What’s more to say about my blog about books I’ve read?
Well, this is my blog about books I’ve read 😀.
I always liked reading books, and it all started on a very silly way… It’s always good to blame my dad, so he is the cause of my reading addiction.
When I was still a little girl, a looooooong time ago, I saw him always going to the bathroom with the newspaper. One day I wondered why he did that, so I took a book and tried to see the fun of that.
And since that day, you can find everywhere in the house a book of mine.
A while ago, I had the opportunity to review some books, and now a new opportunity came to post them on an own blog.
So here we are, my own blog!
I read books, and I will post my thoughts about them.
Some books I’ll like, some I won’t like that much…. but you can be sure that I’ll give you my personal and honest opinion about them.
She has a happy marriage, a career she loves, and a daughter beginning to find her place in the world. But when her husband Ed receives a devastating diagnosis, long-buried secrets surface – shattering everything Lizzie believes about their life together.
Now Ed is desperate to set things right before his memories slip away.
Meanwhile, their adopted daughter Beck is searching for answers of her own that could change the family forever.
After rediscovering her love of singing, Lizzie brings together a community where friendship, kindness and music forge unexpected connections — and perhaps a way back to one another.
My review
Lizzie’s and Ed’s worlds are falling apart when Ed is diagnosed with an illness that will affect his memories. Just now that the married couple would be enjoying life now that the hardest years are behind them. But with memories slipping away, also long – kept secrets are being exposed, putting Lizzie’s and Ed’s marriage on a bigger strain than just Ed’s illness. Add that their daughter Beck is looking for answers of her own, like looking for her biological mother, and just finding her place in the world. Unexpectedly, Lizzie finds her love for signing again, joining a choir with her best friend. And then music turns out to be what could possibly bring Lizzie back closer to her loved ones. But can music heal all the pain that have been caused in the past? And can it bring forgiveness? And could it even bring back the people we think we have lost?
I was a bit doubtful if I should read this story or not. Not because I thought it would a bad story, but more because I knew it would be a heavy story. Ed’s diagnose is not a light matter and it affects many people in the world. It is difficult for the person itself, but also for the people around him/her. So my curiosity for the story had the upper hand.
At the start of the book, Ed is a bit reluctant to go let himself check out. And I could understand that in a way. Because when it is just being a ‘normal’ forgetfulness and when is there something else going on? Aren’t we all having moments where we seem to forget something?
Even when Ed’s diagnose is made, obviously everyone is a bit shocked as it is news that nobody was expecting, I could understand how Ed is a bit in denial. Where Lizzie is trying to find remedies, treatments or things can just help a little but, Ed does not want to be faced constantly with the diagnose and just want to go on with his life as it was before. Which is of course just wishful thinking…
We see how the disease, the diagnose, affects everyone, how now things just have to change in a way, because living as before is just not an option.
I thought that the book would be only about how the family would face the changes in their lives, but the more I was reading more, the more I realized that just because someone gets bad news, that the rest in life pauses.
Because, and perhaps Ed’s situation ‘helps’ in this case, suddenly Lizzie discovers a secret Ed has been keeping, making the blissful marriage she believed she had with Ed turn into the opposite. While Lizzie is in the dark about what to do next, she doesn’t want to be the wife that leaves her sick husband, she also just has her heart broken over the betrayal.
And also Lizzie is someone I could understand, because no matter what you would do in this situation, it is never the right thing…
I was happy for Lizzie that she then finds comfort in music and the choir she is joining. Now, I was happy reading that it isn’t a choir in the classical sense of the word, but a choir where all kind of songs are being sung. Being in the choir is an escape for her, but it is also about Lizzie growing her own self – esteem again. And I admired how Lizzie understand how important music can be, and even comes up with great ideas to help others.
Like I said, we see how an illness, a diagnose doesn’t put the rest on hold. And we also see this with Beck, the daughter.
We see here a young woman that is in fact a little bit lost. She doesn’t know what to do with her life, has been doing several things but hasn’t find that one thing that she loves doing. The fact that she is also adopted, leaves her with many questions. She has and is still being loved by Ed and Lizzie, but still Beck has a felling of not belonging anywhere.
Perhaps I did not feel truly sad for Beck, but I could understand her inner turmoil. It is not easy, especially in these times, trying to find not only your place in the world, but also the answers to all her questions. And then the devastating news about her adoptive father…
Now, it may sound like a depressing story, and for sure it isn’t an easy one. There is Ed’s illness, his struggles and we see how slowly are taking a turn for the worse. There is Ed’s secret that suddenly is being exposed and his attempts to explain and make things right. There is Lizzie devastated by not only Ed’s illness, but also by that secret, making her doubt what to do next. And Beck just trying to answers.
But in fact, we also see so many moments filled with hope and love. And we see, something we perhaps should pay more attention to, how important and how impactful music can be. It can bring you joy, it can bring you hope, it can connect you again with others.
Not an easy story, but for sure an important one, that makes you reflect about your own life, about what truly matters in your life.
When new girl Ivy starts working at the café, Maddy suspects she might be hiding something. But when Ivy’s secret is finally revealed, it’s more heart-breaking than anyone could possibly have imagined.
My review
Ivy is over the moon that she has gotten the job at The Little Duck Pond Café. She believes that this could be the start of a new chapter in her life, after a devastating and heartbreaking event. However, the past is still haunting her somehow, and even at the café they suspect that Ivy is hiding something, especially Maddy her radar is going off. While Ivy rather wants to keep it all to herself, she also realizes how liberating it can be to confide in someone. And when the truth comes out, no one could have ever imagined what Ivy has been through…
It may not be a big secret that I am always over the moon when I can return to Sunnybrook and this delightful café. However, I have to also admit, that I wasn’t ready for this story and Ivy’s tale…
Right from the start it is obvious that Ivy is haunted by something/ someone from the past. It is not clear what exactly happened, and I have to say, Rosie did a great job to lead on down the wrong path 😊.
