Thursday, September 12, 2024

My Review for The Best is Yet to Come by Jessica Redland

September 12, 2024  , , , , ,  1 comment




The Lake District, farms, alpacas and Beatrix Potter. What is there not to love?! I’ve only recently found Jessica Redland’s books, and I was in love with them from the beginning of the first one I read. Well listened to, actually, it was an audiobook about hedgehogs!

The Best is Yet to Come was just gorgeous. I lounged around in the sun reading it and couldn’t get enough of just about everything! Apart from Grayson, who was quite frankly a knob jockey, the rest of the characters were cute, loveable and, in some cases (mainly the alpacas) extremely huggable!

Emma was awesome. She picked herself back up really quickly after her relationship fell apart; she knew what she wanted to do and with a little help from her Dad, she was soon standing upright again and ready to face her future, with new challenges and new friends.

I now have all of Jessica’s past books on my TBR and many of them will be on my Christmas list!

Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books and Rachel’s Random Resources for the opportunity to read and review The Best is Yet to Come by Jessica Redland.




About the Book

Emma is having a fresh start.

After a successful teaching career, an exciting new chapter awaits Emma – helping her fiancé Grayson run one of Beatrix Potter's farms. While imagining days spent supporting Grayson with his dream, working the land and helping with the animals, Emma harvests a dream of her own – to set up an alpaca-walking business around the farm.

But working together isn’t as easy as Emma expected. Soon her dreams are in tatters and, broken-hearted, she must start over yet again.

When Oliver, Rosie and the team at Willowdale Hall welcome Emma with open arms, she can't believe her luck. But starting a new business in a new place is a daunting prospect, especially when it comes with unexpected obstacles. With a reserved, prickly groundskeeper as a partner, rapidly changing family dynamics to contend with, and time running out to get her new career off the ground, Emma may have bitten off more than she can chew.

But even though things are not going to plan just yet, the best is yet to come for Emma, if she can just take a leap of faith and follow her heart...


About Jessica - by Jessica

I write uplifting stories of love, friendship, family and community set in stunning Yorkshire. My Whitsborough Bay books take readers/listeners to the North Yorkshire Coast and my Hedgehog Hollow books transport them deep into the countryside of the Yorkshire Wolds.

My books are about real people living real lives. You'll find plenty of warm and fuzzy moments between the pages but you may occasionally find yourself tearing up and reaching for the 

tissues. I love my characters so, no matter how tough the going gets, I make sure they get their happy ending. Of course, with a series, it may take a few books to fully get there!

My favourite subject at school was English and I always loved the aspects of my day job in HR which involved writing but I never considered writing a novel until my manager told me that my business reports read more like stories and joked that I should write a book. As soon as a plot idea presented itself, that’s exactly what I did.




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My Review for Lily Unwritten by Olivia Lockhart

September 12, 2024  , , , , ,  No comments



I have been waiting in great anticipation to read this, the sequel to For the Love of Lily. Lily Unwritten is the continuing story of Lily Forshaw, who has been/still is, in love with two men. Has she chosen the right one, only time will tell whether Team Zack or Team Luke wins!

I adore Lily, yes she makes questionable decisions, but she has two hot men fighting over her. What is a girl supposed to do?! I loved Lily’s relationship with her best friend Cassie, who is there for her no matter what. Sometimes with a harsh word here and there, she always has Lily’s back and best interests at heart. 

Olivia’s writing is fresh and lively and she is fast becoming a must-read author for me. I can’t wait to read her next book. You definitely need to read For the Love of Lily before you pick up this one but why not put them both on your Christmas list!

Thank you to Olivia Lockhart and Rachel’s Random Resources for the opportunity to read Lily Unwritten.




About the Book

Lily Forshaw stands on the brink of a bright future. A future she fought for, cried for, and risked her heart and soul for.

Yet, despite her fairy tale life, a deep scar remains etched upon her heart. It’s a wound that will never truly heal, a lingering memory and a haunting hope of what might have been.

Now, Lily faces challenges that will threaten her friendships, her career, and her blossoming love. Can she find a way through?

