Wednesday, April 9, 2025

My Review for Truly, Madly, Magically by Hazel Beck, read by Natalie Duke

April 09, 2025  , , , ,  No comments

Who doesn't love a witchy book!

How did I not know until I came to write this review - ashamedly I listened to this at the end of September 2024, and I am only now just getting around to the review 🙈 - that it is number three in a series?! Never mind though, I think it can definitely be read as a standalone. I guess you would get the backstory of some of the other characters if you'd read the others, but it didn't take away my enjoyment of the story.

Ellowyn and Xander are the witches who are gonna kick ass, and whether they want to or not, overturning the Joywood coven is next on the list. I loved these two. I loved that they were sworn enemies for 364 days a year, but on just the one day, they get together to scratch the itch! 

This is full of witchy vibes, magic, and great characters. I am adding the others to my TBR right now and checking when the fourth book is out.

Thank you to Harlequin Audio and Libro FM for the opportunity to listen to and review Truly, Madly, Magically by Hazel Beck.


About the Book

A witch cursed to tell the truth, and the man who won’t let her lie to herself anymore… 

Cursed by her own mother to always tell the truth and one of the only half-witches around, Ellowyn Good has never considered herself an equal part of the Riverwood coven. But when the evil ruling coven of the witching world targets her directly, she begins to wonder why they want her gone. 

She’ll need to work with her newly formed coven to survive, which includes dealing with her first love, past wreckage and a whole new complication she didn’t see coming. With their fates in the balance, Ellowyn will have to learn to trust Zander again—or be doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past. Assuming they all survive the Joywood’s latest bid for absolute power over the witching world…


About Hazel

Hazel Beck is the USA TODAY bestselling magical partnership of a river witch and an earth witch. Together they have collected two husbands, three familiars, two children, five degrees, and written around 250 books. As one, their books will delight with breathtaking magic, emotional romance, and stories of witches you won’t soon forget.





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Tuesday, April 8, 2025

My Review for Dream Girl Drama by Tessa Bailey, read by Callie Dalton and Teddy Hamilton

April 08, 2025  , , ,  No comments



A book of firsts for me...

My first ever Tessa Bailey book and my first ever hockey romance!

Teddy Hamilton, aka Xaden Riorson reads the part of Sig Gauthier in Dream Girl Drama, and no, I didn't know this before I started listening, but hey, who doesn't want a bit of Xaden's voice, even if this time he's a professional hockey player and there are absolutely no dragons involved!

I didn't like Chloe at the beginning, was I supposed to? I'm not sure. She grew on me, though. Just as the story progressed and Chloe learned how to be an adult, I began to like her more and more. She was hilarious, growing up, she lived a very privileged life and when she started to find her own way in the world and found out she needed to do her own laundry - that had me laughing out loud!

I enjoyed the air of mystery surrounding whether Sig and Chloe's relationship would be allowed to happen, and I was second-guessing what might happen to allow it to continue.

I'll definitely be reading more Tessa Bailey books. I'm off to add some to my TBR. 

Thank you to Harper Audio and Libro FM for the opportunity to listen to and review Dream Girl Drama by Tessa Bailey.

About the Book

When professional hockey player Sig Gauthier’s car breaks down and his phone dies, he treks into a posh private country club to call a tow truck, where he encounters the alluring Chloe Clifford, the manic pixie dream girl who captivates him immediately with her sense of adventure and penchant for stealing champagne.

Sparks fly during a moonlight kiss and the enamored pair can’t wait to see each other again, but when Sig finally arrives to meet his dad’s new girlfriend over dinner, Chloe is confusingly also there. Turns out the girlfriend is Chloe’s mother. Oh, and they’re engaged.

Sig’s dream girl is his future stepsister.

