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I love Camilla Isley’s books. Despite only having read Opposites Attract and I Have Never, I now consider her a must-read author. I love a festive read, especially a romance, and this one sounded like great fun. I couldn’t wait to get stuck in!

Blurb:

There are two types of relationships: fake and real.

Chuck and Kate’s used to be real, oh-so-real. But after she broke his heart four months ago, leaving him, it became all just pretense for the sake of their entwined families.

With parents who are best friends and business partners, it’s not easy for Chuck and Kate to announce they’ve split up. But with the holidays looming over them, they can no longer keep pretending.

They head home for Christmas, determined to tell the truth—and end up accidentally engaged instead. The more they try to pull apart, the more the Universe seems to push them back together, shortening the road to the altar. And when just-for-show kisses stir up forgotten feelings, things get even more complicated.

Now, with the midnight hour approaching, will Chuck and Kate’s relationship turn out to be fake or real?

My thoughts:

This has been a fun, light and entertaining read. It uses the ‘will they won’t they’ trope very well as it is clear from the beginning that Chuck and Kate have history, and they also have a lot of connections and complications which in some ways made it very easy to ‘couple up’ but not so easy to separate or disentangle their lives.

I wouldn’t describe this is a very heavily festive book so it’s made perfect reading for the end of September, when (to me anyway) Christmas still feels very far away. However, the Christmas connection is clearly there and is a huge part of the plot in the sense that the couple feel forced to put on a front to keep their close families happy at Christmas time.

This is a character-driven story and is told from the perspective of both Kate and Chuck which I really liked. It provides different perspectives and gives you a fuller understanding of their relationship and their issues. I did enjoy the claustrophobia of the small-town setting too as this also provided opportunities for mis-communication, misunderstandings and gossip to complicate things.

This is not a serious book but it does touch on some serious issues like society’s expectations of relationships and the importance of communication. It is mostly a light-hearted read with some very funny moments.

I have been hooked on this one from the beginning and keen to know how it would pan out. This has been part of a great start to my festive reading season. I would recommend this book and author to fans of true romantic comedy, and authors like Sophie Ranald, Mary Jayne Baker and Zara Stoneley.

I was drawn to this book by the cover. It’s crisp, it’s snowy, it’s fun, cute, romantic, animated… it’s basically everything you could want in the cover of a Christmas novella!

Blurb:

Winter 2019.

Callum and Lexie are perfect for each other – at least, that’s what everyone tells them. But they’re just good friends, aren’t they? And neither wants to ruin the solid friendship that’s treated them so well since university.

But when an old school friend of Callum’s asks Lexie for a date, and passions overflow on a work night out, could it be the trigger to show each of them what they have been missing out on all this time?

With twelve weeks until Christmas, that’s a lot of opportunity for romance – and for misunderstandings…

My thoughts:

This has been an easy and fun novella to read, with an original structure that allows for the plot to move forward quickly and provides an insight into both Callum and Lexie’s lives and thoughts.

This is definitely a will they, won’t they? sort of book and you are left hoping that they will once you get to know them both. Lexie is an independent, hard-working and sensible character, whilst Callum comes across as more of a cheeky chappy but you can definitely see that they both have their hearts in the right place and their loyalty to each other is strong from the beginning. But will they risk their friendship to embark on a romantic relationship?

This could have been a slow burn but the structure and shortness of it ensures that it’s actually quite a quick and pacey read, which I enjoyed.

This is definitely a book that I would recommend to fans of the romantic fiction genre and I hope to see the author writing more in this genre in the future.

I was drawn to this book as I’ve dipped in and out of this series, including reading Murder On The Dancefloor, which was one I really enjoyed. I love the bright illustrated covers which give a sense of the small-town but also historical fiction nature of these books.

Blurb:

Till death do us part may come sooner than they thought…

1934. Kitty Underhay steps out of the battered Rolls Royce and onto the gravelled driveway of Thurscomb Castle in deepest Yorkshire. She’s honoured to be a bridesmaid at her cousin Lucy’s wedding to the reluctant Lord Rupert Woodcomb, but as family and friends gather for welcome drinks, Kitty dodges intrusive questions about her own marital status by taking a stroll about the castle grounds. As she passes through the manicured gardens, a fatal shot rings out…

The valet, Evans, is dead. And Kitty can’t help but notice how rattled the man standing next to him seems. Could Rupert’s best man, The Right Honourable Alexander ‘Sandy’ Galsworthy, believe the speeding bullet was meant for him?

