When you have something to prove…

Synopsis

Twenty two year old Stevie needs to prove to everyone that she’s a grown up. So she throws herself into her dream of becoming an event planner by agreeing to organise a fundraising ball in Oxford. Add a rambling house, a committee that can’t agree and budget that’s far too small, Stevie thinks things can’t get worse. Until her childhood crush, her big brother’s old housemate, turns up.

Tom is working hard to be the success his mother wants him to be. When he realises that the ball his mum and her friends are organising will be run by his friend’s baby sister ‘poor, needy Stevie’, he steps in to avoid disaster. But Stevie is no longer a teenager, she’s a disturbingly attractive young woman … and she’s not about to let anyone get in her way.

Shortlisted for the 2017 Romantic Comedy Award from the Romantic Novelists’ Association, Girl Having a Ball is the second standalone novel in Rhoda Baxter’s Smart Girls series. Ideal for fans of Mhairi McFarlane and Sue Moorcroft.

My review

Stevie is a young twenty two year old, hopping from one job to another. For a young woman, it’s difficult to decide what she wants from her life. Her dream has always been of being an event planner, but having no own experiences, it’s not that easy to get into that world. But then she gets the opportunity to organise a fundraising ball in Oxford. A fundraising ball, with a committee that disagree on almost everything, a budget that is nearly non – existing and to make everything even worse, the son of the organiser is her childhood crush Tom…
Tom that is working hard to achieve his goals at work, disregarding his own health as he is working too hard… And when his stress level has reached its peak, and he is forced to take things slow, he decides to help organizing the fundraiser.
But he surely didn’t expect to see Stevie again, his friend’s baby sister, all grown up now…

Oh I am starting to absolutely adore this series! This is the second part of it, and I had a small fear that this one could measure up with Jane and Marsh’s tale! But I was never so glad for being wrong!

We know how Marsh and Stevie had a rough time and  how Marsh didn’t have it easy raising Stevie.
But of course, how Stevie lived through all the pain, was something I was very curious about.
Also getting to know her better and seeing why she reacts and behaves in a certain way was something I wanted to know.

And I have to admit, while in the first book I thought Stevie was a bit of a spoiled brat, I had to readjust my opinion completely.
Losing your parents at a young age isn’t easy (it isn’t easy at any age, but being young makes it even worse) and it makes sense that you will rely more on the only family member left. So when Stevie sees how she is “losing” her brother too, now he is married to Jane, broke my heart. I understood her way of thinking, and I saw how she saw it as being now totally alone. But it was also a bit frustrating, because let’s be honest here, I totally love Marsh and I wanted him to have all the happiness in the world.

And seeing her childhood crush Tom again… Tom that is focused on getting his career in a next level. Seeing Tom struggling with keeping ahead of everything, it pained me seeing him in pain.
I always struggle with people only focusing on their careers and forget everything and everyone around them.
But Tom’s desire of success comes from deep down, and his reasoning made me want to hug him.

And let’s be honest, did we really expect Tom to be able to resists Stevie and vice versa? The attraction between them was palpable from each page, and as a reader you know it’s just a matter of time.
I loved reading how they slowly were getting closer, understand each other better and having their small moments.
And even if it broke my heart, I understood why Tom wanted to keep Stevie at a safe distance. But of course, the heart wants what it wants…

Getting to know Stevie better and see her pain and struggles but also her successes made me feel proud of her. During her story we see her maturing, she realizes where she was wrong and knows when to push and when to just pull back.

This second part was a different tale compared to the first one. But it was just as lovely and I loved how Marsh and Jane were still in it, but not taking the spotlight of Stevie and Tom.

I truly enjoyed reading every bit of this book, even the heart – breaking moments. The author managed to write again a captivating story, with lovely characters that show true emotions like heartbreak, jealousy but also strength, happiness, love and determination.
What more can you want from a book?

When the ghosts of a far past are haunting you.

Synopsis

A captivating dual timeline romance set in Cornwall! Perfect for fans of Sarah Burton, Stacey Halls, Jessie Burton and Kate Mosse.

Two centuries apart, two lonely women seek a place to call home…

Cornwall, England, 2015

Nomadic project manager Anna Pritchard has arrived in the village of Porthnevek to oversee the construction of a trendy new glamping site. But with many members of the local community strongly opposed to the development, she quickly finds herself ostracised and isolated.

