When a misunderstanding makes you pretend to be engaged with a cowboy…

Synopsis

She’s not getting hitched. He’s just here for the ride.

Whitney’s life is not going to plan. Her romantic comedy novel isn’t selling, her career feels stuck, and by the time she realises she’s in love with her best friend and roommate, Andy, he’s back from his work trip with a fiancée – and a wedding date that is alarmingly soon.

Enter Jake: a cowboy with his own problems, including a country estate he’s desperate to buy and an owner who doesn’t trust developers – or men without roots. When a viral moment throws Whitney and Jake together, they strike a deal. Whitney gets the real-life love story publishers want. Jake gets to look like a committed, family-minded man who belongs at Rosewood. All they have to do is pretend they’re in love.

As Andy’s wedding approaches, Whitney uncovers a plot twist that could change everything for him – but the romcom she’s acting out with Jake is starting to feel dangerously real.

Falling for your best friend is complicated, but riding off into the sunset with a cowboy is pure fiction… Right?

My review

Whitney is at the moment struggling a little bit in life. While there aren’t any major issues, the fact that she is having troubles with selling her romantic comedy novel, causes her a few headaches. And when due some eye – opening moments, she realizes that she is in love with her best friend and roommate Andy, Whitney does not know what to do. Because years ago, she pushed Andy clearly in the friendzone, yet now she knows that no one gets her better than he does. But when Andy comes back from a work trip, Whitney is ready to come clean about her feelings, weren’t it that Andy now has a fiancée and there is already a wedding date, in the near future. At the estate where the wedding is going to take place, Whitney rather embarrassingly meets Jake, an actual cowboy. Unfortunately, their meeting is gone viral, making people believe a romantic engagement took place, Whitney and Jake both see this as an opportunity for the both of them. Because for Whitney not only is this a chance to show publishers a real – life love story, and perhaps make Andy a bit jealous. And for Jake, it is a perfect chance to show what a committed, family – minded man he is, as his plan is to buy the Rosewood Estate, but from an owner who doesn’t trust men without roots. So their fake engagement is perfect for both Whitney and Jake, it also means a lot of pretending. However, the better they get to know each other, the less pretend is taking place… And when a plot twist involving Andy could change everything, what story line is the one to be followed?

Starting a book written by Portia MacIntosh, is knowing beforehand you will be laughing, gasping for air, rooting for the main characters and just have the best of times. And for me personally, when an actual cowboy will be involved, my ovaries too are ready! 😊

Whitney is such an easy character to like. She is down – to – earth, kind, funny and also a bit sarcastic. And the fact that she is also an author, made me like her even more. She also has the best kind of friends, where Andy is also her roommate, share the same hobbies, and even without a word they understand each other. And how peculiar it also may sound for a friendship between man and woman, they tell each other everything, they hear each other all the time.

And JJ is not only Whitney agent, but a real friend. Because she is the person that will push Whitney out of her comfort zone, even challenging her to go out in the dating pool. JJ is a bit unhinged, acting before she thinks at moments. But JJ is what Whitney needs, as she sometimes needs that little nudge.

And it is that same JJ that makes Whitney realize what her feelings for Andy are. Now, I have to admit, while on paper Whitney and Andy may seem like a perfect match, it felt also a little bit that JJ is the one making Whitney ‘feel’ things for Andy. Because if JJ hadn’t put that little seed in Whitney’s head, Whitney would have never gone that direction.

Of course as a reader I already knew that Andy would return home with a fiancée. But just as Whitney, I could not be more surprised at the speed of it all (yes yes, I knew it beforehand, but still…). And just like Whitney, I found several moments truly cringy (e.g. the nicknames). Cringy but also hilarious 😊.

Talking about hilarious… our first introduction of Jake… hilarious, but definitely also swoon – worthy! Poor Whitney, falling into the fountain like that, but what a rescue by Jake! I don’t think that a rescue could be any more heroic or ovary-exploding! 😊

Jake is in a way the typical cowboy, with his “ma’am”, loves horses perhaps even more than humans. But he is also clearly a man with his heart at the right place. Because I don’t think that many people would be leaving their home behind to ‘just’ be closer to a parent.

And I liked it how Jake wants to do the right thing, but also doesn’t want to ignore his essence, with a passion for horses. He somehow wants to find the perfect balance between remaining himself but also being here for his father. What a man!

What else what I found hilarious, was how Jake rescuing Whitney is captured and how online it gets a completely different storyline! How a simple rescue transforms into a very romantic proposal.

Of course I could understand why Whitney and Jake decide to keep up the pretence. Because them pretending to be a couple deep in love, also ready for the next step, would help the both of them to achieve their goals.

