Sam's Fireside - Cosy Book Reviews & Recommendations

“Hollowpark Hall protected its own, and she would never leave.” The Belladonna Maze is another book that's been sitting on my NetGalley shelf for far too long, and, as usual, as I was reading it, I found myself wondering why I'd left it for so long! This one gave me all the feels! It's packed with mystery and suspense, and twists that might have appeared somewhere at the back of my mind, but ones I didn't actually believe — until I had to! 😱 I love a dual-timeline story, and The Belladonna Maze didn't disappoint. We flit back and forth between the 1840s and 2007 to discover the secrets of Hollowpark Hall and its maze, the secret passages and the residents who never leave. 👻🏚️ Thank you to @megbatsbooks for suggesting we read this one together. I'm finding it a lot more fun to buddy read than I thought I would! 📚💕 A very belated thank you to Head of Zeus for the free copy of The Belladonna Maze by Sinead Crowley. All thoughts are entirely my own. 📚💕 About ...

“I feel no need to break the silence. This silence is perfect – this silence is sparkly.” I love Scrabble, and seeing the cover of this book just made me want to listen. The story is about Wordle, but you catch my drift! 😉🔤 I play an online app version of Scrabble every single day with my Mum and, although we might not talk all the time, we both know each other is OK if we've played our turn. 💕 I think that's why the whole idea of communicating through a word game really appealed to me. Emily and John are so cute, and both a little nerdy. Emily just needs to realise that she's happier in a small town rather than a big city! I loved the small-town vibe, the friends Emily makes and the house she lives in. 🏡💕 It's a cosy listen and Katie was a lovely narrator. I will definitely pick up more books that Amy has written. 🎧📚 A very belated thank you to Libro.fm & Avon Books for the free audio copy of A Five-Letter Word for Love by Amy James. All thoughts are entirel...

“She would work hard, save money and buy every single book that she liked.” A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith was the August choice for #classiclitbookclub. I hadn't heard of this book, let alone read it, but I was absolutely blown away. 📚❤️ I can't even explain why. I loved the writing, the characters and the insight into 1900s Brooklyn. There isn't much of a story, not a lot happens, and yet so much does. Am I making sense? 🤔 All Francine wants to do is learn, to read as many books as she possibly can and to try and get herself, her brother and her mother a better life. 📚✨ The children's life is tough. They have little money, an alcoholic father and a mother who works as many jobs as she can to make ends meet — but still, it's not enough. And yet, for the most part, they are happy. I found the story an honest depiction of what life would have been like for those living in poverty in Brooklyn in the early part of the twentieth century. Yes, it's bleak....

"To think of any one of them not there anymore was to think of a hole at the heart of a mosaic." I really enjoyed this story. It sent me reeling back forty years to my days of reading the Famous Five and Secret Seven books by Enid Blyton. It had the same sort of cosy mystery feel for younger readers. 🥰📚 I loved that Meredith, Macy and Colin joined forces to try to solve the murder, with the assistance of a dotty old lady who also lives in the hotel. 🔍🏨 This is one of those stories where you want to be a kid, living alongside the kids and helping them solve mysteries. With secret passageways, corridors and lifts that guests aren't allowed in, it's exciting and fun, and a really cool way to introduce kids to reading and enjoying books on their own. ✨🔎 Thank you to Scholastic for the free copy of Murder at the Ivy Hotel by Emily Hourican. All thoughts are entirely my own. 📚💕 About the Book Twelve-year-old Meredith and ten-year-old Macy feel like the luckiest girls...

"As soon as she walked through that exit, the spell would be broken, and she'd be back to reality." I had a physical and audio copy of this book but chose to listen to it during our long, long hot summer in the UK. ☀️ I really enjoyed it. The characters were funny, and Maggie especially, I thought, had a very sarcastic sense of humour. 😏 Maggie and Flick bounced off each other — once they actually decided they wanted the same thing — to bring down the man who had wronged Maggie. 👀 As the two travelled across Europe, chasing a cruise ship, I slipped into their adventures with them. I mean, who wouldn't fancy a flutter in Monte Carlo or a cocktail in Sicily?! 🍸🇮🇹 The twist towards the end was unexpected but kind of made sense as to why Flick was so invested in Maggie's story. 🤔 A very belated thank you to Pan Macmillan for the free print copy and to Libro.fm & Zibby Books for the free audio copy of So, I Met This Guy... by Alexandra Potter. All thoughts ar...

"The house sighs, and eases, an overwhelming emptiness subsiding into a quiet melancholy." This quote! It instantly made me feel like I was the house and a great weight had been lifted from my shoulders. I loved it. And houses are alive, aren't they? You can just tell whether someone or something belongs there or not — or perhaps that's just my airy-fairy brain talking! ✨🏡 Such a gorgeous idea, that Nicole, our protagonist, is 'told' when to move an object and, equally as lovely, that she knows where it's meant to be 'relocated' to when the time is right. I wonder if there are people out there who are really like this? I'd like to think so. 🥰 With a large dose of magical realism, Other People's Things made my heart soften and my tummy flutter, and I really want to be able to have the ability to 'relocate' items! ✨📚 I chose this one for July's read for #kindlecrushchallenge. A very belated thank you to Lake Union Publishing an...

“To all the nerds out there, we think you look hot in your glasses” 🤓❤️ The sixth visit to Dream Harbor and I really enjoyed following Daisy and Elliot’s relationship, as they begin with fake-dating and inevitably end up falling in love. I don’t think that’s a spoiler — we all know it’s going to happen in Dream Harbor! 😂💕 Elliot is so sweet, kind and thoughtful, and always seems to be putting Daisy’s feelings first. Daisy was a bit naughty at times, and I did feel she was stringing him along a little because she didn’t know whether she wanted this relationship or not. Just as with all the other Dream Harbor relationships — which pop up every now and again in this one too — it’s all about the thoughts and feelings. Daisy and Elliot work well together, and their friends all love them. It’s cute, easy-to-read and a little bit spicy. 🌶️🥰 I loved it! Thank you to HarperCollins and Libro.fm for the opportunity to listen to and review The Daisy Chain Flower Shop by Laurie Gilmore. 💕📖 ...

“All the other children at my school are stupid. Except I'm not meant to call them stupid, even though this is what they are.” I'm probably not supposed to like this quote, but I do! 😂 All this kid is doing is speaking the truth as he sees it! The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time  was my July read for #NeglectedFaithfulsReadingChallenge 📚 and one that has been sitting on my shelf for a few years. Now, the dog dies — right at the beginning — and this isn't a spoiler, it's what much of the book is about, but I still wasn't prepared for it! 😲 Christopher, a teenage boy with autism, then sets out to solve the mystery. 🔎 I really enjoyed reading the story from the point of view of a neurodivergent child. I was fascinated by how his brain worked, with the lists, patterns and his absolute need to tell the truth. 🤔 I wasn't as interested in the dog mystery itself, but all the challenges that Christopher and his family faced as he attempted to make his ...

“The kind of love that anchors you and sees right into the messy core of you.” 🖤 Broken Dove was our August read on the Sequel Shelf for @thatbonkersbookclub, but I couldn't wait that long! So, as soon as my hold came in on Libby at the end of June, I popped in my AirPods 🎧 and let Teddy Hamilton's luscious voice sweep through my ears. 🫠 I have absolutely no idea how I feel after listening to Broken Dove! 🤯 Wren has confused me, just as she's confused herself, with the hint of a love triangle that looks inevitable. I have so many theories! Is Gray a double-double agent? 🧐 Now I'm even more perplexed — does this mean he's on the side of the Primes or the Mods? Who are the good guys? I thought I knew... now I'm not so sure! 😵‍💫 Full of action, Broken Dove was a joy to listen to. Both narrators are incredible and threw me straight into the heart of the Continent, and that ending left me breathless! 😱 How long do I need to wait for the next book??!! 😭📚 Abo...

“In her head, she always just referred to him as Grinchy Grincherson because he never smiled.” Hmm, listening to a Christmas book in one of the hottest summers the UK has ever had – only me?? 😂 Oh well, I don't really pay attention to what I'm reading or when! 🤷‍♀️ I loved Baking it Merry. Such a cute story and lovely characters (even Tristan)! 🥰 Daphne's dream of owning a bakery is starting small, with a pop-up shop in the entrance of the building where Tristan works, and he's not feeling very Christmassy. 🎄 He's definitely a grumpy old Grinch for a lot of the story! 😆 Cosy, cute and Christmassy. 🎄❤️ Baking it Merry is a predictable seasonal romance, with a happy ending (of course!) and lots of talk of mouth-watering bakes, loyal friends and family. 🧁☕️ Read this any time of year – you don't need to wait until Christmas! 😉 Thank you to Libro FM and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to listen to and review Baking it Merry by Samantha Chase. 🎧📚 About...

"I hate how much I love it out here. I shouldn't. But the thrill ignites me, even as it terrifies me". Dark Academia is becoming a firm favourite of mine, and Masquerade of Mirrors by Samantha Hartwood just blew me away. 🖤✨ Packed with magic, mages, devious students and a school that is more illusion than reality, I was hooked. Now, remember that I rarely read the synopsis of a book, so when I was thrown into the middle of a deadly desert at the beginning, I began to wonder if this was Star Wars all over again! 😂 Where was the magic? Why was I just reading about sand and an ill old man? But OMG — the magic was coming, as was the hot mage and his curious secrets. 🔥🪄 In Samantha's incredible debut novel, you'll watch Taera go from an inexperienced young girl, with no knowledge of what lies outside her hut in the desert, to an awesome, sassy young woman who is so powerful it makes even Nikolai step back in wonder. ⚡️ Nikolai himself wears a virtual coat of armour...