When she discovers that Sandy has been receiving blackmail notes, Kitty suspects that one of the assembled guests has plans to make good on their threats. The local constabulary won’t act on Kitty’s hunch, so, busy with her bridesmaid’s duties, she asks her beau, ex-army captain Matthew Bryant, to help.

The ceremony passes without a hitch. But when an anxious Sandy slips away during the dancing, Matt follows, only to make a hideous discovery: Sandy is dead, flattened on the terrace by some falling masonry.

Now the duo are sure that there is a murderer within the castle walls. But can they untangle Sandy’s final hours and catch this killer before they strike again, or will the wedding bells be replaced by a death knell for Kitty herself…?

My thoughts:

This is a great addition and continuation to the Miss Underhay series. The fact that we are taken away from the original setting to a new area for a wedding gives the book a fresh feel.

I love the historical nature of these books and the fact it is set in a different time just adds another layer of escapism, additional to reading a modern cosy mystery. Helena works well to bring the period to life through the details she describes.

Kitty is a great character. She is likeable, honest, brave and her deduction skills are to be admired as she works her way through the different suspects and lines of enquiry. The initial suspicion of ghosts follow by the murders obviously brings a level of darkness to the book, but this is balanced by the lightness we see through Kitty’s blossoming romance and relationship with Matt, which I loved seeing.

Overall, this has been an enjoyable and original read. I would recommend this book and author to fans of Katie Gayle and Fiona Lietch.

Sheryl Browne is one of my favourite authors in this genre so I was very excited to see another new release by her. The cover once again places this story within a domestic setting, and it also raises questions about the stability and psychology of the main character. The fact the daughter is pictured also suggests this will be an intense and emotionally charged read.

Blurb:

I’ll do anything to protect my daughter…

When I pick my beloved daughter Poppy up from school one afternoon, my mind races when I see the little girl holding Poppy’s hand. With the same heart-shaped face, long brown hair and dark eyes, the two girls look identical. In fact, they look like sisters.

Is the secret I’ve been holding on to for so long about to be revealed?

That night, I cuddle Poppy even harder, desperately trying to decide what to do. And then my husband’s phone vibrates. A message. And then another. And another. All from a number I don’t recognise.

Is someone going to tell my husband what I did? Could I be about to lose everything I have worked so hard to protect?

But I’ve spent so long hiding the truth, I never stopped to wonder if I was the only liar in the family… The only thing I’m sure of is that nobody is going to take my child away from me.

My thoughts:

This book hooked me in from the opening pages. We are immediately introduced into the heart of a family where things are far from perfect. On the surface, you have the illness of a child and the estrangement of two siblings following an explosive argument. If you dig a little deeper, you find a family and a story based on suspicion, secrets and lies.

This leaves the reader off-kilter and experiencing some of these intense emotions themselves as you are not sure who can be trusted or who to believe. The characters for the most part, appear believable and well-developed.

The story is consciously structured to maximise tension and intrigue. I think this is something that Sheryl does extremely well. At times it is frustrating for the reader because the different perspectives and lack of clear communication slow down the narrative on the way to its conclusion, but these feelings are testament to the way the reader becomes invested in this story.

The most touching element is of course Poppy’s story and the issue of organ transplant. I have always been a huge advocator of this and have held a donor card from a very young age. I felt this aspect of the plot brought an extra layer of emotional intensity, but also originality and was well researched and dealt with sensitively.

Overall, another brilliantly twisty and gripping read by an author who is a star of this genre. This book is perfect for fans of Wendy Clarke, Clare Seeber, Arianne Richmonde, Miranda Rijks and K L Slater, to name but a few.

Eeep! I’m excited! One of my favourite authors is BACK with her fabulous ‘Nosey Parker’ cosy mystery series and she’s taking it one step further – a Christmas themed book, and a murder! I’m so excited to get my hands on this book. I love this series and if you love a cast of vibrant and lively characters, you will not be left disappointed. Fiona Lietch is a master of this genre so I firmly believe you need to add this to your Christmas TBR! You can find out more below.