I found it sweet and funny at the same time, seeing how Jake and Whitney are trying to make everyone believe how much in love they are. And meanwhile, while faking it, they learn just how much they are alike. They care about the same things, share the same opinions and they also just seem to understand each other.

As so often in books (and in reality too) the more time is spent with someone, the quicker feelings are changing, especially is there is a lot of faking taking place. And seeing that shift taking place between Whitney and Jake truly warmed my heart. Even how impossible it may seem to have feelings changing, they show us that in fact, it is possible.

It is clear that I truly enjoyed reading this story, had many laughs and loved the sweet, heartwarming moments. Portia MacIntosh wrote an amazing story, about how faking it perhaps can result in making it. And that feelings can grow really fast, and that is okay, as long as the feelings are genuine, honest and real.

In time of need, can all be forgiven?

Synopsis

Fifteen years ago, one desperate act tore sisters Bex and Briony apart. 👭💕✨

Growing up side by side against the backdrop of a feckless father and a hardworking mum, they were inseparable—until Briony’s attempt to save Bex from a disastrous engagement shattered their bond.

Now Bex has the life she dreamed of: a loving family, a new glamping site on the family farm, and roots she’s proud of. Briony, living under the online alias “Holly Day,” drifts from place to place in her van, watching her sister’s happiness from afar.

When their beloved mum falls seriously ill, Bex must track down the sister she hasn’t seen in over a decade. But finding Briony brings more than old wounds—it brings unexpected closeness, new beginnings, and the realisation that some bonds never truly break.

As secrets unravel and hearts tentatively open, Bex and Briony must decide whether they can finally forgive, heal, and find their way back to each other—and to the family they both desperately need.

My review

Bex couldn’t imagine her life going any better than it does now. She is happily married with the love of her life, sharing three children together. And now that she is finally opening a new glamping site on the family farm, it is truly a dream coming true. Also the relationship with her parents is one filled with love and warmth. But when her beloved mother falls ill and even needs a transplant, Bex finds herself doing something she never imagined doing, contacting her sister Briony. The sisters couldn’t be more closer while growing up, until Briony, wanting to protect Bex from a disastrous engagement, betrayed her sister in a way Bex could never forgive. And for years, Bex did not want to hear anything about Briony. So Bex doesn’t even know that Briony now has an online life as ‘Holly Day’, going from one place to another in her van, putting videos about her experiences on the web. Nor that Briony has kept an eye on Bex’s life from afar… Now that Bex needs Briony, for their mother’s sake, Bex wants to keep her distance, which is just impossible. As old wounds resurfaces, can the bond between the sisters be restored, if not only just for their mother’s sake? Or is what has been broken beyond repair?

A new book from an amazing author, so no doubt at all I had to read it! And perhaps a little different from the other series I have read from her, but that doesn’t mean I did not enjoy reading it!

At the start of the book, it is obvious how close Bex and Briony are, especially after what the sisters (and their mother too) have been through with their father. And that thick bond is something that I recognize with my own brother. Of course I cannot confide in my brother with absolutely everything (like you could with a sister). But when I say that even now, where I am almost forty and he is 4 years older than me, we still go on holidays together, you know how close we are, right?

I could understand Bex’s anger upon discovering Briony and her betrayal many moons ago. And while it may seem very despicable what Briony did, I felt it even before I knew what truly happened, that it couldn’t be just that straightforward. And it saddened me to red how even in the present, with Bex having a great life with an amazing family of her own, the pain and feeling of betrayal never left her… And how Bex has excluded Briony from her life completely. I could understand Bex, but I also couldn’t, if you get what I mean? Because before that specific event, Bex and Briony couldn’t be any closer, and without even trying to hear Briony out, for years… I found that difficult to understand…

And we see how Briony’s complete life is affected by that event. She is living a nomadic life, cruising around with her van and her dog. Not only is that kind of life rather lonely, and difficult to bond with people, what has happened also truly made her more introvert and closed off. She has an online life, where nobody knows her real identity. Because she is known now as Holly Day.

It truly saddened me reading how lonely in fact Briony has been for all these years. Yes, her parents are still in touch and visit whenever possible. But as Bex keeps that door clearly shut, Briony feels like that she isn’t a real part of the family…

I have to say, that I liked it how from a parental side, there was no preference. They respect Bex’s choice but that doesn’t mean that they also break all contact with Briony. Bex and Briony are both their daughters, and they love them both equally.

In this book, we see when in time of need, people are able to put their own feelings aside for the “greater good”. Because Bex knows that the only way to help her ‘stubborn’ mother, is contacting the person that hurt her the most…

Some may think about that feud, that Bex should just let it go, and as she has found her happily ever after anyway. But I could understand her pain, because she has lost the most important person of her life in the process, and how often do we hold onto old feelings, instead of addressing the issue and solve it?

