Sam's Fireside - Cosy Book Reviews & Recommendations

⭐⭐⭐⭐. Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of Summer at the French Olive Grove by Sophie Claire. Sophie Claire’s book begins in Columbia where the protagonist, Lily, is making a film about the lives and careers of some Columbian women in a world where women don’t really have careers.  Lily is attacked and suffers a broken arm, returning to her home village in France to recover.  Moving back in with her elderly grandmother, Mamie, Lily catches up with her oldest friend Olivier and enjoys the slower pace of life in this peaceful place.  Torn between returning to her nomadic lifestyle and spending more time with Mamie, Lily has a decision to make. I love a story set in sunny, seaside villages with idyllic views and villagers who all know each other and this is no exception,  The author takes us into the heart of the French village with her descriptions of the olive groves, the boats in the marina and the tantali...

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐  Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of The Vacation by M.M. Chouinard. I have never really been a thriller reader, not because I don't enjoy them, it has just never been something I've picked up off the shelf, but wow - if thrillers are like this then I've seriously been missing out! Six adults and four children are in Jamaica for Thanksgiving, but it is apparent from the outset that all is not as it should be.  When one of the children goes missing, the police have to find out what has happened, is someone perhaps more involved than they should be? The author kept me guessing throughout the book, with each page turn she threw another spanner in the works, and when I was sure I knew what was going to happen, I was again left wondering.  With twists and turns at every opportunity, and characters that you could sympathise with at one moment yet become angry with, in another, The Vacation kept me hooked until the last pa...

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐  Thank you to NetGalley, Random House UK, Cornerstone and Arrow Publishing for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of The Broken Hearts Honeymoon by Lucy Dickens before the release of the paperback. Wow! I loved it and read it, in under 24 hours. Granted, it was pouring with rain in the UK and I had nothing else to do but it was such a wonderful book. Informative, educational, happy, sad, comical and slightly heart-breaking, I experienced such a wide range of emotions whilst reading it I didn’t want it to end. Charlotte and Matt are the perfect couple, they’ve been together since they were 14, they stayed at sixth form together, went to the same university and were planning their perfect life together after their perfect wedding.... until Matt decided perhaps things weren’t so perfect after all. Their honeymoon was all booked and paid for, and Japan had been the one place Charlotte had always wanted to visit, so she bravely packs her bags and flies off to the other side...

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐  Thank you to NetGalley and HQ Digital for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of The Wishing Tree Beside the Shore by Jaimie Admans. Felicity works for a property development company and, with. a twist of fate, the latest proposal for hotel development is in Felicity's home town of Lemmon Cove on the Gower peninsula. Fliss's boss decides to send her undercover, to infiltrate the protesters who are delaying the signing of the paperwork and trying to save a 300-year-old Sycamore tree. However, as soon as she sets foot into the protesters' camp and realises her teenage crush, Ryan, is the man in charge, Fliss knows she wants to help the protesters and save the tree. Although slow to begin with, The Wishing Tree Beside the Shore soon grabbed my attention, and I picked it up at every opportunity. The characters were so passionate about saving the Sycamore tree and the land around it that I found myself wishing it was a real protest and hoping I could get involve...

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐  I listened to Island of Secrets, by Patricia Wilson, as an Audiobook from Borrowbox. Read by Julie Maisey, it was another outstanding book from the author and once again, taught me so much about the Second World War that I wasn’t aware of. ‘The story started at dawn on the fourteenth of September 1943...’ Angelika (Angie) is planning her wedding to Nick and has decided that she wants her mother’s family to be involved. The problem is, is that her mother hasn’t spoken to her family in almost 40 years and they live in Crete! Cue a trip to the Greek island to see what she can find out. Her grandmother, Maria, is overjoyed to see her granddaughter and begins to tell her story of the massacre in 1943 when the Germans occupied Crete. I imagine that often Greek village life is chaotic, very family-orientated and with everyone knowing each other’s business. Angie’s wedding day was very much like this. Nothing went to plan, and to say it was chaos was an understatement! The sto...

