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I was drawn to this book for a number of reasons. Firstly, the title is very catchy and I definitely feel like a ‘worn out wife’ at times, which made me think this might be a character or storyline I could relate to. The bright cover is eye-catching and the cover image depicts new beginnings and exciting opportunities. This was a new author to me so I was excited to dig in and find out if this book would be an enjoyable read.

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Blurb:

TESS SIMPSON NEEDS A BREAK!

No one appreciates her at home. No one appreciates her at work. And now her dog has died. She’s had enough!

Maybe what she really needs is a break from hopeless husband, Dave, the ungrateful ‘kidults’ and the lacklustre job.

River Romero needs a break!

She’s had success in the past, but screenwriting is a tough career in a tough town and her next script has got to fly or River’s dream career is over.

The swap!

Everything about River’s L.A. life sounds exciting to Tess, from the condo with a pool, to the Hollywood glitz.

Everything about Tess’s English country life sounds so calming to River, from the wisteria over the front door to the peaceful bedroom.

Both women want their lives to change, but real life isn’t like the movies.

And what if getting away from it all isn’t all it’s cracked up to be?

A laugh out loud emotional read, perfect for fans of Fiona Gibson, Tracy Bloom and Sophie Ranald!

My thoughts:

“Remember way back, Tess, when you enjoyed wearing a bikini? Had hair halfway down your back? When you had fun, and sex, and big ideas… and a spirit spirit of adventure?”

I loved the premise of this book. I think we are too quick at times to think that the ‘grass is greener on the other side’ and that someone else’s life would be better in some way than ours. This is definitely an idea that I expected the book to explore, and it did.

I immediately connected to both the main characters as we heard from both their points of view, but especially Tess. It is clear that she faces a lot of challenges in her life and needs the time and space to re-evaluate.

There is a lot of ups and downs packed into this book and overall it has been more emotional and serious than I was expecting. The humour aspect is very subtle, but there is some light relief when needed.

This has definitely been a thought-provoking read that encourages you to reflect on your own situation and evaluate it. I was pulled into their stories as the swap continued and felt that I was able to reflect and evaluate things as their situations, and their mindsets, changed and developed.

Overall, this has been an entertaining and escapist read with an original and engaging plot. I would recommend this book to fans of Sandy Barker and Kristin Bailey.

I was drawn to this book by the author’s name as she is someone who has been recommended to me so many times. I also adore the soft and beautiful cover and the uplifting connotations behind the title.

Blurb:

Ruby’s life is about to change for ever…

After years of dating losers, cheats and one guy who did something unrepeatable to her kettle, Ruby has all but given up on romance. But then a stranger sits next to her on a train to London and explains his plan to propose to the woman of his dreams. Maybe true love does exist after all?

When the man accidentally leaves the engagement ring behind, Ruby is determined to save the day. But she hasn’t counted on fellow passenger Curtis stepping in and insisting he should be the one to track the stranger down.   
 
As summer closes in, the unlikely pair make a promise to reunite the ring with its owner. But can they find their own happy ever after along the way?

My thoughts:

This is not a conventional or usual love story and so much of it is based on a chance encounter and the unexpected consequences of it. However, it is one of the most lovely romance books I have ever read.

The characters jump off the page, and I especially loved Ruby and Kat. Kat is feisty and fabulous. Ruby is fun-loving, lively and her energy just jumps off the page.

Bella’s humour within the book just falls into place beautifully and I couldn’t fault it. It never feels forced but it gives a book that deals with some serious themes a light-hearted touch.

There were so many twists and turns and this definitely kept me hooked. There was a particular bump in the road which I did not see coming!

For me, Bella has struck an excellent balance between providing the reader with a slow burn, unlikely romance whilst still managing to keep the reader fully engaged and invested.

This is a favourite from this genre for quite some time. It is full of laughs, friendship, mishaps and mischief, and if I could give it more than 5 stars I would!

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I am so excited to be involved in the blog tour for this book, which is absolutely unique and incredible in so many ways. It has blown my mind to hear a “fresh” story from this author so many years following his death. I became a massive fan after studying the original Sherlock books at university. The vagueness of the title drew me in too, as I wondered which royals would be involved and what the blackmail would entail.

Blurb:

In A Case of Royal Blackmail, the 24-year-old Sherlock Holmes recounts how he untangled the web of blackmail and deceit surrounding the ‘complex romantic endeavours’ of the Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII, those of Lillie Langtry and her various suitors and the morass of scandal surrounding the Prince’s court of 1879. In between times he also reveals how he solved the cases of Vamberry the Wine Merchant, Ricoletti of the Club-foot and His Abominable Wife and Oscar Wilde’s Amethyst Tie-pin. 

My thoughts:

The main thing I loved about this book was seeing the young man behind the legend that is the Sherlock Holmes we all know and love. We are given a great insight into his natural abilities and desire to solve mysteries and how this had been fostered from a young age.

