Sam's Fireside - Cosy Book Reviews & Recommendations

⭐⭐⭐⭐   How I came about reading and reviewing ‘Some Guys Can’t Handle Vegas’ by Liam O’Neill is rather random and involved me contacting the author initially. I’m so pleased that I did. This is a well-written book that is all about my most favourite place in the world and my go-to happy place, Las Vegas! Anyone reading this delightful book, who is a Vegas lover, will discover many references to various locations and points of interest throughout this great city. The author brings Vegas to the reader, with mentions of the Bellagio fountains, the many Elvis impersonators up and down the strip, and the Statue of Liberty wearing a Golden Knights hockey shirt! Think, ‘The Hangover’ with British characters. Three English male friends who have never been to Las Vegas before but one at least has read the rulebook for how to play the table games. Elliott, David, and Matt weave their way through their trip, which, for various reasons, turns into a longer vacation than initially planned. ...

⭐⭐⭐⭐  When Paige contacted me and asked me if I would like to read and review her new book, ‘I’m Your Man’, I jumped at the chance because there is nothing I love more than an author getting in touch! I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I am so glad I agreed to read it, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. My only complaint? It wasn’t long enough! Rhea and Jason, two very diverse characters. Rhea is complicated and troubled, whereas Jason is simple and easy-going. What you see is what you get and ultimately you can see they will complement each other.  Jason calms Rhea’s anxieties and slowly but surely she begins to trust him and their relationship blossoms. Steamy and passionate, I’m Your Man will appeal to anyone who enjoys a fast-paced, sizzling romance. Perhaps a sequel please Paige!

⭐⭐⭐⭐  Dottie, Jemima and Melissa. Three different women, from differing backgrounds, but all come together for their love (or growing love) of gardening. Friendship, rivalry, subterfuge, and perhaps a blossoming of romance can be found amongst the allotment plots and amongst the pages of this delightful book.  I laughed, I cringed, and I shouted at many of the characters’ antics as they went about their business on their allotments, many trying to grow the biggest and the best. I found the book fairly laid-back and slow-paced, but the characters were all loveable, even if many of them were downright rogues! This was my first foray into Erin Green’s world, but I’ll definitely be searching for more of her books. From Shetland, With Love would be a brilliant book to while away a few winter days, curled up in front of the fire and alternating between the chapters of this and the many seed catalogues that are coming through the post at the moment! Thank you to NetGalley and Headli...

  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐  I loved this so much, I just couldn’t stop listening! Violet Strong is bad news, a bad person with no friends, no career, and a mother who hates her. Or has she got all that wrong.....? What jumped out most to me about this book is how adept and compassionate Jessica Ryn is at describing many people with many caring needs. From adults with learning disabilities to elderly folk with Parkinsons, or a seemingly normal person on the outside who is suffering from mental torment within. Each character has their own unique personality and Ryn writes delicately about each one and their carers and how they deal with everyday life. I loved that Violet has her own blog, where she puts her book reviews, and I identified a lot with this, as I’m sure many people reading this review will do. What better place is there than loads of reviews, all in one place, from people who like the same sort of things you do! Violet discovers her true self towards the end of the book and reali...

⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Arctic Curry Club is a very busy book, with a lot going on. However, this didn’t take away anything from my enjoyment of it. On the contrary, it kept me entertained and guessing throughout. My only criticism is that some of the narrator’s pronunciations appeared to be incorrect, which irritated me somewhat. That aside, the story is well-written and addictive. Covering many subjects and situations, the author deals with family secrets, adulterous boyfriends, new countries, new careers, and new friends. Maya, the protagonist in the story, finds out so much about herself as a person, gaining in confidence as the book progresses and discovering just what she wants to do with her life, with a few hiccups along the way. I love the descriptions of the Arctic, with the Northern Lights and snow-covered landscapes, and how lonely and depressing it can become from one month to the next, with no daylight. Many of us know how it feels to not experience the warmth of the sunshine on our...

⭐⭐⭐⭐  Another great read from Kennedy Kerr with further adventures in Magpie Cove. Daughters of Magpie Cove primarily focuses on the age-old feud between two families, the Christies and the Connors. We see how it affected each family through the generations, right up until the present day when Connie Christie returns home to Magpie Cove and continues to receive threatening notes and the feeling that she is being watched, just as she did all that time ago when she was at school. With talk of smugglers and disused tunnels, gossipy village life, and the wildness of the sea, we can't be anywhere else but Cornwall. Who else reads books like these and wants to go and explore those tunnels for themselves?! Kennedy Kerr drew me into the story from the beginning, from wanting to grab a pint at the new pub, to relishing those cakes at Maude's Bakery. For those of you who have read either of the other two books in the Magpie Cove series, you'll be reacquainted with some familiar fa...

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This was my first experience of Sam Carrington’s books, and I loved this one. I listened to The Couple on Maple Drive as an audiobook and simply sped through it.  Is there such a thing as an easygoing thriller? If there was, then this was it! Set in Torbay, on the Devon coast, there were lots of laid-back moments when Isla was attempting to discover the truth about what had happened to her, but equally, lots and lots of edge-of-the-seat moments when I just needed to find out what was going to happen next, and to who. Isla’s fascination with ‘real crime’ podcasts sets the scene for ‘The Couple on Maple Drive’ and why she asks for the help of the podcasters of Christie’s Crime Addicts. Are the people who are close to her really who they seem, and who exactly can she trust? Carrington hasn’t made many of the characters loveable. Some are just downright evil, but each brings their own story and reasons as to what has made them become the people they are.  As an Audi...