Sam's Fireside - Cosy Book Reviews & Recommendations

“The ocean is big enough to take your grief and keep it safe for you, freeing up space in your heart for other things.” Told between the dual timelines of 1941 and 2011, The Storyteller of Casablanca features two female main characters. Josie, in 1941, is twelve years old. She is strong, feisty and determined to make the most of her unexpected time in Casablanca. Zoe, on the other hand, is completely out of her depth. She's struggling with her new surroundings, a baby daughter and no friends, and seems much happier behind the closed doors of her home. 🏡💕 I love any dual timeline novel, but it fast becomes a favourite if one timeline is during the Second World War. ❤️📖 I relished the author's insights into the sights, sounds and smells of Morocco. With the muezzin's call to prayer echoing across the city in the early morning and the fragrant smells as restaurants and homes begin cooking for the day, I found myself fully immersed in the lives of our two protagonists. 🇲🇦✨...

“Goodbyes were left unsaid, alongside a multitude of lingering regrets.” 💔 The Long Way Home is February's read for @hook.me.a.book and the #kindlecrushchallenge, and what a delightful book it was to finally read. Set between 1950s Paris 🇫🇷 and 2019 UK 🇬🇧, I loved the adventures Isla’s Mum got up to as a young girl working and living in Paris, and the investigative journey Isla and her granddaughter Charlie navigated back in the UK to finally uncover the answers she’d been searching for. 🔍✨ It’s rare to find a book with a main character in her sixties, but that’s exactly what we get here — and it was so refreshing 🤍 I especially loved watching Isla and her teenage granddaughter’s relationship grow, as Charlie slowly realises there’s more to life than her mobile phone. 📱💫 I’ll definitely be seeking out more books by Fanny Blake 📖 It was a heartwarming, easy read that I’d happily recommend. A very belated thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster UK for the opportunit...