Sam's Fireside - Cosy Book Reviews & Recommendations

‘A message sent with love always finds its way from one heart to another’. What a beautiful read My Grandmother’s Inn was, I wanted to visit Molly at Hydrangea House from the get-go. I wanted to stroll along the beach and watch the iridescent sunset that Kristin Harper writes so beautifully about. I wanted to join in with the guests and savour the delicious pastries that Molly collects from the bakery every morning.  My Grandmother’s Inn shows just how important family is and despite all the odds, when push comes to shove, hopefully, family will always be there for one another. This book was over far too soon for me. I just wanted it to go on and on. I really need to find out what happens next to Molly, Matt and Savannah and, of course, Hydrangea House. I would really recommend this book to anyone who fancies an easy, happy read, and I can guarantee you’ll close the book feeling that you’ve made a whole heap of new friends. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity...

Liar Liar has to be one of the most accurate titles for a book that I’ve seen in a long time. Everything, from start to finish, is a lie. Every single character seems to be a liar, or at least someone who hides the truth... I loved it! Every chapter just gives you something different, another twist to the story and another link to what might have happened in the past. Narrated by Tanya Eby, I listened to Liar Liar as an audiobook and she really drew me into the character’s lives, lies and all. Full of suspense and emotion, Liar Liar will have you clutching the edge of your seat as you dive into the rabbit hole that is Tess’s life. I was out walking with my dog and listening to the final few chapters of this when for me, there was a real WATF moment and I actually said it out loud - it’s a good thing no one was around to hear me! Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for the opportunity to listen to and review a copy of Liar Liar by L.G. Davis. Amazon UK  | Amazon US  |...

Written across two timelines, The Cuban Daughter is set both in London and Cuba, following Esmeralda in 1950 and Claudia in the present day. Claudia sets out to discover what happened to her great-grandmother in Cuba in 1950 and just how she came to be in London. I was entranced by The Cuban Daughter from start to finish, and I loved Soraya Lane’s writing about Cuban history and culture, and the time-warp concept of the entire country. Cuba is definitely somewhere I’d love to visit at some point. I love a story that warms my heart, and this didn’t disappoint. Too much information will spoil this for you, but honestly, if you love historical fiction, learning about another country’s background and the warm feeling that a book can give you, then I would highly recommend this book. I didn’t realise that The Cuban Daughter was part of a series until I read someone else’s review, but this absolutely doesn’t matter and can be read as a standalone novel for sure. I am adding The Italian Daugh...

Twenty years ago, three young women disappeared, never to be found. The rumour to this day is that their bodies are still hidden deep within the murky Loch Aven. A time-slip novel, ‘then’, mainly told from the viewpoint of Rebecca, and ‘present day’, told from Eleanor’s perspective with a few other characters intermingled in the storytelling. Eleanor, Clio and Michaela are on a girls’ holiday in Scotland and sunny, it is not! Wet, misty, dismal and mysterious, the girls are alone in the house on the Loch and then one of them goes missing. Even though I worked out ‘whodunnit’ by the middle of the book, The Loch was a real page-turner for me and kept me hooked all day long. I truly couldn’t put it down. Do you know how difficult it is to hold the pages open whilst making a tuna sandwich?! The Loch is my first Fran Dorricott novel, and it has made me eager to check out what else she has written and add them to my TBR list. Thank you to Avon Books UK for the opportunity to read and review...

If you want a book to get you in the mood for warmer weather, then grab a copy of The Man I Met on Holiday by Fiona Gibson. Happy, lighthearted, funny and huggy. I guarantee it will leave you wanting to linger in the sunshine with a pina colada, with the sun on your back and the breeze blowing through your hair. Lauren and James are two single people on holiday in Corsica. James is flying solo and Lauren might as well be, as her son is keeping to himself in his room! Inevitably, they bump into each other and away the story goes, as we discover whether romance can continue at home, away from the sunshine and frolics of Corsica. Full of sun, fun and laughter, I really enjoyed reading The Man I Met on Holiday, curled up with a cup of tea as the snow fell down around me (not literally - I wasn’t sitting outside)! Thank you to Avon Books UK for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of The Man I Met on Holiday by Fiona Gibson. Amazon UK  | Amazon US  |  Facebook  |...

“Sally Diamond cannot understand why what she did was so strange. She was only doing what her father told her to do, to put him out with the rubbish when he died”. I was literally chairbound. From start to finish, I couldn’t put this book down. Sally Diamond was definitely strange with severe mental health problems, but who wouldn’t be with the start in life that she had? For me, she was a loveable character, and I just wanted to put my arm around her and look after her (not that she would have allowed that)!  Set across different timelines and two countries, Ireland and New Zealand, Liz Nugent handles Sally’s mental health with sensitivity and although there is a comedic side to Sally, we see her issues handled with compassion. Strange Sally Diamond span me through a spiral of emotions. I was horrified and relieved. I was joyous, and oh so sad, but ultimately, Sally reminded me a little of Eleanor Oliphant, and both characters will stay with me for a long time. Definitely an earl...

I wasn’t sure about this book when I began to read. Cassie and Noah (mother and son) are camped out in a caravan in March 2020, at the beginning of the pandemic, and their reasons for being there become clear as you read. With dual timelines of 2020 and 1940, the entire book is made-up of letters and diary entries (1940) and letters, texts and emails (2020). By the middle of the second part of the book, (there are seven), I was well and truly hooked!  Dive in and find out for yourselves just how all the characters link up. I can honestly say that it wasn’t until Ruby - a ninety-six-year-old woman - explains the achievements in her life - that I worked out how everything interlinked! Sarah Mitchell is just so expressive in her writing and she has made me want to find out more about cloud formations and telling the weather from them (wouldn’t you just love to be having a drink with me in a pub)!!! My favourite quote from the book is an old Maori proverb "Turn your face towards the...