Seeking to ease her loneliness, Anna begins volunteering at a nearby National Trust house in Trelissick, once owned by the aristocratic Daniell family. In her new role, Anna soon feels her attachment to both Porthnevek and Trelissick deepening. And as she spends more and more time steeped in local history, it seems that the past and the present are beginning to collide…

Belgium, 1815

After losing her brother in the Battle of Waterloo, French army seamstress Thérèse Ruguel is taken to London by war artist Thomas Chalmers, becoming his reluctant muse. But with Thomas’s mother unhappy with the arrangement, Thérèse is soon sent to Cornwall as a lady’s maid to Elizabeth Daniell, a kindly relative of the Chalmers family.

Able to speak only a little English — and with the other servants suspicious of her — Thérèse feels lost and alienated. And when she discovers her brother may still be alive, she must decide whether to continue with her new life in England, or brave the dangerous journey back to her homeland…

What became of Thérèse? Can Anna unearth the ghosts of the past?

And has Anna finally found where she belongs…?

THE FORGOTTEN MAID is a beautiful time-shift romance set in Cornwall between the Regency era and the modern day. It is the first book in the Cornish Echoes Dual Timeline Mystery series.

My review

Anna Pritchard is ready to oversee the construction of a new glamping site in Porthnevek. Her first impression is a positive one, because everyone welcomes her in the village. But that quickly changes when they realize why Anna is here. They are all opposed to the development and the some of the local community surely don’t stand back to play dirty.
And so Anna finds herself quickly alone and isolated.
When she starts volunteering at a nearby National Trust house in Trelissick, she learns about the history of the aristocratic Daniell family and she soon is intrigued by its history and the mystery surrounded by the tale of Thérèse Ruguel, a French army seamstress that became a lady’s maid to Elizabeth Daniell.

Dual timelines are always tricky to read. how are the two stories linked together, isn’t it all too farfetched, and won’t it be too difficult to keep up with the both tales?

But, thanks to the big time gap, I found it easy to keep up with both he tale of Anna and Thérèse.

Anna’s tale is one that makes it obvious that no matter how successful you can be, loneliness can still find you. she is determined to make a success of her latest project, but I found it sad to read how she starts to feel alone in a place where she wants to belong.
She finds a few people that don’t judge her, and I was happy for her when she found the volunteering spot, and something to do where she is accepted and welcomed.
However, despite the interest she builds concerning the mining history, she also learns that sometimes people can behave in a despicable way.
But she also learns to see people through her own eyes and not just blindly accepts the opinions of others. And that it’s those people, who have their own ghosts to hunt them down, are the purest and most honest and gentle ones.

If Anna’s story is one filled by feelings of loneliness, Thérèse’s tale is one where those feelings are reality.
I can only imagine how difficult it can be when you lose someone during war. And when that person is the only member of the family left, it is just more than just devastating…
So when she follows war artist Thomas Chalmers as his muse, I understood why she did it.
But the struggles she is facing… not speaking the language, not knowing anyone in London, and becoming even the subject of gossiping…
And even when she moves for a new job in Cornwall with the Daniell’s family, I hoped that there would be some happiness for her.

Despite the hard world both women are finding  themselves in, they try to make the best of each situation, hoping that the people they put their trust in, proof that the trust was justified.
There are some heart – breaking moments, but also moments filled with hoped, happiness and love.

I thought that the story would have some more ‘ghostly’ parts in it, but I have to admit I was happy that, despite some scary parts, it wasn’t a real ghost story.
This was a story that shows us that sometimes trust can be misused, but also that that same trust can be the right thing to do.
No matter who you decide to trust, it’s only the future that can tell us if we were right or wrong.

This was an enthralling story about two strong women, trying to make the best of a sad situation. There are hard ways they learn their lessons, but also learn that eventually, it’s only your own judgement you can trust and hope you won’t get heartbroken in the meanwhile.
The setting, descriptions that made me feel like I was walking there with the main characters made this a beautiful read.

One strange gift, with many new opportunities as a result

Synopsis

Three years ago, Joy Pentire lost her firefighter husband and she still hasn’t returned to the woman she once was. But then she meets Hope, one of the residents at the nursing home where she’s a carer.

Hope has a secret gift that she wants to pass on.
And Joy’s life is forever changed.

Surrounded by the community in her Cornish hometown, Joy’s unexpected inheritance soon leads to new opportunities, new friends, new love, and the part of herself she’d thought forever lost … her joy.

My review

After losing her husband three years ago, Joy Pentire has been a different woman. Not only does she work as a care – taker in a nursing home instead of working at school. And despite her name, she has also lost her own joy…
But she surely doesn’t expect that a gift giving by one of the residents of the nursing home, Hope, will change her life forever.
Because that jar filled with pebbles will give her new opportunities, new friends and the thing that made her “her. But that jar is also the start of discovering her “abilities” and power to give others that extra push they need.