Though the pair is now wary of being involved romantically, Chloe, a sheltered harp prodigy, yearns to escape her controlling mother. Sig promises to teach her the ins and outs of independence in Boston—but not inside his bedroom. They both know there can never be more than friendship between a famous hockey player and his high-society, soon-to-be stepsister. But keeping their relationship platonic grows harder amid the developing family drama, especially knowing they were meant for so much more…


About Tessa

New York Times Bestselling author Tessa Bailey can solve all problems except for her own, so she focuses those efforts on stubborn, fictional blue collar men and loyal, lovable heroines. She lives on Long Island avoiding the sun and social interactions, then wonders why no one has called. Dubbed the “Michelangelo of dirty talk,” by Entertainment Weekly, Tessa writes with spice, spirit, swoon and a guaranteed happily ever after. Catch her on TikTok at @authortessabailey or check out tessabailey.com for a complete list of books.





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Monday, April 7, 2025

My Review for It's Getting Hot in Here by Jane Costello, read by Marisa Calin

April 07, 2025  , , , , ,  No comments



So relatable to women of a certain age!

Lisa Darling has lists, and on these lists are things that just get postponed from day, to day, to day. I have lists, and on these lists are things that just get postponed from day, to day, to day! 🤣 I think it's a peri-menopause/menopause thing! We've only recently fallen down the Grey's Anatomy rabbit hole, so I smiled at the McDreamy references in relation to Zach!

I loved It's Getting Hot in Here by Jane Costello, it's full of humour, fun and sarcasm and the protagonist is a similar age to me. I didn't relate to some of the stuff Lisa was going through, but a lot of it I did. I laughed out loud every time she moved 'descale the kettle' to the next day! The whole book is a story of growth and self-development, for all the characters to be honest, but especially for Lisa and her eldest son Leo - the stroppy teenager! 

Marisa Calin as the narrator did an amazing job, reading the book, throwing her heart into the story and bringing the characters to life. 

Thank you to Zibby Publishing and Libro FM for the opportunity to listen to and review It's Getting Hot in Here by Jane Costello.

About the Book

HER HOT FLUSHES MUST BE THE PERI-MENOPAUSE. THEY SURELY COULDN'T BE ... LOVE? Lisa Darling - high-flying TV-exec and twice-divorced mother-of-two - has enough on her plate without having to deal with the handsome New Yorker parachuted in to her best friend's job at work.She's already navigating life with a grotty teenage son, organising a PTA cheese & wine event, supporting her oldest friend through breast cancer treatment and, since she hit 47, facing a new perimenopause symptom every day. It's no wonder she never has time for Pilates or that DIY panelling she keeps seeing on Instagram (though she'd be the first to admit she'd rather share a bottle of wine with her friends any day).So when Lisa starts feeling overheated every time she clashes with Zach Russo, she convinces herself it will pass. Maybe her HRT just needs adjusting. Until, that is, she finds herself in a sexy - and seriously ill-advised - clinch with him. And then another . .All of which leads to one these long-forgotten feelings couldn't be caused by something else entirely . . . could they? 


About Jane - by Jane

I write romantic comedy books that celebrate all that’s great about midlife - and make you laugh about anything that isn’t. 

I’m the Sunday Times bestselling author of 15 novels, five of which were published under the name ‘Catherine Isaac’. 

My new book, IT’S GETTING HOT IN HERE, is a spicy rom com about a 40-something TV exec and mum-of-two navigating perimenopause, a moody teenager, the to-do list from hell . . . and some delightfully steamy thoughts about a handsome new colleague at work.

My novels have been translated into 26 languages, selected by the Richard & Judy Book Club and I’ve been honoured to win a Romantic Novelists’ Award - twice! 

I was born in Liverpool, where I still live with my husband and three sons. When I’m not writing, you’ll usually find me on the tennis court, wishing I’d started to play about 25 years before I did.



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Sunday, April 6, 2025

My Review for The Wayside by Caroline Wolff, read by Lauren Fortgang

April 06, 2025  , , , , ,  No comments


Secret societies and sinister goings-on.

I liked this one, it took me a while to get into, and it was pretty slow-going, but once I figured out who everyone was, and got my head around the different points of view, I became invested in what happened to Jake and Sasha. Was it really suicide or was there something more ominous going on?

I found myself asking whether secret societies do exist in colleges, or whether they are always a work of fiction? I chose not to attend college or university, and I therefore have no firsthand experience of this. 