While Ivy is clearly not at ease and she is clearly tormented and even told a few white lies in order to get the job at the café, it is also obvious that she would be a great addition to the bunch that we all know and love. Because everything about Ivy says that she is a caring, loving and gentle character.
And then the moments of torment she goes through… those bits truly saddened me, seeing her scared in her own home, seeing her standing in the rain looking at the pond and searching for a specific duck… If it were possible, I would enter the book and give Ivy a big hug and tell her I am there for her and that things will work out, somehow… And that before I even knew her true tale of woe…
A tale of woe that absolutely broke my heart! A tale of woe that made me think the worse but also where my gut feeling was telling me there was more to it than we may think…
It is easy to think that Ivy got her heart broken in one of the worst possible ways, and I was perhaps also thinking not so nice things about her ex. And yes, perhaps Ivy shouldn’t have let her own self-doubts take the overhand, but I could also understand where she was coming from.
We see with Ivy’s story how perhaps you can self – destruct a wonderful relationship, but also how people’s interferences can ‘help’ with making things worse. Shows once again that there are some nasty people in this world, isn’t it? And then I am not talking about the discoveries later on in the book! Let me tell you I was flabbergasted!!!
Luckily Ivy can count on her new friend of The Little Pond Duck Café, who quickly show her that she is part of their group now and that means that Ivy can always rely on them, confide in them and they will always have her back and they will support her.
Maddy also plays a big part in this story, not only as Ivy’s biggest supporter, but also on a funnier, more hilarious way, her quest to buy a home together with the love of her life. And laugh that I did with Maddy!!! 😊Because let’s be honest, her attempts of gentle persuasion, playing innocent, nobody falls for it! 😊
Perhaps this next chapter in a just *marvellous* series broke my heart the most. Because what Ivy has been through, it is just terrible. But it is also, and that is as usual, an uplifting story, a warm story and even an inspiring story.
Because even if your heart has been broken in a million little pieces, it can be healed again, tiny bit by tiny bit again. By finding new, loyal and loving friends, by finding your passion again and finding the courage to pursue in that passion.
I don’t know how Rosie Green keeps on finding the inspiration to write amazing story after amazing story, without ever being repetitive somehow. Each new story is just something I *need* and *must* read, as in the end I always end with a big smile on my face and a feeling of contentment!
In early 20th century Britain, society was changing rapidly, but not much was changing for women. From different ends of the social spectrum, Celia Mapperley and May Hallam wrestle with rules and circumstances beyond their control and must navigate love, sex, war, and the thin line between conformity and scandal. As they each bear the shame of a devastating family secret, their stories come together in ways that neither could have imagined.
GuestPost
Behind the Bridal Veil
As a lifelong reader of novels set in the 19th and early 20th century Britain, I’ve always wondered about how young women on the marriage market felt as they approached the unveiling of the great mystery of sex. Because British society before the First World War tried to safeguard the innocence of young, unmarried women by keeping them from any knowledge of what happens between husband and wife, many must have been startled and even horrified by what they encountered on their wedding night.
Just how badly this strategy could backfire is the theme of the two parallel stories in my novel Ancestral Virgins, set before, during, and after World War I. In the novel, I wanted to show how badly these young women could be damaged by being brought up in ignorance and hedged about with so many proscriptions.
The first of the two stories grew out of my theory that some potential brides might have been more fascinated than repulsed by what they gleaned from the few hints and whispers about sex that came their way. Thus, my character Celia Mapperley was born, a young aristocrat touched by no-one but her maid, kept in the dark but longing to discover the mysterious no man’s land that divided married women irrevocably from their unmarried sisters. Aristocratic parents tended to be distant in those days, and some treated their daughters merely as pawns in a marital lottery. I’d noticed how many of the heroines of novels written during that period had their most loving and tactile relationships with their brothers, even if it was just playing tennis or rough housing – Lucy Honeychurch and her brother Freddie in E.M. Forster’s A Room with a View spring to mind. And I started to wonder what could happen if this went awry – if a young woman who feels unmoored and afraid of being married off to a stranger cleaves to the only person with whom she feels completely comfortable and safe.
The second of the two stories involves a young woman, Lily Hallam, one of six siblings who live and work on the country estate of Celia’s family estate in Nottinghamshire. Lily grows up in close proximity to her brothers but is as innocent and unquestioning as any other girl of the era about the relations between men and women. When, aged only 15, she’s sent away from home to work as a housemaid in a gentleman’s manor house in Sussex, she finds herself confused and conflicted as her charming employer becomes increasingly keen to enjoy her company.
“Lily wished Mrs. Goodwin could see how properly he always behaved, parting from her at the foot of the stairs each evening with a bow and a peck on the back of her hand. She’d felt no urgency from him, none of the pressing attentions that Mam had warned her about when it came to men. All he seemed to want was the lightness that they had when they were together, the lightness that helped him to forget the war for a little while. Yet there were also his kisses – long, trembling, addictive – and sometimes in the night, she’d lie awake in bed in the attic, hardly able to breathe as she relived them. It was like balancing on a very high and very narrow wall stretching far ahead and far behind, and only by taking one very careful step after another would she manage not to fall.”
As Celia and Lily’s stories draw ever closer together, the consequences for both women are dire and shocking and have long-lasting implications for all who know and love them.
When finding yourself suddenly with wards changes everything
Synopsis
Bath, 1810. Lord James Brotherton, the charismatic Earl of Avon, is wealthy, intelligent—and marked for death. His own cousin believes him an imposter and has enlisted corrupt lawyers and treacherous servants to remove him permanently. Enter Sofia Brotherton. Unconventional, outspoken, and entirely irresistible, Sofia turns James’s ordered world upside down. He falls for her instantly. She follows a week later. As danger closes in, their growing attraction becomes both a refuge and a risk. With enemies plotting murder and passions running high, James and Sofia must fight for love—and survival. A witty, action-packed Regency romance filled with intrigue, danger, and deliciously sensuous tension.