Meanwhile, the man she left in the past, holding a piece of her heart, has found his way back to her at a time when nothing else seems to make any sense.

Will Lily fight for what she might lose, or will she embrace a new beginning?

Catch up with Lily, Cassie, Zack, and Luke in the eagerly awaited sequel to ‘For The Love of Lily’.


About Olivia

Olivia Lockhart (Livvie to her friends) is an English author who can't quite decide if she wants to write contemporary romance or paranormal romance. Either way, it HAS to be romance. 

She loves to write about the underdog, the one who got away, the bits of love stories we can all relate to. 

When not writing she can be found drinking wine, cuddling her beloved pooch or with her head buried in a book.



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My Review for Christmas Ever After by Jaimie Admans

September 12, 2024  , , , , , ,  No comments




The Ever After Street series is one of the best series I have ever read. Hugs in books, absolutely all of them and Christmas Ever After is no exception. There is nothing not to love (well, maybe apart from Jorge)! 

Raff and Franca have shops that are in the ‘always Christmas’ part of Ever After Street. Raff makes and sells, allegedly magical, snow globes and Franca makes and sells nutcracker dolls of every size. Every time I read about the adult-sized nutcrackers, I just imagined whichever Christmas film it is, where Tim Allen is Santa and they take over the North Pole!

Throughout this gorgeous book, Jaimie has characters from the previous Ever After Street books popping in and out, and so we do get to find out snippets of what they have all been up to as well. 

I cannot recommend Jaime’s books enough and right now this is what I tell everyone who asks me who my go-to author is. You don’t need to read the books in order. Each one is a standalone story, but go and add them all to your Christmas list - they are totally worth it.

Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books and Rachel’s Random Resources for the opportunity to read and review Christmas Ever After by Jaimie Admans.


About the Book

A picture-perfect town, a place where dreams come true. Welcome to Ever After Street...

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, but Franca Andrews has never felt more miserable. With business far from bustling, she needs a Christmas miracle to keep her beloved nutcracker shop open... But there’s one man standing in her way - expert snow globe maker Raff Dardenne.

Dardenne Snow Globes have a magical reputation for bringing lovers together, a myth that Raff continues to exploit, much to Franca’s annoyance! But this Christmas their shops are pitted against each other and only one gets to stay on Ever After Street. Franca doesn't know how her handmade nutcrackers are ever going to compete with Raff's magical snow globes, especially at the most magical time of the year!

Franca’s determined to prove Raff’s business is built on lies. But when disaster strikes, and she’s left unable to make anything, she needs help. It’s just very frustrating that the only person offering is her gorgeous, annoying, nemesis himself!

As these two enemies get to know each other, Franca discovers another side to Raff – kind, caring and funny. But unless she can prove that his magical snow globes can’t really match true lovers together, she’s going to lose everything…

But maybe it's not too late for them to put aside their differences and find some Christmas magic of their own?


About Jaimie

Jaimie is a 38-year-old English-sounding Welsh girl with an awkward-to-spell name. She lives in South Wales and enjoys writing, gardening, watching horror movies, and drinking tea, although she’s seriously considering marrying her coffee machine. 

She loves autumn and winter, and singing songs from musicals despite the fact she’s got the voice of a dying hyena. She hates spiders, hot weather, and cheese & onion crisps. She spends far too much time on Twitter and owns too many pairs of boots. 

She will never have time to read all the books she wants to read.

















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Wednesday, September 11, 2024

My Review for The Things I Should Have Told You by Carmel Harrington, Read by Aidan Kelly, Caroline Lennon and Emer O'Connor

September 11, 2024  , , ,  No comments



Continuing with my Carmel Harrington binge, I grabbed myself an audiobook copy of The Things I Should Have Told You from Libby, popped my AirPods in and set about tidying the garden. Another story of Carmel’s which blew me away, with lovely characters, gorgeous settings and lots and lots of sentimental moments.

The storyline was delightful, if a little sad at times, and I was blown away with the whole ‘road trip in a camper van’ idea, even if camping isn’t my idea of a fun holiday! Pops, even after death, manages to travel along with the Guinness family as they wend their way through Europe, on the trip of a lifetime, not knowing which country they’ll be visiting next, let alone what surprises Pops had arranged for them once they arrived.

