Monday, March 4, 2024

My Review for Chasing a Highland Dream by Lisa Hobman

March 04, 2024  , , , , , , ,  No comments


Easily one of my favourites so far for 2024, Chasing a Highland Dream was just a delight to read. Set in Inverness in Scotland, Bella works as a Personal Assistant to her best friend Olivia, who has just inherited a castle. However, Bella has aspirations of becoming an interior designer and certainly has the skills to achieve her dream. 

I loved, loved, loved Granny Isla so much! She was hilarious, with her many malapropisms, including her WhatsUp messages, she was just brilliant. I found myself smiling more often than not as I devoured this book in just a day. In fact, with the exception of Kerr (aka Kermit according to Granny), and Aiden, all the characters were absolutely cool and loveable. 

Lisa Hobman writes with such humour and fun, bringing the characters, the dogs and the Scottish scenery straight into the readers’ imagination. I spent numerous happy moments drinking tea and eating cake with Bella and Harris, walking along by the loch with Beau, and taking a tour of the castle with Olivia.

Do yourself a favour and add this book to your reading list for your holidays this year. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. Now I’m off to close my eyes and make believe I’m being whisked away on a motorbike around the highlands of Scotland by my very own Sergeant Donaldson!

Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books and Rachel’s Random Resources for the opportunity to read Chasing a Highland Dream by Lisa Hobman.


About the Book

Can you live your dreams and also find your destiny? 

Since having to drop out of her design degree, Bella Douglas has been unlucky in just about everything life has thrown at her.She’s lost more jobs than she cares to remember and to top it off she’s still single, despite her Granny Isla’s best attempts to set her up with every eligible bachelor in the Scottish Highlands. Currently PA to her best friend, aka, Lady Olivia MacBain, at Drumblair Castle, Bella is yet to find a role that sets her soul on fire. But when disaster strikes for Olivia, Bella steps into the breach to rescue her bestfriend from a fate worse than a bad interior designer. 

When Bella and her Granny find themselves homeless, they relocate to the castle where a handsome new neighbour brings mystery, intrigue and a spark of romance. 

Is Bella finally on the track to find true happiness? Or do more catastrophes lie ahead? And does true love hide where you least expect it?


About Lisa

Lisa is a happily married mum of one with two energetic dogs who make cameo appearances in some of her books. She loves writing and creating new characters and now has the pleasure of writing almost full time.

In 2012 she relocated, with her family, from England to their favourite place in the world: Scotland, and they're now happily ensconced in village life. The stunning country she now calls home was the inspiration for her writing career, and so it's only fitting that it features in all of her books.

​Writing has always been something she's enjoyed, although in the past it has centered on poetry and song lyrics; some of which appear in her stories. But to now be a published author with Boldwood Books is a real dream come true. 

​Lisa is qualified as an editor and proofreader to distinction level through the College of Media and Publishing


























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Saturday, March 2, 2024

My Review for Living the Dream at Puddleduck Farm by Della Galton

March 02, 2024  , , , ,  1 comment


This was my first trip to Puddleduck Farm and it wasn't until the end that I realised it was the fourth in the series, so now I need to go back and read the others!

This was a delightful book to immerse myself in for a couple of days and I really enjoyed it. Full of kindness and love, hilarity and fun, Living the Dream at Puddleduck Farm was a joy to read.

I don't think there was a character I didn't like and it was a pleasure to join them in their lives for just a while. In my head I was helping Phoebe in her vet's practice, riding alongside Sam as he took his horse Ninja out and helping Maggie with her wedding preparations. The animals are all incredibly entertaining and each and every one had their own part to play in the story.

If you're an animal lover and enjoy romance and fun in your stories, then I would definitely recommend you read Living the Dream at Puddleduck Farm. I'm off to grab a cup of tea, one of Maggie's wonky mince pies and settle down with my next read for a few hours.

Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books and Rachel's Random Resources for the opportunity to read and review Living the Dream at Puddleduck Farm by Della Galton.



About the Book 

Life would be idyllic if everyone else was on the same page… 

Puddleduck Vets Practice is busier than ever. Phoebe Dashwood is juggling the usual crazy animal antics of her quirky clients, whilst organising the wedding of her bridezilla grandmother and thankfully dating her perfect man. 

Phoebe loves every minute of being a New Forest vet, even if she hardly has time to catch her breath. If only she could find some quality time for her and the man of her dreams, life would be perfect. 

When an ex’s heartbreak stirs up some emotions from the past, Phoebe realises she must deal with some unfinished business. It would seem a miracle is needed to pull off a happy ending for everyone – but is it within Phoebe's power to work miracles?


