My Review for Second Chances at Brambleberry Creek by Elizabeth Bromke

⭐⭐⭐⭐ Second Chances at Brambleberry Creek is the second in the series and continues where the first book ends. This time around, though, we primarily hear from Bill, the grandfather of the family, Amber, one of Bill’s grandchildren, and Morgan Jo, who was our protagonist in the first book.

Life doesn’t seem to happen quickly in Brambleberry Creek, but before you know it, the book has flown by, relationships have started and ended and new projects are afoot. I loved how, in the present day, the family are invested in discovering how their grandfather made his wine, his recipes and methods and then, back in 1992 we follow Bill’s process of recording the same thing, to ensure his grandchildren can follow in his footsteps.

Although part of a series, Second Chances at Brambleberry Creek can also be read as a stand-alone, but I’d recommend reading Home to Brambleberry Creek first to discover the backstory of all the characters. I’m looking forward to reading the last part of the series over the coming months to discover what Elizabeth Bromke has in store for her loveable characters. 

I am lucky enough to be a part of Books on Tour for this book, so thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of Second Chances at Brambleberry Creek by Elizabeth Bromke.

Book Description

Sometimes you need to fall to learn how to fly…

A totally addictive, heart-melting novel about the magic of friendship, family and making every day count, even when life takes an unexpected twist. Fans of RaeAnne Thayne, Elin Hilderbrand and Susan Mallery will love this page-turning story.

Amber Lee Taylor has lived in the close-knit town of Brambleberry Creek, Kentucky her whole life. And she thought she had everything figured out. But when Amber discovers her long-term fiancée, Grant, has been cheating, her perfect future shatters into tiny pieces…

Heartbroken, Amber retreats to her family’s crumbling farmhouse in the stunning countryside outside her little town. It’s her favourite place in the world. She loves the old oak beams and the smell of the fire crackling in the grate. But her family say the farm isn’t making enough money and they need to do something to save it…

Determined to forget Grant and save her family home, Amber throws herself into launching a new wine business with her cousins, and stumbles across one of her grandfather’s old notebooks.

Just as she realizes the size of her project, she discovers a family mystery weaving through her grandfather’s writing, and everything suddenly seems more complicated. But then, she hasn’t thought about Grant in days, and when she bumps into handsome, charming Callum on Main Street, Amber starts to wonder if breaking up with Grant could be the best thing that’s happened to her in years.

It feels good to spend time with a guy with such a kind and genuine heart, and as he helps her untangle the notebook’s secrets, she wonders if the key to the mystery might just be the key to saving her beloved farmhouse too.

But will Amber find the strength to make the most of her second chance? Or will crossing paths with Grant change everything again?

Author Bio

Elizabeth Bromke is a USA Today bestseller who loves to write heartwarming women's fiction and romance. She especially enjoys creating vivid characters and enchanting small towns.

Coming from over a decade teaching high school English, Elizabeth knows the impact of great writing and storytelling. Indeed, writing is a dream come true for her. She lives in Arizona with her husband, son, and two golden retrievers. When Elizabeth isn't writing her next bestseller, she can be found reading, working on a puzzle, or relaxing to a movie with her family. Elizabeth also loves to chat with her readers on social media and through email. Be sure to stay in touch!

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My Review for Isaac and the Egg by Bobby Palmer, read by Johnny Flynn

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ What began as a very, very strange story had me, hook, line and sinker as soon as I realised what was going on. You don’t need to know about that though, otherwise it’ll spoil it for you! I listened to Isaac and the Egg as an audiobook and quite literally couldn’t take my AirPods out! 

All about grief and friendship and how Isaac copes with his loss and learns to manage his mental health. Johnny Flynn narrated this book beautifully and as I was listening, I was feeling Isaac’s pain but also his happiness, which shows through as the story progresses and the Egg helps him through his tumultuous times. 

Isaac and the Egg is brilliantly written. It will make you realise that there is hope for us all, despite what our past may have held. I cannot recommend this highly enough, although you may never look at a baked bean in the same way, ever again! 

Thank you to NetGalley and Headline Audio for the opportunity to listen to and review an ARC of Isaac and the Egg by Bobby Palmer, narrated by Johnny Flynn.