As with the previous Carmel Harrington books I’ve listened to, this also has underlying themes. This time we see a destructive case of school bullying, marriage difficulties and family illness. Carmel writes about all the issues sensitively and with empathy and I really enjoy that her books aren’t just a simple story, but that they’re written with so much more in mind. 

Thank you to Libby for providing the opportunity and the availability to bring books to life for so many people and thank you to Carmel Harrington for being such an incredible writer. Never stop writing!


About the Book

Every family has a story…

But for the Guinness family a happy ending looks out of reach. Olly and Mae's marriage is crumbling, their teenage daughter Evie is on a mission to self-destruct and their beloved Pops is dying of cancer. Their once strong family unit is slowly falling apart.

But Pops has one final gift to offer his beloved family – a ray of hope to cling to. As his life's journey draws to a close, he sends his family on an adventure across Europe in a camper van, guided by his letters, his wisdom and his love.

Because Pops knows that all his family need is time to be together, to find their love for each other and to find their way back home…

About Carmel

International bestseller Carmel Harrington lives in Wexford with her family & rescue dog. Carmel writes domestic dramas filled with emotional reveals and twists. Her trademark is to write authentic, relatable characters that readers can root for, and has been described as a ‘storyteller with heart, hope and humour.’ (RTE Culture)

A confessed wearer-of-heart-on-her-sleeve, Carmel smiles a lot because life is good. She knowingly overuses the word lovely. Speaking of which, she calls it chasing the lovely when she writes. A few of her favourite things include rainbows, good coffee and gin, notions – all of them, lemon drizzle cake and books. Always books.





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Friday, August 30, 2024

My Review for The Woman in Me by Britney Spears, read by Michelle Williams

August 30, 2024  , , , ,  No comments


I’m not a massive Britney Spears fan. In fact, I can’t say I’m a fan at all, but I was intrigued to listen to her story after hearing so much about it from other readers. I was also a little curious as to why she had cancelled her Las Vegas residency so quickly when it was evident she had a huge amount of fans out there.

Honestly, it was heartbreaking that someone who was so talented and wanted to live the dream they had had as a little girl could be squashed flat and controlled so heartlessly by her family, but predominantly by her father. 

Her conservatorship battle in court goes to show that hopefully, in the majority of cases, right will win and evil will be punished. Yes, Britney is a little bat-shit crazy, but no one deserves to be treated like that. I’m pleased she got the right outcome in the end.

Britney opens the audiobook by stating that she cannot bear to read her story herself without getting upset which is the reason Michelle Williams narrates it. Although her voice did grate on me a little at the beginning, I did get used to it and ultimately it was really interesting listen.

Autobiographies always fascinate and intrigue me, (probably because I’m a nosey so-and-so)! This was no exception, and I’d definitely recommend The Woman in Me if you’re simply interested in famous people and what goes on in their lives.

About the Book

In June 2021, the whole world was listening as Britney Spears spoke in open court. The impact of sharing her voice—her truth—was undeniable, and it changed the course of her life and the lives of countless others. The Woman in Me reveals for the first time her incredible journey—and the strength at the core of one of the greatest performers in pop music history.

Written with remarkable candor and humor, Spears’s groundbreaking book illuminates the enduring power of music and love—and the importance of a woman telling her own story, on her own terms, at last.
























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Sunday, August 25, 2024

My Review for A Christmas Gift for the East End Library Girls by Patricia McBride

August 25, 2024  , , ,  No comments



This is the third book in the East End Library Girls series and another brilliant book from Patricia McBride. Once again, we are immersed in the lives of the Eastenders of London, during the traumatic and difficult times of the Second World War, but this Christmas, they have the excitement of a visit from the King and Queen of England to look forward to!

Cordelia, Mavis and Jane are back between the pages of our book and honestly, I adore them. They are the stalwarts of the Silvertown library, which is very much the heart of the community, bringing people together for friendship during these hard times. The story and the characters are just so warm and endearing. Despite the setting, you can’t help but be drawn into their camaraderie and love. 