Of course, the first encounter could not be a warm one between the sisters. Yet somehow I could read between the lines the longing for that bond Bex and Briony once used to have, from both sides. But pain and hurt (and even a grudge?) that have been festering for so many years, cannot just disappear overnight, can it?

I found this book one with several emotions and feelings. Because there is the long-lasting feud between Bex and Briony, but also the serious health issues of their mother, just like Briony finding herself and her voice again, and finding that special connection with someone.

Jo Bartlett wrote (as I expected) a wonderful, bittersweet story. How one person in the past can break bonds that were unbreakable before, and how that can change the course of several lives. But with the warm characters in this book, we see that when the need is high, personal feelings can (and must) be put aside. And how perhaps one terrible event in the present can be a way to restore something that seemed broken forever… Perhaps this book can even work inspirational for people in somehow the same situation that Bex and Briony find themselves, as proof that it is never too late for forgiveness and love…

The need for a fresh start, to find the unexpected

Synopsis

Pack your bags and get ready to fall in love with The Hotel by the Sea—your next romantic getaway awaits!

Rebecca needs to escape. After making a complete fool of herself watching the man she’s secretly loved for years run off with someone else—she jumps at a temporary job at the family-run Quinta do Mar hotel. Sun, sea, and a fresh start sound perfect.

What she doesn’t expect is Felipe Rebelo.

Charming, infuriatingly confident, and always ready with a flirty quip, Felipe seems to have life sorted. But beneath his carefree exterior lies a man carrying the weight of his entire family. The last thing he needs is another responsibility. Especially one who challenges him at every turn, makes him laugh, and is dangerously easy to fall for…

Escape to Portugal’s stunning Algarve coast in this uplifting summer romance about finding yourself, choosing happiness, and discovering that love isn’t about being needed—it’s about being seen.

My review

Rebecca has been having feelings for her friend Will for a long time. But after seeing how he ran off with another woman, while Rebecca was his plus one, she has had enough. So when she finds a temporary job at a family – run hotel, Quinta do Mar, she grabs this chance with both hands. Because nothing mends a broken heart better than getting away and have sun and sea at your disposal. There is no better fresh start that Rebecca could imagine, weren’t it that almost immediately she meets Felipe Rebelo, who co – owns the hotel, although it doesn’t seem he is doing a lot for the family business. Felipe is charming, confident and always has a flirty response. However, what Rebecca doesn’t know is that in fact, Felipe is making sure that everything at the hotel runs smoothly. And he cannot take more responsibility, even if Rebecca is not only challenging him, intriguing him, but also making him laugh and is amazing to have fun with…

I was very eager to start with this book. Because I know how this wonderful author can captivate me with her amazing stories!

Right from the start, my heart went out to Rebecca. Not only is it terrible to have feelings for someone who doesn’t seem to reciprocate them, but just at the time when you decide to make a move, you see your love interest suddenly going away with someone else. And that while you were being each other’s plus one! So in fact, Will just abandons her without a second thought.

And to be honest, not only this but also events further along in this book, made me dislike Will. I could understand Rebecca’s loyalty towards Will, as they have been friends for so long, and she has been by his side during the most difficult moments. But I couldn’t understand the attraction.

Getting away from a situation is sometimes the best thing you can do, so I was totally in agreement when Rebecca accepts a temporarily job in Portugal. Not only is she away from Will, in order to move on from him, but also she is able to work as a Pilates instructor. And let’s be honest, the Algarve couldn’t be a more perfect place for both purposes!

Even if the setting is in Portugal, and I am an Italian, I cannot deny that the Mediterranean warmth flies of the pages. The way Rebecca is welcomed by the family, it is very recognizable for a Mediterranean woman like me. I don’t think I would act differently, or perhaps even more at the risk of being over the top welcoming 😊.

I found it sweet to see how Rebecca is feeling while working at the hotel, how she is slowly finding herself again. Having some distance is exactly what she needs, and the distance gives her the necessary perspective.

When she meets Felipe, we see also who Rebecca truly is. Yes, she is competitive (all the swim challenges she has with Felipe… 😊) but she is funny, even sarcastic when needed. She is also committed, not only to her job. And yes, perhaps she needs initially a moment to adjust to new situations, with new people around, but once she understands the situation and dynamics, she is so easy to be liked and she as easily likes people too.

Also when she meets Felipe, there is an instant connection. Yes, they ‘fight’ over their swimming challenges, and at first sight Rebecca may have some prejudices that aren’t correct, but the attraction between them cannot be denied.

So of course I was a fan when they decide to not ignore that attraction anymore! But I also have to say, that while things evolve very heatedly between them, I felt that their romance is not the main plot line, but the growth both characters go through is. And their romance is the catalyst, a helping hand to understand who truly Rebecca or Felipe is.