My review
Lord James Brotherton is the Earl of Avon. But being an Earl is not an easy task, but in James’s case, his own cousin believes him to be an imposter and thus James is fearing for his own life. Not being married or otherwise attached to someone, it also means that he can do as he pleases, and does not have to take in account that his own behaviour is not always Earl – like, with outbursts of anger. When he learns that there are young women, sisters, that are in fact related to him, but have no guardian, James does not hesitate to take up his own duty. As the sisters themselves do not know about James’s existence, they have made sure that their future is somehow protected by taking up jobs. The first sister that James finds, is the eldest, Sofia Brotherton. What for James is love at first sight, Sofia slowly also starts to have growing feelings towards James. But with danger lurking around every corner, and Sofia’s determination to not wed, the both of them have not only to fight for love, but also for survival..
In these kind of stories, my heart always goes out to the characters that have faced a loss, and suddenly their lives as they used to know, is over. How will their lives change, and how will they make the best out of their new situation?
And I liked reading how from the very start, the sisters are taking matter in their own hands, looking for jobs and not just wallow in sorrow. It shows already a certain kind of determination and sense for independence.
Especially Sofia, the female main character in this book, shows her independence, her need for it especially. She doesn’t long for a marriage, like everyone else does. She wants to stand on her own feet, not depend of somebody else. And that I admired, because now it is obvious, but in 1810 it for sure wasn’t!
I could understand her somewhat reluctance to go live with James as a ward. Sofia understand why she doesn’t really has a choice in the matter, but she also makes it very clear from the start that she will only agree with it until she has come of age, and can live her life as she wants.
And I admired James, as he does not hesitate to take in complete strangers in his home, even if they are family. I don’t know, even in those times, if I would do the same (beside the fact that I am a woman and I would never find myself in James’s situation 😊).
But I have to also admit, while I liked James for doing the right thing, several times in fact, I also got a bit frustrated with him on several occasions. There are moments where it seems he lacks interest in how his household is being run, resulting that people are sabotaging him on several occasions. And also his ‘violent’ reactions at moments made my brows frown. Not that he is an actual violent person, but let’s say he likes to break things in his home…
And yes, I was even a bit surprised at how fast feelings between James and Sofia are developing. For James almost just one look has been enough to make him fall in love with his ward, and for Sofia it takes a little longer, but still, for me, a bit too fast. But that can also be because I have never fallen head over heels in love, so that can be why I cannot imagine happening like this 😊.
James and Sofia are very different, and that is not only because they have had different upbringing. But they also disagree on several aspects. So you would think that they wouldn’t work on paper, but somehow, they also agree on so many other things. They connect in an unexpected way.
Living together, make the both of them more mellow in a way. Sofia act towards people and animals in a way James never saw before, and makes him also understand that things can be handled differently. And Sofia at the same times learns how the world works. And Sofia learns about how love looks like.
It was sweet reading how Sofia and James are bonding, over music, horses and dogs. It shows that the attraction goes beyond and their connection is real, even if there are bumps on the roads.
A connection that brings out a protective side to both of them, as it becomes clear that James’s life is at risk and puts also Sofia in jeopardy. But it shows once again how deep their feelings are.
We see in this book how also in the past, how quickly things can develop, how unexpected. But just because something happens fast or unexpected, doesn’t mean it isn’t genuine. And that former ideas or resolutions can be changed, because that is the power of love.
When an inhabitant of Britain’s safest village suddenly dies, could it be actual murder?
Synopsis
Bob and Shirley run a lovely country pub. They also solve murders …
A warmly funny, gloriously British cozy crime and murder mystery series that can be read as standalones or part of a series. Set in a village where the pub is the heart of country life and served with warmth, wit and a very good Sunday roast.
“Murder? In our quiet, little English village?
Great Oakley is a place of hanging baskets, tearooms and riverside walks. We’ve won ‘Britain’s safest village’ 10 years running. I keep three pound coins, a box of toffees and a bottle of Pepto-Bismol on my dashboard at all times, and I’ve never needed to lock my car.
Certainly, Bevvy Hogg was disliked. She ran the local Waist Watchers group, yet came to our pub for fish and chips, treacle tart and a bottle of Chardonnay every Friday. But I don’t think she was murdered …”
When Bevvy Hogg is found dead in the Goose and Gander pub garden, with an empty treacle tart plate beside her and several dress sizes slimmer than anyone remembers, Great Oakley’s winning streak as Britain’s safest village comes to an abrupt end.
My review
If there is something that the community of Great Oakley is proud of, is that for 10 years they have won the prize of ‘Britain’s safest village’. Bob and Shirley run together the Goose and Gander pub, a place where everyone is welcome. Even people that perhaps aren’t all that well liked, people like Bevvy Hogg. So when Bevvy is found dead in the pub garden, with an empty treacle tart plate and much slimmer than she ever was, Bob and Shirley both believe that the impossible has happened in their village: an actual murder! Even when the police closes the case as a naturel death, Bob and Shirley are not ready to just agree with that claim. And they start their own investigation, with possible suspects, motives and ways that Bevvy could have been murdered….
Normally, cozy mysteries aren’t my go – to books, as I am more a romantic person at heart. But there are moments where I do need a murder but not the heaviness that brings a thriller. And if an author that I know, writes a cozy mystery, of course I want to read it! And that is how I found myself reading this guide to murder.
Now, there is one thing that took me some time to get used to, being the writing style. The story switches between Bob and Shirley, sometimes with short chapters. We read their thoughts about the events in their village, but also the thoughts about the conversations they have between them.