Oh how sad the character of Joy was at the start of her tale…
It broke my heart to see how she had found the love of her life, but then lost it in a tragic way… I understood her how she didn’t want to live her life like she did when her husband was still around.
And I understood how she didn’t want to move on and even have the thought of meeting someone else. Because nobody could be more perfect than the man she had and lost…

It’s obvious that Joy is more than just a caring person. Not only does she truly look after the residents of the nursing home, each time the home loses someone, it breaks Joy’s heart too.
But not only her job at the nursing home proofs how caring she is, it’s also her previous job that shows how much she always wants to help other people.
And even after work shoe doesn’t hesitate to go check upon resident Hope.

I have to be honest, the gift that Hope gives Joy, it was an odd one. Especially as Hope starts to explain the power of that gift.
I don’t believe in such “hocus pocus” stuff, but I loved the message behind it.
Because by one simple action, Joy is able to change the lives of those around her for the better.

I loved to read how initially Joy was very sceptical like me, but slowly she realizes how she can around.

And slowly, the gift is giving her also the much needed strength and power to change her own life.

It warmed my heart to see how Joy started to pick up small piece after small piece of her life again, and dares to step out in that big scary world again.
Not only does she now has the courage to start a new job, but she meets new people, that need her help, but she needs their help also.

The gift is somewhat magical, but I don’t see that the physical gift is the real message of the story. For me, it was more the ability and perceptiveness to see who is in need of help, as small or big as it is. It can be to give a slightly nudge in the right direction, or just being a listening ear, offering a place to crash etc.

And that is what made me continue reading, because I didn’t see each pebble as itself being the solution, but I saw how Joy offered help, just because she sees where she is needed.
And by helping, she slowly gets her heart healed too. And she sees a whole new life ahead of her. Not the life she expected to have with her husband, but a different one, with new characters having all a part in it.

This story warmed my heart because of the message but it also worked inspirational, because sometimes it takes a small action to make a difference to someone. And that is something we all should think about and act like!

A fake fiancée, what could go wrong?

Synopsis

The trouble with lies is they have a tendency to catch a man out.

The last thing Hugh Standish, Earl of Fareham, wants is a wife. 

But since the only way to keep his mother’s matchmaking ways at bay is the promise of impending nuptials, Hugh takes the most logical action: he invents a fake fiancée.

It’s the perfect plan – until Hugh learns that his mother is on a ship bound for England to meet his ‘beloved’. He needs a solution fast, and when he collides with a mysterious beauty, he might just have found the answer to his prayers.

Minerva Merriwell is desperate for money to support her sisters, and although she knows that posing as the Earl’s fiancée might seem nonsensical, it’s just too good an offer to refuse.

As the Merriwells descend upon Hugh’s estate, the household is thrown into turmoil as everyone tries to keep their tangled stories straight. And with Hugh and Minerva’s romantic ruse turning into the real thing, is true love just one complication too many?

‘Filled with fabulously British banter, wit, and heart, this delightful book is one of my must-read rom-coms of the year’

My review

Hugh Standish enjoys his freedom as an unmarried man. Even his title of earl of Fareham won’t persuade him of getting married. But his mother surely has other ideas, even if she lives on the other side of the ocean.
Hug has found the perfect solution to stop his mother, namely, he has invented his own fiancée. Story after story he invents just to keep his mother at distance.
However, when his mother informs him of her visit, he needs to think of something else, because telling the truth is absolutely not an option.
And when he meets Minerva Merriwell, she is the solution to all his problems. Not only does she have the same name as his invented fiancée, she accept to pretend to be totally in love with him and keep up his charade.
Minerva doesn’t do this out the kindness of her heart, but because she definitely needs the money to provide for her sisters, since her father abandoned them.
But no matter how much Hugh hoped everything goes according his plan, nothing goes as he wanted. Because not only is he being kept under scrutiny by all the Merriwell sisters, but the better he gets to know Minerva…

I always enjoy reading a story of this author and this one surely can be added to the pile ‘Yes, I truly liked it!’.
And yes, of course you know how the pretend engagement will end, but that shouldn’t keep you from reading it!

Minerva is a strong woman, trying her best to take care of her sisters. All the Merriwell sisters have their own character, and they couldn’t’ be more different from each other. But they love each other unconditionally.
And Minerva, being the oldest one, would go any length to make sure her sisters are happy and don’t have to suffer any pain/ hunger/…
So in this light, I understood her that she accepted Hugh’s proposal, because the money she would receive from it, would solve many of her problems.
But it’s not only about money for Minerva. Because no matter what Hugh promises her, she won’t go anywhere without her sisters…

Hugh… why can’t he see from the start that his idea is a recipe for disaster? I found it hilarious to see how afraid an adult man can be from his own mother. Okay, afraid is maybe not the right word, but despite all the lies he has told, he doesn’t want to hurt his mother.
The reason why Hugh refuses to get married to just anyone was hard to grasp initially, but when the real reason was made obvious, and seeing how the example of his parent marked him, broke a bit my heart.

