. She moves back to her old home town in Cornwall with her daughter, Daisy, after one too many close calls working in the London Met makes her give up for her daughter’s sake.
A relatively unassuming, risk-free job as a caterer takes a turn for the murderous. Jodie cannot stop her instincts and get involved in the investigation, not least because she knows the people involved.
Jodie battles with herself internally, as she knows she shouldn’t be getting involved, and outwardly, with the Detective Inspector assigned to the case, who also happens to be rather handsome and insists upon coming to different conclusions from her.
I loved meeting all the different characters and look forward to learning more as I read the rest of the series. (Yes, I enjoyed it so much that I already downloaded the rest!)
This cozy mystery has twists and turns, humour and that dash of romance to keep readers hooked.
Roll on, book 2!

The Cornish Village Murder by Fiona Leitch
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I enjoyed the first book so much that I got straight on to the second and was glad I did.
Back in the world of Nosey Parker, aka Jodie, the ex-police officer turned caterer who can’t keep her nose out of local crimes and mysteries.
This time, as she innocently caters at a local event, she catches the eye of the celebrity guest at the (not) fete, artist Duncan Stovall.
But he is married. And his wife is there.
An altercation at the event, followed by the suspicious death of another of the event’s guests, means Jodie and her instincts are piqued.
She is joined by the crew we met in the first book, including her daughter, Daisy, and mother, as well as her best friend, Tony, and the rather dishy DCI, Nathan.
A whole host of will they/won’t they with more than one coupling and plenty of twists and turns as Jodie assists Nathan on another befuddling mystery.
I loved every minute of it, and I can’t wait to dive into the third one now!

The Perfect Cornish Murder by Fiona Leitch
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have loved the Nosey Parker Mystery series!
I read this in one day, on my birthday, and loved it!
We are with Jodie Parker, again, and this time, she ends up embroiled in an investigation on a movie set, where filming is taking place.
There are the twists of the actual mystery, as well as a romantic will-they/won’t-they situation, too.
Love, love love it!
I hopped straight onto Book 4!

A Cornish Christmas Murder by Fiona Leitch
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Well, I thoroughly enjoyed that festive addition to the Nosey Parker series!
Jodie Parker is off to cater a special Christmas party for some children at a fancy stately home. A perfectly innocent event. There should be nothing untoward happening. She goes with her mother, daughter and friend, who have been roped in to help.
The weather takes a turn for the wintery worst, and they have to stay over, along with others who are stuck.
A little inconvenient, but nothing too bad.
Until they wake in the morning and find one of the guests dead… in a rather compromising situation.
It’s winter. They are snowed in. The Police are having trouble getting there. Who else will step in and begin investigations, though she really ought not to get involved?
Well, you know who it will be. Our Jodie, who can’t seem to shake the detective out of her!
I loved it. It’s another tale filled with twists and turns, giving you hints but not letting you figure out the true series of events until the end!
Fantastic!

A Cornish Recipe for Murder by Fiona Leitch
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another wonderful addition to the Nosey Parker series by Fiona Leitch!
I do love a bit of GBBO, and this time, we are taken to a similar style of reality baking competition, where, surprise, surprise, the lovely Jodie Parker has been selected as a contestant.
She is loved up with DCI Nathan Withers, the catering business is doing well, and she seems to have kept her nose out of any extra-curricular police work so far.
But you know that isn’t going to last that long!
There are a few characters on set, from some of her fellow contestants to the drag queen presenter of the show, and after noticing friction (she can’t help it. It’s in her blood…) one evening, she begins to put two and two together, when a body is discovered, connected to the production team.
Cogs begin whirring, and she ends up helping out her boyfriend and trying her hardest to juggle the requirements of the competition.
This was a great story, filled with the twists and turns I have come to expect in the Nosey Parker books, and the cast of characters feels like part of my own family now, so it is wonderful to revisit them all!
Great read!

