Sam's Fireside - Cosy Book Reviews & Recommendations

“I’d been secretly fantasising about you waking up fully restored back to factory settings.” I Found You is another one that I'm just catching up with my review for. I listened to this in the summer of 2024 and I remember so much about it, which is unusual - I usually forget about a story as soon as I finish it! I definitely wouldn't have done what Alice did, and invited a stranger inside my house to stay with me and my kids! But her heart is in the right place and thankfully, she has the support of her friend to keep an eye on her! The story is written from three points of view, two from the present day and one from 1993, from the point of view of two kids who holidayed in the same place where Alice now lives.  I really enjoyed listening to this, I thought I'd worked out who the man on the beach was, and then there was another twist and I was back to the drawing board! About the Book In a windswept British seaside town, single mom Alice Lake finds a man sitting on the beac...

'But bear in mind, using a dragon as a weapon comes with the risk of its bite'. I'm hooked! When is the next one out? The Luminiferous series is fast becoming my favourite fantasy series. I adore Lilly. She's sassy, she's fearless, she's brave and she doesn't suffer fools. In this one, Lilly sets out on some more adventures with her friends, in an attempt to find the second emanation of Luminiferous. On the way, she encounters enemies, many, many enemies, some who may become friends and inevitable death - thankfully not hers because we still have another five more books to go! After the world-building in book one, we are catapulted straight back into all the worlds that Lilly travels through, and of course she has Hairito by her side once again, such a cheeky, yet loyal gargoyle! Lilly is being forced to grow up fast and for a nineteen-year-old, she really is doing an awesome job of carrying the world's outcome on her shoulders! The book is full of sel...

“I couldn’t, I won’t take this second chance from you. … Just go! Be happy!” It's been a while since I listened to Nineteen Steps by Millie Bobby Brown, but I'm finally catching up with my reviews. This was one we chose for one of my Instagram book clubs and, as always, I went into it completely blind. I had no idea what it was about, or that it was based on true events, but I'm oh so glad I listened to it. It was so, so good.  I adore historical fiction, set in and around World War II. Nellie Morris was so lovely, as our protagonist, but she had to deal with so much, as the bombs rained down around her. My emotions ranged from happy to sad, to happy again and then to devastated as the love with her American airman looks so idyllic and positive, until the world caves in around them both.  There are hundreds of thousands of stories which could be told about people's experiences during WWII. I'm so pleased that Millie Bobby Brown decided to tell the world about this o...

“Memories take hold in the silence. Pain dulls with time, but can still linger, waiting to be polished so it can shine once more.” Encouraged by finally writing my reviews for the first two books in this trilogy, I grabbed an audiobook copy of Scythe and Sparrow from Libby and listened to it over the weekend. For me, this was by far the best of the three. I liked Fionn, I adored Rose and the circus was just a cutesy added extra for me. I've loved reading circus stories since I was younger, so throw one into the mix and I know I'll jump straight in there! Scythe and Sparrow isn't as gory as the other two but the s*x is hotter and steamier for sure. Both Lachlan and Lark and Rowan and Sloane make various reappearances throughout this one, and it's great to see how they are and what's going on in their lives.  If you haven't read these, and you're a dark romance lover, then what are you waiting for? Grab these as soon as you can and dive right in! About the Boo...

“A snow globe,” I say slowly, waiting for her to look up, which she doesn’t do. “You made a severed finger into a feckin’ snow globe.” “It was almost Christmas,” she says with a shrug. “It felt … festive.” A listened to this one, straight after Butcher and Blackbird, another combination of gruesomeness, murder and some hot and spicy! It was good, maybe not quite as good as the first one, but it came pretty close. I adore both of these narrators and Samantha Brentmoor especially, is fast becoming a favourite - and she has a great name too! For me, the story is a little slower than the first book, it's a lot more laid-back - if you can call a dark romance laid-back. I did want to chuck them both in the trunk of the car at one point and tell them to just sort themselves out. 😂 There was definitely humour, and both narrators capture it perfectly. Lark especially has an incredibly dry sense of humour and I loved this, she made the book a lot of fun.  Having finally found the time to wr...

'If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face—for ever. ' Although I have a beautiful, Penguin clothbound copy of Nineteen Eighty-Four, I chose to listen to it, and I'm so glad I did! As soon as the narrator spoke the first words, I knew that I knew him, and it took me all of five minutes to realise that it was Adam from the Archers. He was phenomenal, and made Winston come to life! I read this book many, many years ago, and I couldn't remember a thing about it. I found it terrifying that the authoritarian state in which he's living, could be said to resemble what's happening in certain parts of the world right now. Let's rewrite history, and make it the way we want it!😲 I enjoyed the beginning and the end, but now and then, Orwell goes off on a tangent and I became bored quite quickly. Nineteen Eighty-Four is definitely worth a read, just because it's a classic. Oh, and I love that he lived about thirty minutes from me, ...

