Sam's Fireside - Cosy Book Reviews & Recommendations

Goodreads is really confusing with this series, and which book is which number in the series, so I’m ignoring all that and just going in to say that I really enjoyed The Foyles Bookshop Girls’ Promise. This one sees Rosie as our protagonist, and along with her friends, family and colleagues, she deals with the trials and tribulations of London during WWI. Rosie is working at Foyles Bookshop, but she’s also lending a hand in the hospital. That’s all before she begins to help the children in the local school with their reading! Elaine writes with such warmth about all of her characters, and it’s extremely easy to lose a few hours while you’re immersed in one of her stories. The book is well-researched, and although it is fiction, I enjoy reading about the way life would have been during the war. Regardless of what number this is in the series, I loved it and at some point, I’ll investigate what I’m missing and what’s going on with the other books. Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books ...

Congratulations to Sue Moorcroft for the publication of her 25th novel - what an incredible achievment. You can find all the details of her other books on the graphic. So back we go to the Isle of Skye, and this time we travel along with Essie, one of the Wynter sisters. We met Thea in book 1, but not to worry if you haven’t read this yet. A Skye Full of Stars can absolutely be read as a standalone.  I loved Essie’s story, and, as with Thea’s, things unfold which, hopefully, will enrich her life, but perhaps with just a little bit of uncertainty along the way.  I learnt a little about Swedish Christmas traditions and it’s interesting to discover how different countries celebrate different holidays. Most have one thing in common - food - lots and lots of delicious food! The kids are cute, Daisy is adorable - as always - and the Skye landscape, especially in the snow, is incredible. I’ve never ventured that far north, but hopefully, someday, I’ll get the opportunity to visit Sky...

Christmas, Cornwall, Polkerran Point, a cute but grumpy man and lots of baked goodies - happiness in a book! I had an early November visit to Polkerran Point and was quickly reacquainted with all the characters I’ve grown to love, along with their quirks and oh-so-funny peculiarities. Gemma brings along her own little oddity - she talks to inanimate objects - but do they answer back?! Matt is an oddity in himself, grumpy, introspective and full of self-importance - at least to begin with, and Gemma is the one who needs to deal with him! I loved the adapted Christmas song lyrics at the beginning of each chapter, each one written to tie in with the coming chapter. Such a clever idea, I enjoyed those a lot! I can’t wait to read Cass’s next trip to Polkerran Point. I have a sneaky feeling that Dev might be our main character, but we will all need to wait and see! Thank you to Cass Grafton and Rachel’s Random Resources for the opportunity to read and review Christmas at Polkerran Point. Abo...

Lena and Gavin....at the beginning I just wanted to bang their heads together - a typical case of miscommunication, or rather a lack of communication! For heaven’s sake, just talk to each other!  Samantha Brentmoor and Patrick Zeller were great narrators as Lena and Gavin, both of them throwing themselves into the characters, especially during the spicy scenes - you have been warned! Of course, it was pretty obvious how the story was going to pan out, but the excitement and the build-up to Christmas and beyond was so much fun. I loved that Gavin was having to eat a gluten-free diet. This resonated slightly with me as my husband has recently been diagnosed with coeliac, so that’s the route we’re going down right now! Lena’s family is just a cuteness overload. From the smallest baby to the eldest Grandma, I was invested in them all as soon as I plugged my AirPods in. The bonus episodes were awesome, I don’t know whether these are included in the physical book, but I loved hearing wh...

This week I took a second trip to Polkerran Point and this time I went along with Lauren for the ride. Pregnant, with no job and no home, Lauren seeks the comfort of her best friend Anna, who has already been living in Polkerran Point for a while and welcomes Lauren with open arms. I loved Lauren; I loved how she really wasn’t sure about Polkerran Point, how she initially missed the hustle and bustle of city life and, most of all, I loved how the beauty of Cornwall grew on her until she almost didn’t want to leave. Daniel and Lauren were cute, and much more suited to each other than with either of their exes, but boy their lack of communication was frustrating - for heaven’s sake, just tell each other how you feel! Although this is the second book in the series, it can absolutely be read as a standalone, but don’t. Do yourself a favour and buy both books, or even treat yourselves and buy the third one too which has recently been released! About the Book Can fake dating turn into someth...

A lovely listen from a first-time author to me with Karen Clarke’s Summer at the Little French Cafe. Elle Matheson is off to France to try to find her birth mother, but she doesn’t have a lot to go on. The book was full of humour, great characters, and intrigue! Elle immediately fit in with everyone and they all warm to her. Maybe this is the place she is destined to be!  If you are a fan of a small-town romance with memorable characters, a cute cafe and some goats, then give this book a listen or a read. I didn’t realise until afterwards that this is part of a series, however; you don’t need to have read a previous book to enjoy this one. I will be going back and trying some more of Karen’s books. Thank you to NetGalley and Saga Egmont Audio for the opportunity to listen to and review Summer at the Little French Cafe by Karen Clarke. About the Book In the beautiful village of Chamillon lies the Café Belle Vie, where you’ll always find croissants and friends when you need them the ...