Yet in a way that is also the charm and the fun in this book. Because even if a murder has taken place, reading how 2 married characters think about the incident, how they think differently about things, how they think alike about things and how they also think about each other at moments 😊.
How often do we think badly about a person we dislike? And perhaps we even think that Karma should be a… and that the person should have something bad happening to them. But of course there is a different thing thinking about it in the heat of the moment, and actually have that person going through that.
Bevvy for sure isn’t the most popular person in the village, as she ran the local Waist Watchers, but was being a hypocrite by going to the pub for fish and chips… And her sudden weight loss, mainly discovered after her death, raises several eyebrows. But that doesn’t mean she truly deserved to die on her own in the pub garden…
I also believe that if the incident would have taken place somewhere else in the village, Bob and Shirley would have found a way to interfere. That is just the kind of people they are 😊.
Now, even if it is a cozy mystery, I for sure was also intrigued by what truly had happened to Bevvy and if she was truly murdered, and more important, who did it?
In a small village, it is also a fact that there aren’t a million of suspects. So that that specific list rather short. A list where Bob and Shirley add people to, delete people from after their ‘serious’ investigation.
While both Bob and Shirley are determined to discover the actual truth, perhaps they are bit reckless and too intrusive too. Of course we know they do it with the best intentions, but perhaps they should think twice about accusing loudly and publicly people 😊.
It also needs to be said, that I admire their loyalty and their unwavering friendship and love. Even when there are many indications towards someone close to them, they do not hesitate to put their trust and faith in that person. Yet that doesn’t take away they are still following every lead.
As of course not only Bob and Shirley make hilarious blunders in this book, this was a very light and entertaining book to read. While perhaps initially I wouldn’t put my trust in these two as investigators, you cannot ignore their passion, fire and determination to uncover the truth and unmask the real murderer!
And there is a giveaway!
Giveaway to Win an e-copy of Bob and Shirley’s Killer Cuppa Puzzle (Open INT)
One of Great Oakley’s five open gardens served poisoned tea. Can you work out which one before Bob does?
‘Like Murdle and a cozy mystery rolled into one.’
Murder mystery logic puzzle stories for fans of The Killer Isn’t Alice, Murdle and Can You Solve the Murder?
These are ‘Puzzlories’. Read them like stories, solve them like puzzles. Each one takes about an hour to read and solve.
It’s Open Gardens weekend in Great Oakley. Five gardeners have opened their gardens to the public, and each is offering a unique drink, cake, flower and interesting garden feature to their fellow villagers.
Unfortunately, one garden owner poured poisoned tea. Probably not on purpose. But you never know. There are more murders in Britain’s safest village than you might imagine.
Village pub landlady Shirley Duffy visited all five open gardens before returning to the Goose and Gander for a much-needed beer and a sit down. One of those five gardens was the scene of the crime.
The trouble is, Shirley’s memory is known to be … selective. She can remember every cake she’s eaten since 1987, but not necessarily when and where she ate it. And she can’t remember which garden served tea on Saturday afternoon.
Shirley’s husband, Bob, is frustrated that Shirley can’t remember one garden from another. But he finds many things about his wife frustrating, and loves her anyway.
As Bob presses Shirley for details, the clues pile up. Your job is to note them down and work out who served the tea before Bob does.
Twenty clues, one in every short chapter. Fill in your detective’s grid, cross off your suspects and name the poisoner.
Grab your notebook, put the kettle on (carefully) and see if you can beat Bob to the answer.
*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome. Please enter using the Gleam box below. The winner will be selected at random via Gleam from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.
BRAND NEW from bestselling author Julie Houston comes a powerful story of first love, long-hidden secrets and second chances. Perfect for fans of Jojo Moyes, Marian Keyes, David Nichols and Ruth Jones.
First love, long-hidden secrets and second chances.
Anna Piasecki thought she had left her university heartbreak behind. After spending decades building a successful life, she arrives at sixty with everything as she wants it – a glittering career, a devoted partner and brightest star of all, her brilliant son Noah, the apple of her eye.
Theo Mandeville is trapped. Bound by aristocratic duty to his sprawling Yorkshire estate, he has spent decades living the life that was expected of him while regretting the star-crossed romance he walked away from.
When their children meet at college, Anna and Theo suddenly find their carefully constructed lives colliding. With a devastating forty-year-old secret hanging over them, can their families survive the truth and do they dare to trust that fate has other plans for them?
Spanning decades, The Way We Are Now is a sweeping, heartwarming and life-affirming tale of first love, friendship and second chances perfect for fans of Jojo Moyes, Marian Keyes, David Nichols and Ruth Jones.
My review
While Anna Piasecki is at university in the ‘80’s, she never expects how the events of her time then will affect the rest of her life. Like the matter of her best friend Fliss, or Anna’s first yet impossible love, with Theo Mandeville. But Theo is not like Anna, as Anna’s family is working as miners, and Theo’s family has estates, and even are aristocrats. And it is only a matter of time when the differences between Anna and Theo will break them up. Now at her being sixty, Anna has built a successful life, a satisfying career, a devoted partner and a son she adores. But when her son Noah meets Theo’s daughter Immi, Anna’s and Theo’s lives are colliding and with a secret over forty years old still hanging over them, what else can the future be possible have again in store for them?
When you are young, don’t you think how your future will be? The people you meet then, will they still be in your life decades later? And will the person you love then, still be your loved one? What about the personal growth you go through and what will shape you into the person you will become?
And in this book, we see the complete journey Anna is going through, from university as a young woman to a woman with wisdom at sixty. And let me tell you this, a lot happens in just one lifespan!