Because while at first instance it looks like Felipe is a bon vivant, as a reader we quickly discover that in fact, he is carrying a lot of responsibility. I found it bittersweet to see how much he cares about his family, and how he wants to make a success out of the hotel. But he is just doing too much… Nobody can do it all without the help.

In a way, Felipe is a typical man. He let everyone believe that nothing is a burden, nothing is too much for him, while in fact he has to work at night to get it all done. Yet he refuses to admit things are getting over his head and that helping hands would be so much appreciated. Is it male pride? Is it that Mediterranean thing again? I don’t know…

To say that both Rebecca and Felipe are both a bit at loss, would be stating the obvious. While their lives couldn’t be more different, yet they both have lost themselves. And with being with each other, they slowly learn again who they are, what they want from life and how to truly enjoy life again.

And at the same time, by spending more time with each other, they also learn what they want, or rather need, in a companionship. And that a relationship, a partner, is not adding more responsibility, but sharing it, dividing it. It is not a sacrifice, but an addition to life.

Once again Julie Capling swept me away with a wonderful story, about how when escaping from life can bring you all the answers. Answers that you were looking for, but more important, answers you didn’t know you were looking for. Answers that make you realize who you in fact truly are. And if you find someone by your side during the process, it is only the cherry on top!

This for sure was a story that was heartwarming, but also inspiring. It made me laugh, it made me frown and yes, here and there, there were also a few facepalms. A great story about searching yourself, growth, understanding and love. Love for yourself (and self-worth too), but also love for people who have just arrived in your life.

When wanting to do good means choosing between the known safety or a mean to change things

Synopsis

Wakefield, 1901

Emmeline Ashworth has never known real want. As the grocer’s daughter, she has warm meals, a solid roof, and a father who dotes on her. She’s always understood she is luckier than most, but nothing prepares her for the day a half-starved young woman runs into the shop, desperate for help.

The girl – Lily – is bruised and ragged from the slums that sprawl at the edge of town and opens Emmie’s eyes to the harsh realities of life for some in Wakefield. Determined to offer her friendship and a lifeline, Emmie faces resistance from her beau, Rupert, who insists Emmie must keep her distance.

Then Emmie meets Sebastian Fraser, a passionate local councillor fighting to improve conditions in the slums. His compassion mirrors her own—and awakens feelings she can’t ignore. Feelings she’s never had for Rupert.

As Emmie risks everything to protect Lily from the dangers she’s fled, she must choose between the safe life she’s always known and the braver, kinder world she longs to build.

But can Lily find a place in Emmie’s life or will the shadows of the slums follow her to their door?

My review

At the start of the 20th century, Emmeline Ashworth is living a rather comfortable life. As the grocer’s daughter, she knows that she should count her blessings and she somehow has a little privileged life, with no real worries, a roof above her head, daily warm meals and a father that truly dotes on her. Yet Emmie also knows that not everyone is as lucky as she is. When one day a half – starved young woman runs into the shop, Emmie feels it as her duty to help her out. Lily makes Emmie open her eyes to the harsh, even brutal realities for the unlucky people living at the edge of Wakefield. Emmie is determined now to help out Lily, and offer her not only help, but also friendship and sisterhood, despite the resistance of her own father and Emmie’s beau, Rupert. Luckily, Emmie meets a kindred spirit in Sebastian Fraser, a local counsellor who wants to turn Wakefield into a better place for everyone. However, Lily’s past keeps on catching up on her, not only putting a risk on Lily, but also Emmie and her whole family. With so much at risk, what will be in store for Emmie’s future? And will Lily still be part of that future?

I am the kind of person that when I see a new book from an author that I like/love, I don’t even bother with reading the blurb. So when I started with this book, with this title and cover, I thought that (after I met Lily) the focus would be on this runaway young woman, trying to change her life for the better, with the help of kind-hearted people.

However, I discovered rather quickly that in fact this isn’t Lily’s story, but Emmie. Of course Lily has a huge impact on Emmie’s life, as not only is Lily the catalyst but also the cause and reason of all the changes in Emmie’s life.

Right from the start, I truly liked Emmie. Yes, it is a sad thing that she lost her mother, yet together with her father she has a rather happy life. She enjoys helping out in the grocery store, and shows kindness towards not only the customers, but everyone. She also has a soft spot for Rupert, the man that is courting her.

And in the love aspect I could understand somehow her doubts. Yes, she has warm feelings for Rupert, but as she is rather inexperienced in the matters of the heart, she doesn’t know what it is exactly she is feeling. Is it just fondness, or is it love?

Emmie shows her kind and caring heart in so many different aspects, towards so many different people. So it doesn’t come as a surprise that she wants to help Lily when they meet for the first time. I don’t know if I would go as far as Emmie is doing in this book, as I think I would be just as wary as Emmie’s father and even Rupert is. But I could understand Emmie, as she is just this kind, caring and gentle woman, only wanting to help out those in need.

