Sam's Fireside - Cosy Book Reviews & Recommendations

“You are so full of rage for someone so small and cute.” 😂 Icebreaker was the second book choice for #thatbonkersbookclub for July and one I've been meaning to get around to for ages, so this was finally my chance! 📚🏒⛸️ I really enjoyed it — well, apart from Aaron, who is a narcissistic, gaslighting moron! 😤🙄 Honestly, I could have happily skated right over his arm! I loved the banter between Anastasia and Nate's teammates, once she finally realised that actually, yeah, she did like Nate just a little bit! 🥰 They opened their arms and gathered her into their little boy family with such affection, and it was so cute. 🥹💕 Icebreaker definitely focuses more on the figure skating than the hockey, which is a welcome breath of fresh air. Everything I seem to see these days is hockey, hockey, hockey! 🏒🏒🏒 Give me some figure skating! ⛸️✨ The spice — I can either take it or leave it, to be honest, but it will never not make me read a book! 😂🌶️ But yeah, it rarely leaves a l...

“There’s only so much oxygen on an airplane. I don’t want his ego to suffocate the rest of us. You know, safety and all that s**t.” #thatbonkersbookclub, for some reason, decided to read three books in July and Mile High was the first one I read. Now, I wouldn't consider myself a sports romance fanatic. I can take them or leave them, to be honest, and so I went into this one with no expectations or particular interest. It just goes to show that book clubs can open your eyes to things you wouldn't normally read! 📚 I enjoyed Mile High and listened to this rather than read it, which probably made it even more fun. The dual narration of the two main characters, Zanders and Stevie, was brilliantly portrayed and even though Zanders is initially an arrogant d**k, there's a reason for that. I guarantee that if you read the book, you'll come to love him, as of course, Stevie does. ❤️ While writing this review, I discovered that the author, Liz Tomforde, used to be a flight att...

 "I didn't trust anything anymore, except for Dynamo." I finally got around to listening to the first book for June's #LetsEarItAudiobookChallenge and I'm addicted! 🎧🐴 I was always a horsey person growing up and, instead of posters of pop stars and actors on my bedroom wall, I had posters of eventers, showjumpers and horses! Yep, I was one of those weird kids! 😂🐎 Ambition  threw me right back to the days when I would spend dawn to dusk at my grandparents' farm with the horses. 🥰 I am now thoroughly invested in Jules and Dynamo, along with the other horses in her stable. As I listened, I could hear every whinny, experience every nicker and imagine that soft, velvety muzzle just nestling on my shoulder. 🐴❤️ I was interested to read about the struggles of eventing life in Florida, how they manage the heat, the sudden changes in weather and the hurricanes. It's such a different scenario to the UK, where we can pretty much ride all year round and at most ...

"Never turn your back on the sea." 🌊 I always enjoy any book that is set in Cornwall. We nearly ended up moving there, but alas, it wasn't meant to be. So, reading a Phillipa Ashley book gives me my Cornwall fix whenever I need it! 😊 I love the beaches that only the locals know about, the Cornish folk singers, and any mention of a pasty! And Eric... poor Eric! 💔🕊️ I could almost imagine myself sitting on the balcony with a cup of coffee, chatting away to him. Phillipa never fails to immerse me in the stunning Cornish coastline, the often laid-back way of life, and the quirky inhabitants of its towns and villages. Sybil is definitely the quirky one in this book! 😄 I can imagine she'd be an absolute hoot to have as a friend, with plenty of wayward stories to share. Zennor is the female protagonist in this story. I thought it was a weird name at first until I realised it's actually a village in Cornwall, not far from St Ives—so that's kind of cool! I liked Z...

"You've been house hunting for a year Jess... Maybe it's time to trust your gut instead of your models and spreadsheets." I adored When in Dublin. 🍀 As a UK resident, I loved the little nuances between the US way of life and that of people living in Dublin. Things like how a proper cup of tea is made (which definitely  isn’t  putting the water in the microwave btw 😂☕️) really made me smile. I also enjoyed the comparisons between how many people in the UK have travelled to lots of different countries, while many people in the US often haven’t travelled outside of the States because there’s just so much to explore there. Considering we can drive from top to bottom of the UK in a couple of days, it’s no wonder we spread our wings a bit more. 🌍✈️ In my head, Jessie was always capable of so much more than the promotion she’s striving for. She really finds her feet in Dublin and seems to flourish in a completely different environment — albeit one with a  lot  of rain. ?...

