Sam's Fireside - Cosy Book Reviews & Recommendations

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 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 ...

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 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 P...

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 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...

⭐⭐⭐ 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...

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 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.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 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’...