'Your robot short-circuited! There was a system failure and a malfunction in the motherboard.' Rebecca Raisin is a must-read author for me, and I really enjoyed this book. It did take me a few minutes to get into the eccentricities of many of the people who were travelling on the Winter Wonderland Express, but very soon I was loving Princess, Sabrina and of course Jasper! Aubrey had my admiration, to have the confidence and wherewithal to travel as she does, is simply amazing. Simply to pack up her belongings and head off to the next destination. I love a cruise. I love going to sleep each night and waking up in a new place each morning. The Winter Wonderland Express was exactly like this, but with the added fun of the Christmas themes onboard. I really hope Rebecca decides to write a sequel to this one. I'd love to find out how Aubrey and Jasper manage on the Camino trail, and I'd delight in spending some time on Princess's yacht in the Cyclades. Thank you to Boldw...

' “You might be psycho,” I say with a grin as her eyes narrow, “but you’re my psycho, and I’m yours. Got it?” ' I listened to this one, along with Leather and Lark, last summer whilst I was manning the cement mixer as we landscaped our garden! I had no idea what to expect, I just knew that everyone had been raving about it, and, like the sheep I am, I had to follow.  One minute I was listening to the most gruesome murders I have ever read or listened to, and the next, it was getting very hot and steamy! On and off my husband would ask me what I was listening to, and I'd just say 'someone got murdered', but then half an hour later, I'd be distracted (probably getting the measures of sand and cement wrong) and he'd ask what was happening in the book. He was getting very confused when I'd say 'a lot of s*x, and thought I'd switched books. He doesn't read - he doesn't understand that murders and steaminess can go together, lol! Both narrators...

'...has the freedom she's been enjoying finally turned her feral?' Claudette, our favourite woolly friend, is back and as feisty as ever in this, the second book in Sarah Hope's Pennycress Inn series. I was lucky enough to receive an ARC for this, but when I discovered there was an audiobook, I was straight in there, and I listened to it in just a day. I get through so many more books in the summer when I'm outside weeding and whatnot, with my AirPods in! As always, I fell in love with all the characters and of course I was rooting for Nicola and Charlie, right from the get-go. I loved Charlie. Mr Grumpy, who pretends he isn't falling in love with Meadowfield and its inhabitants, and especially one in particular. Many of the characters from the first book make an appearance, Laura and Jackson, stern old Miss Cross and of course Claudette the sheep! English country romances are one of my absolute favourites, and in this one, I loved the essence of quintessential...

'I straightened and a cheese puff fell out of my shirt.' I loved the simplicity of this cover and when I was invited to listen to a copy by the lovely Hambright PR, I grabbed it with both ears! Penny and Ryder are adorable, even when Penny is stressing and Ryder is grumpy, and believe me - that happens a lot. As the title suggests, Ryder falls first, and slowly, but surely he persuades Penny that he will never hurt her, that she absolutely should take a chance on love and that they can have so much fun together.  This is a small-town romance that I listened to whilst working in my garden. It has all the super-sweet vibes of cute couples, community spirit and family loyalty. Mix all that up with a well-meaning but interfering Granny, and you've got a gorgeous summer read.  Thank you to That's What She Said Publishing and Hambright PR for the opportunity to listen to and review He Falls First by Jill Shalvis. About the Book No one is going to convince her to fall in love ...

' "Apple and cinnamon latte?" Dylan nodded. "Yep." He took a sip. "Oh, man, why have I suddenly developed a taste for sweet coffee?" ' Gorgeous, autumnal and a great big pumpkin spiced latte of cosiness with whipped cream on top! Those are just a few words to describe the first book in Victoria's brand-new series, Love and Lattes at Pumpkin Hollow.  A smorgasbord of cuteness, pumpkins, community spirit and of course, love. Willow is determined to save her farm from the nasty developers. With help from all her friends, and a dark and handsome stranger, she attempts to create a pumpkin patch, along with all the bells and whistles beside it, to make enough money to ensure her farm becomes profitable.  As October approaches, both Willow and Dylan make discoveries about themselves, as well as each other, and perhaps they might realise that opposites can attract after all. This captivating and heartwarming story gives off huge Gilmore Girls vibes. I...

'As a rule, she prefers plants and cats to humans these days. They’re both species with a much better track record.' This was so far from what I was expecting, I had to take a step back and think - wow! Did I really just listen to that! I thought the No-Show would be a rom-com all the way, but it was that and so, so much more. It took me until at least halfway through the audiobook, if not further, to realise what I was listening to. I can't say much more because I don't want to spoil it for those of you who may read it. Essentially, it's about the same man, standing up three women on Valentine's Day - that's all I'm going to say! It's heartwarming, heart-wrenching, and completely original. Beth O'Leary is adept at putting these thoughts in your head, making you believe the story is going in one direction. In fact, she gives you whiplash as she throws you in the completely opposite direction and breaks your heart.  If you're a crier, then yo...