Sam's Fireside - Cosy Book Reviews & Recommendations

"This wasn't a yacht; it was a floating palace.". I'm hanging my head in shame that it's taken me over five years to read this gorgeous debut novel, an ARC of which I received back in 2021! 🙈 Carol's sense of humour and personality have stayed with me since I used to listen to her on Radio 1 and 2 while driving to work, and when I saw she'd written a book, I knew I needed to read it. 💕 I loved it, from start to finish. Young Shauna, older Shauna, the beautiful Greek setting, the cocktails, the food and the romanticism. 🇬🇷🍹 I devoured it all! There was mystery and secrets, heartache and passion, and the unbridled closeness that only best friends can know. ❤️ I read this during the summer heatwave of 2026, but it would have been much more pleasant to be on the beaches of a secluded Greek island, with my toes digging into the sand and a delicious cocktail in my hand. ☀️🏖️🍹 In the time it's taken me to read Carol's debut novel, she's written...

“I’m done hating myself for something I can’t change” 💔 📚  Light Wielder  was August’s read for the sequel shelf for #thatbonkersbookclub, and although it didn’t wow me as much as the first book in the series, I still really enjoyed it! We pick up four years after  Metal Slinger  ended, which did feel kinda strange. Didn’t anything happen in those four years?! 🤔 Aside from that, it was good. The characters we loved in  Metal Slinger  are back. Some are just as obnoxious and annoying as we remember them, while others maybe garnered a little more sympathy from me. However, one thing I will say is that all the bad stuff, the conflict, the war… it’s all brought on by themselves and their inability to coexist. But they’re dragging innocent people into it too. Not good! 😬 The relationships were addictive! ❤️ When Irina and Jovie had to travel together in the carriage, that was pure genius 😂 And ultimately, teamwork won the day! 🙌 I loved the Messer twist, a...

“Refusing to accept what society expects doesn’t make us cowards.”   This Might Hurt  was August’s read for #thatbonkersbookclub, and I really liked it! 📚 The cult scenario didn’t really register with me until someone else mentioned it, so yes, perhaps I do overlook the things I don’t want to see! 🙈😂 In my head, Wisewood was just a weird retreat that people often didn’t leave… yeah, Sam — a cult! 🤦‍♀️🤣 I did get confused with the main characters from time to time. Those I thought had ended up at Wisewood turned out not to actually be them after all! 🤔 The book was also written across different timelines, let’s call them before and after Kit goes to Wisewood. It took me a while to work out what was going on, who was who, and how they were all relevant to each other. That aside, I enjoyed the story and the characters, and I’ll definitely be reading more books by Stephanie Wrobel. 😊📖 A very belated thank you to Michael Joseph for the free copy of  This Might Hurt ...

"I'm an introvert. I recharge my batteries by being alone. This week is going to be a lot of people-ing for me."  What an excellent quote! I know so many of you reading this will be nodding and agreeing! 🙌💕 Will There Be Time  is the third book in the series but can totally be read as a standalone. 📚 This has to be my favourite, although I've loved them all. ❤️ Whitney has a knack for picking you up off your sofa and gently placing you back down in the Parisian streets, with the aroma of coffee drifting from cafés ☕, fresh bread being baked somewhere behind closed doors 🥖 and posh Parisian ladies swanning along the pavements. 🇫🇷✨ I always enjoy it when we see glimpses of characters from previous books as they're woven into the current story. Austen (from the first book) and Matt are central to this one, as their wedding is the main theme of the story. 💒💍 Vivienne and Oliver are the love interests, though, and what a complicated story theirs is turning out ...

“Because of all the raindrops I have watched fall over the years — of all the clouds I could read from a mile away and protect myself from if necessary — that was one storm I never saw coming.” I loved  The Cassandra Complex  by Holly Smale, so I immediately knew I was going to love  I Know How This Ends  as well. And Holly knocked this one out of the park! ⚾📚 With its humour, awesome characters and a small smattering of magical realism thrown in, what's not to love? ✨ Margot and Henry — two people who are destined to be together, according to Margot's visions. But just how will they get together? Will all Margot's visions become a reality, or is she only seeing a small snippet of the future? 🔮💕 Alix Dumore did a great job narrating this, and her portrayal of Margot, especially, made me want to listen to her voice forever. Maybe we can have an Alix Dumore Siri or Alexa voice! 😂🎧 Holly Smale has made her way onto my list of 'must-read' authors, and I'm excit...

“So you thought a sneak attack with mistletoe would help me get in the Christmas spirit?” 🎄💋 The audiobook contains Teddy Hamilton (sigh)! Review done! 😂 Only kidding! The other narrators are great, and I do love a multi-cast narration. 🎧  Mistletoe All the Way  has scooped me up from autumn and gently placed me down, slap bang in the middle of Christmas. 🎄❄️✨ I loved it. I've only just realised that I enjoy a story that features a miserable main character — in this case Noah as the Grinch — who slowly and surely, as if by the magic of Christmas, finally begins to see what all the fuss and happiness is about. 🎅🏻❤️ I love the addition of the older characters, and Eloise's feisty grandmother and her 'boyfriend' Henry are brilliant. They are supportive, independent and certainly aren't taking any nonsense from anyone. 👵💕 I also enjoyed the added suspense and mystery as Eloise investigates Stephen to find out just what he's up to. And the fact that she...

“Food without wine is like a car without wheels.” 🍷🚗 The Little Old Lady Who Broke All the Rules was my August read for #NeglectedFaithfulsReadingChallenge and a book that's been sitting on my shelf for a while. I think it originally came from a charity shop a few years ago. 📚 Anyway, I enjoyed it, even though it's kind of a cosy mystery, which really isn't my thing at all. 🔍 I laughed at the antics of the four elderly characters as they attempted to find a better way of life than the care home in which they currently reside. 👵👴😂 I'm not sure they went about it in quite the right way, though — I mean, robbery, blackmail, extortion and deception never really got anyone anywhere! 😂🙈 If you treat this book as the humorous, comedic and fun mystery that I think it's meant to be, then you'll enjoy it. It's a lighthearted and entertaining read, so don't go expecting high-stakes thrills and suspense. 😄📖 Instead, sit back, have a giggle and enjoy the a...