Sam's Fireside - Cosy Book Reviews & Recommendations

⭐⭐⭐⭐ This shouldn’t work, but it oh-so does! It’s cuteness overload and as much Christmas kitsch as you can ever imagine. Everything, literally everything, is Christmas, from the name of our protagonist to the village she’s residing in. Even the pub is called The Christmas Pud Inn! Merry (yep - that really is her name) is looking after her aunt’s cottage in the Scottish Highlands and the menagerie that comes along with it. She wants to turn her life around and become a new and confident Merry and where better to do that than somewhere where no one knows her past. Coincidentally, Theo is the new vet in town and he is also running away from his past and then he runs into Merry… I really enjoyed reading Snowflakes and Secrets in the Scottish Highlands and yes, I want to live there, be part of the secret Santa that and drink pumpkin and gingerbread lattes with Merry. If you don’t like Christmas then you probably won’t like this very Christmassy story but I thoroughly enjoyed it and ...

⭐⭐⭐⭐ Once again, we are heading off to Brambleberry Creek for the last part in this Elizabeth Bromke trilogy. This time around we discover the secrets behind Amber’s and Morgan Jo’s parents and just where Carla-May has been disappearing off to on her mysterious date!. Another slow burner from Elizabeth Bromke, but one I was more and more invested in as the story progressed. Family is important to the Coyle’s, and this is evident throughout all the Brambleberry Creek books. They always have each other’s backs, no matter what. I wanted to be with the cousins as they launch their winemaking business and I definitely wanted to sit and enjoy Brambleberry Creek with them and a glass of their homemade wine - I fancied the peach one! Although part of a trilogy, Secrets at the House by the Creek could be read as a stand-alone, but I feel you would get more from the story if you knew the background of all the characters. I am lucky enough to be a part of Books on Tour for this book, so thank ...

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I think I’d have liked to work in Bletchley Park and be part of the code-breaking team, which helped so much during the Second World War. When I read a book like this, the horrors of war and the actualities of what people suffered disappear into the background, as I become so immersed in the importance of what these amazing men and women did. Once again, Anna Stuart has written an amazing story of perhaps some of the unsung heroes of World War II. We learn that everyone working within Bletchley Park had to sign The Official Secrets Act, and they weren’t even allowed to talk to each other about what they were working on, let alone their family and friends. I’ve seen a couple of movies about the work of the code breakers during the war, but this book takes in so much more detail than a movie ever could.  Based on true events and inspired by her visit to Bletchley Park, Anna’s account of The Bletchley Girls - Stefania, Ailsa and Fran - will have you curled up in your chair with ...

⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Boy in the Attic is the second book I’ve read by Imogen Matthews and, once again, I was hooked from start to finish. This time, the story is based on events that happened to Imogen’s family, back in 1944 and as she states at the end of the book, if it weren’t for the courageousness of her mother, then she herself wouldn’t be here today. The story skips back and forth between Ilse’s story in 1944 and Anna’s in 2005, and as we follow them both in their lives, we discover how their stories are linked. The author tells Ilsa’s story brilliantly and with her amazing descriptive writing, we can almost imagine how hungry and scared people must have been during the war. Despite the tragic circumstances, I loved how Anna began her investigations into her past, with a silver sixpence and a peacock blue scarf. Fast-paced, entertaining and educational. If you enjoy a dual timeline story and you enjoy historical fiction, grab yourself a copy of The Boy in the Attic. I am lucky enough to be ...

⭐⭐⭐⭐ Second Chances at Brambleberry Creek is the second in the series and continues where the first book ends. This time around, though, we primarily hear from Bill, the grandfather of the family, Amber, one of Bill’s grandchildren, and Morgan Jo, who was our protagonist in the first book. Life doesn’t seem to happen quickly in Brambleberry Creek, but before you know it, the book has flown by, relationships have started and ended and new projects are afoot. I loved how, in the present day, the family are invested in discovering how their grandfather made his wine, his recipes and methods and then, back in 1992 we follow Bill’s process of recording the same thing, to ensure his grandchildren can follow in his footsteps. Although part of a series, Second Chances at Brambleberry Creek can also be read as a stand-alone, but I’d recommend reading Home to Brambleberry Creek first to discover the backstory of all the characters. I’m looking forward to reading the last part of the series over ...

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ What began as a very, very strange story had me, hook, line and sinker as soon as I realised what was going on. You don’t need to know about that though, otherwise it’ll spoil it for you! I listened to Isaac and the Egg as an audiobook and quite literally couldn’t take my AirPods out!  All about grief and friendship and how Isaac copes with his loss and learns to manage his mental health. Johnny Flynn narrated this book beautifully and as I was listening, I was feeling Isaac’s pain but also his happiness, which shows through as the story progresses and the Egg helps him through his tumultuous times.  Isaac and the Egg is brilliantly written. It will make you realise that there is hope for us all, despite what our past may have held. I cannot recommend this highly enough, although you may never look at a baked bean in the same way, ever again!  Thank you to NetGalley and Headline Audio for the opportunity to listen to and review an ARC of Isaac and the Egg by Bobby P...

⭐⭐⭐⭐ I really enjoyed reading The Locked Away Life, I didn’t think I was going to though. It was very slow to begin with, and I honestly thought I was going to struggle to finish it, but about a third of the way through it suddenly picked up the pace and the characters became more interesting, and from then on, I was fully invested. Esther and Bruno, are two completely different characters, one an eighty-something-year-old woman and the other a teenage boy who develop an amazing friendship and support one another through changes in both their lives as they learn to accept both the past, present and future. The chapters mainly alternate between Bruno and Esther, both telling their stories, and we learn how their situations become intertwined and how quickly they become ensconced in each other’s lives. Bruno is just learning who he is and how to deal with the issues life is throwing at him. Esther is realising that she isn’t too old to learn new things and embraces them entirely. I loved...