Sam's Fireside - Cosy Book Reviews & Recommendations

This book is adorable. I fell in love with Poppy and Joel from the beginning, and I wasn't sure how they'd end up together, but I just knew they would. They clicked immediately and it was just so cute. Joel's daughter, Imogen, was a gem. I loved that she clicked with Poppy from the start, and, that isn't always an easy thing to do, but Imogen just knew that she wanted her Dad to be happy and Poppy was going to be the one who made that happen.  Poppy's Dad was suffering with Alzheimer's and I felt that this subject was sensitively dealt with and researched thoroughly. Thankfully, no one I know has had to go through this terrible disease, but I know a lot more about it now than I did previously. Jessica loves to bring her characters, from other books, into her current read and I adore this. It's like saying hello to old friends, finding out what they're up to now, and what's happened since we last met. All like one big happy family! I can't wait fo...

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall was December's choice for the classics book chat I'm in, #classiclitbookclub. Due to the time of year, a few of us decided to pass on this, but I still wanted to read it. My first Anne Brontë book and I loved it. It took me a good few weeks to finish it, and I read and listened to others in between, so yes, I took my time. With classics in particular I need to firstly be in the mood to read it, and secondly, concentrate on what's happening, so I actually understand it! No one is judging you on how long it takes to read a book and whether you find it easy or not. It's taken me a while to be confident enough to say in my chats, that nope, sorry, I didn't get that at all! The Tenant of Wildfell Hall was no different to a lot of classics I've read. It's a long book, but not a lot actually happens. Despite that, the story was interesting and beautifully written. Every single time I read about how women were often treated in the 1800s, ...

Cosy mysteries are really not my thing - they used to be - I used to read a lot of Agatha Raisin books, but I got bored and drifted to other things. However, this choice from #BookstaBritsBookClub may have persuaded me to try some more again, and for that I guess I have to thank Alexandra Benedict, author of The Christmas Jigsaw Murders. I really enjoyed this, Edie is a feisty octogenarian who sets crossword puzzles and is famous amongst crossword puzzle solvers. She doesn't care what she says, or who she upsets as she goes along her merry way, trying to help (or hinder) the police solve the murders that are being committed, all of which look to be just one piece of a bigger jigsaw puzzle.  There are thriller vibes woven through the book and despite the cosy mystery setting, there are some dark and heart-stopping moments included which I loved. I would definitely like to read some more of Alexandra's books, and I'm glad I read this just before Christmas. There are some puzz...

This book grew on me the more I listened and as I got used to the narrator. I don't think it was intended as a cosy mystery, but I found it to be this, crossed with a thriller. It gave off cosy mystery vibes because all the murders take place in the small village of Kirkby Abbey, but a thriller as it's a Detective Inspector investigating, and not an amateur sleuth! I had so many theories throughout this book, as to who the killer might be, and I didn't guess until the very end, which for me is always the sign of a great author, I was literally on tenterhooks, trying to work out who it might be and why they might be doing what they were doing. Aside from the murders and the investigative work surrounding that, Kirkby Abbey is a typical English country village, with nosey neighbours, a warm and welcoming village pub and a proper neighbourly feeling - well from most of the villagers anyway! Thank you to Libro FM for the opportunity to listen to and review The Christmas Killer...

Nicola May has been one of my go-to authors for a few years now, so when I got the opportunity to read her new novel, How Do I Tell You? I was straight in there to join the blog tour. I rarely, if ever, read the synopsis of a book. I base my choices on author and/or book cover, and this was no exception. Suffice it to say I was surprised by the storyline, not in a bad way, it was just unexpected. Once I'd got my head around what was going on, I settled down and enjoyed the solidarity that Victoria, our female main character, found with her true friends and family who surrounded her, whilst she came to terms with the unexpected news she received. There are some brilliant characters in Nicola's new book, I loved Jerico, Danny and Ray who all had Victoria's back, right from the start. They were supportive, encouraging and just downright awesome. Nicola deals with a difficult subject incredibly well, with sensitivity and, very obviously, a great deal of research.  I would advis...

I've lost track of how many times I've read this book, and all I know is that Daphne du Maurier has been a favourite of mine since I was a teenager. So when Jamaica Inn was chosen as our January read for the classics chat I'm in, I couldn't wait to disappear again onto the wild Cornish moors! This is such a good story, and I'd forgotten a lot of what happened. I remembered the gist, the Inn in the middle of Bodmin Moor, the smuggling and the wrecks at sea, but I'd forgotten many of the characters and how influential they are to the story.  Daphne du Maurier has an incredible imagination, her vivid descriptions of the dank and dreary Jamaica Inn and the wilderness and inhospitable Bodmin Moor are something which will stay with the reader, long after the last page has been turned.  Jamaica Inn is a gothic, dark, gruesome and twisted novel, and so much more than many people perceive it. There is nothing fun and fanciful about Du Maurier's writing, so if that...

Pennycress Inn is going to be another, thoroughly enjoyable series from Sarah Hope, and she is fast becoming a must-read author for me. Laura is our protagonist and I found her brave, independent and a woman who knows just what she wants. I loved her spirit, as she makes a new life for herself, taking on a new business challenge which proves a little - well a lot - more complex than she originally thought.  I'm not sure that I'd have been as strong as she was when the villagers turned out to be a little hostile, and I admired this from her. She's proving that if you have the drive and determination, you can do anything you put your mind to, and overcome the obstacles in your way.  There is humour, romance, tears, laughter and sheep (yes you read that right - sheep), along the way and if you need a fun, cosy book to get you through these dull January days, then get yourself a copy, grab a cup of your favourite hot drink and curl up on the sofa in front of the fire and disapp...

Book three in The Clarks Factory Girls series from May Ellis and once again we are thrown into war-torn Somerset, and the lives of the men and women of Street, many of whom work in the Clarks shoe factory. Throughout the series, battles are being fought, on the frontline, but also in homes, where parents and children don't always see eye to eye! I love to read about the resilience of people, towns and villages, as they dealt with the horrors which war threw at them. Despite the hardships, they battle on and usually come out smiling. May Ellis draws me into her books and makes me feel like a part of the family, and I can just imagine sitting down with them and having a cuppa and a natter in front of the fire.  The world has come a long way since the early 1900s, when women weren't allowed to work once they got married and were expected to keep house and look after the children. Sometimes it's difficult to imagine how that was even a thing! I love my days with the girls, and ...

Forever Love at Wildflower Lock is the fourth book in this series, and Theo and Daisy are about to move forward in their relationship - or are they? Daisy is wondering where their relationship is going, why are Theo's parents so unwelcoming, and whatever would she do without her two besties, Claire and Bex?  Both Theo and Daisy made some irritating decisions throughout the book and there were many times I just said out loud 'no, don't - why would you do that'?!!! Of course, it all comes good in the end, but I was often left wondering as I read - just what was going to happen next. This is such a lovely book to settle down with, and while away a rainy afternoon, escaping to the tranquil Wildflower Lock, imagining yourself drinking coffee and eating the delicious cakes from Daisy's narrowboat coffee shop.  I'm looking forward to seeing what Hannah has next up her sleeve. Whatever it is, I'm sure it'll be another amazing read. Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwo...