My Review for Last Stop on the Winter Wonderland Express by Rebecca Raisin

'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 Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review Last Stop on the Winter Wonderland Express.

About the Book

A honeymoon for one on the most romantic train journey in the world… what could possibly go wrong?

When Aubrey’s fiancé dumps her – literally at the altar – just days before Christmas, her first thought is for the honeymoon. A luxury snow train, winding through Europe’s most beautiful Christmas markets, stopping in places like Paris and Stockholm, before ending in Lapland, to stay in igloos under the Northern Lights.

It was meant to be the most romantic ten days of her life. And now she has to go it alone. But arriving on the train – where, not wanting to be known as someone who was jilted, she might have accidentally implied her new husband died in a horrible accident – she finds she’s not the only singleton on board.

The group of single passengers quickly nickname themselves ‘The Unlucky in Love Travel Club’… But – as the train gathers pace – so do Aubrey’s feelings for absurdly handsome travel journalist, Jasper.

And she starts to wonder – as fireworks explode over the snow – whether her magical Christmas honeymoon-for-one might be just what she needs. And if she might not be as unlucky in love as she’d thought…

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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My Review for Love and Lattes at Pumpkin Hollow by Victoria Walters

' "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 want to move into Birchbrook immediately and visit the new pumpkin patch whilst sipping on a warm and spicy autumnal drink. 

Thank you to Boldwood and NetGalley for the opportunity to read Love and Lattes at Pumpkin Hollow by Victoria Walters.

About the Book

I remembered my mum telling me that autumn was a chance for nature, and for people, to let go of anything that was holding them back… Willow Connor has one shot to save her family’s farm – turning it into Birchbrook’s first ever pumpkin patch. There’s just one she has exactly zero pumpkins and only six weeks to make it happen. Everyone in the close-knit town thinks she’s crazy, but she’s determined to prove them wrong.

Enter Dylan Henderson, a hotshot property consultant with a clipboard full of reasons why selling is the smarter choice. Determined to stand her ground, Willow makes him a bold offer – stay and watch her turn the farm around. To her surprise, he agrees.

Now, as Willow throws everything into making her pumpkin patch a success (even if it means buying every pumpkin in the county), she also finds herself learning a thing or two from Dylan – about business, about ambition… and maybe about love?

Will she save the farm and prove everyone wrong? And when the deal is up, will Dylan walk away – or has he found something worth sticking around for?

About Victoria

Victoria Walters is a full-time author living in Surrey. Victoria writes sweet and spicy rom coms set in the book world, and new autumnal small town romance LOVE AND LATTES AT PUMPKIN HOLLOW. She used to work in publishing and a bookshop, and has been a bookworm since childhood.

Victoria is also the author of the bestselling uplifting and romantic series GLENDALE HALL and the cosy crime series THE DEDLEY END MYSTERIES.

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My Review for Welcome to Glorious Tuga by Francesa Segal read by Kristin Atherton

'Charlotte was alone in the jungle with a creep in Speedos'!

I switched between reading and listening to this one, simply because I had so much stuff to do in the garden and I really wanted to finish it. It was gorgeous, in fact no, it was 'glorious'! Charlotte takes up the position of tortoise researcher on the remote island of Tuga, where you can only come and go when the island is 'open'. Even then, only if there is a boat with enough berths to take you. For half the year, the island is 'closed'. The storms are too frequent for it to be safe for any ship to dock safely in Tuga. So if you're there, you're stuck - no matter what happens!

There are a lot of stories, interwoven into this book, each one unique in its own way, and I loved this. I enjoyed hearing about all the different characters and how they were surviving, living on such a small island, where everyone knows everyone else's business. I'm not sure if I'd like that, where do you go to escape?!

If you fancy a mash-up of The Durrells, James Herriott and a gorgeous sun-soaked island, then I'd recommend reading this, the first in a new series.  

Thank you to Vintage Books for the gifted copy of Welcome to Glorious Tuga by Francesca Segal.

About the Book

Passionate about conservation and fleeing an argument with her mother, newly qualified London vet Charlotte Walker has taken up a fellowship on the tiny South Atlantic island of Tuga de Oro to study the endangered gold coin tortoises in the jungle interior. She can claim the best of reasons for this year in paradise—What better motivation than to save a species?—but the reality is more complex. For Charlotte has secretly come to believe that she has her own connection to this remote and eccentric community, and she is finally determined to solve the mystery that has dominated her life.

But she will have little time for any of her declared or covert investigations. She is inconveniently attracted to the new island doctor. And not only do Tuga’s tortoises need attention but so too do the island’s dogs, goats, and donkeys—not to mention the islanders themselves, determined to win Charlotte over with cake and homemade jam until she relents and becomes vet to all their animals.

A complete, vivid world unto itself, Welcome to Glorious Tuga is a bewitching combination of warmth and humor. Immersive and uplifting, it transports the reader to an island that time forgot, bringing to life a cast of flawed, loveable people, like a contemporary James Herriot beneath the coconut palms.

About Francesa

Francesca Segal is an award-winning writer and journalist. She is the author of two critically acclaimed novels, The Innocents (2012) and The Awkward Age (2017), and a memoir of NICU motherhood, Mother Ship (2019). Her writing has won the 2012 Costa First Novel Award, a Betty Trask Award, and been longlisted for the Women's Prize.

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My Review for The Re-Write by Lizzie Damilola Blackburn, read by Faith Alabi

'The Wale who was the type of prince who would hand me his own sword to help me slay my dragons'.

I adored this one. I have Yinka on my TBR, but I just haven't managed to get around to it yet. This one came up on Libro FM, and so I grabbed it. 

Temi and Wale are as cute as. Annoying with their miscommunication, and there were so many times I wanted to grab both of them and shake them until eventually the words would pour out of them. 😂 Temi - just be honest for heaven's sake and Wale - you need to learn to listen, ask questions and not jump to conclusions!

I loved that Temi names her glasses and puts on a different pair, depending on how she wants to feel/who she wants to be that day. What an inspiring idea! I appreciated Lizzie writing so openly about sexual harassment, racial discrimination and body image, and how positivity emanated from all the negativity as the book progressed. 

Faith Alabi was an inspired choice for the narrator for The Re-Write. With her ability to switch between no accent and a Nigerian accent, it brought the book to life and made the characters even more adorable than they already were.

Thank you to Penguin Books and Libro FM for the opportunity to listen to and review The Re-Write by Lizzie Damilola Blackburn.

About the Book

ONE STORY. TWO EXES. CAN THEY CHANGE THEIR ENDING?

Temi and Wale meet in London. They flirt, date, meet each other's friends.

Then they break up. And Wale goes on a reality dating show.

Instead of giving in to heartbreak, Temi throws herself into her writing. She's within touching distance of a book deal that would solve all her problems. But publishers keep passing on her novel and bills still have to be paid. So, when the opportunity to ghost-write a celebrity autobiography arises, Temi accepts.

And, of course, the celebrity turns out to be Wale...

Will Temi and Wale repeat the patterns of their past? Or can they write a whole new story?

About Lizzie

Lizzie Damilola Blackburn is a British-Nigerian writer, born in Peckham, who wants to tell the stories that she and her friends have longed for but never seen – romcoms 'where Cinderella is Black and no-one bats an eyelid'. In 2019 she won the Literary Consultancy Pen Factor Writing Competition with the early draft of Yinka, Where is your Huzband?, which she had been writing alongside juggling her job at Carers UK. She has been at the receiving end of the question in the title of her novel many times, and now lives with her husband in Milton Keynes.

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My Review for Over the Sea to Skye by Sue Moorcroft

'...before she met a tousled American man who'd packed a piece of her heart in his suitcase when he'd left...'

Nooooooo! I don't want this trilogy to end, but sadly this in the final book in the series. 😢 This time around, we are living with Valentina for a wee while. She is living a slightly tumultuous life right now, with no job, an errant husband and nothing very positive happening. 

But she's off to her cottage on Skye for the summer, to spend some downtime with her sisters and their families - but of course it doesn't turn out to be quite as relaxing as she'd hoped.

This one was my most favourite of the trilogy, and I didn't think it was going to be. After reading the others, I thought Valentina was going to be stuck-up and boring, but she was far from it. I loved her. I loved her story, I loved Barnaby, I loved the views from her cottage, and yes, the author made me feel as though I was right there, wandering on the beach and searching in the rock pools. 

I'm looking forward to seeing what Sue has in store for us next. Whatever it is, I'm sure it'll be just as gorgeous.

Thank you to Avon Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review Over the Sea to Skye by Sue Moorcroft.

About the Book

One summer on a beautiful island could change everything…

Valentina Taylor's life has been upended. With her marriage over, and unsure of what her future holds, she heads to the Isle of Skye for the summer with her young son, Barnaby.

But the journey there sets her on a new path, when she meets Xander Courage on the train – a charming American, running from problems of his own. After sparks fly, they go their separate ways. But on this small island, they’re never far from one another…

Skye offers Valentina the refuge she needs as she whiles away the long summer days at her beachside cottage, enjoying visits from her sisters, Thea and Ezzie. But when bad news from home throws her Scottish idyll into turmoil, Valentina finds herself pulled away from the place – and people – that she loves.

Valentina knows she must confront her heart’s desires – but can she let go of the past and embrace the future she deserves?

About Sue

Sue Moorcroft is a Sunday Times bestselling author, and her novels have been #1 on Kindle UK and Top 100 on Kindle US, Canada and Italy. She writes two books a year for publishing giant HarperCollins and has won the Goldsboro Books Contemporary Novel of the Year, Readers’ Best Romantic Novel award, a HOLT Medallion and the Katie Fforde Bursary. She’s the president of the Romantic Novelists’ Association. 

Her novels, short stories, serials, columns, writing ‘how to’ and courses have appeared around the world.

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My Review for The Woman Who Got Her Spark Back by Fiona Gibson

'Nuturing drooping aspidistras and desiccated begonias back to full health'.

I've been reading so many more books recently where the protagonist is middle-aged. As a 52 year-old in reality, a 30 year-old in my head, and a 70 year-old in my body, I love that Celia, Amanda, Terri, and Enzo made me feel that there are still hundreds of opportunities, just waiting around the corner. 

When I read that Celia ran her very own houseplant hospital, I found myself wondering whether I knew enough about plants to run my own… I definitely don't! 🤣 But Celia did, whether it was a poorly Peace Lily, a sickly spider plant or a finicky Fiddle Leaf Fig, she somehow manages to find a cure and send them on their way. Does she cure Spike? You'll have to read the book to find out! 🌵

I think you'd need to be in the UK, and old, to remember a character called Beryl the Peril in a comic called the Beano. Well, Mathilde is Enzo's nine-year-old daughter and that's who she dresses like. With her black and red stripey tights and black dungaree dress, it gave me a blast from the past as the sassy little girl knew what she wanted and went all out to get it!

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review The Woman Who Got Her Spark Back by Fiona Gibson

About the Book

Meet Celia. Life hasn’t worked out quite how she’d planned.

Since her son left for university, Celia has felt stuck at home – battling with her husband Geoff over control of the thermostat, and without the merest glint of a social life. Her only joy comes from the plants she nurtures in her makeshift plant hospital in their Glasgow flat.

Then three unexpected things 

She catches Geoff in bed with a secretary from his sausage factory (no pun intended). Her high-flying best friend Amanda arrives on her doorstep without warning (but with a very large suitcase). A tall handsome French teacher asks her to tend his daughter’s cactus back to health. Suddenly, Celia finds her life in freefall, but she makes a she won’t let this be the end of her. She’ll bring herself back to life, just like the plants she works her magic on. But just how do you change the habits of a lifetime?

About Fiona

As a self-confessed magazine addict, Fiona started working on teen bible Jackie in Dundee at the age of 17. Originally from a West Yorkshire village called Goose Eye, she spent her twenties as a magazine journalist in London and moved to a crumbling old house in the South Lanarkshire countryside when her twin sons were toddlers.

When her boys left for university, Fiona felt a craving for city life again. With her husband Jimmy and their daughter Erin, she now lives in a flat in Glasgow. She loves to draw, paint, cook and run – usually with her collie cross, Jack (just the running part).

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My Review for One Cornish Summer With You by Phillipa Ashley

'He felt that Seaspray was simply waiting for someone to come along, hack through the thorns like the prince in Sleeping Beauty and save it from eternal slumber.'

I loved reading Phillipa's new book. It was full of sunshine and happiness, beautiful sand art and the promise of a gorgeous garden - reminding me of The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. 

