To complete a bucket list with the help of someone you’ve loved for years

Synopsis

A bucket list to change her life.

Gabriella Brookes has spent years quietly loving Zach Osborne, knowing he only sees her as his best friend’s bookish little sister. He’s charming, successful, and only back in their Derbyshire village for the summer before his next big move.

When Gabby stumbles across her long-forgotten teenage bucket list, Zach proposes a deal: together, they’ll tick off her book-inspired challenges, if she helps him complete a few fun tasks of his own.

What starts as a perfectly sensible plan quickly turns into something far more complicated, when real life refuses to stay neatly tucked between the pages.

But as Zach’s past resurfaces and his future pulls him away, Gabby is forced to face a harder truth: dreams don’t come true if you only ever read about them.

Ticking off the challenges was meant to be easy.
Admitting what your heart wants is the real risk.

A cosy, small-town romantic comedy about courage, love, and rewriting your own ending.

My review

After a rough time, Gabriella Brookes, Gabby for her friends and family, has returned to Millbrook and is currently living with her brother in their family home. Life is looking good again, and Gabby as a bookworm couldn’t be happier with her job at the Millbrook Library. But Gabby isn’t the only one who has returned to Millbrook, also her crush, Zach Osborne, has returned. Where Gabby couldn’t be happier with the quiet life in Millbrook, Zach always wanted more and become successful. Now he has temporarily returned, passing time before starting his newest, bigger job. And when Gabby stumbled across a bucket list she made as a teenager, she never expected Zach to be wanting to help her with crossing off items, especially as her challenges are book – inspired. The only things Zach wants, is that Gabby helps him complete a few tasks of his own. What starts as a fun challenge, slowly becomes something more important. But Gabby’s insecurities cannot grasp that someone so worldly like Zach would ever have some kind of interest in a bookworm like Gabby. And then someone from Zach’s past resurfaces, and the prospect of Zach’s future plans, makes Gabby believe that dreams don’t always come true…

As a real bookworm, I am always eager to find a fellow bookworm, even if it is a fictional character in a book. Somehow, sharing a passion for books, make it easy to connect with the main character of that book.

So obviously I absolutely adores Gabby from the very first moment! I loved reading how much she loves being back in Millbrook and how passionate she is about her job at the Millbrook Library. It seems that a lot has finally fallen into place for her. Yet it is also VERY obvious that the relationship that ended, and made her return home, was one that crushed not only her self – esteem but also her soul…

And that truly angered me, reading how a gentle soul like Gabby has been hurt and lost her spark due a man who is just awful…

On the other hand, I was happy to see how Gabby now is surrounded by lovely people, who are just happy to have her back. And I loved reading the relationship she has with her brother Dan. Not just because Dan welcomes her back home, and doesn’t make her feel like a burden while living together. But because I recognize that kind of bond with my own brother. And having that second thing in common with Gabby, made me like her even more!

Oh there is a third thing that I have in common with Gabby, although mine has passed over the years, and I cannot say that my brother’s friends are as nice as Zach is 😊. So in a way I could relate with Gabby and her surprise, finding Zach suddenly back home.

Seeing the dynamics between these two characters was just wonderful, even if their relationship is just one of friendship (although of course we are having our fingers crossed for more! 😊). While Zach has always been more Dan’s friend than Gabby’s, here we see that there is something genuine growing between these two lovely people.

Gabby and Zach couldn’t be more different, where Gabby enjoys the quiet life, Zach is used to the business of bigger cities and the excitement of it. And yet their differences work in this book, because Zach is able to get Gabby out of her comfort zone. And yet at the same time he is able to fulfil unexpectedly some of the items of her bucket list. At the same time, Gabby is able to show Zach the beauty of a quiet life, the joy that books bring. And how being back home isn’t per se a step back, but it can be exactly what you need in life.

The interaction between Gabby and Zach was just so sweet to read. Together, they learn from each other, about each other but also about themselves. And yes, with Zach’s help/care and gentle pushing, Gabby gets to not only do things she would never imagine doing, but she also gets to understand that in fact, she is a real catch, and she isn’t lesser than anyone else. She is her unique self, and that is a wonderful persona, with a great heart!

What I liked the most about this book is perhaps how both Gabby and Zach are taking their time. We see how sparks are definitely flying around, but they both are spending time together, reinforcing their friendship. And we see how there is fear and low self – esteem can be holding you back. The fact that Gabby thinks so ‘less’ of her makes us also realize that no matter how good something may seem on paper, how our mind can let us believe not to be ‘worthy’ of something so amazing, afraid to speak out our actual feelings.

And yet… that slowly growing, maturing, evolving, finding courage, to speak out (on several occasions, levels and reasons) that is the strength of the book. Because it is perfectly okay to be a bookworm, to love a quiet life, but it’s not okay to let people walk over you, to be scared of the progress of life. Seeing Gabby going through that all, was not only empowering, but also inspiring!

To fight over a client, to fight the attraction

Synopsis

Kat Brennan has always been the work-hard, play-harder type, navigating single life in London and the chaos of her job at Northstar PR. So when Excalibur Cruises invite her aboard to pitch for their account, she jumps at the chance to prove to her boss she’s indispensable… and to finally relax a little.

But the last person she wants to get stuck on a boat with is industry hotshot Leo Kendrick, the CEO of rival agency Amplify – and Kat’s nemesis. When Leo bagged a coveted marketing internship 15 years ago, Kat vowed never to let him win anything again. She is not about to break that promise, even if Leo has become a distractingly attractive opponent.

