My Review for New Dreams at Polkerran Point by Cass Grafton

New Dreams at Polkerran Point is the first book in the Polkerran Point series and the first I’ve read by the lovely Cass Grafton. Cass is fast becoming one of my auto-buy authors!

I loved this story so much. I’m a sucker for anything which includes a girl giving up city life for village life in Cornwall. Throw in some romance, attractive men and nosey neighbours full of village gossip, and you have the perfect combination. Anna is our protagonist and has inherited her Aunt Meg’s cottage, so why wouldn’t she up-sticks and move across several counties from Yorkshire to Cornwall? And there begins the stories in Polkerran Point, which can’t come fast enough!

I loved that the story isn’t just a plain old romance, there is plenty of mystery and intrigue throughout and Cass kept me guessing the entire way through about, well, absolutely everything! I loved Lauren, who is Anna’s bestie in Yorkshire and is always at the end of a FaceTime call when Anna needs her - and vice versa. I liked the broody, mysterious and grumpy Oliver, but I didn’t love Alex, who quite frankly is an ass!

Cass gives us a different quote from a classic novel at the start of every chapter and they all have some relevance to what’s coming up in the next few pages. I loved this and I couldn’t wait to see which one she came up with each time.

I’ve already bought the next book in the series, and I’ve started reading it. I’ll be along to share my thoughts on that one with you all very soon.

About the Book

When Aunt Meg leaves her cottage to Anna Redding in her will, Anna immediately packs up and heads to Polkerran, the Cornish fishing village where she was so happy as a child. With ambitions to turn the cottage into a B&B, a job working for the enigmatic historian, Oliver Seymour , and the return of her childhood crush, Alex Tremayne , it seems the stars have all aligned for Anna. But Aunt Meg left behind a mystery for her to solve, and a shock discovery reveals she may be living a dream that isn’t really hers to hold. Can Anna rescue the new life she’s made for herself? Who in Polkerran can she really count on in her time of need?

About Cass - by Cass

I began my writing life in Regency England, enlisted Jane Austen's help to timetravel between then and the present day and am now happily ensconced in 21st century Cornwall.

Well, in my imagination and soul; my heart and physical presence reside in northern England with my ever-patient husband and Tig and Tag, our cute but exceptionally demanding moggies.

A bit of a nomad, I’ve called three countries home, as well as six different English counties, but my aspiration is to one day reunite with my beloved West Country.

In the meantime, I write feel-good contemporary romances set in Cornwall and, in doing so, manage to live there vicariously through my characters and settings

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My Review for The Journey After the Crown by Andrew Mackie, read by Lisa McCune

I listened to The Journey After the Crown as an audiobook. It grew on me, but it was incredibly slow to begin with and it took me an age to get to grips with the characters. Daisie and Violet are nineteen-year-old identical twins who have the chance of a lifetime. They are to be maids to Queen Elizabeth II onboard the royal ship, as she and Prince Philip embark on a royal tour of Australia and the Commonwealth.

Whilst the story is long-winded and the characters are unlikable, I did enjoy the story. Some parts shocked me, whilst for much of it I was frustrated by the actions of several people. It was full of drama and interest and worth a read for anyone who enjoys historical fiction. Whilst based on a true event, the story is entirely fictional, maybe it would have been better if there were more elements of truth included.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK Audio for the opportunity to listen to and review The Journey After the Crown by Andrew Mackie.

About the Book

A young Queen. Two sisters. A voyage that will change their fates forever.

Nineteen-year-old identical twins Violet and Daisie Chettle can hardly believe their luck when they are recruited as maids on newly crowned Queen Elizabeth II’s royal ship.

It’s just the ticket they need away from cold, grey London and the tension that’s been brewing at home since the tragic loss of their parents.

But the 1954 royal tour to Australia, is a far cry from the glitz and glamour they had imagined. Life below deck is hard-work, and whilst Violet is prepared to keep her head down and be seen and not heard, Daisie has her sights on doing everything she can to hang up her apron and mingle above deck – even if it means leaving Violet behind.

But as Daisie begins to win royal favour, she receives a letter from London. The sisters can’t outrun their past any longer… Violet has committed an unspeakable act of betrayal that will change their relationship forever.

With their positions on the tour hanging in the balance, have the sisters ventured too far from home to ever find their way back?