A Cornish Seaside Murder by Fiona Leitch
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I can’t believe I have finished the series! (Or at least what is available to read! Thank goodness there is another one to get excited about next year…)
Our Nosey Parker, Jodie, is now officially a part of the Police force, albeit in an ad-hoc position, so she doesn’t feel so bad, sticking her nose into the investigations her now firm partner, DCI Nathan Withers, is involved in.
She’s still going strong with her catering business, which is going from strength to strength; however, in this book, we really feel her feeling the stretch of her time and capabilities: Police duty, work commitments, as well as being there for Daisy, her teenage daughter, her mother, and her dog, let alone keeping a relationship afloat.
The community are readying themselves for the annual mermaid festival, and as Jodie waddles around in a particularly unflattering siren mermaid costume, another murder is brought to their attention. Of course, being part of the official investigations eats away at her time for everything else in her life. Still, she tries to balance all the calls on her attention, helping to solve the mystery as well.
This book in the series felt a little more serious, given the dilemmas Jodie found herself in, but that didn’t detract from the read at all.
Another brilliantly thrilling story.

The Fk It! List by Melanie Cantor
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this very much with an interesting storyline that kept you guessing, made you think you knew what would happen, and ended with a different but still pleasant note.
Daisy Settle is celebrating her 40th birthday at a huge party thrown by her partner. All is well in her life. Business is fantastic, she’s in a secure relationship, they have great financial prospects, and it’s finally time to start trying for that baby…
But apart from her business, a rather unpleasant surprise gift leaves her with none of the above.
She is a woman who has a dream: becoming a mother. And through her grief, she wades through her options after making a Fk It! list, and with the support of her friends and some of her family, she embarks upon a journey to become a solo parent.
IVF, anonymous sperm donors, trawling sites and clinics to find the right one… We are with her for it all.
Along with an interesting friendship that starts so negatively but ends up being something she will cherish forever.
Daisy is that midlife character we women of a certain age need to read about. Life doesn’t stop once you hit a certain number. Opportunities still come knocking, and dreams most definitely can still come true.
Loved it from start to finish! I only wish I didn’t have work as I read it because I could have read it quicker!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK for an ARC.

Releasing 1st February, 2024

The Happiest Ever After by Milly Johnson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What a beautiful book by fabulous author Milly Johnson.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful to reinvent yourself, especially when things go wrong?
Polly Potter is not in the best place. Stuck in a job filled with misogynistic management, a relationship where she is not appreciated and feeling unfulfilled in general, she has a plan to get out.
Then something else happens. A twist of fate, which means she can live the life of Serena, who is essentially a character she was writing about in her creative writing group previously,
I shan’t go into too much detail, but I was rooting for Polly throughout, gasping in shock at a particular moment which became the catalyst for her change, and then rooting for Serena, too!
Romance? Yes, both failed and new chances.
There are plenty of obstacles to overcome and a great cast of characters.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an ARC.

Releasing 20th March 2024

Maya’s Laws of Love by Alina Khawaja
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Maya is about to get married. She’s not had the best of luck in life. She attributes every bit of misfortune to a curse she is convinced was put on her as a child.
She’s off to Pakistan, alone, to meet the rest of her family and fiance, who are already there, waiting for her arrival so they can start the celebrations.
What could go wrong? All she has to do is get there…
The thing is, no one can account for who you end up sitting next to. And who ever knows what the weather is going to do?
A fourteen-hour plane trip, followed by a planned seventeen-hour bus ride to her destination, takes nearly ten days, and she finds herself with an unlikely travel companion.
Throughout the book, we are invited to learn about Maya’s Laws of Love… She’s had things tough, and it feels like every turn of her life, especially in the romantic sense, is tainted. But no one knows what the future holds.
This was a fantastic Desi Fiction book, with characters from a Pakistani Muslim background and well-defined East/West cultural clashes. Wanting to fit in, but knowing there were certain things you couldn’t do or say as a Pakistani woman, albeit one brought up in Canada. Maya was torn throughout the book, but Khawaja portrayed her well as a young woman with dilemmas she needed to face.
As she mentions in the Author’s notes at the beginning of this book, the story is not halal… This equates to not a clean romance. There are some slightly risque scenes, but nothing that would hit a spice factor on the ratings. But this shows the consideration of Khawaja in her honesty. After all, a woman is a woman, and regardless of religion or culture, we all have base feelings and desires. This story embraces the dilemmas Maya has to work through. However, some readers of the Islamic persuasion would rather not read books with anything considered ‘haram’.
I loved reading this story. It is good to have characters and cultures I can relate to. I may not be Muslim, but I have grown up with close Muslim friends, and some South Asian traditions span most cultures regardless of religion.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an ARC.