As the Esmerelda sails the seas, from the Azores to Lisbon via Madeira, the two agencies must battle it out to present the best pitch. But in such close quarters, the sea might not be the only thing rocking the boat…

PERFECT for fans of:

Forced proximity

Enemies-to-lovers

Workplace romance

A dash of spice

Beachy destinations

My review

Kat Brennan has worked hard to get where she is now. So when one of the biggest clients of Northstar PR, Excalibur Cruises, want the agency to pitch for their account, Kat is ready to show everyone her worth. And as it also requires Kat and her boss to board one their cruises, this is also a chance of relaxing. Weren’t it that also the rival agency is taking part on the same cruise, ready to pitch that same client. And the CEO is Leo Kendrick, Kat’s nemesis as 15 years ago Leo got an internship that Kat believed to be hers. Kat is determined to hold on to the promise she made herself, to never let Leo win again. But as the Esmeralda cruise progresses, the more both agencies are forced to spend time together, fighting for the best pitch, the more Kat and Leo find an attraction that is too hard to ignore… But at what cost at the end of the cruise?

I don’t know if there are people like me, that you just see a new book from an author you know, and don’t bother with reading the blurb at all. You just get ready to dive into a brand new story that you will love without a doubt. So I was ready for a story taking place on a cruise, but having no clue at all what the storyline would be…

What I liked right at the start of the story about Kat, is her dedication. Yes, she worked hard to be where she is now, she deserves to be in the position she is now and she has bright ideas while pitching customers. She doesn’t give up easily and even when there is a setback, she makes the best out of the situation. And let’s also be honest, as her boss isn’t always the easiest person to work with, Kat needs to work perhaps even double that hard. Not that Heidi is an evil person, but she is perhaps even more determined and focused on the job than Kat is.

I have no idea how the world of PR works, but while of course it needs its purpose, I did not like Brooke’s behaviour. Of course as she is searching for the best pitch for Excalibur Cruises, she needs to be tough and needs to have high demands. But to be honest, there is something about Brooke’s manners that I just didn’t like or appreciate… She was too much, on every level.

But of course, the focus is on Kat and how she is going to handle the ‘Leo – situation’. Obviously it comes as a shock hearing that a client suddenly wants hear a new pitch and that the competition is your nemesis of years. What would all be happening? And being ‘stuck’ on a cruise ship, there aren’t many escaping options, especially when both companies are forced to join the cruise’s activities, together.

I found it funny to read the animosity between the pair, because I could understand where they were both coming from, but I could also clearly see the pull they have towards each other, no matter how much they initially deny it. And those moments where they are having a little competition between themselves. They don’t want to let the other one win, but that same competition is also what is bringing them closer.

How is it that when you are forced in a limited space, it makes you understand people better? Because we see here how being on that cruise, is making Kat and Leo face their demons (and each other) and clear the air between them.

I found it sweet to read how Kat and Leo now slowly are truly getting to an understanding of each other’s characters. And how 15 years have even made their prejudices even a bit worse. Time heals all the wounds, but it also can change your visions and perspectives for the worse. But taking time, looking and truly seeing someone can change things once again.

I also have to say, I had several laughs in this book too. I cannot imagine the size of the cabins Kat and Leo are staying in. Or how Kat befriends amazing personalities in this books! And that is truly beautiful in this book, on this specific cruise. Because we see different kind of people, yet the cruise unites them somehow.

Now, it wouldn’t come as a surprise when something goes wrong. And I was a bit surprised/shocked reading how it all exploded and how far even a grudge could go… But is also shows the real character of a person. How things are handled when the truth comes out. And I was happily surprised by Leo, not that I expected anything less from him 😊.

I found this a very entertaining story. Because not only did I have several loud laughs, but it also shows us that what we think about people isn’t always the truth. And that yes, as much as it is a cliché, communication is key, in every aspect. It shows us also that love, romance can come when you least expect it. And why not, on a cruise ship, with a slight forced proximity, with the person you least expect.

Now, I don’t know if I will ever go on a cruise myself (Titanic, and a recent documentary I saw) but for sure I absolutely enjoyed this specific trip on this specific cruise ship, with these specific characters! 😊

When things are not as you thought they were…

Synopsis

Two sisters she’s never met
A first love who’s impossible to forget…

For Jade, life in Lake Como is la dolce vita. Until her beloved grandmother passes, leaving Jade not just the family’s bustling guesthouse to run, but two life-changing secrets to confront…

The pensione hasn’t just been left to Jade, it’s also been inherited by her sisters – who she had no idea existed. As Erin and Rosalie arrive in Italy, Jade is forced to face the heart-wrenching prospect of sharing her last remaining tie to the woman who raised her.

Jade is desperately trying to hold on to the past, but there’s one person she would prefer to leave firmly behind: her first love, Leo. He’s back in the city that is filled with the memories they once made together. But as Jade fights to take control of her future and her heart, why do all cobbled roads lead back to Leo?

Lose yourself in the first, utterly romantic novel in a brand-new trilogy, filled with new beginnings and second chances. Perfect for fans of Sarah Morgan and Milly Johnson.