Set against the stunning backdrop of Queen Elizabeth’s first royal tour with Prince Phillip prepare to be swept away with this upstairs-downstairs drama, perfect for fans of The Crown and Downton Abbey

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My Review for One of the Girls by Lucy Clarke, read by Natalie Simpson and Sofia Zervudachi

Full of twists, turns, alcohol and sunshine, this thriller audiobook kept my anxieties high as I listened. Told in turn, from each character’s viewpoint, it didn’t take me long to work out who was who, and their relationship to Lexi, the bride-to-be on her hen weekend in Greece. We all knew someone would die. What I didn’t work out, though, was who that was going to be and what was going to happen. That came as a complete surprise. All six women had their secrets and, of course, during the trip, all the secrets were going to come out, one way or another.

Lucy writes with intrigue, and suspense and I adored listening to this. A Greek island, female friendships (or not), sunshine, good food and alcohol. What’s not to love? 

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK Audio for the opportunity to listen to and review a copy of One of the Girls by Lucy Clarke.

About the Book

It was supposed to be the perfect weekend away. Six very different women travel to a sun-soaked Greek island for a bachelorette trip, to celebrate Lexi’s upcoming wedding. From the glorious ocean views to the quaint tavernas and whitewashed streets, the vacation seems too good to be true. But dangerous undercurrents run beneath the sunset swims and midnight cocktails – because each of the women is hiding a secret. Someone is determined to make sure that Lexi’s marriage never happens – and that one of them doesn’t leave the island alive.

Gripping, twisty, and full of sun-soaked suspense, this timely thriller examines the joys of female friendship…as well as the deadly consequences when a relationship goes wrong.

About Lucy

Sunday Times bestseller Lucy Clarke is the author of eight destination thrillers. They include Waterstones Thriller of the Month, The Castaways, Richard and Judy Book Club pick, One of the Girls, and most recently, The Hike. Lucy's novels have sold over a million copies and are published in more than 25 territories worldwide.

Lucy's thriller, No Escape (also published as The Blue) has been released as a major international show for Paramount+. Set in the Philippines, the seven-part series is directed by Hans Herbot (The Serpent) and stars Abigail Lawrie and Rhianne Barreto as best friends Lana and Kitty.

The Castaways has also been adapted for screen and was The Guardian Pick of the Week. BAFTA award-winner Sheridan Smith stars as Lori, and Celine Buckens plays her sister, Erin. The five-part thriller is available to stream on Paramount+.

When Lucy isn't away on research trips (the real reason she loves being an author!), she can be found writing from a beach hut on the south coast of England. She lives with her husband and their two children.

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My Review for The Memory Box by Kathryn Hughes

Jenny has just celebrated her 100th birthday and decides that now is the opportunity to revisit her past, and takes her carer, Candice, along for the ride. Written across dual timelines, 2019 and 1940s Wales and Italy, Jenny and Candice open up Jenny’s memory box and delve in to see where history will take them.

The Memory Box is beautifully researched and written, and I adored the characters and the story. I can guarantee that this book will trigger every emotion within you and just goes to show that relationships are often similar, regardless of the era. 

Historical fiction books, set during WWII, are one of my favourite genres, and this book is right up there among the top.

Thank you to NetGalley and Headline for the opportunity to read and review The Memory Box by Kathryn Hughes.

About the Book

Some love stories can't be forgotten...

Jenny Tanner opens the box she has cherished for decades. Contained within are her most precious mementoes, amongst them a pebble, a carving and a newspaper cutting she can hardly bear to read. But Jenny knows the time is finally here. After the war, in a mountainside village in Italy, she left behind a piece of her heart. However painful, she must return to Cinque Alberi. And lay the past to rest.

After a troubled upbringing, Candice Barnes dreams of a future with the love of her life - but is he the man she believes him to be? When Candice is given the opportunity to travel to Italy with Jenny, she is unaware the trip will open her eyes to the truth she's been too afraid to face. Could a place of goodbyes help her make a brave new beginning?

About Kathryn - by Kathryn

The question I am most often asked is this: have you always wanted to be a writer? Looking back over my life I can see that writing has played a fairly significant role, but I can’t remember having a burning desire to be an author. I have enjoyed writing short stories but would not say I was prolific. I don’t have a back catalogue of work like some writers do. In my twenties, I wrote around 50,000 words of a Mills & Boon novel. I have no idea what happened to that manuscript and sincerely hope it never surfaces. It was probably terrible!