“Instead of fearing a thing, try to understand it. Because understanding can change everything about the way that you feel.” 💙 I read this book for May's read for the #NeglectedFaithfulsReadingChallenge, which I actually received as an ARC quite a while back now. I have no excuse for not reading it sooner other than life just getting in the way! 📚✨ Joe Nuthin's Guide to Life is one of the most beautiful books I have ever read. I love a neurodivergent read, and I can always see little parts of myself in every character I read about. Joe is adorable, brave, and nothing but honest as he learns to navigate life and all the complications it brings — especially when you throw other people into the mix! 🥹💛 The blue and yellow notebooks that Joe’s Mum has written for him are invaluable. But how can you possibly write about every eventuality that might happen in a person’s life? You can’t — and that’s where good friends who truly understand Joe come in. I loved how his friends guide...

“Maybe it's not possible to let go of who you used to be and escape old patterns.” 💭 I was lucky enough to receive  La Dolce Veto  as both a digital and audio ARC, and I chose to read it first. Although I enjoyed it so much, I’ll probably go back and listen at some point too. I always find things I missed the first time around on a second visit. 🎧✨ Pick me up and put me back down in a traditional European village with sunshine, good food, good wine and nosey locals, and I’m in heaven. ☀️🍷 This is exactly what Caitlin’s book did for me. Izzy needs to run away, and so she does — to La Musa in Italy, a place filled with fond memories for her. It’s not quite the same as she remembered, but it’s good enough to hide away from the world for a while. 🇮🇹✨ I don’t usually go for a political romance, but the politics quietly simmered away in the background, which I really enjoyed. The Italian people and countryside are the things that will stay with me most though. The descriptions ...

“You’ve got to be incredibly confident in your transport choices to drive a highlighter pen on wheels.” 🚗💛 I was worried about reading Jaimie’s new book because I loved her Ever After Street series so much, but I needn’t have worried—The Sunshine Teashop is every bit as good. It has a new vibe, new characters, and lots of huggy moments. 🤗 As the book starts, we’re in Kent. No offence to Kentish people, but I want my cute romance books to be set in the countryside or near the sea. 🌊🌿 So imagine my delight when Dolly ups and leaves for a gorgeous village in Yorkshire. 🏡 (Yes, I know the synopsis says this, but I don’t read them! 😆) I was with Dolly every step of the way and loved how easily she immersed herself in village life. She had the little old ladies wrapped around her little finger—in a lovely, happy, friendly way—and, just as importantly, they had her back every step of the way. 💛 I did cringe a bit when she and her new-found builder friend, Reece, got out the paint rol...

“Leonardo hid so many of his secrets in his artwork. My very last hope is that he hid the secret to setting me free…” ✨ I really liked the first quarter of this book—but the rest of it? I absolutely loved it. 💛 It completely blew me away. Magical realism, living forever—quite literally—not what I was expecting at all. 🤯 I don’t want to say too much because that would spoil it… just trust me and read it. 📖 Don’t be fooled—there are some truly heartbreaking moments here. 💔 It isn’t all sunshine and roses. But there are also some beautiful family connections, especially towards the end, and it all balances out so well 🫶 Helen McAlpine and Nathaniel Priestly were brilliant as narrators, 🎧, bringing warmth, love, and sadness to their characters. I was completely invested in their voices from the start. Honestly—read it, listen to it, I don’t mind—just get your hands on this book NOW! 🔥 A very belated thank you to Hodder & Stoughton Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to liste...

“Inside was a message in her dad's handwriting.” 💌 The Lily Garden was April's read for #kindlecrushchallenge 📚 and a book that had been sitting on my Kindle for almost five years! This was the first Barbara Josselsohn novel I’ve read, and I loved it from beginning to end. ❤️ We spend the majority of the book in the small town of Lake Summers—a place where, almost thirty years ago, Caroline lost her parents. 💔 She left a few years later and never returned… until now. ✨ The story had everything I adore in a book: a close-knit community, 🏡 cosy spots to grab a coffee, ☕ a great food place serving delicious, mouthwatering dishes, 🍽️ and of course, a cute love interest. 💕 Throw a garden into the mix 🌸 and I’m all in! I really liked how Caroline’s daughter, Lee, consistently knew what she wanted throughout the book and stuck to her guns. 💪 Yes, other people tried to force their opinions on her, but in the end, her dreams shone through. ✨ Maxine and Gull are great characters...