My review

While both her parents were quickly in not picking up their responsibilities when Jade was born, she couldn’t have had a better life. Her beloved grandmother raised her into a caring woman, and together they ran with passion the guesthouse, Pensione Three Sisters at Lake Como. Living at Lake Como is for Jade truly living la dolce vita. So when her grandmother passes away, it is obvious that Jade is heartbroken. But the show must go on, and the Pensione needs to run smoothly and Jade is doing everything she can to give her guests the best possible experience. But what Jade does not know, is that she is not the only person the pension had been left to. Because apparently, her father has two other children, Erin and Rosalie. Two sisters Jade had no idea that existed. And now she has to share what was hers and of her grandmother’s with complete strangers. And then there is the return of Jade’s first love, Leo. First love and the man that broke her heart. The last thing Jade needs, is that Leo finds a way back into her life and into her heart. But as there are many shared memories, and Leo is the one that helps Jade out in time of need, can Jade keep her heart locked for not only Leo but also the sisters she didn’t know she had?

I am very easily persuaded if you want me to read a book. Have it as setting a place in Italy and I am in already! 😊 To make it even more persuasive for me, let an author that I know and love, write it, and I am even more hooked!

Although I have to say, that in order for me to truly enjoy a book, there also needs to be a good story of course. And of course Sue Moorcroft absolutely delivered!

With this book, I couldn’t stop feeling sorry for Jade in so many aspects. It all starts upon learning that neither of her parents truly wanted her and they have left her in the care of her beloved grandparents. While Jade absolutely adored her grandparents, and they loved her unconditionally, that sense of rejection, of feeling unwanted is obvious still there. I cannot imagine how it is to feel that kind of rejection. But I could understand and see how loved Jade has been and still was until the very last moment she shared with her beloved grandmother.

I lost my grandparents when I was young, so I can only try to imagine how Jade feels after losing her grandmother, who raised her into the woman she is now. Losing a person you love, is already difficult, but as they were running as a duo the pensione, now the responsibility fall all on Jade’s shoulders. I don’t know how while processing her grieve, Jade is able to run the pensione with a smile for the customers.

If things weren’t difficult already, Jade is shocked by a revelation that turns her whole world upside down. And who wouldn’t be shocked, discovering that not only you have two sisters that you didn’t know that existed, but that you also have to share your home, your memories and your livelihood with complete strangers, people that could even jeopardize everything you have built over the years…

And I have to be honest, I don’t think that my first impression of the new – found sisters was a good one. Obviously, they are also shocked upon discovering to have sisters and they are out of the blue of what to do now. However, and even if both Erin and Rosalie say it with the best intentions, they aren’t always using the most subtle of words, or understanding how at loss Jade is feeling at the moment.

Yet I also need to admit that the more the story progresses the three sisters come to understand each other better, and that Erin and Rosalie understand how Jade is feeling that she could be the biggest loser in this game.

To say that my heart was breaking for Jade would be an understatement. Because while I understood why Gran Mairead did what she did with the inheritance, I could definitely understand Jade’s feeling of betrayal.

And then to have the return of Jade’s first love, the man that broke her heart, was just the cherry on top a cake that isn’t all that delicious at all…

How is it to be faced with the man that broke your heart, left you behind and now returns on the scene? And it is not that Jade can avoid or ignore Leo, as his family and hers were always very close in the past. And even now Leo’s family is always there for Jade, ready to help her out when needed, Leo included.

Just like Jade, I wasn’t all that ready to let Leo in my heart. Because he makes it clear that he is looking for the next adventure, the next investment after his previous failure. But we see that even if Leo in the past had the need, the urgence to go away from Lake Como, now he finds a peace, a calmness home. And let’s be honest, the feelings he once had for Jade resurface very quickly.

What I found truly sweet, was how no matter how much Jade tries to keep Leo at distance, he is there for her as a friend, ready to help her when she needs it. That shows his real character, a gentle, caring person that understand boundaries but also understands when his help is truly needed.

And while Jade in this book is truly struggling with letting people (back) in her heart, because her fear of being abandoned again), there are so many heartwarming moments. Like the Sartori family always ready to help Jade out, to listen to her concerns and worries and give her some advice.

Most important in this book is, at least in my eyes, is the evolution, the growth that Jade is going through. Her world has been turned upside, she is on her own and everything she thought to know has been a lie, truths have been kept from her. Yet throughout the book, we see how (slowly) Jade starts to put her trust back in people, give people a chance. And again slowly, Jade starts to see how change perhaps can be a good thing. Because those changes she had to endure have brought unexpected people (back) into her life. And those people unexpectedly enrich her life, make her understand that even if perhaps not the way she truly desires, she is not alone…

I found this a beautiful story, with also a few painful moments in it. Sue Moorcroft shows us how defeated someone can feel, how alone someone can feel and how painful grief can be. But she shows us also the strength of people, their resilience and how after the rain (or even storm), the rainbow comes. And how more intense the storm is, how brighter the rainbow will be.

This story for sure pulled my heartstrings and all of this in a beautiful, wonderful, mesmerizing setting!

And today a teasing extract with a giveaway!

Synopsis

A gripping, emotional saga of family secrets and the power of love, set during the Vietnam War…

North Carolina, 2015: Nicole has always idolised her successful father, Ed. But on his deathbed, he reveals a devastating secret he’d guarded for a lifetime. He served in the Vietnam War, fell in love, and fathered a child there. A child he never had the courage to acknowledge.

Huế, South Vietnam, 1968: While her village is rocked by the explosions of the Tet offensive, seventeen-year-old Mai finds a wounded American hiding in her family’s chicken shed. Mai faces an agonising choice. Will she report the soldier to the Viet Cong, who have a stranglehold on the village, or will she risk her life and that of her family to help him?

In 2015, Nicole embarks on a journey into the unknown, travelling to Vietnam on a quest to uncover her father’s long-buried truths. Helped by Greig, an ageing Vietnam vet and his journalist son, Long, she delves into the shocking world her father wanted to forget, plumbing depths of resilience and courage she never knew she possessed.