At the start of the book, as we meet a young Anna, I felt an instant like towards her. She is full of joy, spirit, fire and sees a bright future ahead. I also liked it how she is sharing her temporarily home with other young women. Perhaps Anna doesn’t get along with every one of them the same, as Fliss is for sure her best friend at university. But there is a bond between all the young women.
With Anna and Fliss we see how a friendship can form your future self and how a friendship can still affect you after many years. But we also see with this friendship that how good do you truly know someone? No matter how close you are with someone, we see how secrets are kept, lies being told, to only end in a terrible way…
We also see how there has been and still is a difference in society. Anna is a woman who has been raised in a family of miners. And then there is Theo, who even comes with a title and has a rather privileged life. Despite the differences and the awkward first meeting between the pair, we see how sparks always find a way, somehow.
Life never goes as excepted or hoped, as we see that the love between Anna and Theo is not strong (enough) or that just life gets in the way, or that events push you apart.
Life never goes as expected, as events can decide for you or help you decide which direction your life goes.
As in this book we go over decades in Anna’s life, we read how she encounters new people, how she grows and matures, and how she becomes a strong independent woman. Yet while her life moves on, we also see how there are also a few regrets from het past.
I found it intriguing in a way, reading how Anna’s life was going. How she goes from a young woman perhaps a little bit gullible, to this woman fighting for the right cause, with a family. And I was of course also curious how her life would get entwined with Theo’s life again. And how it would affect the both of them.
This is a book about life and how quickly everything can change. But it is also about how the past can still have a hold on you. It is also about how no matter how young you are, how big an impact love can have. It is also about following your heart, yet also making mistakes. It is about everyone can or are able to keep secrets, or lie.
But it is also about that somehow, somewhere, someday, the pieces will fall into place. You may not know how, but it will..
This is a realistic book, and perhaps it will be a difficult start – like it was for me – but you will find yourself drawn into Anna’s life and realize that some wisdoms in it are for sure applicable in your own life too!
A Scottish castle, a fake marriage… and one very real Christmas romance?
After a window display goes disastrously viral – thanks to a malfunctioning animatronic Santa and an unfortunate encounter with Paddington Bear – Lula Haines finds herself without a job just weeks before Christmas. So she jumps at the chance to decorate Hollybrae Castle in Scotland for the holidays.
There’s just one complication: her handsome new boss, Oliver Bracewell, needs a fake wife for the festive season. To secure a promotion that could save his family’s castle, Ollie has been pretending to be a married father-of-two to impress the family-focused firm where he works. Now his bosses are coming to stay at Hollybrae over Christmas… expecting to meet his non-existent wife and children.
At first, playing along is easy as Lula is swept up in the magic of turning Hollybrae into the perfect festive escape with Ollie. But as Christmas draws nearer and she and Ollie grow closer, Lula begins to wonder if Hollybrae could become more than a temporary escape… and if the man she’s only pretending to love might actually be the one she’s been waiting for all along.
With heaps of tartan, tinsel and Christmas magic, this uplifting romance is perfect for fans of Trisha Ashley, Heidi Swain, Cressida McLaughlin, Ellie Henderson or Jessica Redland!
My review
Lula Haines never expected that her window display would end up being a scene from a horror film, as Santa and Paddington Bear are suddenly not showing the Christmas Love. And is there a worse timing to lose your job than weeks before Christmas? So when the opportunity rises to accept a temporarily job to decorate Hollybrae Castle in Scotland for the holidays, how can Lula refuse? And even when her new boss, Oliver Bracewell, explains to her that the job also means that she has to be his fake – wife in order to secure a promotion, Lula does accept it. Ollie needs the promotion to save his family’s castle, and he has been pretending to be a married father – of – two. And now that his bosses and colleagues are staying at Hollybrae Castle, Ollie needs a wife asap, and is already ‘renting’ two children. At the castle itself, Lula is not only mesmerized by the place, but also by handsome Ollie. And the closer Christmas comes, the closer Lula and Ollie are getting, with the attraction more and more difficult to ignore.
Even when it is summer, I can absolutely enjoy and devour a Christmas story. Especially during a heatwave, is there anything nicer than reading a book where there is not only an actual castle, but where snow is falling from the skies and you read about warm hoodies, hot drinks and even if I have never eaten them myself, mince pies (hoping to actual taste them one day)? And having a Christmas story from an author that is as talented as Jaimie Admans??? Could it get even better???
I don’t have an artistic vision myself, so I for sure would be the last person capable of creating a window display, or decorate a place that leaves everyone in awe. The fact I don’t have an inch of ability to put my imagination into reality, only makes me admire those who actually can, even more. So right from the start, I admired Lula, even if it is clear from the blurb that her window display would end in a complete disaster. Where my artistic vision lacks, my imagination in envisioning the Santa and Paddington Bear encounter for sure was up to the task. And I for sure could understand why would be crying and why that display would be trending, for all the wrong reasons.
While I could understand that Lula is terrified of the consequences, and I in a way could understand why she had to be let go, I also disagreed with the ‘how’. Her boss for sure could have been a bit nicer to Lula. And making Lula feel so little and disposable, is that something that is still being done???
But of course, all my sympathy went to Lula, because despite what happened to her window display, she is just a really nice and friendly woman. Yes, Lula has had some setbacks in life, and is currently staying with her sister and her family. But the fact that Lula feels as an intruder, wants to stand on her own feet, shows that she does not want to be a burden to anyone. Not that her sister ever makes her feel that way, but I could understand Lula’s feelings. We are all happy when family helps out, but we also don’t want to stretch that help and generosity, do we?
Now, when Lula sees the job offer at Hollybrae Castle, I was in a way happy and relieved to read that Lula isn’t going there as a gullible girl. Yes, the job interview goes smoothly and is at moments truly funny to read, but Lula also has her head straight on her shoulders. Despite the instant connection she has online with Oliver, she asks the right sort of questions and keeps a level of wariness. I liked it also how nothing shakes her, not even the weird request of pretending to be part of Oliver’s happy – but – non – existing family.