The cover of this book is crisp, clean and Christmassy. I love the title and the fairly sparse landscape that is pictured as both have intrigued me. This book is out on the 29th November but you can also pre-order now. In the mean-time you can catch up on the first 3 books in the series (though this is not strictly necessary as all can be read as stand-alone books). These are all currently available for 99p each on Kindle – an absolute steal!

Here’s the blurb:

A PINCH OF PARANOIA

It’s three days before Christmas, and detective-turned-chef Jodie ‘Nosey’ Parker is drafted in to cater a charity event run by a notorious millionaire at a 13th-century abbey on Bodmin Moor.

A DASH OF DECEPTION

Things get more complicated when a snowstorm descends, stranding them all, and the next morning they find one of the guests has been gruesomely murdered in their bed…

A MURDER UNDER THE MISTLETOE

Secrets mull like wine on the stove in every corner – can Jodie solve the crime before the killer strikes again?

A Cornish Christmas Murder is a must-read mystery full of heart and humour – perfect for fans of Richard Osman and The Appeal.

I was drawn to this book by the author’s name. She is well known and well-loved for her Glendale Hall romantic fiction series, but as a big fan of the cosy mystery genre as well, I am glad and excited to see her branching out into this genre and I couldn’t wait to pick this one up.

Blurb:

Join the unlikeliest detective duo for the first of The Dedley End Mysteries series, for fans of Richard Osman and Charlaine Harris’ Aurora Teagarden series.

‘Superb sleuthing! I thoroughly enjoyed my trip to Dedley End and can’t wait to go back!‘ Heidi Swain, author of Underneath the Christmas Tree

Nancy Hunter and her grandmother Jane Hunter run the Dedley Endings Bookshop, selling crime, thriller and mystery books, in a small, quiet Cotswold village where nothing ever happens…

That is, until the wealthy and reclusive Roth family open up their mansion for the first time in thirty years, inviting the people of Dedley End to a lavish engagement party.

While everyone is thrilled to finally look around the mansion on the hill, the festivities are quickly cut short when beautiful Lucy, recently married to young Harry Roth, is found dead after being pushed over the first-floor balustrade.

But who among the guests could have been capable of her murder – and why?

Nancy and Jane decide to investigate – after all, not only do they own a crime themed bookshop, they were also both named after famous literary detectives – but soon wonder if they’ve taken on more than they can handle. Especially when it seems the killer has worked out that they’re hot on their heels…

Can they catch the murderer before the murderer catches up with them? Or will there be a deadly ending to this story?

My thoughts:

Firstly, let me start by saying I absolutely love the village of Dedley End. Of course, I love the brilliant pun, but I also loved the claustrophobic atmosphere and beautiful setting of the village.

The main characters will also pull you into this one. I loved Nancy and her grandmother Jane, but I also loved the ‘nosey parker’ and journalist Jonathan, as he brings an added dimension to the story and an extra motive for ‘cracking the case’.

There is a brilliantly delicate balance of the murder and mystery elements, along with the comforting themes of friendship, village gossip and the excitement of the party which along with some well placed light humour and mishaps, bring a gentler edge to the book.

This has been a twisty and fun read and I’m so glad Victoria took the ‘risk’ of stepping out into this genre as it just further highlights to me her talent as a writer! I would recommend this book and what will hopefully become a well-established series, to fans of Fiona Lietch, Katie Gayle and Julie Butterfield. If you’re new to the genre, these authors are well worth checking out while we all eagerly await the next wonderful read by Victoria Walters!

I was drawn to this book as T A Williams is becoming a ‘must read’ author. Having read two previous books of his in this genre, I had high hopes that this would be another book I would enjoy. And who doesn’t fancy ‘a little piece of paradise’, anyway?!

Blurb:

The inheritance of a lifetime… with a catch

When Sophie’s uncle leaves her a castle in the Italian Riviera in his will, she can’t believe her luck. The catch? She and her estranged sister, Rachel, must live there together for three months in order to inherit it.  