About Della

Della Galton (aka Della Parker) writes novels set in Dorset, featuring quirky characters and very often a dog or two. She's had more than 2000 short stories published and she's run out of fingers to count her books on | .

She is a popular speaker at writing conventions and the agony aunt for Writers' Forum Magazine.

When she is not writing she enjoys walking her dogs around the beautiful Dorset countryside and beaches.





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Thursday, February 29, 2024

My Review for The Perfect Parents by J.A. Baker

February 29, 2024  , , , , , ,  No comments

Full of twists and turns, and a million and one loop-the-loops, The Perfect Parents is a rollercoaster of a book with so many plot angles I didn’t see coming - and just a few that I did!

This was such a good read, and I devoured it in only a couple of days. There is so much I want to say, so much I want to tell you about, but that would just spoil it, so you will just have to trust me and read it yourself.

Written primarily from two viewpoints, that of Flo and Jess - two of the Hemsworth children, the story alternates from one to the other with the odd curveball thrown in every now and again. There are lots of secrets, and lots of hushed whispers and gossip throughout the village, but is there anyone at all that knows the whole truth? Maybe, or maybe not?

If you like a good thriller, that will keep you turning the pages and get your brain cells working overtime that I would recommend you go out and buy yourself a copy of The Perfect Parent.

Thank you to Netgalley, Boldwood Books and Rachel’s Random Resources for the opportunity to read and review The Perfect Parents by J.A. Baker.



About the Book

Jackson and Lydia Hemsworth are pillars of the community, feted for having the perfect marriage and three wonderful children – Florence, Jessica and Ezra.

But appearances can be deceptive.

Because behind closed doors Jackson Hemsworth rules his family with cruelty and control. His marriage is a sham; his children for years have cowed in fear.

Until the day that Jackson and Lydia throw themselves off Newport Bridge in a joint suicide pact – the final cruel blow by Jackson to control his wife and torture his adult children.

As the Hemsworth siblings return to their family home, they must try to make sense of their parents’ last act. But there are many dark secrets waiting to be unearthed at Armett House.

Like, why are the townsfolk so suddenly hostile towards them? And who are the strangers who arrive at Armett House unannounced? And why has their mother’s body still not been found?

In the aftermath of their parents’ death, it becomes clear that something terrible is about to be exposed about the Hemsworths’ perfect parents.

A secret they may all wish had stayed hidden…


About Judith

Twice longlisted for The Guardian's Not the Booker Prize, J.A. BAKER was born and brought up in North East England and has had a love of language for as long as she can remember.

When she isn't writing, she enjoys reading many genres of books but especially enjoys psychological thrillers.

She has four grown-up children, three grandchildren and lives in a village near Darlington with her husband and Border Collie, Theo, who is quite possibly the naughtiest dog in the world.





















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Monday, February 26, 2024

My Review for A Wartime Welcome From the Foyles Bookshop Girls by Elaine Roberts

February 26, 2024  , , , , , ,  No comments


I began reading this book without knowing it was the fourth in a series.  I don't think it matters though and I think they can all be read as a standalone.  Will I be reading the others? Absolutely! I loved it and the fact that Foyles bookshop is a real place, with seven shops throughout the UK is just brilliant. 

I loved Ellen and the friends she made at Foyles but I hated some of the characters she met working at the newspaper office. The author did a great job of helping us hate the villains and love Ellen and her friends and family. 

Even though it's wartime, these types of books always make me feel like curling up with a cuppa and immersing myself into the character's lives for a few hours. With a bit of mystery, lots of friendship and some great writing, I would definitely recommend this book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books and Rachel's Random Resources for the opportunity to read and review A Wartime Welcome From the Foyles Bookshop Girls by Elaine Roberts.



About the Book

London, 1918: the world is being torn apart by war, but for the girls of London’s Foyles bookshop, where there is friendship, there is hope… Perfect for fans of Rosie Clarke and Elaine Everest. 

Ellen Beckford and her sister Mary are living under their father’s shadow. Before their beloved mother died, they had dreamed of bright futures, but torn apart by grief, Harold Beckford barely lets his daughters out of his sight. Then Harold is injured during a break-in at his office at London’s docklands, and can no longer work. And with prices rising and food scarce, Ellen has no choice but to defy her father’s rules and seek employment. She finds a position at London’s renowned Foyles bookshop, and the other shop girls quickly take her under their wing. 

But there are dark times ahead. Ellen’s father is accused of gathering intelligence from the docklands for the enemy, and the police seem determined to see him shot for spying. With the help of her new friends, can Ellen clear her father’s name and save her family from destitution?


About Elaine

Elaine's dream was always to write for a living. She completed her first novel when she was in her twenties and received the first of many very nice rejections. Life then got in the way, until circumstances made her re-evaluate her life and pick up her dream again in 2010.