It also would be easy to label Oliver like a creep. But as this is a Christmas romance story, of course Oliver isn’t truly one.
While it is perhaps wrong to tell his bosses and his colleagues that he is happily married and even has two children, the more I got to know Ollie, the more I could understand where he is coming from. Because let there one thing absolutely clear, what Ollie has been through in his life, is something that no one should go through. And reading how somehow he feels the burden to step into his father’s shoes, truly saddened me.
And it saddened me reading how at loss Ollie in fact truly is, how he is struggling to excel at his job, trying to save the castle. But at the same time, it also warmed my heart reading about his bond with Nancy and Hamish, and how he is an honorary Uncle to Rory and Maisie, Nancy’s and Hamish’s grandchildren who will pretend to be Ollie’s children.
Now that I have mentioned Rory and Maisie… how delightful are these two??? For sure they know how to use the situation for their own benefit, but they also are the ones ‘teaching’ Lu and Ollie to act like they truly are married and deeply in love. And how hilarious was it to read those bits! Not only the interfering, but the advice too! I don’t think there are more adorable children as Rory and Maisie! And in a way, i was ‘sad’ as they weren’t really Ollie’s and Lu’s kids. But of course the children are deeply loved by their real parents! 🙂
Back to Lula and Oliver, because just wowsy!
Already from their first online meeting, the connection is palpable. And when they actually meet at the castle, things only intensify! I loved reading the moments Lu and Ollie are spending together, getting to know each other and understand each other. Seeing that initial connection evolve into something deeper, while pretending to be already together for years, again, just wowsy.
And yes, perhaps while reading I was aching for Ollie’s hugs myself, because I could imagine how it would feel to be in those arms. Those moments where I was immensely jealous of Lula, I wanted to be her in those moments! Well, not only in those moments, but also the moments where the sparks are truly flying between them, but also the tender moments, the moments where they can just be the real Lula and Ollie.
This seems like an easy story, with easy characters, but like I already said with Ollie, there is so much more to each character. With each chapter you just get more and more to the essence of each character, understanding their actions, their dreams, but also their fears. And with each chapter you hope that the pretending will turn into the real thing. And with each chapter you hope that by the end of the assignment, that same assignment will be long forgotten.
If only it were that easy, right? Not only in books, but also in real life it never is just as easy task. There are always hurdles, struggles, demons of the past and in this case, lies to be kept yet at the risk of being uncovered…
That is also the strength of the story, as both main characters are keeping up the façade, but at the same time also letting their guards down, showing their selves to each other. It’s also a journey for both Ollie and Lula, where they are trying to understand what they truly want from life, and which direction that life should take. It is about truly admitting what you want your future to look like and not being afraid to chase that exact future, no matter how hard that may be or even if the journey to it will cause some tears.
I laughed so much with this book, I also felt sad at moments, I felt every emotion deep in my heart. I have read several wonderful books of this ah-ma-zing author, but perhaps this Christmas story may be my favourite this far, because not only was I embraced by the warmth and love of Christmas, but also and especially the warmth and love of the characters.
FALL LOVE is an all-new spicy, fall vibe, small-town, contemporary romance standalone from L.B. Dunbar.
What to expect:
♥️Reunited lovers
🍼 One-night stand turned nine months later
🍁Pumpkin spice and apple picking
🎯Strip darts
🍼Accidental pregnancy
☀️Sunshine hero x prickly heroine
🥧Small town sweet and sexy
Neve Snowe doesn’t need to settle down. She’s already settled in her small harbor town, with a cozy beach cottage and part ownership in the family-run auto repair shop. She doesn’t want a man, but she likes them. And she has one golden rule: only sleep with flatlanders. You know, the guys who never intend to stay in Lovewell Landing, but use the coastal area for a brief holiday.
And the last thing she desired was the unexpected . . . to be expecting.
Tate Love spent his summers in Lovewell Landing as a teenager, but somehow he missed the beautiful girl who turned into a spunky woman, flirting with him on New Year’s Eve, which led to wishes by the town’s spell-binding well and an incredible one-night stand.
He never thought he’d see her again, until nine months later, a business prospect brings him back to the area.
Now, the man who longs to be tied down finds that night planted the seed to everything he ever wanted, while he holds the pen that could sign away all she’s ever loved.
Welcome to Lovewell Landing, where autumn is in the air, pumpkins decorate every doorstep, and a flirty fiasco might cause opposites to fall in love.
Fall Love is a steamy, romantic comedy spin-off of The Holiday Post and continues the romances of the Snowe sisters in the beautiful and quirky small town of Lovewell Landing.
🏷️fall vibe small town second chance romance reunited one-night stand nine months later accidental pregnancy prickly heroine x sunshine hero he falls first she falls hard spicy romance later in life
Neve Snowe always felt that she doesn’t need to live elsewhere, as Lovewell Landing has always been the place where she belongs. She loves her life, even if there are big changes looming around the corner. With a broken heart, she has no option to sell the family – run auto repair shop, in agreement with her other three sisters. And then there is the fact that after one spectacular night on New Year’s Eve, she is very much pregnant. Only, she does not know who the father is, as it is a flatlander, the kind of person that just comes to Lovewell Landing for a holiday. And then suddenly, after a business prospect brings him back to Lovewell Landing, Neve faces Tate Love again. A little bit shocked to discover that in just a little bit of time, he will be father, yet at the same time is Tate ready to take his responsibilities. And as after that one night, he hasn’t been able to get that fierce woman out of his mind, it makes Tate rethink about his life and his choices, wondering where his future is…
I cannot say that I have read all the books of this author, but those that I have read, I loved each and every one of them! So when I saw this book, and read the blurb, I just knew I was gonna love this story too.