And it is very admirable what Emmie is doing for and with Lily, yet I just couldn’t warm towards Lily…

The more of her thoughts we were having, the more I was becoming suspicious of what Lily was would contrive. And the more the story evolved, the more I unfortunately saw my suspicions getting confirmed in ways that Emmie for sure didn’t deserve.

On the other hand, with Emmie’s determination to help out Lily, it also means that Emmie crosses paths with Sebastian Fraser.

While Sebastian doesn’t appear that extremely often, when he does, he for sure makes an impression, and not only to Emmie! He is proof that even early 20th century, there were good men, wanting to make a change, one step at the time.

And I could for sure understand how well Emmie and Sebastian connected and understood each other. They show that having the same idealisms can be the start of a deeper connection.

This book took me in a not so far away past, showing us how far people are ready to go to make their lives a better one, even not afraid to betray those who opened up their home and hearts. But, and more important, we see the kindness and generosity of goodhearted people. And how even if they don’t know what direction they want to go with their lives, at one moment, they will know where their future is, and with whom that future will be spent.

This was a great story, even if there were moments that angered me, saddened me. But the feeling of hope, positivity, kindness and care never left me. And that made this book for sure worthy of reading!

A writing retreat that changes everything, even for the locals

Synopsis

Can a grieving chef and a group of writers find their own happy endings?

Eight months after his wife Jacqueline died in a tragic car accident, Michelin stared chef and proprietor of Villa Celestia, Guy Lyon’s life has been in freefall. Consumed by grief and plagued by questions as to why she was in a taxi that fateful day, the doors to Villa Celestia have remained closed.

When a good friend, Sandy Thoreau, asks to rent the villa on the French Riviera for a fortnight to hold a women’s writers retreat after being let down, Guy reluctantly agrees.

All the women at the retreat are looking forward to being inspired. Helena and her friend Mandy are writing debut novels, Isobel is editing a cosy crime story, Liz is desperate to kickstart a new book, self-published author Lorraine is looking for advice and Becky, well Becky is a law unto herself.

Over the course of the next fortnight, two of these women will change the course of Guy’s life forever and new chapters – hopefully with happy endings – will begin for all of them.

The perfect tonic and escapist read to the South of France full of warmth and second chances.

My review

After losing his wife in a tragic accident eight months ago, Michelin starred Chef Guy Lyon has lost his fire. He hasn’t even opened the doors of Villa Celestia, as he is still grieving and has so many unanswered questions that perhaps never will be answered. So when a good friend, Sandy Thoreau, asks him if she could rent the villa for her women’s retreat, Guy’s initial response is to refuse. Yet Guy cannot get it over his heart to let his friend in trouble, so reluctantly he agrees to open Villa Celestia, and even provide his cooking skills, as long as he can stay out of the picture. HE wants the women of the retreat to have a great time, but he just wants to do what he is good at, and that’s it. All the women cannot wait to start their retreat, even if they are staying somewhere else than initially planned. But the French Riviera is always a magnificent place, no matter which villa they are staying in. It is a small group, yet a very diverse group, with Helena and Mandy writing debut novels, with Liz who is finding inspiration for a new book, Isobel is editing a cosy crime story and Lorraine is seeking advice. And then there is Becky, the youngest of the group, and a low unto herself. In just a fortnight, everyone’s life will be affected and for a few even change in an unexpected way!

Here we are again, at the French Riviera with Jennifer Bohnet! And what a delight it was to return to this popular yet lovely place, with a brand new story!

Yet at the start of this book, I felt pain and heartbreak. Because it is obvious that Guy is still grieving after he lost his beloved wife in a terrible accident. Even if eight months have passed, he hasn’t found his spark back, the will to life in a way. Where Villa Celestia used to be his pride and glory, now it is just… nothing. Everything in the villa reminds him of his late wife, and he just cannot cope it.

And that truly saddened me, I could almost feel his pain from the pages. Yet in a way it was also bittersweet, as it just shows how much and how deeply he has loved.

Yet I also felt sorry for him, because with his loss, he has only been left with so many questions, that will never get an answer now, as his wife is no longer around to tell him why she was in that car… And as a reader, I already had an inkling what transpired…

So of course I could understand why Guy initially refused to help out Sandy, as his mind still is completely somewhere else. But we also see what a good friend Guy is, because he decides to help, even if it is reluctantly.

I was very curious about the group that would be arriving at the Villa, eager to see how different the women all would be, all at different stages of writing, but also in their lives. And I wanted to read about the dynamics between them, because you can be very lucky and end up in a great group, or the complete opposite.