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐  Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group- White Lion for the opportunity to review 'The Kew Gardener's Guide to Growing Roses' before the publication date.  Being an avid, albeit fairly new gardener I am interested in widening my knowledge to learn as much as I can about flora and fauna and how I can grow and nurture plants in my own garden. I do particularly love roses but know next to nothing about them and reading this lovely book was an ideal opportunity to understand a little bit more.   The book is set out beautifully, with a long introduction that covers everything you need to know about roses, different rose types, and how to grow them successfully. Following this, there are many sections on which roses are best for which part of your garden including growing roses in a container or training a rose against a wall.  The photographs are stunning and each one draws you into the page as you eagerly read how to get a rose to 'perform' for you...

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I listened to Villa of Secrets, by Patricia Wilson, as an Audiobook from Borrowbox. Read by Lucy Paterson, I was so taken with the story that it only took me a couple of days to reach the end, listening as I went out for a long walk with my dog and then planting tomatoes in my greenhouse! Books and gardening - I couldn't have been happier. Sisters, Naomi and Rebecca, were raised by their grandmother, Pandora Cohen and the story is told through Pandora's diaries which Naomi and Rebecca are given to read. Unbeknown to the girls, their grandmother was a Freedom Fighter for the Andartes during World War II and risked her life to help free the Greek island of Rhodes from German occupation. Rebecca and her family had a falling out, ten years previously, and we also learn how this affected Naomi and Dora and how Rebecca eventually comes back into their lives. Although a work of fiction, Villa of Secrets is based on some fact, I wasn't aware of how affected Greece and her isl...

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐  Thank you to NetGalley and Headline Review for the opportunity to review Three Weddings and a Proposal by Sheila O'Flanagan before the publication date. Delphine Martens is a thirty-something Executive Assistant to Conrad Morgan, a multi-millionaire businessman. Delphie has a great home by the sea, and, although single, she loves her life and her friends, everything is going well until she receives a phone call on the night of her brother's wedding, a phone call that turns her life upside down. Once again Sheila O'Flanagan draws the reader into the story, bringing the characters to life and creating people that you would like to be friends with. Delphie has had a difficult few months but she has the strength of character to deal with each episode clearly and concisely, usually ending up with the best outcome for her. Sheila O'Flanagan's books are enjoyable and heart-warming, a comfort read that you could easily digest in one sitting. Grab a cup of tea (or wha...

 Favourite Book Quotes "Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again." This is the first line from 'Rebecca' by Daphne Du Maurier and is my most loved book ever. I can honestly say, that apart from Enid Blyton books when I was a child, it is the only book I have read more than once. The novel begins in Monte Carlo, where our heroine is swept off her feet by the dashing widower Maxim de Winter and his sudden proposal of marriage. Orphaned and working as a lady's maid, she can barely believe her luck. It is only when they arrive at his massive country estate that she realizes how large a shadow his late wife will cast over their lives--presenting her with a lingering evil that threatens to destroy their marriage from beyond the grave. I can't remember ever having read Anne of Green Gables but I love this quote so much. It brings fresh joy and hopes into your life and if you've had a bad day, then there is always tomorrow. Anne Shirley is an eleven-year-o...

Due for release on 11 June 2021, Beta's Bane by Liv James has just revealed its cover!  The description for the book is here and I will post my review on publication day. When Wolf Shifters pass from this plane to the next, their souls make the journey along the Pathway, to reunite with their ancestors and hunt the eternal forests. Without the Pathway, their souls can know no peace. The Pathway must be protected; at all costs. When Alpha Cameron Archer of the Ridgeway and Pathway Packs installed his new law, he had no idea of the repercussions it would bring for his twin brother and Beta, Brodie. Brodie and Iris are destined by the Moon Goddess to be together. Torn apart by their Alpha, they find themselves fighting a sexual chemistry that threatens to consume them until one fateful night changes everything. Once Brodie finally tastes his fated mate, can he be parted from her again, or will he challenge his brother? And the safety of the World.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Thank you to the author, Phillip Jordan for the ARC of his new novella, 'Into Thin Air', a Detective Inspector Taylor thriller. 'Aido Quinn went for a run and didn't come back'. 'Into Thin Air' is part of the Belfast Crime Series and Detective Inspector Taylor and her team set out to uncover what or who is behind the disappearance of Adrian Quinn. On the surface, Adrian seemingly has a loving family and is the Company Director of a successful business, but all is not as it seems. As the book progresses, Phillip Jordan introduces and describes the relevance of the characters to the reader. I had a soft spot for some, indifference for others and annoyance at many. There were many twists and turns throughout the story and there were times when I skipped down to the end of the page because I just needed to know what was coming! The outcome was a surprise and although I had an idea towards the end, there were still plenty of moments when anything cou...