Will Nicole find her long-lost sister, or will the Vietnam War guard its shameful secrets for ever?

If you are a fan of page-turning, emotional historical fiction like The Women, The Home Front and The Mountains Sing, you will love Mandarin Road.

Mandarin Road is a dual-timeline, standalone book by bestselling historical fiction author, Ann Bennett. Discover this moving, compelling read today.

Extract

This is the beginning of Chapter 4. In the first chapters, we see Ed, a US Marine, in the thick of the battle for Huếin January 1968, wounded in an explosion and dragging himself across the fields towards a village to hide from the Viet Cong. Years later, on his deathbed, Ed reveals to his American daughter, Nicole, that he served in Vietnam, fell in love and fathered a child, a daughter, Kim, there. Finding a letter from the mother of the child, Mai, amongst her father’s belongings after his death, Nicole travels to Vietnam, to Huế, to try to track down her half-sister, Kim. Chapter 4 is the start of Mai’s story. 

MANDARIN ROAD

Chapter 4

THÔN SÔNG, HUẾ, VIETNAM, DECEMBER, 1967

MAI WAS JUST seventeen when the Viet Cong first came to her sleepy village in the Perfume River valley. Until that point her family had lived a simple life – her father owned some fields where they farmed rice and kept a few animals. Mai and her younger sister, Phuong, would help her parents in the fields when they weren’t attending school in nearby Huế. Her life had been undisturbed by the events in the outside world and barely affected by the fighting elsewhere in Vietnam, although her father had a wireless set and would listen to the developments of the American War on the evening news. Each night when it ended, he would switch off the radio and turn back to his family, shaking his head, a grave look in his eyes.

Despite those daily reminders, it felt to Mai as if the war was something taking place a long way from home. Ever since she could remember there had been reports of fighting in her country, against the French, against the communists, against the Americans. It had been the constant backdrop to her life. 

American troops were stationed in Huế, on a compound to the south of the Perfume River and in other pockets throughout the town. One of the big hotels on the river, the Huong Giang Hotel, housed South Vietnamese Army officers in its palatial rooms. Mai would see them going in and out of the grand entrance in their smart uniforms, and the hotel’s dock was used as a landing ramp for American boats. Crossing the bridge beside it to walk to school in the mornings, Mai and Phuong would watch, fascinated, as flat-bottomed, landing craft would pull up there and unload their cargoes of tall, rangy soldiers with their pale skins and pale hair. There were often American tanks on the streets and soldiers in the cafésand bars too. Mai, along with the rest of the population of Huế, got so used to their presence they barely noticed them any more.

The other regular reminders that the country was at war were the American helicopters that flew over the village, sometimes so low they would whip up the dust on the ground and flatten the grass in the fields. The village boys would leave their games and run out into the clearing, waving and shouting. A couple of times they’d flown over the nearby forest, spraying the trees with chemicals. The villagers had stood and watched, wondering what it meant, glad that at least the Americans hadn’t sprayed their crops when they’d passed over. 

But when a unit of Viet Cong entered the village with their rifles towards the end of 1967, their peaceful life changed for ever.

It was early evening, the orange sun had started to sink in the sky, and Mai was tending the chickens in the shed on the far edge of the rice field. She fed them the vegetable peelings from the family’s evening meal, as she always did, and made sure their water trough was topped up from a nearby stream. 

She became aware that something was wrong when she came out of the shed. The buffalo were moving across the field towards her as one, which they never did, and it was clear to Mai that something must have disturbed them. Scanning the side of the field the animals were lumbering away from, she noticed movement in the opposite corner. Her heart thumped at what she saw: a ragged-looking man carrying a rifle on his shoulder, crawling 

on all fours along the bank like a crab, moving quickly and deftly. She looked behind him and realised with a shock that it wasn’t just one man, it was a whole line of them, strung out along the field, all making straight for the village. Her mouth went dry, and her heart raced. She knew she should run back to the house and warn her family, but she was rooted to the spot with terror. 

Despite the fear, she knew she couldn’t just stand there and watch it happen. She took a deep breath and forced her legs to move. She ran back along the bank of the field towards the village as fast as she could, and hurried up the front steps when she reached her house. 

‘Ma! Ba!’ she yelled, panting from the run. ‘Phuong!’ She ran inside. 

Her father was bent over the radio as he always was at that time of day. He looked up and frowned. He didn’t like to be interrupted. Her mother and Phuong were washing the dishes in a bowl in the corner that served as a kitchen. They turned round and stared at her. 

‘Some soldiers are coming. Quick.’
‘Soldiers?’ Her father’s eyebrows shot up.
‘They are Vietnamese, but not South Vietnamese,’ she said. ‘Viet Cong,’ her father said, and quickly switched off the radio. Mai saw the panic in his eyes. He didn’t know what to do. ‘Maybe we should hide,’ she suggested.

Her father strode to the door and pushed aside the rope screen. When he turned back into the room his face was pale. ‘Too late,’ he said.

Mai went to him and peeped over his shoulder. She gasped. They were there already; the men she’d seen crawling across the field. Now they were walking down the middle of the clearing between the houses, pointing their guns all around them. It sent a chill through her to see them. Most disturbing of all, the leader was pushing the village headman along at the front of the column, prodding him with his rifle as he stumbled. 