Back in 2007, I had an idea for another book. It would centre around the mystery of an old unposted letter. Who wrote this letter? Who found it? Why was it never posted? And what happened to the person who should have received it but didn’t? I had so many questions and not enough answers. I did have a brilliant title though. It would be called – wait for it – The Letter! All I had to do was expand this idea to 90,000 words. How hard could that be? Hmm … very is the answer to that question. Perhaps that’s why it took six years to see the light of day. In my defence, I was still working fulltime, had two children to look after and writing a book is like filling a swimming pool with a syringe. I could also deliver a masterclass in procrastination.

By 2012 though, I had managed to complete the entire novel and my mum said it was really good, so I banged it out to a few agents and waited for the offers to come flooding in. I didn’t have to wait long. Just a few days later the first rejection letter arrived, and then another … and another, until I had about a dozen of them. It was so difficult not to become disheartened in the face of all that negativity, but I’ve since learnt that agents reject manuscripts for all sorts of reasons and it often has nothing to do with the quality of your work. And anyway, it’s all subjective; F Scott Fitzgerald was once told by an editor: ‘You’d have a decent book if only you’d get rid of that Gatsby character.’

Undeterred, in 2013, I decided to self-publish. I had worked for too long on my novel to just leave it festering in the back of a filing cabinet. With the rise in popularity of e-readers, self-publishing was a realistic and cost effective way forward. Alarmingly, though, there are over 2 million books in the Kindle store alone. How on earth was anybody going to find my book? I didn’t have a publicity machine. I didn’t even have a contraption. I had a Twitter account with four followers, all of whom I was related to. Friends were kind enough to download the book and post positive reviews and a few lovely book bloggers read their free copy and did the same. Fast forward ten months and I’d sold a few hundred copies, and then even this torrent of sales dried up. I made the book free for 5 days on a Kindle countdown deal and during that period nearly 10,000 people downloaded it. As those people read their copy, reviewed it and recommended it to friends, so it began to climb the charts, until, unbelievably, it reached No 1. Being so visible in the charts, The Letter came to the attention of Mari Evans at Headline, who asked one of her editors, Sherise Hobbs, to read it. Fortunately for me, Sherise loved it and Headline agreed to publish it in paperback. It has now been translated into 25 languages and has sold close to 1 million copies. Six years from the initial idea to publication can hardly be described as an overnight success, but I’m truly grateful to everybody at Headline for their support and belief in me as a writer.

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My Review for Diddly Squat: A Year on the Farm (Diddly Squat #1) by Jeremy Clarkson, read by Jeremy Clarkson

Jeremy Clarkson - he’s a bit like Marmite. you either love him or hate him, I don’t think there’s really any middle ground. I love him. Yes, he’s a pompous ass some of the time, but he’s funny, he has an amazingly sarcastic sense of humour, he’s politically incorrect a lot, and I mean a lot, of the time but he’s done alright for himself so something must be working! 

If you’re unfamiliar with Clarkson, he’s a petrolhead first and foremost and you’ll best know him for Top Gear and more recently The Grand Tour, but he’s got a sideline too. A farm in the heart of the Cotswolds in the middle of England. A farm called Diddly Squat. In this audiobook, Jeremy tells of his first year on the farm to go alongside the TV show on Amazon Prime. 

Full of crop failures, too much sunshine, too much rain, vindictive sheep and a massive, massive tractor that wouldn’t fit in the tractor shed. This book is a delight to listen to and will have you laughing out loud. If you don’t like Jeremy, then I’d probably give this one a miss - he’ll more than likely upset you! I enjoyed it so much, I’ve just listened again whilst on a long car journey.

About the Book

Welcome to Jeremy's farm. It's an idyllic spot, offering picturesque views across the Cotswolds, bustling hedgerows, woodlands and natural springs. Jeremy always liked the idea being a farmer. But, while he was barrelling around the world having more fun with cars than was entirely reasonable, it seemed obvious that the actual, you know, farmingwas much better left to someone else

Then one day he decided he would do the farming himself.

After all, how hard could it be?

Well . . .

Faced with suffocating red tape, biblical weather, local objections, a global pandemic and his own frankly staggering ignorance of how to 'do farming', Jeremy soon realises that turning the farm around is going to take more than splashing out on a massive tractor.

Fortunately, there's help at hand from a large and (mostly) willing team, including girlfriend Lisa, Kaleb the Tractor Driver, Cheerful Charlie, Ellen the Shepherd and Gerald, his Head of Security and Dry Stone Waller. Between them they enthusiastically cultivate crops, rear livestock and hens, keep bees, bottle spring water and open a farm shop. But profits remain elusive.

And yet while the farm may be called Diddly Squat for good reason, Jeremy soon begins to understand that it's worth a whole lot more to him than pounds, shillings and pence . . .