Releasing 28th March, 2024

Mr Make Believe by Beezy Marsh
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This has been sitting on my Kindle for a while, and I finally decided to read it. It is a story of jaded relationships, feeling underappreciated, and dreaming of an alternative life, which isn’t always what it’s made to look like.
Marnie is a SAHM with a part-time reporting job. It’s a far cry from her pre-mummy day job as a full-time reporter. Right now, she is writing nothing of substance, and even that, she can’t seem to get right. And her husband is slowly slipping away. She’s put on weight, hasn’t got time to look after herself and feels like a pile of the proverbial. Then she finds out he’s been playing away…
The story ensues, with her making a stand in her own way, and what happens fulfils some fantasies, but, are fantasies always as good as we thought they’d be?
It was an easy read, but POVs did jump a bit, meaning I had to keep checking who I was reading about!

Take Me Home by Beth Moran
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed this story of a woman at a crossroads in her life. Filled with her own grief, Sophie Potter has made a career of helping others clear the lives and memories of lost loved ones, but she can still not process her own loss.
A slightly different job arises, meaning a lovely place to stay and a chance to centre herself again, but she doesn’t expect to find all that she does when she arrives at Riverbend.
What a wonderful story, filled with sadness, love, friendship, and dogs!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an ARC.

Releasing 13th October, 2023

Snow Days With You by Leonie Mack
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I feel like I have been on my little winter escape, reading this despite never having been a skier!
Luna is on a journey of discovery. After a mystery windfall, she is determined to find out why a stranger left her a large sum of money before spending it. She ends up in Chamonix, and her trip starts with drama as she runs out of petrol. A chance meeting with a gendarme who leaves his mark on her after that short encounter seems to pave the way for a trip willed with many revelations, including her learning many secrets about her mother and father and the fact that she can ski, given a chance!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an ARC.

Releasing 20th October, 2023

The Christmas Book Club by Sarah Morgan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another heartwarming tale by Christmas feel-good story queen Sarah Morgan!
When three friends end up at a tine country inn for their usual summer book club week, in the run-up to Christmas, none of them are prepared for the revelations that hit them one after another. And the same goes for the owner, too.
Erica, Claudia and Anna have been friends for a long time, and though life commitments mean they can’t be together all the time, they always make time for their annual meet-up. This time it was delayed, and they ended up meeting at Christmas.
Erica is a successful career woman who has learned to live independently. She doesn’t need anyone to help her live. Her friends are there for her and are the people she chooses to let into her life.
Anna is happily married and a mother to two teens, who are almost ready for college. Empty nest syndrome is hitting hard.
Claudia is floundering after a terrible breakup. She’s the reason their summer meet ends up in the winter.
Hattie owns the Maple Sugar Inn. She runs it alone and looks after her young daughter, having been widowed a couple of years earlier.
Life has dealt all these women interesting hands, and they are all at a point where changes are afoot. What is beautifully done in this tale of friendship and support, as well as family, is how the story unfolds, bringing all four of these women together in an irreversible way.
Everyone deserves love, and love comes in many forms. I felt that throughout this book.
Lovely read!

Releasing 26th October, 2023

Review to follow in a future Book & a Brew with Ritu Post!

But it’s ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ !

Releasing 24th October, 2023

So, tell me what you have been reading, and what caught your eye from the above!