Tammy and Ruan have a really sweet meet-cute, as he sits on the seawall, watching her create her amazing art on the beach, and you just know that they're going to end up together. Of course there are some obstacles which pop up along the way, secrets that they keep to themselves for just a little bit too long and Tammy's inability to trust someone with her heart. But of course it all comes good in the end, as all great romance reads do. 

We nearly moved to Cornwall a few years ago, but opted for Norfolk instead, so I relish a book where I can lose myself in the crashing waves of the Atlantic Ocean, with the dramatic cliffs looming over the beaches. The North Sea doesn't crash (well, not often), and there are huge expanses of beach rather than cute little coves!

Thank you to Random House UK, Cornerstone and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review One Cornish Summer With You by Phillipa Ashley.

About the Book

Tammy loved her childhood growing up in the harbour town of Porthmellow. But when her father went bankrupt and her mother abandoned them, she was quick to learn that nothing lasts forever.

Now, Tammy spends her days creating works of art in the golden Cornish sand, and is determined to protect herself from further heartache. But everything changes when she meets Ruan – a gorgeous solicitor who has moved to Cornwall for a fresh start.

Just as Tammy starts to question if Ruan could be the one to break down her walls, she discovers he has a secret – one that unravels everything she thought she knew about her past.

Can Tammy find the courage to trust again? Or will Ruan’s secret push her away forever?

About Phillipa - by Phillipa

I started writing fiction in 2005, after joining an Internet creative writing site. My first novel, Decent Exposure, a romantic comedy set in the Lake District, was published in October 2006. It won the RNA New Writers Award and was made into a TV movie called Twelve Men of Christmas which aired on the Lifetime channel in December 2009. 

Since then, I’ve now had 27 books published including two Sunday Times best-sellers, an Audible number 1 and many Amazon Top 10 best selling ebooks.

My books have been or are being translated into many languages including German, Thai, Turkish, Bulgarian, Italian and Russian.

I live in a Staffordshire village with my husband and love being in the great outdoors, especially Cornwall and the Lake District.

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My Review for A Fresh Start at Polkerran Point by Cass Grafton

'The sing song of conversation was punctuated by cups clinking in saucers and plates being passed around. A Mad Hatter's tea party of sorts - with less hats and perhaps slightly more madness'.

'It's beginning to feel like all roads lead to Polkerran Point.'

In this visit to Polkerran Point, we are with Kate, who has made the move to Polkerran to get away from her ass of an ex-husband, and brought along her teenage daughter Mollie. I predicted that the love-interest this time around would be Dev, and I was right! 

Once again, Cass has brought me sunshine and joy with her book, as I excuse myself from real life and disappear into the gorgeous community that makes up Polkerran. I love that Cass can pick me up and deposit me around Anna's kitchen table, as I mingle with the batty locals. Or sit me on Kate's terrace with a glass of wine, listening to the sea in the distance and contemplating life. 

The 'Friends' reference at the beginning of each chapter relates to what the chapter is about and  is brilliantly thought out - you know what I mean 'the one with......'

Of course there is a 'happy-ever-after', I wouldn't expect anything less. Cass's books always make me feel as though someone has picked me up and wrapped me in a massive hug, and no matter what sort of day I was having, I always feel better as I turn the last page. 

I'm thinking Bella might be next - presuming there is another book - please don't stop writing Cass, your books make me happy. 💛

Thank you to Canelo Books, Love Book Tours and Cass Grafton for the gifted copy of A Fresh Start at Polkerran Point.

About the Book

They've both been burned by love before, but will they take a second chance? A year on from the demise of an unhappy marriage, Kate Stretton grabs the opportunity to move to the other end of the country and start afresh in Cornwall with her teenage daughter, Mollie. Unused to the slower pace of life, Kate leaps at the chance to take on Polkerran Point’s ailing annual arts and music festival.

Soon, though, she locks horns with local Rick Devonshire, the main sponsor for the festival. Rick’s marriage has fallen apart in spectacular fashion, and the last thing he needs is Kate pushing to go against the festival’s traditions.

Between unhelpful locals, taunting messages from her ex and trying to be present for her daughter, Kate’s life is rapidly spiralling out of her control. It will take the whole village to make the festival a success, but with her determination and growing friendship with Rick, she might just do it…

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 Finding Love at the Magical Curiosity Shop by Jaimie Admans

'Would he be a better person if he drank lemonade instead?' 'At least it might fizz him up a bit!'