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My Review for Spare by Prince Harry, read by Prince Harry

I think I’ve been living under a rock or something. I had no idea, absolutely none at all, as to why Prince Harry’s book was called Spare, or indeed what a ‘Spare’ was. For those of you who are unclear (and I’m presuming it’s not many of you), Prince Harry was/is the spare. William - the heir - Harry - the spare. It’s as simple (and as callous) as that!

I know memoirs are one-sided and yes, we’re only hearing one person’s point of view, reasoning and opinions, but you have to go with what you are listening to or reading at the time, right? Throughout his book, I often felt saddened at the things Harry was telling me but a lot of the time, to be honest, I wanted to tell him to stop moaning so much - and he moans a lot, particularly about William and Kate but then to be fair, if what he says is true, then they often had complaints about Meghan so he was only standing up for her!

In all honesty, and as other reviewers have stated, maybe Harry’s story would have been more balanced if he’d waited a few years if he’d let the dust settle and wasn’t so upset and angry when he wrote it.

I did enjoy his story, though. It was interesting, incredibly sad and thought-provoking and I felt it was more personal as an audiobook which he narrated himself. If you’re a follower of the British Royal Family, then you’ve probably already read or listened to Spare, but if you haven’t and you are even a little interested, then take a shot, hopefully, you’ll enjoy it - even the moany parts!

About the Book

Before losing his mother, twelve-year-old Prince Harry was known as the carefree one, the happy-go-lucky Spare to the more serious Heir. Grief changed everything. He struggled at school, struggled with anger, with loneliness—and, because he blamed the press for his mother’s death, he struggled to accept life in the spotlight.

At twenty-one, he joined the British Army. The discipline gave him structure, and two combat tours made him a hero at home. But he soon felt more lost than ever, suffering from post-traumatic stress and prone to crippling panic attacks. Above all, he couldn’t find true love. 

Then he met Meghan. The world was swept away by the couple’s cinematic romance and rejoiced in their fairy-tale wedding. But from the beginning, Harry and Meghan were preyed upon by the press, subjected to waves of abuse, racism, and lies. Watching his wife suffer, their safety and mental health at risk, Harry saw no other way to prevent the tragedy of history repeating itself but to flee his mother country. Over the centuries, leaving the Royal Family was an act few had dared. The last to try, in fact, had been his mother. . . .

For the first time, Prince Harry tells his own story, chronicling his journey with raw, unflinching honesty. A landmark publication, Spare is full of insight, revelation, self-examination, and hard-won wisdom about the eternal power of love over grief.

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The Sporty One - My Life as a Spice Girl by Melanie C, read by Melanie C.

I wasn’t really what I’d call a Spice Girls fan, not like some people were. I was probably a bit too old at twenty-something when they were at the height of their fame, but I enjoyed some of their music and, well; they are more or less the same age as me so of course I’m nosey and interested in how lives pan out.

Melanie Chisholm - Mel C - Sporty Spice, one of five girls who responded to an advertisement in the paper to form what was to become one of the most famous girl groups of all time.

Listening to Melanie narrate her own story was at times fun, at other times a hard listen, but amazingly entertaining and interesting. She is open and honest about the good and bad times. The difficult times she had with her fellow band members but also, and what stood out for me, was the amount of fun and friendship that was evident for much of the time.

Throughout the book, Melanie’s fighting spirit shone through, and I’m so glad she decided to share her story. I would recommend the audiobook to anyone who loved or was even the slightest bit interested in the Spice Girls. It was a delight to listen to.

About the Book

An intimate memoir from international pop star Melanie Chisholm--better known as Mel C. or Sporty Spice--chronicling her trajectory from small-town girl to overnight icon as part of the Spice Girls.

25 years ago, The Spice Girls, a girl band that began after five women answered an ad in the paper, released their first single. 'Wannabe' became a hit and from that moment and, almost overnight, Melanie Chisholm went from small town girl to Sporty Spice, part of one of the biggest music groups in history. 

Beginning in her bedroom in the north-west of England dreaming of performing on stage, THE SPORTY ONE follows the meteoric rise of the Melanie and The Spice Girls, from the incredible highs of becoming one of the world’s most recognizable popstars – playing at Wembley, conquering the BRITs, closing the Olympics – to the difficult lows. For the first time ever, Melanie talks about the pressures of fame, the shaming and bullying she experienced, the struggles she has had with her body image and mental health, and the difficulty of finding yourself when the whole world knows your name. 

THE SPORTY ONE is an incredible story of resilience, hope and how you can find your power.