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My Review for The Locked Away Life by Drew Davies

⭐⭐⭐⭐ I really enjoyed reading The Locked Away Life, I didn’t think I was going to though. It was very slow to begin with, and I honestly thought I was going to struggle to finish it, but about a third of the way through it suddenly picked up the pace and the characters became more interesting, and from then on, I was fully invested.

Esther and Bruno, are two completely different characters, one an eighty-something-year-old woman and the other a teenage boy who develop an amazing friendship and support one another through changes in both their lives as they learn to accept both the past, present and future.

The chapters mainly alternate between Bruno and Esther, both telling their stories, and we learn how their situations become intertwined and how quickly they become ensconced in each other’s lives. Bruno is just learning who he is and how to deal with the issues life is throwing at him. Esther is realising that she isn’t too old to learn new things and embraces them entirely.

I loved both their stories, but I found Bruno’s being particularly heartbreaking until he realised he didn’t have to change and that he just needed to accept himself for who he was and that everything else would fall into place. I commend Drew Davies for bringing together sexuality, mental health, generational issues and friendship and dealing with them in such a sensitive manner.

I was astounded to learn that conversion therapy is still legal in the UK. For those of you who aren’t aware of it, this is taken from banconversiontherapy.com. ‘Conversion therapy includes medical, psychiatric, psychological, religious, cultural or any other interventions that seek to change, “cure”, or suppress the sexual orientation and/or gender identity of a person’.

If you fancy reading something a little bit different, that isn’t a thriller, rom-com or fantasy story, then check out The Locked Away Life. It’s definitely worth adding to your TBR list.

I am lucky enough to be a part of Books on Tour for this book, so thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of The Locked Away Life by Drew Davies.

Book Description

At the grand old age of eighty-two, Esther Saul has just one regret in life. Today, she’s going to change that.

For decades, Esther has barricaded herself in her vine-covered manor house. She spends her days tending to her rose-filled garden, glued to the pages of her favourite books, and listening to her beloved records. But, one spring morning, Esther wakes up and realises that time is running out.

Forty years ago, the love of her life betrayed her – the only man she allowed herself to trust. Where is Thackeray, the handsome Scot with a devilish smile and piercing blue eyes? Will she ever learn the truth? Will she ever understand why he lied to her? Esther has to find out. If she doesn’t act soon, her one regret will haunt her forever…

But she’ll need some assistance. That’s where Bruno comes in. After Esther places an advert in the local library, seeking internet lessons, the eighteen-year-old knocks on her door. Esther can see how out of place Bruno is in their sleepy village, and that the paid position could be his one-way ticket out of there.

An unexpected friendship forms between the two strangers, who have nothing in common except that they have spent most of their lives in hiding. It’s the beginning of a journey – featuring a secret motorcycle ride, an escape plan, and a garden party with whisky, apple pie, and dancing the jig. Along the way, can a locked-away life finally start living?

Just as heartbreaking as it is heartwarming, this utterly gripping page-turner is for anyone who has ever felt left behind, came close to giving up, or needed a friend. Perfect for fans of Sally Page, Ruth Hogan and Mike Gayle.

Author Bio

Drew Davies was born in London and grew up in Whanganui, New Zealand. He attended the Unitec School of Performing Arts in Auckland and won a Playmarket New Zealand Young Playwright of the Year award in 2000. After a brief stint on a kiwi soap, he has worked in Search for the past 15 years. Drew’s other claim to fame is that Stephen Fry once called him droll. Either that, or he got his name wrong. He now lives in Wanstead, London.

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My Review for At Witt's End by J.V. Caggiano

⭐⭐⭐ The main reason I chose to read this book was that we are about to move into a new house and it’s called ‘Witzend’! Not my usual criteria. I didn’t even read the synopsis! At Witt’s End is a cosy mystery, not my usual go-to genre, but actually, it was a pretty good story. 

Cerridwen is an author who is trying to hide away to finish her latest novel but is constantly being disturbed by friends and neighbours and, eventually, they have an actual murder to solve.

Think Agatha Christie, crossed with the Agatha Raisin series and you’ll get an idea of the sort of book you are reading. It took me a while to get to grips with the characters and it was a bit all over the place to begin with, taking a fair few chapters to settle into what was going on. However, I found myself drawn in, and eager to discover ‘whodunnit’. 

I loved the diverse range of characters and the humour that Caggiano so obviously has, and there is definitely talent there for further books.