There were many bits that warmed my heart, like how Minerva protects her sisters, how Hugh tries to protect all three the sisters, revelations of the truth.

I didn’t expect to have so much fun reading all the misunderstanding, clashing characters, interfering sisters and friends, and an actress that is trying too hard at playing the part. and the inability for our main female character to ride a horse!

This story was exactly what I expected from this author, a wonderful time reading a hilarious yet sometimes frustrating story (how many misunderstanding can there be, just speak out for the sake of the readers!!!)
I cannot wait to see what’s in store for the other two sisters, but for now all I can say is: ‘Excellent!’

Running away, starting all over and keep low,that’s easy…

Synopsis

After a humiliating split from her celebrity ex, Jane is hiding from the spotlight. She’s moved city, moved jobs and changed her hair. She wants to disappear and finish her training as a patent attorney.

Marshall has worked hard for years and nomination to the partnership is tantalisingly close. He must avoid scandal at any cost.

When they meet, their attraction is impossible to ignore. Neither wants a fuss, but with the paparazzi following Jane and an office trouble maker determined to sabotage their relationship, they can’t escape unscathed.

Girl on the Run is the first in a series of standalone contemporary romances. Ideal for fans of MhairiMcFarlane or Sue Moorcroft.

My review

Jane wants to start over after not only splitting up with her famous boyfriend, but she has also been humiliated about it!
So when she starts a new job in a different city, she surely doesn’t want anyone to recognize her, and wants to be hiding from the spotlights. After changing her hair, she is now determined to finish her training as a patent attorney.
Marshall is working hard to become a partner and the partnership is finally within reach. Last thing he needs is a scandal, like the one he had in the past.
But when Jane and Marsh meet, the attraction is impossible to ignore. Despite their efforts to keep things as secretive is as possible, is that truly possible, with paparazzi’s hunting Jane down and an office colleague with his own agenda…

If you ever need a story that is easy to read, but filled with many sweets moments but also a few bits that remind you that not everyone is genuinely honest, I suggest to read this one!

After being cheated by her boyfriend, Jane decides to start all over, away from the spotlights.
Being the girlfriend of a famous person, I can only imagine how difficult that can be. And in Jane’s case, seeing how the man you love has changed over time, and not for the better, makes it only worse.
When Jane changed her hair, to be unrecognizable, it raised my eyebrows, because it seemed for me not enough. I can imagine that if I were suddenly blond, people would still recognize me, even if I’m a natural brunette.
However, even if Jane was in the past in the spotlight, she still is this normal girl, a “plain Jane”, with her wish to just be happy and doing what she loves.

I was a bit surprised by the character of Marsh. Yes, he is focused on becoming a partner and doesn’t want to make any mistakes.
But behind this career – focused man, he is the most loving, caring brother I could imagine. He looks after his sister Stevie, and protects her every way that he can, even too much. Even if they obviously clash more than not, the love between brother and sister is very obvious.
And his taking care of his loved ones, also moves to Jane when they finally admit their feelings.

Seeing their love bloom, was something that warmed my heart. Of course there is also a villain in it, and what this person did was just ugly, vile, unscrupulous and double – faced.

Overall, this was a sweet story to read, about how the past can hold you back, but also about how love finds a way anyway, no matter who with bad intentions tries to interfere.
Time flies by while reading this story and after finishing this first part of the series, it made me very curious for the other parts of it!
Finger crossed they will entertain me as much as this one!

One choice, with a devastating conclusion

Synopsis

Autumn is stuck in a rut and desperate to escape the fears that bind her to the life she’s grown to hate. Back home and living with her parents after university with a degree that seems to count for nothing, she knows something has to change. After a chance meeting with a stranger at the beach, she makes the spontaneous decision to move to Dublin and chase her dreams. However, what Autumn doesn’t realise is that she has just made the decision that will lead to her death. But does a short life have to mean an unsuccessful life? Will she be able to make it count? 

Red Roses is a compelling and uplifting story that shows the true beauty of life, love and friendship.