Having worked in Rome for four years, Sophie’s excited to revisit to Italy, even if it reignites memories of a cheating ex who soon learns of her return and wants to rekindle their spark. Sophie realises that distance does indeed make the heart grow fonder – but for her friend back home, Chris, who she discovers is more to her than just a friend.

With the clock ticking, can Sophie and Rachel stick it out and heal old wounds, or are the sisters destined to go their own way at the end of the three months? And does Chris feel the same way about Sophie as she does for him?

A beautiful story of romance and sisterhood, perfect for fans of Alex Brown and Lucy Coleman.

My thoughts:

As this is my 3rd read by this author, I think it’s fair to say T A Williams writes perfectly pitched escapist fiction. We are swept away to Italy again, and the descriptions of the setting ensured that I felt like I had left my drab and dreary surroundings and escaped somewhere rather beautiful.

The characters in the book are well-developed, so much so that even the personality of Jeeves the Labrador seems to bounce off the page. I loved getting to know Sophie and following her journey to, and in, Italy.

There is a careful balance and mix of family drama and romance in this book. I have loved seeing how this new situation that Sophie and Rachel are thrown into, develops and changes the family dynamic and there are strong themes of friendship and forgiveness, too.

This has been an easy and yet gripping read, one that transports you and makes you think about how our words and actions can effect others. It has been yet another wonderful read by this fabulous author. I would recommend this book and author to fans of Lucy Coleman and Jennifer Bohnet.

Regulars to this blog will know that I like reading books with the ‘missing child’ as a trope. This is part of what attracted me to this book, as well as the beautiful, dark cover and the blurb which suggested that this book would be something a little bit different to what I’m used to.

Blurb:

When well-to-do Hester learns of her sister Mercy’s death at a Nottinghamshire workhouse, she travels to Southwell to find out how her sister ended up at such a place.

Haunted by her sister’s ghost, Hester sets out to uncover the truth, when the official story reported by the workhouse master proves to be untrue. Mercy was pregnant – both her and the baby are said to be dead of cholera, but the workhouse hasn’t had an outbreak for years.

Hester discovers a strange trend in the workhouse of children going missing. One woman tells her about the Pale Lady, a ghostly figure that steals babies in the night. Is this lady a myth or is something more sinister afoot at the Southwell poorhouse?

As Hester investigates, she uncovers a conspiracy, one that someone is determined to keep a secret, no matter the cost…

My thoughts:

I knew from the beginning of the book, despite the allusion to ghosts and ‘shadowings’, that I was going to be hooked on this book. The book begins by describing Hester’s nightmares and very scant details of the death of her sister Mercy, so you can’t get much darker and dramatic than that.

This is a completely immersive yet character-driven historical novel. It provides a shakingly evocative description of the workhouse. From the beginning of the story, you feel like you are following Hester on her journey to uncover the mysteries surrounding her sister’s death and the missing child, and it completely pulls you in. Hester appears as a naive yet often brave character, and it was easy to like her.

Rhiannon’s style is descriptive and easy to get into. I loved the fact that so much of the story is driven by the mystery and the characters, but you are still taken on a journey to a very different time in history.

This has been my first read by this author but it won’t be last. It has been a atmospheric, compelling and gripping read.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I was keen to read and review this book as I love curry, cooking and I love ‘cooking from scratch’, which this book definitely advocates. Unfortunately, due to being ill in the run up to this blog tour, I haven’t managed to do the cooking that I’d have liked, but I’d still like to share some thoughts on the book.

Blurb:

Curry Compendium is based on the two topselling paperback prequels Indian Restaurant Curry at Home: Volume 1 & 2 which have collectively sold over 50,000 copies in three years. Both books won Gourmand World Cookbook awards for the best UK self-published cookbooks.

Richard Sayce has combined all the content from both these books into a quality hardback format, added a splattering of new recipes, and updated many of the photographs and illustrations.

Inside the new book you’ll find an abundance of mouth-watering, delightfully easy to follow Indian restaurant recipes. These are all backed up with detailed and comprehensive informational chapters: everything you need to learn the art of curry cooking.

Curry Compendium contains all you need to create your own restaurant quality food at home in your kitchen. Start saving a fortune on takeaways!