I do feel like this book carried Sherlock’s voice well and also fitted in well with the language and style that would have been used at the time. I appreciate that the editing has been done carefully to ensure this, whilst bringing us something that feels fresh and new.

The mystery in the book is good, though it is heavily steeped in historical placement in order to allow us to fully understand its historical context, so I also really enjoyed some of the other mysteries which provided something a little extra.

Overall, a definite must-read for fans of Sherlock Holmes!

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I was drawn to this book by the beautiful cover which depicts an idyllic beach scene. I have never read anything by this author before, so I was both excited and nervous to see if this would be a book I would enjoy.

Blurb:

Sometimes first impressions are far from the truth…

Nina Darwish is a scientist who likes to proceed with caution and careful deliberation. When she arrives at the party destination of Ibiza to play PA for her best friend international pop sensation Isla Starr, she has trouble adapting to the carefree and easy-going vibe on the island. The situation isn’t aided by Isla’s seemingly surly yet irritatingly attractive music producer, the world-renowned dance DJ Logan Wild, known by his real name—Cameron—to his friends. Plus, Nina’s run-ins with, and repeated rebuttal of, an extremely entitled and very annoying male singer named Zac don’t help aid her mood.

Unbeknownst to Nina, Cameron remembers her from the past, when he was a geeky student who admired her from afar. Unfortunately, it’s clear that Nina considers him ill-natured, no doubt due to his natural awkwardness, which he masks using a stage persona. However, even if that weren’t the situation, he’s involved in a dead-end relationship with his celebrity girlfriend Ash. Plus, Nina’s eye appears to have been drawn onto Ash’s no good ex-boyfriend, Zac, therefore there’s no point in believing anything could ever happen between them.

But despite all that being the case, for some reason, he just cannot stop thinking about her.

My thoughts:

I have been very busy lately, and my mind has been pretty full. This book has been exactly the type of book I have needed. It has been a pleasant, easy and enjoyable read from start to finish.

I found this to be a quick page turner of the book and was able to read it easily in 2 sittings. Straight away, I connected with the character of Nina and I identified with some elements of her personality. Like me, she lacks confidence and values the importance of planning.

It was interesting to see Nina go outside of her comfort zone and I loved visiting Ibiza with her. Nina comes across as an uncomfortable outsider looking into the wild party scene, especially at first, and this is definitely how I would feel in this scenario.

Despite being a massive star and not always coming across in the best light, it is clear that Cam has quite a few redeeming qualities. He is kind, caring, understanding, not to mention gorgeous.

This is cleverly plotted and keeps you guessing how this one will pan out, so I found it difficult to put down. This is a well-written book that I found to be quite stream-lined, but it does not seem to miss any character or plot development as a result, which is great.

Overall, an escapist summer read that explores issues of vanity, celebrity, romance and friendship. There is a perfect balance of drama, romance and some comedy. I would definitely recommend this book to fans of Camilla Isley, Lindsey Kelk and Kirsty McManus.

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I am so excited to be involved in the blog tour for this book. I have had quite a few Nicola May books on my TBR for a while. I adore how her titles give the impression of an uplifting book where you will be welcomed into and transported to a close knit community. I also love the cover designs on her books – they look brilliantly original and stand out instantly!

Blurb:

Although thirty-three-year-old Kara Moon loves her hometown of Hartmouth in Cornwall, she has always wondered if she should have followed her dream of going off to study floristry. But she couldn’t bring herself to abandon her emotionally delicate single father, and has worked on Ferry Lane Market’s flower stall ever since leaving school.

When her good-for-nothing boyfriend cheats on her and steals her life savings, she finally dumps him and rents out her spare room as an Airbnb. Gossip flies around the town as Kara welcomes a series of foreign guests to her flat overlooking the estuary.

Then an anonymous postcard arrives, along with a plane ticket to New York. And there begins the first of three trips of a lifetime, during which she will learn important lessons about herself, her life and what she wants from it – and perhaps find love along the way.

My thoughts:

I knew from the opening of the that I was going to enjoy this book and I devoured it quickly. I definitely connected to Kara, found her a likeable and endearing character, and I could related to some of the experiences and treatment she had.

As I’d predicted, the author brings to life the vibrant community of Ferry Lane straight away: “Nobody could deny that there was something magical about the community feel on open-air market days.” However, I also love how the storyline and author took us away from this and to NYC!! It’s clear that Kara found it drastically different to her home town and quite overwhelming at first. However, it provided a great plot twist and an opportunity for narrative and character development.

It was lovely to see Kara’s confidence and relationships develop through the book but I was also glad she kicked Jago to the kerb cos I got nasty vibes from him from early on!