I enjoyed how invested Jake's Mum was in finding out the truth, even if it was sometimes to the point of obsessiveness. Lauren Fortgang as the narrator brought an element of mystery to the story which I'm not sure you'd have achieved from reading it. I would definitely listen to something she narrates in the future.

Thank you to Libro FM and Blackstone Publishing for the opportunity to listen to and review The Wayside by Caroline Wolff.

About the Book

When Kate Cleary’s son, Jake, dies at his elite liberal arts college, she refuses to believe it was the suicide it appeared to be. Something sinister is at play, and Kate becomes determined to retrace Jake’s steps during his final days. Descending into a spiral of obsession that threatens her grip on reality, Kate falls farther into a dangerous mystery even as she gets closer to the terrifying truth that Jake himself wanted to keep hidden.

Combining elements of dark academia and domestic fiction with a modern bent, The Wayside is a sharply observed story of grief, devotion, and the secrets we keep from those who love us most.

About Caroline

Caroline Wolff is a writer and editor. She holds an MFA in Fiction from New York University, where she also taught undergraduate creative writing. She lives in downtown Manhattan.




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Thursday, April 3, 2025

My Review for A New Home at the Wartime Hotel by Maisie Thomas

April 03, 2025  , , , ,  2 comments


Times are changing, as Manchester's ladies try to survive during WWII.

I love an educational WWII novel, and I've read many over the years. The ones where you learn more about the atrocities of the prison camps and the tenacity of the people who were held there. But I equally love a more lighthearted story, which is exactly what A New Home at the Wartime Hotel by Maisie Thomas is. It's the first in a new series, and although there is one heartbreaking topic (check the trigger warnings), this was a winner for me.

This time we are in Manchester as WWII continues, men are off fighting and the women are left to hold the fort - or the hotel! The characters are resilient and resourceful, and Kitty in particular was amazing as she fought to keep her home, and reconfigure the business to provide for her teenage daughter. Lily, Beatrice and Kitty (and Abbie) all became firm friends by the end of the story and I can't wait to hear what's in store for them next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read and review A New Home at the Wartime Hotel by Maisie Thomas.

About the Book

Kitty learned early on in her marriage that her husband, Bill Dunbar, isn’t reliable with money. So when they inherit the Dunbar family hotel at the start of the war, she's hopeful that their financial worries are over… until the bailiffs turn up! With Bill away fighting, it’s up to Kitty to turn things around for her family, or risk ruin.

Lily worked as a chambermaid at Dunbar’s before the war. She met Daniel there, but their relationship was complicated by class differences and the disapproval of Daniel’s mother. Now Lily is pregnant – and with Daniel away at sea, she is all alone. When tragedy strikes, will Kitty and Dunbar’s come to her rescue?

Beatrice is in her forties, unmarried, and working in a job that exposes her to the harsh realities of poverty and sacrifice. She wonders whether the war might give her the opportunity to change lives for the better - including her own. But when she's accused of a crime she didn't commit, the future looks bleak... until Kitty makes a surprising suggestion.

Can the community around Dunbar’s hotel pull together and provide a beacon of hope and resilience, in the dark days of war?



About Maisie

Maisie Thomas is the author of the new Wartime Hotel series published by Boldwood. The first two titles will be published in 2025. The stories concentrate on the importance of female friendship, especially when those friendships come about unexpectedly, and the ways in which women support one another through the highs and lows of everyday life in wartime.

Maisie is also the author of the bestselling Railway Girls saga series about the brave women and girls who worked on Britain's railways in WW2. She also writes as Susanna Bavin and Polly Heron. As Polly, she writes the 1920s saga series, The Surplus Girls, about young women striving for independence in the aftermath of the First World War. As Susanna she has written four stand-alone sagas (The Deserter's Daughter, A Respectable Woman, The Sewing Room Girl and The Poor Relation) and a WW2 saga series, The Home Front Girls.

Maisie was born and brought up in Manchester, which provides the location for her novels. She now lives on the beautiful North Wales coast with her husband and their two rescue cats.