• 99 recipes, fully detailed and explained, covering starters, mains, sides, rice, accompaniments, and traditional Indian & streetfood
• Video Tuition throughout. A QR code is included for most recipes which can be scanned with a smartphone to instantly open up the associated YouTube video
• A quick and easy base gravy recipe to cook in 30 minutes
• Scaling Up – a detailed but easy to follow chapter about cooking multiple curry portions at once
• Inside an Indian Restaurant kitchen – a chapter showing the workings of a busy kitchen
• Additional recipe photos crediting social media followers

My thoughts:

As the title describes, this is definitely a detailed yet concise collection, all about ‘curry’. The introduction alone is very detailed, providing lots of starter information about different ingredients, and what is described as the ‘fundamental’ information for curry lovers. It also sometimes presents as a trouble shooter, or an FAQ section, for example discussing whether it is best to used cooked or raw chicken when preparing curry.

The book’s structure is easy to follow, with different sections for ‘starters’, ‘classic curries’, ‘rice and sundries’, and so on. This felt familiar and comforting as the titles read like a takeaway menu and it is clear that this is someone who the creators of this collection wanted to target – those who spend lots of money on Indian takeaways when they could create a tastier, healthier version for the same cost at home.

The design of each recipe is the same and this also makes the book easy to follow. You are given an introduction to the dish, a clear and detailed list of ingredients, a step-by-step recipe and one or two tantalising pictures. I also loved the fact that the QR codes took you to videos that could guide you further if needed.

Though I would definitely say this is not the book for someone only now beginning to think of cooking curry from scratch as some of the recipes are complex and require a broad range of ingredients, it is definitely an excellent ‘one stop shop’ for all sorts of curry cookery and a perfect gift for curry lovers.

Shalini Boland is one of my favourite writers in this genre and one of her previous books, The Wife, made it into my top 20 of 2020. Therefore, I am very excited to share my thoughts on her latest release. I love the cover of this one – it hooks you in immediately and you realise that this is going to be quite an intense domestic thriller.

Blurb:

I should never have become friends with the couple upstairs…

The first time I step inside this cosy apartment with its sash windows, just minutes from the sea, I think it would be the perfect place for me and my partner Zac to start again. A chance to leave our troubled past behind.

Chris and Vanessa, the couple upstairs, are so welcoming: smiles, flowers, a home-baked cake. It’s strange how he does all the talking, and she seems so shy, but I’m just thrilled to have new friends nearby.

But everything starts to go wrong… my business begins to crumble, I can’t ignore the whispers at our housewarming party and loud arguments from upstairs keep me awake at night. I can’t sleep, I can’t think straight and I feel like someone is watching me in my own home.

And then Zac comes home one afternoon, his face clenched with fury, and says he knows what’s going on. He knows about my secret…

He won’t listen to me. He storms out and I’m left in tears, completely devastated.

Why has my life fallen apart since we moved here? Am I going mad? Or is someone trying to destroy us?

If only I’d known what I know now.
If only I hadn’t trusted the couple upstairs.

My thoughts:

This is another beauty of a book from Shalini and I’m not sure where to start with the different parts I enjoyed about it, so I guess I’ll start at the beginning.

The opening of the book paints a picture of an almost perfect domestic situation. A young couple, Zac and Nina, are fully in love and at the cusp of their careers, are moving into their first proper home. However, their domestic bliss is quickly undercut and undermined by the strange behaviour of the couple upstairs.

This behaviour is not ‘strange’ as in completely unbelievable, unbearably shocking or intolerable, and this is probably what I love most about Shalini’s books. The danger is subtle for quite some time. The couple upstairs are overly friendly to their new neighbours, but seem hostile towards each other. There are hints towards domestic or emotional abuse, trust issues within each of the relationships, and business secrets. It all feels very believable, even though of course it breeds suspicion and guilt.

The twists are absolutely cracking, explosive and you definitely won’t see them coming. They appear quite late in the book, but you don’t feel like you are ‘kept waiting’ as such as you are completely pulled into the domesticity and psychology of these characters. This is yet another book by this author which I have struggled to put down and have devoured quickly.