This is a wonderfully escapist and uplifting book that incorporates elements of drama, mystery, romance and humour and carries strong themes and messages around confidence, happiness, risks and hope.

I am definitely excited to read more by this author and the next book in this series as I love the author’s style in every way!

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I am so excited to be involved in the blog tour for yet another Little Duck Pond Cafe series. It is one of my favourite series in this genre and Rosie Green’s writing is always consistently fantastic.

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Blurb:

When Ruby Watkiss lands a job at the True Loaf Bakery, she feels as if the sun has finally come out. Having been through a traumatic time, it’s a joy to be working for Ellie, and now all Ruby wants is to lead a quiet life and support her mum in getting the help she needs.

But life, it seems, has other plans for Ruby.Working alongside the bafflingly rude Hudson Holmes would be bad enough – but then odd things start happening. It seems that someone is out to sabotage the café and bakery, and to her horror, Ruby finds the finger pointing at her.

Desperate to prove her innocence, she teams up with the most unlikely person in order to get to the bottom of what’s going on. Tailing suspects and hiding in bushes isn’t something she ever imagined she’d be doing, although her partner in mystery-solving seems the perfect man for the job. Can they clear Ruby’s name by discovering the real culprit?With all the drama afoot, at least there’s no time for romance. Because that’s the very last thing on Ruby’s mind these days. Or is it…?

My thoughts:

Wow. There are 16 books in this series and each one has an original flavour and fresh feel, while maintaining some consistency and the wonderful atmosphere of the previous books.

Regulars to this blog will know I’m not a big series reader, but this is the 4th book in the series that I have read. I have absolutely adored each one and one particular feature of the books for me is that each one encapsulates the mood of the season we are in. This book shows the romance and tense drama we associate with the best summer reads.

I love the way Rosie brings the village, characters and cafe to life. In this installment, we are re-introduced to previous characters but two new characters, Hudson and Ruby, take the forefront in this book. Ruby is a great character who is clearly very caring but also a hard worker.

This is not a conventional love story in some ways as it is so much more than that. It’s a book about village life, family, trust, suspicion, as well as romance.

I really hope there is a book 17 as I can’t see me ever wanting this series to end!

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I was drawn to this book as I previously read Life After You by this author and I really enjoyed it. Her style is easy and uplifting. Her covers are crisp and gorgeous. I also like the affirming and positive tone of the title – Life’s What You Make It!

Blurb:

After 10 years in London, working in a stressful City firm, Liv O’Neill returns home to Sandycove, a picturesque seaside village, just outside Dublin to care for her mother after a fall.

Whilst Liv reconnects with friends and family, she is amazed by Sandycove’s thriving community spirit with its artisan shops, delis and cafes – it’s not quite the place she left behind.

As village life begins to creep under her skin, Liv is forced to confront the things that drove her away.

Can Liv balance her past, present and future and find her own happy place?

And will a handsome young doctor help her make a decision about the life she really wants?

Suddenly her old life in London begins to seem extremely unappealing and Liv is forced to use her family’s past in order to forge a brand new future.

My thoughts:

This is another gorgeous read from this fabulous author. Straight away, I liked Liv and felt sympathy towards her. She is clearly a hard-working and caring person, and a great heroine for this book. I also loved her interactions with Robin and how their closeness was maintained despite the distance when Liv goes back home to Ireland.

The descriptions of Ireland and the picturesque village of Sandycove are absolutely wonderful and jump off the page.

There is a great balance of drama, romance, soul searching and light-hearted elements in this book. Liv clearly finds going home to look after her Injured mother an opportunity to take stock, reflect and make tracks for a new journey…

This has been a beautifully written and uplifting story about love in all its forms – a love of home, a love of family, a love of friends, romantic love and last but not least self-love and self belief.

I would highly recommend this book and author to fans of authors such as Cressida McLaughlin, Victoria Walters, Kate Frost and Rosie Dean.

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I am slowly but surely becoming a huge fan of historical fiction in all sorts of forms. However, Victoria Hislop will always hold a special place in my heart as she, along with Phillipa Gregory, were the authors that established my love for the genre.

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Blurb:

Beloved author Victoria Hislop returns to Crete in this long-anticipated sequel to her multi-million-copy Number One bestseller, The Island.

25th August 1957. The island of Spinalonga closes its leper colony. And a moment of violence has devastating consequences.

When time stops dead for Maria Petrakis and her sister, Anna, two families splinter apart and, for the people of Plaka, the closure of Spinalonga is forever coloured with tragedy.

In the aftermath, the question of how to resume life looms large. Stigma and scandal need to be confronted and somehow, for those impacted, a future built from the ruins of the past.

Number one bestselling author Victoria Hislop returns to the world and characters she created in The Island – the award-winning novel that remains one of the biggest selling reading group novels of the century. It is finally time to be reunited with Anna, Maria, Manolis and Andreas in the weeks leading up to the evacuation of the island… and beyond.