The only reason I gave this 3 stars was because of the editing. After reading other reviews, this may be just the Kindle edition I was gifted, (I sincerely hope it wasn't published with this many errors), but it distracted me from the enjoyment of the story and as it was published over two years ago, a fully edited copy would have been appreciated. For full disclosure, if I am reading an ARC that is yet to be published, I don’t take the editing into account at all.

Despite this, though, the story is great and will keep you reading, and an easy book to while away a few hours.

Thank you to Katie and Brey PA for the gifted copy of At Witt's End by J.V. Caggiano.

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My Review for The Clients by Bonny Fawn

⭐⭐⭐⭐ Fast-paced and a real page-turner, The Clients, by new author, Bonny Fawn will have you putting your phone on silent and hiding the television remote!

Mel, Sid, Riley and Isla, are our four main characters and four very different people, some with very interesting pasts. Just why would someone survive 9/11 but pretend they hadn't, take on a new identity and move to a new state?

A thriller, mystery, crime and romance novel, all rolled into one and a story that will have you shouting at the book and telling the characters not to do that! I wasn't sure about Mel to begin with but I think her heart is in the right place and she wants to make amends for things she's done in the past that she isn't proud of. 

If you fancy trying out a new author and you want something which will have you catching your breath at many moments then check out The Clients by Bonny Fawn, out on 16 August 2022

Thank you to the author for the opportunity to read and review The Clients.

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My Review for Great Sexpectations by Kristen Bailey

⭐⭐⭐⭐ I smirked, I giggled, and I laughed out loud! What a complete breath of fresh air Great Sexpectations is. There is so much humour and love included in this book, I was smiling throughout. Josie has never been afraid of her parent’s past or what she does for a living - until now - until she thinks it might scare off the man she maybe likes - just a little bit!

Very much a story where our protagonist, Josie, just keeps digging herself deeper and deeper into a hole she soon won’t be able to climb out of, but with the love of her family and in particular her Nan, she moves forward with her life and takes us all along for the ride. 

If you want your kids to know the truth about sex, then teach them young. If you don’t, then they will just guess, make things up for themselves and maybe get into trouble. This is what Josie’s Mum is trying to teach people, speaking in schools and on television and just attempting to educate the people who put their heads in the sand. 

If you don’t want to read about sex toys (of which there are many featured in this book) then maybe Great Sexpectations isn’t for you, but if you want to discover what you might be missing out on, then grab yourselves a copy of this. It’s a laugh-out-loud book, full of sex positivity and ideal for women of adult age. 

I am lucky enough to be a part of Books on Tour for this book, so thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of Great Sexpectations by Kristen Bailey.

Book Description

What’s wrong with a little bit of faking it?

After Josie got dumped by her ex through a note on the fridge, she hasn’t let herself get close to anyone. But when she meets Cameron at a Halloween party, who turns up in the same Ghostbusters costume as her, it’s virtually impossible to stay away.

Cameron, a curly haired video-games designer with dazzling blue eyes, the sexiest dimples and the same encyclopaedic knowledge of movies as Josie, seems too good to be true.

And maybe he is… Because there’s one teeny tiny problem as Josie falls madly in love. Cameron has no idea that Josie lives at home with her ex-porn star parents and their dog Dave, or about the minor detail that she works for their sex toy empire. After her ex broke up with her because of the family business, Josie decides to tell a little white lie.

But it’s just a matter of time until the truth comes out. When it does, will Cameron end things, leaving Josie with only Dave the dog for company? And what if she’s not the only one who’s keeping secrets?

So funny it should come with a warning! Don’t read while eating/drinking/in public – embarrassment will ensue. The perfect romantic comedy for anyone whose love life is more extinct than dinosaurs, and for fans of Sophie Kinsella, Lindsey Kelk and Emily Henry.

Author Bio

Mother-of-four, gin-drinker, binge-watcher, receipt hoarder, enthusiastic but terrible cook. Kristen also writes. She has had short fiction published in several publications including Mslexia & Riptide. Her first two novels, Souper Mum and Second Helpings were published in 2016. In 2019, she was long-listed in the Comedy Women in Print Prize and has since joined the Bookouture family. She writes women's fiction and she hopes her novels have fresh and funny things to say about modern life, love and family.

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