If you like warm, light-hearted, historical fiction, then pour yourself a cup of tea, put your feet up and enjoy Patricia’s latest book about these brilliant east-end girls. 

Thank you to Boldwood Books, NetGalley and Rachel’s Random Resources for the opportunity to read and review A Christmas Gift for the East End Library Girls by Patricia McBride.


About the Book

As the war continues, the library girls face their greatest challenge yet...

With the echoes of war reverberating around London, Cordelia, Mavis, and Jane are delighted to be blessed with some good news: the King and his Queen will be making a visit to the East End.

As excitement builds, so does their apprehension. With each passing day, the threat of destruction from air raids increasingly plagues their worried minds.

But with Christmas on the horizon, their morale is at an all-time high, and the girls are determined to display to their esteemed guests all they have done with the library – and with so little.

For Mavis especially, she is more focused on the library than ever – her beloved Joe is still fighting overseas and she is waiting for news on whether she might adopt young Joyce.

But perhaps the royal visit will not be the only Christmas gift she'll be surprised with this year…?


About Patricia 

Patricia McBride is the author of several fiction and non-fiction books as well as numerous articles. She loves undertaking the research for her books, helped by stories told to her by her Cockney mother and grandparents who lived in the East End. Patricia lives in Cambridge with her husband.







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Sunday, August 4, 2024

My Review for A Class Act by Julie Houston

August 04, 2024  , , , , , ,  1 comment




Julie is a new-to-me author, and A Class Act didn’t disappoint in the least. I’m pleased to have discovered Julie at the beginning of this brand-new series. 

The story is full of diversity, family dynamics, romance, disappointments, humour, and prominent characters. Robyn is lovely, I admired her determination in the first half of the book when she tried so, so hard to achieve her dream of becoming a West End star. I love a musical so I was fully invested in Robyn’s dream and loved her walks through the streets of theatreland in the west end of London.

I’m looking forward to reading more about Robyn and her sisters as the series continues in the next book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books and Rachel’s Random Resources for the opportunity to read and review A Class Act by Julie Houston.




About the Book

Robyn Allen is finally getting closer to her dream of West End stardom. And along with her role dancing in the latest hot musical, she’s being wined and dined by an equally hot man – the wildly successful and well-connected Fabian Carrington. But one slip up and her dreams are shattered, and Robyn has to hobble back to the Yorkshire village of Beddingfield, and the life she hoped she’d escaped.

Moving back into her mum’s house with her recalcitrant teenage sister Sorrel, next door to her older sister Jess who’s fed up with picking up the slack, is not how Robyn pictured her year. But there’s more to come. Sorrel needs a new school, and the school needs a new drama teacher. Despite having vowed never to teach again, Robyn knows she has to support her sister.

So together Sorrel and Robyn vow to take on St Mede’s – home to jokers, tearaways and trouble-makers, but with a hidden heartbeat ready to be inspired. And who knows, the kids might have something to teach Robyn about life too…


About Julie

Julie lives in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire where her novels are set, and her only claims to fame are that she teaches part-time at ‘Bridget Jones’ author Helen Fielding’s old junior school and her neighbour is ‘Chocolat’ author, Joanne Harris. After University, where she studied Education and English Literature, she taught for many years as a junior school teacher. As a newly qualified teacher, broke and paying off her first mortgage, she would spend every long summer holiday working on different Kibbutzim in Israel. After teaching for a few years she decided to go to New Zealand to work and taught in Auckland for a year before coming back to this country. She now teaches just two days a week, and still loves the buzz of teaching junior-aged children. She has been a magistrate for the past nineteen years, and, when not distracted by Ebay, Twitter and Ancestry, spends much of her time writing. Julie is married, has a twenty-four-year-old son and twenty-one-year-old daughter and a ridiculous Cockerpoo called Lincoln. She runs and swims because she’s been told it’s good for her, but would really prefer a glass of wine, a sun lounger and a jolly good book - preferably with Matthew Mcconaughay in attendance.

She hates skiing, gets sick on boats and wouldn’t go pot-holing or paddy diving if her life depended on it.















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