The giveaway

Giveaway to Win a paperback copy of The Bookseller of Kathmandu by Ann Bennett (Open to UK & Europe Only)

*Terms and Conditions –UK & Europe 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.

https://gleam.io/HxzUl/win-a-paperback-copy-of-the-bookseller-of-kathmandu-by-ann-bennett-open-to-uk-europe-only

 

Today I’m gonna spoil you with an intriguing extract!

Synopsis

The only thing worse than a persistent suitor? A dead one on your lawn.

London, 1892. Alice, Duchess of Stortford, has returned to town determined to enjoy her first Season as a wealthy widow. But instead of balls, flirtation, and whispered gossip, she finds herself besieged by ambitious bachelors—none more persistent than the insufferably smooth-talking Miles Fonthill. When Alice firmly refuses his sudden proposal, she assumes the matter is settled.

Instead, he turns up dead in her garden.

The police are happy to call it a tragic accident. Alice is less convinced.

Why was Miles climbing over her garden wall in the middle of the night? Why had he become so determined to win her favour? And what did he really want?

As Alice begins to dig into Miles’ final days, her search leads her into the glittering heart of London society, where old loyalties run deep, secrets are guarded fiercely, and reputation matters more than truth. But when whispers of the mysterious Order of the Golden Key begin circling dangerously close to her own late husband’s name, Alice realises this death may be far more complicated than one unwelcome suitor meeting an unfortunate end.

And if someone is willing to kill to keep their secrets…this Season may prove positively deadly.

Perfect for fans of feisty female sleuths, Victorian High Society, and secret scandals, all served with a dash of humour and a cup of tea.

The extract

Intro

The morning after Alice, Duchess of Strotford, rejected Miles Fontill’s proposal begins with an unexpected disturbance. Before breakfast has even been served, she learns that something—or rather someone—has been discovered in her garden…

Extract

Alice opened her eyes to the dim light filtering through her bedroom curtains. Something felt off.

The house was never entirely silent—there was always some distant creak or settling, the muted rhythm of servants moving about their duties—but this was different. There were voices. Not the ordinary, unguarded cadence of work but something hushed and urgent.

Her gaze slid to the clock on the mantel. Seven on a Sunday morning. Far too early!

She lay still for a moment, straining to catch the whispered conversation taking place just beyond her door. The words remained frustratingly indistinct, but the tone carried clear instruction.

Sunday mornings at Darby House typically unfolded with leisurely precision—Aunt Cora never emerged before nine, and even the servants moved at a more relaxed pace. Whatever had the household stirring at this ungodly hour must be significant indeed.

“Curious,” Alice murmured to herself, reaching for the bell pull beside her bed. 

Barely three minutes passed before her bedroom door opened, revealing Maud with a tea tray already prepared. 

“Good morning, Your Grace,” Maud said, her voice pitched slightly higher than usual. She set the tray on the bedside table with hands that trembled just enough for Alice to notice. “I’ve brought your morning tea.”

“So I see,” Alice replied, watching as Maud poured with less than her usual grace, a few drops splashing onto the saucer. “You’re remarkably prompt this morning.”

Maud didn’t meet her eyes. “Cook had just boiled the kettle, ma’am.”

As Alice accepted the cup, she studied her lady’s maid over its rim. Maud’s cheeks were flushed, and a strand of hair had escaped her cap. She moved about the room with jerky, distracted motions—yanking open the curtains to reveal the pearly grey light of early morning, poking at the banked fire with unnecessary vigour, adjusting items on the dressing table that needed no adjustment.

What’s going on? “Lovely morning,” she said, taking a careful sip of her tea.

“Yes, ma’am.” Maud busied herself with the washstand, pouring water from the ewer with the concentration of a surgeon.

Alice set down her cup with a deliberate clink. “There seems to be a lot of activity in the house this morning.”

Maud’s hands stilled momentarily before she resumed laying out Alice’s washing things. “Does there, ma’am? I haven’t noticed.”

Really? Maud never not noticed anything.

Her maid glanced up—just for a fraction—and then looked away again.

Alice swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood, the cool floor beneath her bare feet a welcome jolt to her senses. She padded across to the washstand and began washing herself. She watched Maud from the corner of her eye. 

Maud was chatty by nature. Her nattering normally filled Alice’s bedchamber the way a good fire did—warm, ordinary, reassuring.

Now there was no talking at all.

Only fussing—Maud was currently plumping pillows that didn’t need plumping.

Enough! Alice patted her face dry and turned to find Maud holding out her undergarments, her head bowed, still avoiding her gaze. “Maud,” Alice said firmly, “what’s wrong?”

The maid jumped as if she’d been pinched. “Nothing’s wrong, ma’am. Nothing at all.”

Alice fixed her with a look. “Nonsense. Something has clearly happened, and you—along with half the household, it seems—are aware of it. I’m not particularly fond of being the last to know what’s occurring in my own home.”

Maud’s shoulders slumped. “I told Mr Pratt and George that I couldn’t do it,” she blurted out. “I knew you’d see right through me. I’ve never been able to keep secrets from you.”

“And yet you’re trying valiantly this morning,” Alice replied dryly. “Come now, spit it out, Maud. Whatever it is can hardly be improved by stalling further.”

Maud took a breath and began helping Alice into her chemise and corset with quick, trembling hands. “I really shouldn’t say, ma’am. Mr Pratt wanted to tell you himself.”

A flicker of irritation sparked in Alice’s chest. She’d had quite enough of being managed, particularly by men who thought they knew better than she did about what information she should receive and when. “I’ll deal with Mr Pratt,” she said. “Now please tell me what has happened.”

Maud’s fingers fumbled with the corset laces as Alice turned to allow her to begin the familiar ritual of dressing. “There’s been a… discovery,” the maid finally said, her voice barely above a whisper. “A body, ma’am.”