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Sunday, March 30, 2025

My Review for The Astrology House by Carinn Jade, read by Amanda Dolan, Sean Patrick Hopkins, Gilli Messer, Soneela Nankani, Allyson Ryan, Sura Siu and Carinn Jade

March 30, 2025  , , ,  No comments


Let's dive into the mystery of Astrology.

It's been a long while since I listened to this, so I did have to delve into a few reviews to remind myself, but then it all came flooding back. 

There are a lot of characters, and each one was narrated by someone different, so this helped massively. It didn't take me long to work out who was who, how people were linked, and their purpose to the story. As expected from the title, there is a huge focus on astrology and how your star sign, your birth chart and what planets and stars are arising and descending when, can determine the person you become. The Astrology House is full of secrets, with a thrilling twist at the end. I would definitely like to read more from this author. 

Thank you to Libro FM and Simon & Schuster Audio for the opportunity to listen to and review The Astrology House by Carinn Jade.

About the Book

A group of wealthy Manhattanites escapes to an astrology-themed retreat, where simmering resentments and long-held secrets lead to a shocking death.

Margot needs a minute. She’s been working eighty-hour weeks as a newly minted partner at her law firm. She’s disconnected from her brother, the only family she has left. And she’s still not pregnant after years of trying.

Stars Harbor Astrological Retreat promises rest, relaxation, and wisdom for Margot and her friends. With Instagram-worthy views and nightly astrology readings in an impeccably restored waterfront Victorian house, this getaway should be nothing but idyllic fun. For Margot’s brother, Adam, it’s the perfect opportunity to rekindle the romance that fuels his writing, but his wife, Aimee, hides the darkness of her past with a beautiful social media feed. Their friend, Farah, is a successful doctor who cannot admit she’s losing control. But no one holds a greater secret than their astrologer host, Rini. She has a plan for all her guests, and one won’t be leaving Stars Harbor alive.


About Carinn

Carinn Jade is a lawyer, writer, and cohost of the Pop Fiction Women podcast. Her essays have been published in The New York Times, DailyWorth, and Motherwell. She has attended the GrubStreet Novel Generator, Yale Writers’ Conference, and the Northern California Writers’ Retreat. Carinn grew up on the North Fork of Long Island and lives with her family in New York City. The Astrology House is her first novel.




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My Review for The Little Girl I Always Wanted by Anya Mora, read by Abigail Reno, Tara Novie, Kacy Combest and Christopher Craven

March 30, 2025  , , , , ,  No comments


Missing girls but no bodies....

This was an audiobook listen for me and made all the more enjoyable because of the four narrators, who really made the story their own. It became quite apparent from the beginning that the majority of this small community has had a strict religious upbringing and continues to follow their faith. The wife's role was to bring up the kids and look after the house, and absolutely everything has to be run past their husbands first. I appreciate that there are many, many communities in the US that put their faith above everything, but I don't think I've read a book that focuses highly on this, not one set in the 21st century anyway. 

I worked out pretty early on who the bad guy was going to be, but that didn't spoil the enjoyment at all. There were still plenty of moments when I nearly changed my mind, as every now and then the plot took a diversion! A great story with underlying themes of grief and the difficulties of motherhood. 

Thank you to Libro FM and Vibrance Press for the opportunity to listen to and review The Little Girl I Always Wanted by Anya Mora.


About the Book

It’s as if my heart is bursting out of my chest. Nine-year-old Jubilee, our new adopted daughter, is beaming. She’s the little girl I always wanted and we’re finally taking her home.

Three months later.

‘This can’t be happening,’ I say. ‘She can’t be gone. She’s just a little girl, our little girl. She was here in her bed last night. I remember. I . . .’

I feel the panic rising, my worst fear surfacing. What if I brought her home — only to be taken?

Jubilee is not the first girl to go missing in our town. They found a body out in the cornfield — bones broken, a beautiful young girl gone.

Our community has already lost so many daughters. Mine cannot be next.


About Anya

Anya Mora lives a ferry ride from Seattle. She's a wildly sentimental mother of five in a love affair with hot yoga, positive affirmations, and to-do lists. She unabashedly uses emojis and wears her heart on her sleeve. Her novels, while leaning toward the dark, ultimately reflect light, courage, and her innate belief that love rewards the brave.





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