‘A return to Hislop’s thyme-scented, Aegean-lapped fictional Greece’ The Sunday Times

My thoughts:

I actually bought and read the prequel to this book, The Island, shortly following its release around 13 years ago and I’ve not read it since. This, however, did not dampen my enjoyment of the book at all.

Reading this book was such a wonderful experience. It reminded me so quickly why I love Victoria’s writing style. The drama is at the forefront, and in this book it is quickly established, whilst the atmospheric descriptions and historic specificities are carefully and purposefully woven in. I personally prefer this style of historical fiction to ones where they work hard to establish the historical context before launching into the story.

This choice by Victoria ensures that the story itself is character-driven and the domestic drama element is strong, looking at issues such as infidelity, marriage and acceptance of oneself and others.

This is a compelling tale that I would definitely describe as a page turner. I was certainly hooked from early on. Yes, it is a brief book but I feel it still delivers in terms of plot and some characterisation, especially of the main characters that some would already be familiar with from The Island.

I love Victoria Hislop and this has definitely encouraged me to go back and read more of her books, and probably revisit The Island again.

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I loved the look of this book! I love memoir and diary style books, whether they be non-fiction or fiction. I love the animated cover, as this makes it really stand out from the crowd. It’s not something I often see, but I think it’s great! I also feel like a right nag at times, so I was assuming that this would be a book I would find entertaining and relatable.

Blurb:

A hilarious story of the ups and downs of a overtired and overworked mother, two needy children and an overbearing husband – the perfect laugh-out-loud story.

The diary of a nagging wife is a hilarious journey of the up’s and downs of the qa equals a disaster.

Written in the form of a diary, join Annie as she begins to wonder whether there is more to life than swollen breasts and picking up her husbands dirty laundry from of the floor. Can Annie truly figure out what she wants from her life?

My thoughts:

This has been an easy and quick read. I have definitely found the character of Annie relatable in lots of ways and enjoyed following her journey.

This book explores in an honest and real way the struggles of motherhood, the pressure it puts on a relationship and the way it changes you completely into a new version of yourself.

The honesty in this book is so important and books like these are books I wish they’d recommend to you before embarking on a lifelong commitment such as children or marriage.

The book explores the importance of communication and holding your hands up when you’re in the wrong. “We need to go beyond the roles that we see each other in, and look deeper into your partner’s character, them you will be able to view your spouse in a different light.”

The ending of the book is uplifting, hopeful and heart-warming. This really was a delight to read and I urge anyone feeling a bit down in the dumps to pick this book up.

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I was drawn to this book firstly by the title and the well designed cover. The background is dark whilst the bright colour of the title pops out at you. The title itself has connotations of danger and threat, whilst the tag line draws you into the story itself. I was looking forward to checking out this book by a new-to-me author.

Blurb:

The gripping new crime thriller from the bestselling author of Before We Met and Critical Incidents

Robin Lyons is back in her hometown of Birmingham and now a DCI with Force Homicide, working directly under Samir, the man who broke her heart almost twenty years ago.

When a woman is found stabbed to death in a derelict factory and no one comes forward to identify the body, Robin and her team must not only hunt for the murderer, but also solve the mystery of who their victim might be.

As Robin and Samir come under pressure from their superiors, from the media and from far-right nationalists with a dangerous agenda, tensions in Robin’s own family threaten to reach breaking point. And when a cold case from decades ago begins to smoulder and another woman is found dead in similar circumstances, rumours of a serial killer begin to spread.

In order to get to the truth Robin will need to discover where loyalty ends and duty begins. But before she can trust, she is going to have to forgive – and that means grappling with some painful home truths.

My thoughts:

This has been my first read by this author and I have not been disappointed. In fact, I am keen to go back and read the first book in the DI Robin Lyons series.

I love police procedurals with strong and well-developed women at the forefront. It is clear that Robin places a lot of expectation and pressure on herself, and as a result is a dedicated and hard-working detective. “It could still be the perfect case, a boxed example in the next edition of the Blackstone’s handbook.”

The story discuses a murder of a young woman and there are a lot of plot threads, characters, and possible suspects, and it is also not helped by the fact they struggle to ID the dead body. This is not a book for the fainthearted really, as some of the descriptions are detailed and as a result, very grizzly.

This book also provides important social commentary about gender, race, class and the use of weapons. “Knives. Knives are the great equaliser, democratic weapon of choice: you didn’t need money or connections to buy a knife. You could get one at Tesco with your weekly shop or nick one from your mum.”

I also enjoyed the softer, more domestic elements to the story, such as Robin’s history with Samir and the family relationships with her daughter, brother and parents.

Overall, this is definitely an exciting and well-written police procedural, and I look forward to reading more from this series.

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