I don't ever want this series to end, not ever! 💖 I'm sure this is the effect that Ever After Street is having on many readers. This time we get to read Mickey and Ren's story. They are polar opposites, Mickey has dyed red hair like Ariel from the Little Mermaid, she wears seashells in her hair and loves everything mermaid 🧜‍♀️ and believes in fairytales. Ren is sensible, strait-laced and Ava, his teenage daughter thinks he's boring. But together they work - well eventually they do - as they set off on a mermaid adventure together.

Ava was awesome, for a thirteen-year-old, she was pretty perceptive and not without her wily ways to try to get her grumpy Dad and awesome new friend together. She's sassy and fun and I liked her a lot. 

We have shops like Mickey's Curiosity Shop close to where I live. Sort of antiquey crossed with a jumble sale! 🤣 You never know what you're going to find in there and I love the mystery that comes with a visit to any shop like that.

Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books and Rachel's Random Resources for the opportunity to read and review Finding Love at the Magical Curiosity Shop by Jaimie Admans.

About the Book

Don't miss the gorgeously romantic and BRAND NEW story from Jaimie Admans, guaranteed to warm your heart and bring a smile to your face! In a shop full of stories, some magic is real.

Mickey Teasdale loves her quaint curiosity shop, where every item feels magical to her. She loves imagining the past owners of her knick-knacks and telling her made-up tales to customers, but lately, the magic has dimmed; the shop feels cluttered, and even her stories seem as worn as the items she sells.

Everything changes when the grumpiest customer Mickey’s ever met—single dad Ren Montague—walks in with his surly teen daughter, Ava. Ren hates mess and clutter and prefers order and calm, but he'll do anything to see Ava smile. Yet, something shifts in him when he meets Mickey, who seems like she stepped out of her very own fairy tale.

When Ava discovers a secret diary, hidden from years long ago, she and Mickey believe it must have once belonged to a real-life mermaid! Ever sceptical, Ren tries to protect Ava from disappointment, but as they unravel the mystery together, something special happens…

Ren learns that happy ever afters still exist if you're brave enough to look for them, and Mickey discovers that real-life can sometimes be way more magical than anything she could have ever imagined.

About Jaimie

Jaimie is a 38-year-old English-sounding Welsh girl with an awkward-to-spell name. She lives in South Wales and enjoys writing, gardening, watching horror movies, and drinking tea, although she’s seriously considering marrying her coffee machine. 

She loves autumn and winter, and singing songs from musicals despite the fact she’s got the voice of a dying hyena. She hates spiders, hot weather, and cheese & onion crisps. She spends far too much time on Twitter and owns too many pairs of boots. 

She will never have time to read all the books she wants to read.

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My Review for A Honey for the Beekeeper by Nina Crespo

'She never stayed in one place for long…

Until she felt the sweet sting of love'.

A Honey for the Beekeeper was a gorgeous and beautiful book. From beginning to end, it made me feel all warm and cosy inside. Brooke and Gable were adorable, and at first, they appear to be on the very same page, just up for an 'in the moment' relationship. No strings, no ties, and all ready to enjoy spending time together while they're living in the same place. Short-term is what they both want...or is it?

If I had the space and an agreeable husband, I'd love to try my hand at beekeeping, what better way to spend those summer days than caring for the delightful honeybees. Surprisingly I learnt quite a lot, just from reading Nina's lovely book!

I loved how Nina sensitively dealt with both Gable and Brooke's individual stories, how they come to terms with loss and eventually how communicating with other people, can actually help.

If you are in the mood for a cute, sweet romance, then pick up a copy of Nina's new book. I'll definitely be back for the next in the series. 

Thank you to Literary Media Tours and Nina Crespo for the opportunity to read and review A Honey for the Beekeeper.

About the Book

She never stayed in one place for long…

Until she felt the sweet sting of love.