Now, I have to admit, it took me a while before realization dawned that Neve’s story is linked with The Holiday Post, which was an amazing realization. But if you haven’t read The Holiday Post, it’s okay. Yes, you are missing out on a great story, but you can read this book perfectly as a standalone.
Right from the start of the book, I felt a connection with Neve. Not that we are alike in any way, but I believe that at heart, we have a lot in common. So that I completely understood how much her heart was aching as she has no option to sell the auto repair shop. Not only because it is where she works for hours, but also because it is something she used to do with her father, for years. The place holds so many memories, and saying goodbye to it is painful.
Add to the equation that she is heavily pregnant, it cannot be an easy period for Neve… And while she is already absolutely in love with her Little Wrench, being a single mother cannot be easy. Being a parent in a relationship is already a challenge, but doing it on your own? And with so many questions about your own future? I for sure don’t envy Neve’s situation, but I do absolutely admire her!
Admiration, because Neve also shows on several occasion that she doesn’t want anyone’s pity or compassion. She is a fierce woman, a person that can handle matters on her own. Even if with a bump now, she is not a woman in need of a knight in shining amour for saviour. On the contrary!
Neve is fierce and strong, but she also shows at moments her vulnerability, her insecurities. And that made her a ‘realer’ person in my eyes. Because nobody can be 24/7 fierce and everybody has insecurities.
And let’s be honest, even if Tate is a ‘flatlander’, what he needs, is someone like Neve.
The meeting at New Year’s Eve may have been one between strangers, with lasting effects, but also then it is clear that there is *something* between them.
The thing about Tate is, initially he comes up as a man focused on closing a deal. But the more you get to know him, the more you see that not only he has his own struggles, but that what he truly wants from life, is something that in fact, we all want.
And I truly liked reading this ‘duality’ of Tate. Because his life took a direction, but at heart he wants it to go in a different direction. It felt to me like Tate is going through an internal turmoil many people could recognize.
But I also have to say, that when Tate hears the news that he is going to be a father, we see such a caring, gentle side of him, a side that wants to take care of not only the baby on its way, but also he wants to take care and look after Neve.
It truly warmed my heart, seeing this side of Tate, even if at moments he does things with the right intentions, but perhaps the wrong actions. Talking about wrong actions… there is something that Tate finds difficult to tell Neve. And perhaps being a typical man, not coming clean about it immediately, it only causes more hurt than intended when the truth comes out. But I also see this as the humanity of all the characters, we are all making mistakes. Nobody is perfect…
In the story we see the strength of both characters but also how they are faced with an unexpected turn in their lives. Both Neve and Tate are strong-willed yet vulnerable. They are both ready for the new challenges in their lives, but they are also scared of that same future. And they both have to learn to dare again, open up and just ‘go for it’.
Saying I devoured this book, would be a real understatement. This book just had everything I needed: lovely characters, strong characters, but at the same time also vulnerable ones. We see how life can take an unexpected direction, but that direction can be a more rewarding one, a more fulfilling one. I fell in love with Neve, Tate and even Little Wrench, and I cannot wait to read what will be happening to Neve’s younger sisters, as what I have read up till now, for sure got me interested! 😊
The latest story by Harlequin Romance author Rachael Stewart, an enemies to lovers, billionaire romance set in the Outback!
The prodigal billionaire is back!
As he reluctantly returns to the Outback, the last thing Jackson King expects is to be drawn into a feud over his family’s sprawling estate—or to steal a searing kiss from Annalise Fletcher, his estranged father’s fiercely loyal assistant. Her enigmatic nature reminds him of a past trust-shattering betrayal, and she sees him as the selfish son who walked away. Still, their spark refuses to dim, illuminating an inconvenient truth: The home he’s been running from might be where he truly belongs…
From Harlequin Romance: Be swept away by glamorous and heartfelt love stories.
Read all the Outback Kings books:
Book 1: Cinderella’s Billionaire Boss by Michelle Douglas Book 2: City Girl in the Outback by Ally Blake Book 3: Stuck with Her Impossible Ex by Kandy Shepherd Book 4: The Billion-Dollar Heir Returns by Rachael Stewart
My review
Jackson King did everything he could to get away from the Outback, and become successful on his own. But when there is a feud over his family’s estate, instigated by his own father, he has no option to return to the place that holds so many painful memories. And what else he doesn’t understand, is how his father has found such a loyal assistant in Annalise Fletcher. Jackson cannot believe that there is nothing more going own between his father and Annalise, especially as it reminds him of a betrayal of the past… Meanwhile, Annalise sees Jackson as the selfish son that walked away and never looked back, until now. However, somehow sparks seem to fly between the two, resulting in a searing kiss. But where will it lead to, as Jackson cannot wait to leave again, and Annalise just found place that feels like home…
I know that people have a lot to say about the genre of this book, even about this publisher. But let’s also be honest, books are written to take you away on a journey, and what is wrong with a romantic journey?
And let an amazing author like Rachael write a romance, and there is for sure *me* that will read and LOVE it!😊
This book is part of a series, but is perfect too to read as a standalone, something I did. But now for sure my interest has been piqued and it won’t take long before I will also read the other books!
Right from the start of the book, I could sympathize with both characters, even if Jackson’s behaviour wasn’t always the right way to act.
But while his actions were perhaps wrong, I could see where he was coming from. There is truly a tragedy that scarred him, and the way his father raised the family, for sure won’t get him an award for father of the year…
And seeing the close relationship Annalise has with his father, who Jackson always saw as a hard person, I could understand that Jackson has his own questions about what truly is going on.
And yes, I have to admit, that I had a moment myself where I thought that there was something more. But I also have to admit, that feeling quickly evaporated once I got to know Annalise. She is the kind of person who has her heart at the right place, is a caring woman, and she is genuine.