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My Review for Dear Eliza by Andrea Stein

Dear Eliza is Andrea Stein’s second novel and just as with Typecast, it’s a winner from me. If I read a book fast, it means I’m loving it and I read this one, oh so fast! 

Eliza is twenty-six, and ten years ago, when she was sixteen, her world was upended when her Mum died. Now it’s being upended again, in more ways than one! Eliza went through a whirlwind of emotions during this book, her and me both! Grief, anger, acceptance and love. For me, Dear Eliza focuses on the importance of family and friendship and the people you can count on in life.

I cannot recommend this book enough. If you enjoy contemporary fiction with amazing characters, which is full of heartfelt emotion and a beautiful story, then pop along to your local bookstore and pick up a copy of Andrea’s new book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Andrea Stein for the opportunity to read and review Dear Eliza.

About the Book

Ten years after her mother’s death, Eliza Levinger never imagined she’d hear from her again. But then The Letter arrived. 

Eliza’s world broke apart when she was sixteen and her mom died of cancer. Now, years later, she has rebuilt her life to include a director-of-development job at a nonprofit, a Manhattan apartment, and an easy-on-the-eyes bedroom buddy—just the kind of no-strings relationship she wants, even if it’s less than her best friend, Mo, thinks she deserves. But when Eliza’s dad dies unexpectedly, her beloved aunt Claude arrives at the shiva with a letter from her mom—to be opened only after her father’s death. Inside the letter? A bombshell. 

Suddenly, all of Eliza’s relationships are upended. Her brother is angry, her stepmother is threatening to disinherit her, and Mo—who has always been her rock—doesn’t seem to understand what she’s going through. But as Eliza struggles to cope with the shocking news, she finds an unexpected ally—her brother’s best friend, Josh—her high school crush, whom she’s tried hard to forget. It’s not in Eliza’s nature to trust . . . but maybe it’s time for that to change. Dear Eliza explores the meaning of family, the complexities of grief, and the beauty in finding your way again.

About Andrea

Born in Brooklyn, she was raised in New Jersey before attending a small, quirky liberal arts college and a large, preppy university, both in New York State. A book publicist by profession, she lives with her husband and sons in suburban New Jersey. 

She spends an inordinate amount of time taking pretty photos of books. Things that make her happy include strong tea, turtles, sunshine, sheep, and the ocean.

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My Review for Christmas at the Little Paris Hotel by Rebecca Raisin

I love Rebecca’s books, and this was no exception. Christmas, books, intrigue and mystery, along with a little bit of romance. I’ve never fancied Paris, to be honest, but pick the hotel up and put it down somewhere else and I’m there!

The characters were all adorable, some quirky, some cute and some just a little bit grumpy! Manon and Anais have an adorable relationship as cousins. My cousin and I are really close and yes, actually, I could see us working together in a cute little bookshop in the windy streets of some seaside town somewhere. Definitely not a city though, we’re both country girls at heart!

As always, Rebecca has knocked it out of the park with this one, and I always want to read whatever she writes,

Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books and Rachel’s Random Resources for the opportunity to read and review Christmas at the Little Paris Hotel by Rebecca Raisin.

About the Book

Turn a tumbledown Paris hotel into a perfect boutique, bookish retreat, and have it open for Christmas? What could possibly go wrong? When Anais receives a near-derelict Paris hotel in her divorce settlement, her first thought is to tidy it up and sell it immediately. All she wants is to move on and forget her disaster of a marriage ever happened.

But selling it proves impossible, so she has only one to make it gorgeous and open by Christmas… when her funds will almost certainly run out.

She’s not counting on the grumpy American bar-owner next door, Noah, coming and interfering at every moment though. Nor is she expecting to find a mysterious room – which holds the key to a one-hundred-year-old secret – about a woman who chose love against the odds.

One thing’s for sure… as the fairy lights twinkle all over the city of lights and the first snowflakes start to fall… this will be a Christmas in Paris to remember.

About Rebecca

Rebecca Raisin writes heartwarming romance from her home in sunny Perth, Australia. Her heroines tend to be on the quirky side and her books are usually set in exotic locations so her readers can armchair travel any day of the week. The only downfall about writing about gorgeous heroes who have brains as well as brawn, is falling in love with them – just as well they’re fictional. Rebecca aims to write characters you can see yourself being friends with. People with big hearts who care about relationships and believe in true, once in a lifetime love. Her bestselling novel Rosie’s Travelling Tea Shop has been optioned for film with MRC studios and Frolic Media.

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