Monday, May 30, 2022

My Review for Going Greek by Sue Roberts

Going Greek Cover

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I love a book that is set anywhere sunny or romantic and I'm a sucker for a love story somewhere along the way, so I was always going to love Going Greek by Sue Roberts and she didn't disappoint. Sam was a high-flying television presenter who had great plans for the future until a misplaced one-night-stand sent all that flying off the edge of a cliff! Next stop, Rhodes, Greece, where her sister and her family live and where she tries to hide from the media and get her life back on track. 

Full of sunshine and laughter and lots of great Greek food and drink, Going Greek will keep you quiet for a few hours as you disappear into someone else's life. Perfect to read on the beach or by the pool with a cocktail in hand.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of Going Greek by Sue Roberts.

Sunday, May 29, 2022

My Review for Christmas with the Cornish Girls by Betty Walker

Christmas with the Cornish Girls Cover
⭐⭐⭐⭐ It’s the middle of the Second World War and life in Cornwall may not be as difficult as in the big cities, but it has its moments.

Lily, Eva and Rose are working in St Ives, in Cornwall, at Symmonds Hall Convalescent Home for injured officers, and preparing for Christmas. Lily is footloose and fancy-free. Eva has her heart set on an injured Flight Lieutenant who doesn’t; think he’s the man for her, and Rose is in love with her sister’s fiancee. What on earth could go wrong?

Fun and laughter, sorrow and heartache, Christmas with the Cornish Girls has it all and Betty Walker brings the characters to life as we prepare for a wartime Christmas with them all. The nurses are compassionate and caring, and the injured men are brave and determined. In the uncertain and challenging times of war, we discover just how everyone works together to make the best of what they have.

If you enjoy a wartime story with a bit of love and Cornwall thrown in, then you’ll enjoy this.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of Christmas with the Cornish girls by Betty Walker.

My Review for the Hidden Village by Imogen Matthews

The Hidden Village Cover
⭐⭐⭐⭐ I listened to The Hidden Village, by Imogen Matthews as an Audiobook which was narrated by Antonia Whillans. 

Set in Holland in 1943, The Hidden Village is a secret village that the Dutch people built to hide Jewish people and anyone else who needed protection from the Germans. We follow the variety of characters who are involved in the village, whether building it, living there or maintaining it and slowly we become immersed in their lives.

Although rather slow, it kept me hooked, as I was desperate to find out how things ended for Sofie and her friends. Based on true events, I was curious how an entire village could remain hidden from the Germans for so long, and it was interesting to research this further once I’d finished the book.

I have read many books set in World War II, and it’s eye-opening to read about it from another point of view, this time primarily from Dutch citizens. Everyone should know what happened in the war, and fiction books which are based on facts are an entertaining and insightful way to gain the knowledge.

Listening as an Audiobook, the narrator, Antonia Whillans, brought the characters to life and probably made the story more tense and foreboding than just reading alone might have done.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to listen to and review an ARC of The Hidden Village by Imogen Matthews.