⭐⭐⭐⭐  Thank you to NetGalley and Ad Lib Publishers for the opportunity to review 'Off-Road with Clarkson, Hammond & May' before its publication date.  Now I've always loved watching 'the boys' on TV. When I still lived at home, it became a Sunday night ritual to all sit down together to watch Top Gear, and this continued when I moved out. I thankfully found a husband who was also into the boys' antics, and we continued my tradition of Sunday night viewing, so when I was given this opportunity to read all about their escapades on tour, I jumped at the chance. Phillipa Sage, the author, became a piece of the furniture when Clarkson, Hammond & May were on tour, I can't remember what her official title was but she held everything together, dealing with Jeremy's diva moments (and yes, there were many), whilst organising hotels, restaurants and seemingly every little thing related to the tours. Phillipa reflects on her memories of the years she was wit...

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for the opportunity to review 'From Something Old by Nick Alexander as an Advance Reader Copy. From Something Old is the first novel I have read by Nick Alexander, but it won't be the last. I loved it from beginning to end. The lives of two couples, Ant and Heather and Joe and Amy, randomly begin to intertwine, with perhaps unforeseen consequences. Initially brought together by their children who are at the same school despite them barely knowing one another, they decide to holiday together in Spain, and there begins the sometimes distressing journey for them all. The author creates his characters well, and I warmed to those who were endearing, whilst wanting to yell at the ones who were annoying and mean! Often in life, we are the way we are because of our parents and/or the way we have been brought up, and Nick Alexander explores this in detail with the characters he brings to life. From Something Old is a lovely read, ide...

⭐⭐⭐⭐ I listened to The Dover Cafe at War by Ginny Bell as an Audiobook from Borrowbox and loved it.  I find that a wartime saga always makes for easy listening or easy reading, and this was no exception.  Bea Holland narrated it beautifully and I enjoyed how she brought the characters to life.  Despite the sometimes heartwrenching circumstances, a good book, set in wartime, always makes me feel warm inside. The Dover Cafe is set at the heart of Dover's market square and is run by Nellie Castle with the help of Marianne, her eldest daughter.  As Britain is on the brink of World War II, Marianne's scandalous past begins to catch up with her, and now that her son is 10 years old, there are things she can't keep from him any longer. Ginny Bell can draw the reader into the story and keep them there for the entirety.  Each character becomes a friend, and with each turn of the page, you're waiting to see what happens next.  Of course, there are some rogues, aren't...

⭐⭐⭐⭐ I was kindly offered Til Death We Do Part as an Advance Reader Copy by the author, Bruno Beaches. Pablo Pinkerton has spent his career in the police force, carrying out a variety of different roles, but his life begins to unravel, as he has to deal with a complaint against him from a former 'client' at work, and there quickly follows the disintegration of a seemingly happy and successful marriage. The story takes place over a few years, and Pablo has a lot to deal with and many decisions to make during this time. The author carried me through many different emotions throughout his story, there was sadness, anger, frustration (a lot of that), some tears and some laughter, but a lot of the time I was annoyed. I was annoyed at Pablo - often! How he tried to deal with his wife, his conflicts, his friends and his work situation. I wanted to pick him up, shake him by the shoulders and tell him to pull himself together! I'm not sure I actually liked any of the characters,...

⭐⭐⭐⭐    I reviewed Worldlines by Adam Guest for Online Book Club, and although I thoroughly enjoyed it, I often found myself trying to follow the ‘worlds’ too closely, trying to understand whether there really was the possibility of us occupying several dimensions at once, and this detracted from the flow of the novel. Worldlines is a sci-fi/fantasy novel about a multiverse rather than a universe, where the protagonist, Gary, gradually realises, with the help of his university professor, that he might be actually existing in more than one world at any given moment. Events are happening around him that he has no memory of and which he cannot explain. With the help of his friends and family, he attempts to discover the scientific background behind what’s going on and whether it could be real. Wordlines seems to have some sort of science behind them and whether this is based on evidence or just in the author’s imagination is unclear. Regardless of this, it is a well-thought-out ...