​Elaine joined a creative writing class, The Write Place, in 2012. Shortly afterwards, her first short story was published and she was thrilled when many more followed. Elaine finally started to believe in herself.

​As a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association and The Society of Women Writers & Journalists, Elaine attends many conferences, workshops, seminars and wonderful parties. Meeting other writers gives her encouragement, finding that most face similar problems.

​Elaine has a patient husband, Dave, and five children who have flown the nest. Home is in Dartford, Kent and is always busy with children, grandchildren, grand dogs and cats visiting. Without her wonderful family, Elaine says that she knows the dream would never have been realised.




















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Saturday, February 24, 2024

My Review for A French Adventure by Jennifer Bohnet

February 24, 2024  , , , , , , ,  No comments


If I’m honest, I’ve always loved the idea of upping sticks and moving to a different country. In reality, probably not so much, but I admire the people who do just that.

A French Adventure follows the stories of three women, Vivienne, Maxine and Olivia, and how their lives progress over the space of a few months as they discover new and old friends and go through some life-changing circumstances. I loved all three women and, of course, I was willing for their journeys to take them in the direction in which they wanted to go.

Jennifer Bohnet shows us how we can overcome the challenges that life can throw at us and how very often we will come out better and stronger on the other side. 

I’ve never visited the French Riviera, but after immersing myself in the lives of these three women, I think I could quite happily live there, in a small cottage with the Mediterranean sparkling in the distance.

Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books and Rachel’s Random Resources for the opportunity to read and review A French Adventure by Jennifer Bohnet.


About the Book

When your old life ceases to exist, its time to build a new one… 

It’s early summer on the French Riviera when Vivienne Wilson arrives for a one-woman writers’ retreat after learning that her philandering husband or 30 years, wants a divorce. There to collect the shell-shocked Vivienne is recently widowed Maxine Zonszain, who is struggling to come to terms with her empty life. To add insult to injury she receives another knockout punch with a letter from her very estranged first husband…. Florist extraordinaire, Olivia Murray, shares the Villa that Vivienne is renting. She’s content with life - but sad to add another failed relationship to her growing list and longs to meet 'The One'. Life under the summer sun in Antibes becomes a challenging time for all three women as secrets are shared, problems halved as they forge unexpected friendships and embark on new adventures. Sometimes life’s surprises turn out to be unwanted but just sometimes the ‘new normal’ makes for a happier life than the one lost.


About Jennie

Twenty-four years ago this year Richard and I, with our then dog, 14 year old Holly, in a trailer attached to Richard’s bike, got on our bikes and cycled down through western France via the canal paths, arriving in Antibes in July. And we’re still in France! We spent eleven fabulous years down on the Côte d’Azur, meeting some wonderful people and enjoying the relaxed lifestyle of the Mediterranean.

Then, thirteen years ago we uprooted ourselves again and moved to a quirky cottage in central Brittany. We now have a rescue dog called Django who is a six year old Border Collie / Australian sheepdog, two outdoor cats, Missy the tortoiseshell cat and Little Tabby, a few chickens and about a hundred fish in a large pond that Richard built.

When I’m not writing I love reading, walking in the beautiful countryside and having friends for lunches that follow the French tradition of lasting all afternoon.

I am a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association and also the Society of Authors.

I have contributed short stories and serials to many of the UK women's magazines including, The People's Friend, Candis, My Weekly, Best, Yours and my stories have been published in Australia, Sweden, South Africa and Ireland.

I also write magazine features and my work has been published in national magazines and newspapers like, The Sunday Times, The Sunday Telegraph, Daily Mail, Daily Telegraph, Home and Country, Devon Life. For over three years I had my own newspaper column in the South Hams Group of Newspapers, that took a wry look at family life.





















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Wednesday, February 21, 2024

My Review for Letters for Lucien by Suzy England

February 21, 2024  ,  No comments


Letters for Lucien is one of the most beautifully written novels I have ever read. It’s heart-wrenching, tragic and sad, but we see glimmers of hope too, as the story progresses.

We begin the story as Mathew and Sunny are trying to come to terms with the loss of their new baby. The novel then takes us straight back to the time just before Sunny found herself pregnant and from there, Suzy England takes us on the pregnancy journey through a series of letters written to the unborn child. These letters are so delicately and honestly written, I found myself thinking what a beautiful idea it would be for a child to read something like this as he grew up.

I really enjoyed Letters for Lucien. I loved how the author shows that even in the darkest of days, there will often be a glimmer of light peeking through.

Thank you to Suzy England for the opportunity to read and review Letters for Lucien.