Alice froze with her arms half-lifted. “A body?” A cold, sick sensation ran down her spine. “Where?”

Maud paused. “Er… in the garden.”

Alice’s mouth went dry as she lowered her arms. “Which garden, exactly?” she asked, although she felt like she already knew the answer.

Maud’s fingers stilled. “Here,” she whispered. “In… in your garden, ma’am.”

Alice felt the room tilt slightly, as if the floor had shifted beneath the rug.

A body.

In her garden.

On a Sunday morning.

Her throat tightened, making it difficult to get the next words out. “Who is it?” she eventually managed.

Maud’s fingers pulled too hard on the laces. Alice barely felt it. “They think… They’re saying it’s Mr Fonthill.” The last words came out in a rush. “Dead as a post, ma’am.”

When the need of a fresh start brings you to Napoli…

Synopsis

When Lucy’s childhood sweetheart leaves her at the altar, her world shatters. But instead of cancelling her honeymoon, she boards the plane alone—bound for a sun-soaked island that will change everything.

In Naples, recently widowed Elena is fighting to keep her husband’s family mozzarella factory and language school afloat while raising her young son. Desperate to save both businesses, she posts a job advert—and fate delivers Lucy to her doorstep.

Together, these two women—each nursing heartbreak and loss—discover that friendship, food, and a dash of courage can heal even the deepest wounds.

Filled with pasta, laughter, and second chances, this is a story of resilience, renewal, and the unexpected magic of connection.

My review

After years being together with Stewart, Lucy is ready for the next step. But when their private wedding on location ends up with Lucy being stood up, she feels that her whole world is falling apart. All her dreams for the future have fallen into pieces, and the life she used to live, isn’t that inspiring at all anymore. So when she reads an advertisement for a teaching job in Napoli, Italy, she feels like this is a sign. Once arrived in Napoli, Lucy is staying with Elena and her son Stefano. Elena used to have big dreams for the family’s mozzarella factory, and her own dream of running a language school. But being widowed way too early, Elena cannot manage it all on her own. So she is more than happy with the arrival of Lucy. Especially as, even if different, the women share the sense of loss. And even if they don’t know it yet, them being together may be the cure to heal their pain and sense of loneliness. Because there is nothing that (new) friendship and female comradery and unity cannot heal…

I am easy to convince to read a book. Just give me a great blurb, and I am sold. Or make it even easier for yourself, and put in the title something that I feel connected to, and I am already hooked. So of course, with Napoli in the title, I just had to read this book!

Although I have to admit that at the start of the book, the first few chapters, I got very angry. Not at Lucy, as she hasn’t done anything wrong at all. But I got angry at Stewart. I just don’t understand why people cannot be honest about their feelings; no matter how difficult it must be. And to make it even worse, he doesn’t even have the guts to tell it to Lucy, but he decides to let do it with a voicemail, while Lucy is already flying over to their wedding location.

The devastation Lucy is going through is so palpable. I could understand the pain she is enduring, because she has been betrayed in the most terrible way, from the person she loves and trusts the most.

So despite her pain, I was happy to see how suddenly there is this female compassion, where complete strangers, from the manager to the housekeeping, are doing all the possible to help Lucy. This for sure shows that there are kind and compassionate people all over the world, even when you least expect it to find them.

Being an Italian myself, I couldn’t agree more with Lucy starting afresh in Napoli, as there is no better place on earth than Italy! 😊  But I could also comprehend her trepidation, as it cannot be easy to move to another country, not speaking fluently the language. And let’s be honest, also not knowing where she will end up…

But there couldn’t be a more fitting place for Lucy to ‘end up’ with Elena and her son Stefano. Not that Lucy suddenly finds paradise and is in place where nothing is going wrong. Yet it is the place that Lucy needs to be, and the place that needs Lucy too.

Because even if their lives are so different, Lucy understands that in a way, Elena and she are feeling the same pain, the same hurt, the same loneliness and even the same fears.

My heart broke a second time while getting to know Elena and sweet sweet Stefano better. She and her late husband Giancarlo had so many plans for the future, not doubting for one instance that they wouldn’t succeed.

Unfortunately, Elena and Stefano have to face a life without their beloved husband and father. And their loss shows us how unfair life can be. Or rather, how selfish and money – grabbing some people can be…

It may seem strange, but I liked it to see how the author took her time to show us the reality of life. Italy is known for all the beauties it has, but there are also many ugly bits in it. And it is important to not forget about those bits, and to fight against it.

But I just loved reading how these two women, Lucy and Elena, find each other in their pain. As Elena doesn’t want to give up her dream of running the language school, she brings into her life the person she needs the most.

It was just so heartwarming seeing these two women form a friendship, how with being together and living together, they are able to grieve, to finally see things brightly again and are able to look forward positively.

Of course there is room for romance in this book, but while it shows Lucy that love is still around, it didn’t feel for me the main message of the book. Because this book is all about friendship, determination, not giving up, and believe that good things will come your way. And that may start with moving to Napoli, meet amazing people, get a taste of mozzarella (di bufala of course😊) and will make you open a teashop in a country addicted to coffee!

When change is on the way, which course to follow?

Synopsis

Will this summer change everything for Trish – and for Brambleton?

Trish has spent years turning her beloved café-bookshop, Prosecco & Prose, into the social heart of Brambleton – until London developer Charlie Blackthorn arrives with plans for a sleek boutique hotel next door.