With her background, I could also comprehend why she feels such a connection not only with the Outback but mainly with the King family. Even if the secret she is keeping from her ‘boss’ is something she isn’t feeling comfortable with, she truly feels a bond with every member of the family. With the exception of Jackson…
Obviously, upon Jackson’s return, things clash between him and Annalise. Mainly because they believe that the other is something that, in fact, they are not. Yet despite the initial wariness and even hostility, there is also an immediate attraction between the both of them.
A physical attraction, that slowly ignites into something deeper, something impossible to ignore. And seeing those changes was truly sweet and heartwarming to read. Because both Jackson and Annalise come with serious baggage, and with being around each other, not only are they able to overcome some of their fears (Annalise, I am talking about you and your fear of horses 😊), but they are also learning to open up, little by little.
Of course Jackson and Annalise are going through a lot of growth in this story. But at the same time, it is a journey with many ups and downs, misunderstandings and secrets that come out.
Perhaps, I was a bit disappointed (not really the right word) how easily things were forgiven, but it can also be because I live for drama, the more drama the better 😊. And perhaps, my Italian temperament won’t forgive that easily 😊.
But that doesn’t take away how much I enjoyed reading this book. It made me dream about Jackson myself (just like Annalise does in this book and no, #NoShame 😊). But it also made me understand that perhaps we don’t always understand someone and the reasoning behind actions, but that it doesn’t mean that it isn’t done with the best intentions. And that what we initially think about a person, isn’t how that person truly is. Because no matter if you initially clash with someone, it can be exactly that someone that can give you the courage and the strength to open up (again) and can let love back in your life.
To find solace and comfort in a place that is just *home*
Synopsis
Isla Stewart has a glittering publishing career in London, but when she’s unexpectedly made redundant, she faces an uncertain future.
Licking her wounds, Isla heads home to the Cotswolds. Keeping her devastating redundancy a secret from her proud parents, she seeks refuge at Finch’s, the enchanting bookshop she worked in as a teenager. With the owners struggling with their health, Isla steps in to manage the shop hoping to convince them that the business has a future.
Isla likes nothing more than chatting to people about books, but her safe haven is soon disturbed when she comes face-to-face with her first love, Charlie Brace, made worse by the arrival of Guy Madley, the incredibly handsome property consultant who has advice for owners Jon and Miriam.
As Christmas approaches, Isla has decisions to make. Does her future lie in London or can a whole heap of books and a sprinkling of festive magic offer a life that she could never even have dreamed of?
My review
After being made redundant in her publishing job, Isla Stewart returns back home to the Cotswolds. As it’s the Christmas period, she decides to keep her redundancy a secret from her family, hoping that something else will cross her path quickly. Being back home also means for Isla visiting the bookshop that during her teenage years was her workplace. But when the owners of Finch’s tell her that there are health issues and that running the bookshop has become more difficult, Isla does not hesitate to help these lovely people out, and she offers to manage the shop during the holidays. Especially as Isla hopes that Finch’s will prove its worth and its success. She enjoys chatting with the customers, even if that means meeting her first love again, who broke her heart. And then there is Guy Madley, who starts to stop by the bookshop more and more, but is also the property consultant, ready to sell Finch’s as soon as Jon and Miriam decide to sell. So even when the attraction seems to grow, Isla is also wary of Guy. Not only because his goal is to sell Finch’s, but also because Isla herself does not know where her future will bring her…
I always love reading books where something happens to the main character, forcing her (in this case) to return home. And then home, the place where that person would least think it, wonderful things start to happen.
In this particular case, Isla knows how wonderful her hometown is, how it’s filled with beautiful and kind people. So of course, after her redundancy, she wants to go back home, even if she is keeping that little detail a secret from everyone. And it was lovely to see how everyone welcomes her back, and also how proud her parents are of her.
So while perhaps I didn’t agree with Isla keeping her redundancy a secret from everyone, I could also comprehend why she does. It can not be underestimated how strong the burden of making parents or family proud of you, is. And as Christmas is approaching, it also isn’t the most ideal time to bring such news, is it?
I found it sweet also reading how at home, and how at ease Isla finds herself. It seems like she never left. And the fact how she doesn’t hesitate to help Jon and Miriam out. Because she cares about the two people but also because Finch’s is a place that fills her with many happy memories.
Rather early in the story, I was thinking that the romantic bit in the story would be about Isla meeting with her first love again, and that they somehow would find each other again. And that at the same time, Isla would meet Guy, feel an attraction and that Isla would find herself needing to choose between two men.
But I was happy reading how in fact, the story is not about that. I am not going to spoil a lot about that, but I can say that it was satisfying how the hurt of the past gets closure and how Isla finds herself drawn towards a not only a good looking but also just a nice guy!
However, for me the romantic bits, the love interest, wasn’t what made me love reading this book. It is the journey Isla is going through.
Because we see how at loss initially Isla is after losing her job. But coming back home also gives her the opportunity to figure out what she truly loves doing. Yes, having a career in the publishing branch is something she loves, but could it be that at home she finds something that she even loves more? Isla has a lot of figuring out what she truly want to do.
And I found it so heartwarming how she bonds with people, with customers, or the loyal visitors (whether furry or not). She shows her real colours her, how caring she truly is. And even when she initially feels a bit awkward with children, we see how in fact she is great with them!
There is so much love and warmth in this book, even if the main characters isn’t going through an easy moment in her life. We see how being surrounded by people that love you, being in a place that is not just home, but a place that brings you peace, you can find the answers you were looking for. And why not, perhaps even more? 😊
With books from authors that I know, I always have high expectations. And Jill Steeples is not an author that I know, but also that I love. So the expectations were already higher than normal. But she delivered and gave me even more than I wanted! What a wonderful, warm, hearty story this was!
Tizi’s Book Review 