Sam's Fireside - Cosy Book Reviews & Recommendations

"This wasn't a yacht; it was a floating palace.". I'm hanging my head in shame that it's taken me over five years to read this gorgeous debut novel, an ARC of which I received back in 2021! 🙈 Carol's sense of humour and personality have stayed with me since I used to listen to her on Radio 1 and 2 while driving to work, and when I saw she'd written a book, I knew I needed to read it. 💕 I loved it, from start to finish. Young Shauna, older Shauna, the beautiful Greek setting, the cocktails, the food and the romanticism. 🇬🇷🍹 I devoured it all! There was mystery and secrets, heartache and passion, and the unbridled closeness that only best friends can know. ❤️ I read this during the summer heatwave of 2026, but it would have been much more pleasant to be on the beaches of a secluded Greek island, with my toes digging into the sand and a delicious cocktail in my hand. ☀️🏖️🍹 In the time it's taken me to read Carol's debut novel, she's written...

“I’m done hating myself for something I can’t change” 💔 📚  Light Wielder  was August’s read for the sequel shelf for #thatbonkersbookclub, and although it didn’t wow me as much as the first book in the series, I still really enjoyed it! We pick up four years after  Metal Slinger  ended, which did feel kinda strange. Didn’t anything happen in those four years?! 🤔 Aside from that, it was good. The characters we loved in  Metal Slinger  are back. Some are just as obnoxious and annoying as we remember them, while others maybe garnered a little more sympathy from me. However, one thing I will say is that all the bad stuff, the conflict, the war… it’s all brought on by themselves and their inability to coexist. But they’re dragging innocent people into it too. Not good! 😬 The relationships were addictive! ❤️ When Irina and Jovie had to travel together in the carriage, that was pure genius 😂 And ultimately, teamwork won the day! 🙌 I loved the Messer twist, a...

"I'm an introvert. I recharge my batteries by being alone. This week is going to be a lot of people-ing for me."  What an excellent quote! I know so many of you reading this will be nodding and agreeing! 🙌💕 Will There Be Time  is the third book in the series but can totally be read as a standalone. 📚 This has to be my favourite, although I've loved them all. ❤️ Whitney has a knack for picking you up off your sofa and gently placing you back down in the Parisian streets, with the aroma of coffee drifting from cafés ☕, fresh bread being baked somewhere behind closed doors 🥖 and posh Parisian ladies swanning along the pavements. 🇫🇷✨ I always enjoy it when we see glimpses of characters from previous books as they're woven into the current story. Austen (from the first book) and Matt are central to this one, as their wedding is the main theme of the story. 💒💍 Vivienne and Oliver are the love interests, though, and what a complicated story theirs is turning out ...

“So you thought a sneak attack with mistletoe would help me get in the Christmas spirit?” 🎄💋 The audiobook contains Teddy Hamilton (sigh)! Review done! 😂 Only kidding! The other narrators are great, and I do love a multi-cast narration. 🎧  Mistletoe All the Way  has scooped me up from autumn and gently placed me down, slap bang in the middle of Christmas. 🎄❄️✨ I loved it. I've only just realised that I enjoy a story that features a miserable main character — in this case Noah as the Grinch — who slowly and surely, as if by the magic of Christmas, finally begins to see what all the fuss and happiness is about. 🎅🏻❤️ I love the addition of the older characters, and Eloise's feisty grandmother and her 'boyfriend' Henry are brilliant. They are supportive, independent and certainly aren't taking any nonsense from anyone. 👵💕 I also enjoyed the added suspense and mystery as Eloise investigates Stephen to find out just what he's up to. And the fact that she...

“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...

“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. 💕📖 ...

“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...

"Love is the beginning and the ending, the space between heartbeats, the infinite everything that gives meaning." ✨ If fantasy, magic, romance, and incredible settings are your thing, then if you haven't already, you need to read this series. 📚✨ Ascended is the fourth and final book, and it's just as gripping and enthralling as the first three. The only difference this time is that all the questions are answered, and everything is wrapped up beautifully. ❤️ I loved everything about Ascended. I don't even know where to begin. 🥹 Of course, our favourite characters are back—some a little lost and perhaps fighting on the wrong side—and there are a few new ones thrown into the mix, which is always fun. I really enjoyed the 1920s New Orleans setting, the jazz scene, and all the characters that Cordelia, Raf and Rory came across. 🎷✨ There are so many twists, none of which I guessed, especially the big one... IYKYK! 👀🤯 This is a really, really long book, but it doesn...

“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...

“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...

“...this place has a way of encircling your heart, cocooning you in its warm embrace so that you never want to let go. Of it, or the way it makes you feel.” Falling for Polkerran Point was published in October 2025, and I’ve been putting off reading it. Why? Because it’s the final book in the series. I wasn’t (and I’m still not) ready to say goodbye to Cleggie and old Mrs Lovelace. I adore Mrs Lovelace’s mispronunciations—they’re hilarious, and I always enjoy the chuckles she brings as the story goes on. This book follows Ellie and Will in a second-chance romance, full of friendship, community spirit, and oodles of love. The lovely Anna is still there too, making everyone feel welcome around her kitchen table every single morning with coffee and homemade cakes—far too sociable for me, though maybe I could manage it occasionally! I’ve loved all the books in this series, and it’s definitely one I’d read again—high praise indeed. Please, Cass, I hope you have another equally unforgettable...

“You turned a dark magic spell into a field full of flowers?” 🌸✨ Shaedes of War is the fourth book in the series and such a fun read! It starts a little slow, but the intensity really builds as you go. 🔥 The trials gave me Hunger Games meets Triwizard Tournament vibes, and I loved them—especially the last one. 👀💥 Edmyn and Markis bring such a great contrast to the purity of the Shaedes, and their love for their mates is intense .❤️‍🔥 And wow… the spice in this one 🌶️🔥 let’s just say… toe-curling and mind-spinning. 😮‍💨 Oh—and Collin.🥹 You will fall in love with him. Such a sweet kid who just wants to protect the realm and become fae… but will they let him? 👀✨ As with the other books, I loved discovering the different Shaedes and their powers. Honestly, I’d take a bit of each… plus a dragon 🐉 (her name would be Cora. 💁‍♀️) Thank you so much to Jenny Grimes for including me on her ARC team. 💖📚 About the Book With everything to gain and even more to lose, will their love sur...