Handsome and confident, Charlie is certain he knows what’s best for Trish and Brambleton. His proposal splits the village, stirring wounds and firing up opinions.
When Brambleton’s anonymous new agony aunt weighs in, Trish is pushed out from the safety of her café counter into a summer of impossible decisions. Charlie may be infuriating, but he sees strengths in her she’s long forgotten, and his kindness unsettles her more than his hotel ever could. As tensions rise, should she defend her little kingdom from change… or dare to imagine something bigger?

Escape to Brambleton for a story of love, laughter and new beginnings.

A Perfect Devon Summer is a cosy, feel-good summer romance filled with small-town, rural life charm, community spirit, and slow-burn and clean chemistry. Featuring grumpy sunshine, opposites attract, forced proximity, and city meets country. Expect village gossip, secrets, and an anonymous agony aunt. A heart-warming tale of belonging, confidence and new beginnings – all set against the glorious Devon coast.

Perfect for fans of clean small-town romance, escapist summer reads, and binge-worthy village series with emotion, humour and heart.

My review

Trish’s café – bookshop Prosecco & Prose is the heart and soul of Brambleton. Trish has worked hard to turn her business into a success and with everything that has happened in her life, she couldn’t be any prouder. That is until a London developer, Charlie Blackthorn, arrives in Brambleton and wants to open a boutique hotel right next door. Charlie is confident that his hotel will only benefit Brambleton. But his arrival and his idea are dividing the village, as there people who think that the hotel is exactly what Brambleton needs, but there are also people, Trish included, that believe that the hotel will change the heart of Brambleton and not for the better. There is one way to stop the build of the hotel, but that also means that Trish needs to step out of her comfort zone and the safety of what she has now. With everyone having an opinion on what should be done, and an anonymous agony aunt spelling her (unwanted?) opinions, Trish needs to decide which direction her life will take. And then there is the matter that no matter how infuriating Charlie may be, he sees in Trish what she has long forgotten about herself. And the way he keeps on helping her, even if it may jeopardize his own plans…

This is a series that I have enjoyed reading, so obviously I had to add this book to my reading pile. And perhaps this book is the one I loved the most.

If you don’t immediately take a liking to Trish, there is something wrong. Because she truly is the heart of Brambleton, or rather her Prosecco & Prose is. But of course a business can only be successful if there is an amazing person running it. And of course Trish is exactly that.

Not only does she love running Prosecco & Prose, but she isn’t looking for making the most profit as possible, but she wants that Prosecco & Prose is a place where people can enjoy a drink, but also lose themselves in books and  have a place where a chat is always possible. Prosecco & Prose is truly a place that Brambleton needs and sees as the soul of their village.

But no matter how much Trish loves running Prosecco & Prose, it is also obvious that the past is still a burden. Not only to her, but also to her father. And that burden makes Trish hold back, lose herself too. But it especially scarred her father, Manuel.

I have to admit, that seeing how Manuel is keeping Trish back from going for the expansion, I didn’t like him. Instead of supporting his daughter, he tries to keep her small. I just couldn’t grasp why a loving father (which he absolutely is), would act in that way. But I also have to be honest, once the details of the past came out, the injustice of it, I could truly comprehend where Manuel was coming from.

Charlie’s arrival in Brambleton causes a great disruption. Not only for Trish, as the hotel would decrease the area of her own business, but also that people believe that it would change the whole dynamics of Brambleton. And let’s be honest, Charlie’s initial behaviour, closed, cold, dismissive and overconfident, doesn’t help.

And his arrival makes Trish wake up somehow. It makes her wonder if expanding, and thus taking a risk, is what she truly wants to do with her business. Trish gets advice from everyone around: expand, don’t expand. Of course the poor woman does not know what to do. However, to me it also felt that she was making a decision while her heart wasn’t completely in.

I saw it more as some kind of rivalry contest between Trish and Charlie, the desire to keep Brambleton as it is versus change and innovation. Rivalry yes, but in a teasing way too. Because as Trish and Charlie are neighbours, they see each other all the time. And while there are moments where they clash, the moments where they open up, have honest conversations and even help each other out, were the moments that warmed my heart.

They show us that rivalry doesn’t mean being nasty towards each other, there is always respect between both parties. Respect that also changes in that openness that I already mentioned earlier.

The more time Trish and Charlie spend together, the more they realize there is more than what they both initially thought, and that the both of them have been scarred by the past, which they have been kept hidden for far too long.

And that understanding, the growing connection between them, brings them also closer. Keep your friends closer but your ‘enemies’ closer somehow seems very applicable in this case (but in an honest, genuine way 😊). It shows how feelings can change from one way to the complete opposite.

This isn’t the kind of story where everything is straightforward, where there one right and one wrong. This is a story where characters learn (from each other), change, open up, evolve for the better. Obviously it isn’t without any hiccup, but that isn’t in real life, is it?

And that reality, of changing emotions, growth, acceptance is what made me love this story. It feels raw, real, yet it also is a warm story showing once again what a unique yet wonderful community Brambleton truly is.

When an old love resurfaces and needs your help…

Synopsis

Caroline, Dowager Marchioness of Lewiston, has long since made peace with the life she was given: a grand title, a comfortable house, and a heart carefully trained not to want what it cannot have.

Then Thomas Ashcombe returns.

Years ago, Thomas was the man she loved—and lost. Now he is a wealthy merchant newly arrived from India, bringing with him not only a fortune, but a daughter, Anjali, whose place in English society is as uncertain as her father’s safety. Thomas has come home with dangerous evidence of corruption connected to the East India Company, and powerful men will do anything to silence him.