"The sun's reflection flares hotly in the swathes of plate glass". @megbatsbooks and I read The Fall together and it really was a case of wondering whether anyone else was going to die?! 😳🔪 I read The Long Weekend a few years ago but I haven't read anything else by Gilly since. The Fall was equally as good. It kept me on my toes and every time I turned the page, it seemed that something else was going to give me those gasp-out-loud moments. 😱 I think Meg and I both decided that there was something 'off' with most of the characters, to be honest. Any one of them could be capable of murder and yep, it wasn't until close to the end that things started to become clearer, at least for me. 👀 I love a book where the house is stunning, with all mod cons (that actually don't always work), and Gilly transplanted me right in the middle of Nicola and Tom's amazing house, so I was quite happy wandering around there and wondering how anyone would want to kee...

' "I have to get on you", I said. "So, you need to chill the hell out and let me get up." ' I listened to Courage right off the back of Pride. Jules and Pete need to try and make a spare bit of cash, and so for some of this book, the focus is on the pair of them exercising the ‘babies’ — the younger horses with no racetrack experience. It was fun to see a different side of the horsey world, and Jules in particular found herself with a new friend to boot. 🐴 She gets on well with Alex and they settle into an easy camaraderie, bantering off each other and sharing their experiences. 😊 Pete takes a bit of a backseat in this one, and it does seem to be more about Jules and how she can help and support him through all the money crap that’s happening at Briar Hill Farm. I love the honesty in these books. Natalie shows that the majority of people in the eventing world aren’t born into money. They work hard for their career and yep, living in trailers and eating wha...

“You don’t need a map, Jules. You got this. Keep the red flag on the right and the horse between your legs and you’ll be home in no time.” Pride is the second novel I've read (actually, listened to) by Natalie Keller Reinert and, as I said before, I'm addicted. 🐴❤️ It’s taken me so long to get around to this series. I used July’s #LetsEarItAudiobookChallenge for this one, but let’s be honest, the only challenge was actually getting around to listening! 😂 Jules has it tough! She catches a break and everything looks to be all rosy in horsey land, and then wham, it’s all called into question again. But Jules is a tough cookie, and this is what I like about her. She picks herself up and tries to be better, for herself and for her horses. 💪🐎 I enjoyed that, in this one, Jules went back to basics, working for another trainer for a few months and realising that actually, she might not know as much as she thinks she does — and that she can still be taught. It’s incredibly humbling ...

“Fine is a woman’s equivalent to a land mine because you have absolutely no idea when or where that shit will explode.” Throttled was the third choice for the July read for #thatbonkersbookclub and, unfortunately, my least favourite. Mainly because the author repeatedly uses ‘prix’ as a standalone term. It isn’t correct, it doesn’t make sense and I’ve never heard anyone in the history of F1 use it that way! Let me give you an example: “Pole position will always be the most ideal for the whole Prix, and pride fills me that I claimed it.” It’s a small thing, but when you’re reading a book so heavily centred around F1, the terminology really needs to be right. Now I’ve got that off my chest, I can say that the story was good, the characters were great and entertaining, and I did like it. But there were too many inaccuracies, and it really felt like not enough research had gone into the book. If you’re going to write about a sport, don’t just go on what you’ve seen on TV — it’s not going t...

“The thing is - fear can't hurt you any more than a dream.” July's read for #classiclitbookclub was Lord of the Flies. This was a book I'd heard of but hadn't read, and I had no idea what it was about. The BBC have recently produced a TV adaptation, so I opted to watch this before it was time to read the book and thoroughly enjoyed it. 📺 I chose to listen to an audiobook version rather than physically read it, and Martin Jarvis as the narrator was brilliant - as he is with everything he puts his hand to. His portrayal of Piggy, Ralph and Jack in particular was something I loved listening to. He takes on the part of each character and really runs with it. Brilliant! 👏🏻🎧 I found Lord of the Flies a very eye-opening insight into what kids might get up to if left completely to their own devices. From the dictatorship-like Jack, as he commands a bunch of impressionable younger boys to follow his lead, to Piggy, who likes rules and can't abide anyone who isn't pre...

“I felt like I needed to throw a dish towel over his penis and wait an hour to let it rise.” 😂 I couldn't help myself with this quote - sorry, not sorry! I'm sure I'll need to censor it for some platforms! 🙈 Anyway, #thatbonkersbookclub chose  Yesteryear  for our Chiller Shelf for July and, quite honestly, I'm still unsure how I feel about it. Weird is the first word that springs to mind, with religious coming a close second. 🤔 Also, since when has the phrase 'trad wife' become a thing? It's only within the last year or so that I've even heard of it - maybe that's just me. 🤷‍♀️ As I'm sure was the author's intention, I was left wondering throughout much of the book exactly why Natalie was in 1855. Was she time-travelling? Was it a reality show? Was she ill? 🧐 You won't get any spoilers from me, so you'll need to read it or ask someone else. 😉 I have rated it quite highly on the places where a star-rating is necessary, but really...