Sam's Fireside - Cosy Book Reviews & Recommendations

'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 ...

'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, whe...

'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 chap...

'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! 🤣 Y...

'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 rom...

Laugh-out-loud hilarious! This was such a fun book to listen to and I finished it within 24 hours. Who doesn't want to be stuck in the Highlands of Scotland with a work colleague that they absolutely cannot stand, with only tents and the random contents of backpacks to survive on?? First off, I cannot imagine anything worse than a team-building exercise away from the office. In the office is bad enough, but overnight, with people you barely tolerate - absolutely no way, thank you very much! But Fliss and James have no choice, they have been abandoned by their boss in the middle of nowhere and need to find their way back to civilisation. There are injuries, awful weather, and arguments, but there is also laughter, camaraderie, and yes, eventually teamwork, and of course maybe there is a smidgen of romance thrown in for good measure.  Grace Calder narrates Work Trip, and she does an amazing job of nailing the atmosphere, arguments, and romance of what will inevitably be love in the H...

Gorgeous dogs and hot, single men! I adored this book from beginning to end. Evie and Charlie together, wrapped me up in a big warm hug and then Sam and Daisy did it all over again. I loved that Evie was helping to train service dogs and to help others be able to keep their independence.  It very definitely isn't love at first sight for Evie and Jacob, but slowly and surely they wear each other down, and with a little bit of cajoling from Sam, of course we get our happy ever after. The audiobook narration was brilliant. Rusty Mewha and Leanne Woodward complemented each other well and an audiobook with great narrators makes for an even better story. Thank you to  Dreamscape Media and Libro FM for the opportunity to listen to and review The Match by Sarah Adams. About the Book Sometimes love finds you when you least expect it. Evie Jones has dedicated her life and very limited funds working for Southern Service Paws, the company that matched her with the love of her life: Charli...

Unusually, it's the woman who is the grump in this one.... I'm a bit late with this review, but I did read it in December when I was feeling Christmassy! The Christmas Tree Farm is the third in the Dream Harbor series and I loved this one, although Cinnamon Bun is still my favourite! Kira is awesome. Despite her tetchy exterior, we soon discover that deep, deep down, beneath all the crotchetiness, she has a heart of gold, and she loves dogs so yep, that's more than enough for me! I adored her dogged determination as she tried to make her farmhouse at least a tiny bit habitable, and little by little she lets Bennett in to help her. Bennett had the patience of a saint, dealing with Kira's mood swings and stubbornness, but of course they get there in the end. As others have mentioned, this would be great as a Christmas rom-com - think The Holiday! I love that movie! I've already read and reviewed The Strawberry Patch Pancake House, so go back and read my review for tha...

Archer, Iris and Olive, a gorgeous family in the making... Laurie Gilmore has once again blown me away with another cute story from Dream Harbor (yes, I'm using the US spelling)! I love the small town vibe, where everyone knows everyone, and that includes everyone's business. The elderly contingent of Dream Harbor are awesome, such gossips, but equally their hearts are in the right place, and they just want to help.  Olive is a cute, sassy little girl who knows what she wants, and goes all out to get it, and that includes getting her Dad and Iris together. She was so funny and made me laugh a lot. Regina Reagan, as the narrator did a great job with all the characters, but particularly Olive, she had her spot on. I listened to this book in less than 24 hours, whilst I was outside, getting my garden ready for spring. If you're up for an adorable, slightly spicy, small-town romance, then grab a copy of this and settle down with a cuppa and a packet of biscuits and relocate t...

Scotland's beautiful landscape, in all its glory. I loved being a part of Alex's Street Team and I loved immersing myself into Brooke and Jack's lives and their trip along the Skye Trail, with all the authenticity of the incredible scenery, as the pair are thrown together once again, as they hike their way along, taking incredible photographs and writing up their travels as they go.  Told in two timelines, then, (seven years ago) and now. We flip between the two with 'then' explaining just what happened between the two of them and in my opinion, the mistake Jack made, all those years ago when he broke Brooke's heart. But now they get a second chance at the love they had for each other, but only time will tell if Brooke can put the past behind her. Scot and Bothered is another enjoyable read from Alex, and her love and passion for Scotland and all things Scottish is evident through her writing.  Thank you to NetGalley and Alexandra Kiley for the opportunity to re...

I'm so pleased I discovered the Dream Harbor series - if you haven't read it - make this the year you do! OMG this was so cute and so gorgeous and all the things that I'd love a man to do for me - I've been married for 23 years, so that isn't going to happen now! But never mind, it's so sweet, I'll just have to be content living through Hazel and throwing myself into the bookish treasure hunt with her.  I'm not sure about the defacing of books, but I'll forgive it for the sake of the gorgeous story and the gorgeous Noah and the beautiful romance that is inevitable as Hazel and Noah hook-up for the summer, but is it only for the summer...? I liked The Pumpkin Spice Café, but I adored The Cinnamon Bun Book Store. I've read The Christmas Tree Farm too, and I'll post my review for that one soon! Thank you to my Laurie Gilmore friends for including me in the chat and introducing me to her books. About the Book When a secret message turns up hidden...