About the Book

The elite of the Houston society scene are shocked when confirmed bachelor, Mathew Ellis, tumbles into marriage with NASA atmospheric researcher, Sunny Porter, after a whirlwind courtship. The gossip mill continues to churn when Sunny, a woman pushing forty, becomes pregnant just as they begin the journey of their married lives. Deliriously happy, Mathew and Sunny revel in the excitement of the pending birth–until tragedy strikes. Pregnancy complications result in their worst nightmare and without warning, Mathew and Sunny find themselves burying their infant son.

After several weeks of mourning, Mathew returns to his successful accounting firm, praying his career and a normal daily routine will put him on the path to true healing. Meanwhile, Sunny has retreated into herself. She's become a ghost-like figure, drifting silently around their home. Mathew fears he's lost Sunny forever. Sunny's pain runs so deep, she's not sure she wants to be found. Will the words contained in a collection of letters help them find their way back to one another?


About Suzy

The short version: Wife. Mother. Retired Teacher. Native Texan. Sweet Tea Drinker. Stress Cleaner. College Football Fanatic. True Crime Obsessed. Cookie Baker. Devoted Anglophile. Broadway Lover. Rugby Watcher. World Traveler. Oxford Comma Defender. 100% Virgo. Robert Wagner Fangirl.​ 

The long version: According to Suzy's mom, it started in first grade with a poem about a bubble. Suddenly she was a writer! In third grade she fell hard for Judy Blume. By fifth grade, she was writing stories under the sophisticated pen name, Lucky Lemon Lollipop. In high school, she crafted her own version of Thornton Wilder's Our Town, which her sophomore English teacher printed off and taught as a companion piece for many years. By her senior year of high school, she was hooked on iambic pentameter and trying her best to emulate Chaucer. ​Then college and marriage and motherhood happened...and writing was moved to the proverbial back burner. Yet as she approached her forties, the need to be creative again began to consume her. She sat down one day, without an inkling of direction, and started writing. Before she knew it, she'd written a 280K word epic novel!​ Yeah, right. Like anyone's interested in publishing that. ​So, she's spent the last few years writing appropriately sized novels and novellas that focus on love stories. She found success on two global reading apps - Wattpad and Yonder - where her romantic comedy, Chasing Mr. Crown, was a hit, amassing over 2 million reads. In 2022, she signed two publishing contracts with The Wild Rose Press and was invited to join the prestigious Tall Poppy Writers - the only cross-genre, cross-publisher, female author collective of its kind. 

Suzy lives in Houston with her husband. She loves spending time with her adult children and is always dreaming about her next travel adventure. She's a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and retired from public education in 2022 after teaching for 26 years


              Follow Suzy on Facebook | Follow Suzy on Instagram | Follow Suzy on X

















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Monday, February 12, 2024

My Review for The Love Interest by Victoria Walters

February 12, 2024  , , , , , , ,  No comments


The perfect enemies-to-lovers romance and perfect for anyone who is a diehard romantic. The Love Interest just oozes romance from beginning to end, whether within the pages of the novel Liv is writing or on her perfect date - which has yet to happen!

The Love Interest is another brilliant novel by Victoria Walters and as soon as I got wind of it, I knew I had to read it.

Liv is working in the university library and to her horror, her brother’s best friend and her arch-enemy, is coming to work at the university too, and even worse, he’s moving in with her and her brother, albeit temporarily. 

Any book that has books as one of its subject matters is always a win for me and this doesn’t disappoint. With lots of Mr Darcy and Pride and Prejudice references, The Love Interest kept me entertained during the first drab few days of February.

Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books and Rachel’s Random Resources for the opportunity to read and review The Love Interest by Victoria Walters.


About the Book

No man can be as good as the one in your imagination... Librarian Liv Thomas has always dreamed of writing a romance novel. But she’s stuck when it comes to creating a romantic hero – sadly – lacking anyone in real life to base him on.

When her brother suggests his best friend stay in their shared flat for a few weeks, she can’t believe her bad luck. Aiden Rivers is irritating and pushes all her buttons. Worst of all, he’s gorgeous, has a sexy accent and reminds her of her all-time favourite character Mr Darcy.

Liv finds herself unexpectedly inspired and the leading man in her novel begins to bear an uncanny resemblance to Aiden. He can never find out she’d never live it down. Because Aiden can only ever be her love interest in the pages of her book – and definitely not in real life… right?!


About Victoria

Victoria Walters is the author of both cosy crime and romantic novels, including the bestselling Glendale Hall series. She has been chosen for WHSmith Fresh Talent, shortlisted for two RNA novels and was picked as an Amazon Rising Star. Previously published by Hera, she is now writing romantic comedies for Boldwood.



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