The most women of the group I really liked them really quickly, although there was one exception (no names but Becky… 😊). The women are also from different ages, and yet it shows very clearly how the young adults have a different mindset than us. (Unfortunately I am no longer a young adult myself 😊).

What else I was curious about, was how the retreat would have a lasting impact on not only the women, but how it would also affect Guy. I truly had my fingers crossed that somehow, with people around him, Guy would find his passion and his fire again.

What I didn’t expect was the level of how his life would change! Yes, there is romance in store for Guy, and it was just so sweet to see how he finds a connection with one of the guests and how he is able to see the bright side of life again. But Guy is also in for a very unexpected revelation and surprise in this book.

Perhaps I had connected the dots rather fast, yet I could not wait to see how the concerned characters would make that same connection and how the reactions would be.

Of course the focus isn’t merely on Guy, the other characters also will discover that the retreat is not only to improve their writing skills, but it will also have an impact on their lives.

I found this a ‘complete’ book, in the sense that all the characters get enough space in the spotlight, whichever issue they were having, it got resolved one way or another. Things aren’t rushed, as Jennifer Bohnet takes her time to write a perfect conclusion for everyone.

Once again Jennifer Bohnet took me on an amazing journey, showing how much life can change in just a fortnight, how impactful meeting new people can be. And how significant it can be to open your heart towards new people, and I am not only talking about a love interest. But we also see the strength of friendship, how perhaps you start doing something reluctantly, yet it can turn out to be the best thing happening to you.

It was reluctantly (as I seem to have used this word often in this review 😊) that I reached the end of this book, yet it left me also with a warm heart!

When starting on the wrong foot, can things change for the better?

Synopsis

Enemies in the Office. Lovers in the Making. A Lie Too Big to Ignore.

When fiery physiotherapist Elena Romero and buttoned-up solicitor Danny Jackson are forced to share a workspace, it’s instant mutual dislike. She sees a workaholic in a designer suit. He sees yet another opinionated woman complicating his already stressful life.

Yet behind the tension, both are secretly shouldering heavy burdens: Elena is stretched thin caring for her ill sister, while Danny’s world revolves around the younger brother he’s raised alone. When Elena helps Danny recover from an injury and he advises her sister on a legal matter, sparks fly—and not just from their feisty arguments.

But when family loyalties and legal battles collide, everything falls apart. With trust broken and secrets exposed, can enemies turned lovers find a way back to each other before it’s too late?

A witty romance full of heart, heat, and high stakes, perfect for fans of enemies-to-lovers and messy, modern love stories.

My review

As a physiotherapist, Elena Romero know how much her patients may be struggling with reaching her office space. So when the ground floor office has a new owner, Elena hopes that she can swap offices. But when she makes this proposition to Danny Jackson, not only does she not get the response that she hoped for, but she is also being dismissed very rudely. It is so not a surprise that there isn’t any love lost between the two. Elena sees in Danny a workaholic in a suit, while Danny sees in Elena a know – it – all. However, what neither of them know, is that both Elena and Danny are carrying heavy burdens. Where Elena is looking together with her sister Sophia after their ill  sister Luisa, while Danny is doing his best to look after his younger brother Connor. Even if they are not seeing eye – to eye, when Elena sees Danny struggling with an injury, she cannot let him keep suffering. And when Danny hears about Sophia’s legal issues, he cannot not offer his knowledge and assistance. So between exercises and time spent together, between all the arguments and prejudices, sparks start to fly between the feisty physiotherapist and the ‘suit’. But when the pair of them learn that loyalties and battles are colliding, everything starts to fall apart again. Is all that has been building between them, truly a lost cause, or is there still hope?

When I started reading this book, I though the focus would be on Elena and Danny. So I was happily pleased reading how also Sophia and Connor get to shine in the spotlight. Yes, mainly it is about Elena and Danny, but with having also Sophia and Connor in the equation, we get a better perspective of the storylines, the connections and the dynamics.

Right from the start, I saw two sides of Elena. And no, not a good one and a bad one 😊. But there is the feisty, determined Elena, that doesn’t allow to be walked over. And then there is the caring, worrying, loving Elena. An Elena that wants to protect her sister Luisa from everything and everyone (perhaps even too overprotective).

Yet when Elena wants to swap offices with Danny, while I found it a good idea, her reasoning was correct, I found it also a bit gullible of her. Because it couldn’t be that easy to get the other office, would it? Or am I seeing things too complicated?

I felt sorry for the three sisters. After losing their mother, their father left temporarily to get business done, leaving the (yes, I know they are all adults) sisters mending for themselves. And with having Luisa struggling with her health, it isn’t an easy task to keep all the balls in the air.

What I liked about the sisters, was that they couldn’t be more different from each other. They all have different interests and their careers too are in total different matters. Yet their family is what they all truly care about. There is nothing more important than family, even at the risk of losing your job when your sister needs you.