When Thomas is falsely imprisoned under suspicion of treason, Caroline must decide whether she is willing to risk her reputation, her family, and her carefully ordered world for the man she never forgot.

Sir Julian Meredith has always preferred legal arguments to drawing-room conversation. Awkward, red-haired, and far too honest for his own comfort, he is no one’s idea of a romantic hero—least of all his own. But when Anjali Ashcombe’s courage draws him into a web of secrets, forged loyalties, and political danger, Julian discovers that love may require a bravery no courtroom ever demanded of him.

As Caroline and Thomas fight for a second chance, and Julian and Anjali reach for a future neither of them expected, one question remains: can love survive when truth itself has become a crime?

My review

Caroline did not have the life she expected to have, but she has accepted how things have gone. As the Dowager Marchioness of Lewiston, she has a title, a nice house and after everything, the relationship with her daughters is restored. But what Caroline has learned through the years is not to linger on the past, and not long for things that she cannot have. But she never expected that her first love, Thomas Ashcombe, upon his return from India where he lived for years, would be asking (of all people) her to help his daughter Anjali to have her debut in society. Thomas though also has another mission, to reveal evidence of East India Company corruption, which may be a dangerous task… Meanwhile Anjali tries to adapt to English society, but struggles to all the changes and not losing herself and her roots. The English people are not all that happy to welcome Anjali, but she finds an ally in Sir Julian Meredith, a barrister that knows his ways in court, but not social events. But when Thomas’s revelations become a real danger, Anjali and Julian will go lengths to make the right person pay, and bring them perhaps even closer?

While this book is part of a series, it can be perfectly read as a standalone. And from the start, you would like Caroline. Unfortunately, I didn’t like Caroline, because I have read several books of the series, and I couldn’t forget what has happened previously, especially concerning Caroline’s behaviour towards Antonella.

But I was pleased to read that Caroline’s behaviour in this book cannot be compared with the behaviour she has shown in Antonella’s story. And slowly I started to like this ‘new version’ of Caroline and I was happy reading how she has redeemed herself and how in fact she is a nice person. Even if she has lived a life not as expected, could not marry the man she loved and instead married a man that, well…

And I found it sweet reading how Caroline was willing to help Thomas and Anjali out. She doesn’t hold a grudge towards him and she knows how important it is for a young woman to have the right introductions into society.

It was also heartwarming how Caroline sees how different Anjali and her upbringing are, yet she doesn’t judge Anjali, she accepts Anjali’s uniqueness and even tries to understand Anjali. Something Caroline has learned to do being on her own now. And Anjali for sure can be testing, so I admired Caroline for her acceptance, patience and understanding.

Poor Anjali though… She had to leave her home, her friends, without a clear reason. Yes, her father has told her that she would benefit from her introduction in society, but Anjali knows that there is more to their departure than what Thomas wants her to believe. But as a dutiful and obedient daughter, she doesn’t question her father, and she also believes that when the time is right, her father will tell her everything.

It angered me reading how people are looking at Anjali… in India her family was a very respected one, but here people look down at her, judging her, and even when someone shows interest in her, it is more about financial benefit than truly, honest feelings towards Anjali.

Let’s also be honest, the contrast between her home in India and her stay with Caroline, couldn’t be any bigger. Not only how people are looking at her, but also how things are done.

Luckily for her, Anjali makes friends that are honest in their intentions, and women that we also know 😊. It was just sweet reading how our friends are accepting, listening to Anjali without any prejudice at all.

And then she meets Julian…

My heart went out to Julian, because while he is a great barrister, not someone to mess with, his own insecurities are so palpable whenever he has the scene. Not only is he in a way ashamed of his hair (by the way, I LOVE it 😊) but he also feels socially awkward. That is something that I somehow recognized, because it isn’t always easy to know what the right way to behave it. Or to be certain that the way you want to act, will be appreciated.

I was in love reading the bits where Anjali and Julian connect. There is some awkwardness between the pair, but there is a connection between them, a mutual understanding that is just amazing. For me, it is proof that no matter how different lives and upbringing can be, that even your total opposite can be exactly who you need in your life.

And there are moments in this book that Anjali needs Julian by her side, as her father appears to be in danger.

Thomas, who had a successful life in India, found love and built a family. And I liked it reading how he is a righteous man. He doesn’t look down on anyone, and when he sees wrongdoings, he want to uncover the corruption. And he does not think about his personal gain at all, but he goes lengths to protect his loved ones.

Thomas is also a proud man, but not too proud. He wants to best for Anjali, but he isn’t ashamed to ask help to Caroline, the woman he used to love. He knows what to do to help Anjali, and he won’t allow his pride or his past to keep Anjali away from what would benefit her the most.

I truly admired Thomas’s determination and his love for his daughter. He knows that his revelations can come with risks, but he is adamant to go through with it. At the same time he keeps Anjali in the dark, for her own safety and protection.

Protection that may be truly required because we see in this story how far people are willing to go for their own benefit, lacking interest in how it affects others. A real example of pure selfishness and greed…

And of course there is the reunion of past lovers… I found it bittersweet reading how Caroline and Thomas were pulled apart when they were younger, how they built different lives, and how at an ‘older’ age they reconnect, even become friends again.

There is a lot happening in this book, which makes sense as it is two stories for the price of one. But I never had a moment where I lost the plot (literally speaking, figuratively, that is a complete different matter 😊). I was engaged with all the main characters, as they showed us what kindness, care, acceptance truly is. And how old faces but also new faces can have an impact on your life.