Brooke Bishop thrives on adventure, from skiing slopes to sailing yachts—anything to avoid her family's bee farm. But when Brooke and her estranged sister inherit the farm, she’s stuck there until her sister can buy her out. And then Brooke meets country singer Gable Kincaid—and she finds herself wondering if wanderlust is a bit overrated…

Seeking refuge from fame and a painful past, Gable finds Brooke is just the balm he needs. As their budding attraction blossoms, the music industry he’s trying to avoid threatens to reclaim Gable. And Brooke would rather head out of town than feel the sting of that loss. As they’re pulled down separate paths, will Brooke and Gable discover that, sometimes, home is a place found in each other?

About Nina

Nina Crespo is an award-winning romance author known for her captivating and steamy novels. She writes in various subgenres of romance, including contemporary, paranormal, and erotic romance. Her books often feature strong, independent heroines and charismatic heroes who navigate passionate and sometimes complicated relationships. Nina’s work has been published by Harlequin, Pocket Books, Kensington, and Entangled Publishing.

When she’s not writing, Nina indulges in her favorite passions — the beach, a good glass of wine, date night with her own real-life hero and dancing.

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My Review for All the Lost Pieces by Lara Martin

'All the pieces of herself she'd lost along the way, well, it was time to start recapturing them'.

First, my sincere apologies to the author who kindly gifted me a copy of her book back in 2023, and I'm ashamed to say it's taken me two years to read it. Over commitment is my only excuse, but I am trying to do better this year!

I adored everything about this book. I loved all the characters, although Tammy was the one exception, she was a real piece of work! Each of them bring their own unique charm to the story and I especially fell in love with Ano - the things that man can do with food - if only this book had the ability to send cooking fragrances through the pages!

I lived alongside Nina as she navigated her way through finding the right job for her, attempting to win people round, but also being mindful not to tread on any toes as she finds pleasure and happiness in her personal life as well as her career. It's rare that I shed a tear when I'm reading, but I have to admit that there were a couple of times towards the end of this one that I had to stifle a sniffle!

I wish I hadn't waited so long to read this, and I will definitely be working my way through Lara's other books very soon.

Thank you to Lara Martin for the opportunity to read and review All the Lost Pieces.

About the Book

Twenty-nine-year-old Nina Abrahams is not in a good place. She’s been fired from her restaurant manager job after she stands up to her bully of a boss, her motivational speaker mother is helping other people get their lives on track and ignoring the derailing of her daughter’s, and her best friend, Lucas Wilson, the guy she’s loved since she was eighteen, can’t seem to look beyond the girl in braces to the woman she is now.

When a new opportunity comes up, Nina decides it’s the perfect time to start over. The restaurant needs a reinvention and so does she. Unfortunately for Nina, the restaurant comes with hostile servers, a belligerent chef, and an owner averse to change.

But if Nina’s brave enough to take on the restaurant and tackle the people out to sabotage her, perhaps she can find the courage to tell Lucas how she really feels, even if it means risking the most important relationship in her life.

About Lara - by Lara

I was born in South Africa, lived for twelve years in Melbourne, Australia and now call a cozy village in England my home.

I have tried a variety of amazing and awful jobs: video game reviewer, graphic designer, insurance claims agent, proofreader, feature writer and magazine editor.

But all of those jobs have been about putting food on the table and collecting stories that worm their way into my books. Writing fiction has always been – and no doubt always will be – my first occupational love.

Writing love stories started with my first kiss. I was number four in a long line of 14-year-old girls queuing in the hot sun outside a shed to kiss the tallest and cutest boy in our after-school centre. When it was my turn, I entered the gloomy, musty-smelling shed to glimpse a tower of car tyres next to a dark silhouette.

My first crush. Waiting for me. 

Nerves tingling, heart galloping, I climbed the tower, hooked my arm in one of the tyres and leaned over to where I calculated his cheek would be. I found his cheek, but lost my balance, toppling into him, his startled shout echoing in my ear as my braces gouged a groove in his cheek.

In the humiliating aftermath, I came away with a resolve that yes, my characters will go through turmoil, they’ll each have their Horror Shed Moments, times when I’ll push them further than they want to go, but they will ALWAYS get their happy ending.

My happy ending came at the age of twenty-four when I met Craig. After a classic best-friends-becoming-something-more love story, we got married. Happily, I can tell you that after you’re married the two are no longer mutually exclusive – your husband can be your best friend and the love of your life.

When I’m not working on my next novel, my two children keep me busy with life questions I can’t always answer and math problems that make me wish I’d concentrated more in school.

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