That same love, care, we see with Danny and Connor, and in an extent also with Danny’s best friend Hugh. Danny has had a difficult childhood, with no signs of affection at all. So when the care of Connor fell into his hands, especially at the age Danny was at the time, it would have been easy for Danny to not be the caring brother/ father he has become.

Yet we see how mature Danny has been, looking after Connor at the best of his abilities. Still now, especially now, Danny is so much more than just a big brother. To me  it truly felt that Danny is a caring, loving father, worrying about Connor’s wellbeing, especially after what Connor has been through not so long ago. Danny would literally walk through fire, jump off buildings for Connor…

Perhaps when Elena asked to swap offices, Danny could have been more diplomatic, kinder in his response. But I could understand why he doesn’t want to switch, even before I knew about his injury. There is always a reason why you choose a certain building, office, home,… so I don’t think I wouldn’t switch either.

I loved reading how Elena and Danny are clashing, yet when kindness prevails, they are also able to put their differences aside and offer help. And I admired that in both characters, as it for sure would be easier to just keep on holding that grudge. Yet both Elena and Danny show us that they are the kind of people that can put their own feelings aside, to help someone out.

And them helping each other out, also makes them understand that there is more than just a man in a suit, or a feisty physiotherapist. They start to realize that in fact, they have so much in common, more than they could imagine, what brings them even closer.

Like I said, we also have the pleasure to see the focus shift to Sophia and Connor. And while initially it was a tiny bit confusing, as I was a bit confused about who was who, I found it enlightening to have also the spotlight on these two characters.

Not only because they are both important in Elena’s and Danny’s story, but because they show us how priorities are being set, how events can affect you, causing a lot of self – doubt, feelings of insignificance, and how inferiority complexes can arise and affect you.

It was just sweet to see how Sophie and Connor share similar thoughts, yet are afraid to act upon them. it shows how even the most confident person can have doubts, and how the most insecure person can grow and not be longer afraid of letting people getting close.

When I started with this book, somehow I had a completely different story in mind. I was expecting two main characters clashing, but slowly growing closer to each other. And while this story for sure has some clashing and getting closer, it is mainly about family, protectiveness, overprotectiveness even. And slowly learning to let go, learning to take a leap of fate, learning to be brave and even a bit dramatic 😊.

I absolute loved reading this story, where there are so many things are happening, yet even at the most difficult moments, the warmth never stops emanating from the pages.

What a stunning cover!

Synopsis

Return to Northumberland where happy ever afters await…

Take a magical trip to stunning Northumberland via the pages of this feel-good romantic comedy by award winning writer Kimberley Adams. Full of warmth and joy, it will leave you with a wide smile and a yearning to visit this iconic location in person.

When the almost unbelievable truth about Kittiwake Penaluna’s heritage comes to light, the residents are shocked, but in true island fashion they rally together to protect their fledgling chick as she faces life-changing revelations.

Meanwhile, the island mourns the loss of its beloved village butcher, and the closure of the shop on Main Street leaves a hole at the heart of the community. Then, when other businesses unexpectedly close, rumours begin to circulate about who might be behind the unsettling changes.

As familiar faces depart, new ones arrive, but not everything is as it seems. And when a despised figure from the past returns, old tensions resurface and the island is thrown into further turmoil.

Amid the chaos, Ellie and Zen finally begin preparing for their long-awaited wedding, but as always on the island, nothing goes quite according to plan. With difficult decisions to make and obstacles to overcome, they soon discover that they can weather any storm, because love always endures on Lindisfarne…

Pre-order Links

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0GSN2GHNQ

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GSN2GHNQ

Publication Date: 21st May 2026

About the author

Kim was born in Corbridge in Northumberland and still lives in this gorgeous corner of the world. Passionate about the area, Kim tends to set her work in the northeast, and why not considering the wealth of stunning scenery and the warm-hearted locals, both of which constantly give her ideas for future writing endeavours.

Kim’s debut Love Lindisfarne was released October 2023 and from its first cover release on social media gained momentum, taking Kim totally by surprise. Kim had never envisaged writing more than one book, but here we now are at number four, three Lindisfarne book and a Christmas novella called the Christmas Angel of the North which is about a nana and her granddaughter and set in Newcastle.

Kim finds most of her inspiration mooching around cafes across the Northeast where she ‘overhears’ some of the funniest and warmest things that are stored away for future use (anonymously of course!) If you see her, buy her some cake, then she promises never to write about you – unless you want her to of course!

Kim is very proud of her ratings on Amazon and if you want to read reviews for her previous books just pop on and you will be able to see just why Kim gets quite emotional over some of the lovely things that have been said about the books! If you do enjoy the books, please try and leave a rating or review, you don’t even have to have bought the book from Amazon, but each rating helps towards getting the system to recognise Kim and her books.

The cover!

Living the Greek dream, but how and will it last?

Synopsis

Forty-year-old Faye Lawson is falling back in love with life at last. Finally divorced from her cheating husband, she has turned her back on the UK and has been living the Greek dream in Corfu managing a beautiful traditional boutique hotel.

For Kostas Petsas, twenty-something ex-professional basketball player, life as he has always known it is over. Having to take early-retirement because of injury, he’s at a loss as to what to do next. But when a piece of land in Corfu comes on the market, it seems this might be the perfect fit. There’s just a couple of things in the way… an area of natural beauty and… a little hotel on the beach.

Kostas has never met any woman like Faye before – she doesn’t behave around him how women usually do, and, when conflict starts to surface, it seems they can’t see eye-to-eye on anything. Or perhaps, when things get body-to-body, both of them begin to wonder if it can turn into heart-to-heart.

Escape to the beautiful island of Corfu with Mandy Baggot – queen of Greek summer romance!

My review

After finally being divorced from her cheating husband, forty-year-old Faye Lawson has left the UK behind and is now enjoying her life in Corfu. And being the manager of a traditional boutique hotel may be at times very challenging, but Faye truly loves diving into numbers and solving problems that guests may have. And one of the guests turns out to be Kostas Petsas, who had to give up his dream as a professional basketball player, despite him being just in his twenties. Obviously he is now at loss at what to do with his life and his future. Yet with a piece of land being on the market to be purchased, Kostas has a plan… if he could get a few issues out of the way. And let a small boutique hotel be just what keeps his plan from fruition… While staying at that same boutique hotel, Kostas cannot help himself from staying away from Faye, a woman that intrigues him, even if more often than not they are not seeing eye – to -eye on anything. But don’t they say that hate and love are two sides of the same coin?

I always find it admirable when the main character decides to move to another country, after a rocky period. Just like I was in awe that Faye made the move to Greece, a happy place for her, after her divorce.

And Faye has built her own life here in Corfu, as she now is the manager of a lovely boutique hotel on the beach. Manager, a job that sounds rather boring, but for Faye it is something that brings her happiness. Happiness that she finds in so many different ways on the magnificent island that Corfu is.

However, we see that Faye is still struggling with a few things. For example, she is happy that she is divorced, but as her ex can offer their daughter more than Faye can, she is a bit worried about ‘losing’ her daughter and that the distance will not only be a physical one.

Faye is a real ‘fixer’ too, any problem that arises in the hotel, she always finds a way to fix it. She listens to the guests, is patient with them (even where I would have lost my patience within 5 minutes 😊) and always finds a solution that satisfies everyone.

So when there is a VIP guest arriving, she knows that she needs to up her game, even if she has no idea who Kostas is and why he is famous.

When Kostas appears in the book, and on the island, I didn’t immediately felt it. Whereas there are several books where I immediately like the male main character, I cannot say this was the case with Kostas.

Because upon his arrival, he made me believe that he felt too good to be on Corfu, that the people weren’t ‘worthy’ of his presence. And it also clear that he arrives on Corfu with an agenda, which we still have to uncover.

But I also knew somehow that how Kostas is acting up at the start, would be only a facade and that the real Kostas would emerge. The real Kostas with all his hurt, doubts and insecurities…

There is also another Kostas, a flirty, teasing Kostas. A Kostas that knows how to push Faye’s buttons and innerve at. And at the same time, funny for us readers, Faye also knows how to push back and have a kind of quid pro quo.

And there a dance between Faye and Kostas starts 😊. And what a dance it was, just so great to read for us!

Faye and Kostas clash over several things, but it was sweet to see how on the other hand, they just connect. They clash over so many things, but over things that matter, they find in each other not only a listening ear, but also someone that is just there for them, for support and compassion.

That is truly the warmth of the story, to read how two people, having lives that couldn’t be more different, find each other and even learn so much from each other.

Now, there is one thing that I need to get off my chest… Saffron, Faye’s daughter… I can understand that you want your parents to be together, or at least find each other again. But as Saffron is a young adult, I found her behaviour rather childish at moments. Not wanting to listen to Faye’s explanations, wanting things to go her way or no way,… So I wasn’t Saffron’s biggest fan, even if I could see where she was coming from (and her father isn’t totally innocent in my opinion…).

Not only did I enjoy reading this book for its setting in Corfu, but most important because of the growth both main characters go through. And especially Kostas, he comes with a certain mission on Corfu, yet he realizes that the truth isn’t always what is being told. And Freya learns somehow to let go, and to stand up for herself.

I found this truly a heartwarming story, about how even an age gap cannot hold feelings back, about how eyes can be opened and how with the right person by your side, opinions, ideas and plans can be changed into something better.