My review

Autumn has one big dream, becoming a famous actress. But her life isn’t exactly a glamourous one so after meeting a stranger at the beach, she decides to move to Dublin. She hopes that there she will be able to make her dreams come true.
Random meetings will result in real friendships, colleagues will become close friends, but Autumn will also see that not everyone is as honest and loyal as she thought.
And little does she know that her moving to Dublin will lead to her death in three years. But these three years will fill a complete lifetime…

Starting reading this book, I didn’t expect that the prologue would be already such a sinister one.
I didn’t expect to be reading how someone would die, and especially not the main character…

And while I was reading, and the better I got to know Autumn and her story, I kept thinking and hoping that somehow things would end well for her.

Autumn, being in a rut, has the courage to just pack her things and start all over again. And that was something I admired, because I surely wouldn’t dare to do that myself!
Just pack everything, having no securities at all, I just cannot see doing that myself!

Sometimes I thought she was being too trustworthy, especially when we see how her friendship with Amelia is born. It makes sense in first instance to just share a cab, but then spend so much time together with, to be honest, a total stranger… Maybe I’ve been watching too many thrillers with a bad ending 🤣
But on the other hand it was also lovely to see how that random meeting with Amelia would resist the hand of time and that Autumn and Amelia truly become best friends.

I didn’t expect to be reading this book in 1 session, but suddenly I found myself totally immerged in the tale of Autumn and her dream of becoming an actress and just to find her own happiness.

This isn’t a story filled with only happy moments, where everything goes smoothly and Autumn is surrounded by real friends. But that is also just the reality… nothing in real life goes just as we wish, and we will always encounter people with a double agenda.
And just like Autumn, we will get betrayed by people we least expect it, and when we least expect it.

I have to say, sometimes the pace went a bit too fast for me. I would have loved to read more of the ‘in betweens’. But of course, Autumn’s story has to reach the climax, and of course not every little thing can be told.
And I just kept my fingers crossed that the prologue somehow would have a twist… and it did, just not in the way I thought it would, which broke my heart.

But in the end, there was also a silver lining… because some characters somehow got their happy end. And that all thanks to being friends with Autumn…

Autumn’s destiny and way she had to go, was almost reason for me to give “just” three stars. Because I’m a total sucker for happy ends for all the main characters. But the more I thought about the whole tale, the more I realized that would do injustice to the path Autumn took.

Because this book has heart – crunching moments. but it also filled with wonderful moments of friendship, courage, love and determination.
And all the positive events someone has in life, they outweigh the negative ones. And no matter what Fate has in store for us, in the end it will be all worth of all the pain when you see the happiness in someone else’s eyes…

A discovery from the past and difficult choices in the present…

Synopsis

A country at war. A heartbreaking betrayal.

1942. Three years into the war, Pam turns down her hard-won place at Oxford University to become a codebreaker at Bletchley Park. There, she meets two young men, both keen to impress her, and Pam finds herself falling hard for one of them. But as the country’s future becomes more uncertain by the day, a tragic turn of events casts doubt on her choice – and Pam’s loyalty is pushed to its limits…

Present day. Julia is struggling to juggle her career, two children and a husband increasingly jealous of her success. Her brother presents her with the perfect distraction: forgotten photos of their grandmother as a young woman at Bletchley Park. Why did her grandmother never speak of her time there? The search for answers leads Julia to an incredible tale of betrayal and bravery – one that inspires some huge decisions of her own…

My review

Julia has a successful business, but she is struggling with keeping all the balls in the air. Her business demands a lot of time, but she also has two children to take care of and her husband Marc’s jealousy only seems to increase the more successful she becomes. And he isn’t really the most helpful man around the house.
But on one day, her brother brings her the perfect distraction: photos and a camera belonging to their grandmother. Julia never knew that her grandmother worked at Bletchley Park. What did her grandmother do there? And why didn’t she ever speak of it?

Because practically nobody knew about Pamela’s job as a codebreaker in 1942, after deferring her place at Oxford University. And at Bletchley Park she meets two young men, both keen to impress her. Even if Pam is starting to fall for one of them, the War is still going on, and she learns the hard way that her loyalty is being pushed to its limits. 

Two women of the same family with their own struggles and heartbreak… 

Each story I read from this author captivates me, but even if there are some likenesses (dual time lines), they also keep on surprising me every time. 

Both stories could have been a perfect standalone story, but it’s the link between them that makes this a beautiful book to read. 

I felt sorry for Julia, because even if her business is a successful one, she is struggling with just everything in her life. Her job is a very demanding one, but she also has a family to take care of. And Marc, her husband, isn’t really the most devoting husband in the world.
it even made me mad at some point, how people still have that outdated reasoning that women should take care of the family and cannot have a successful career. And when these wonderful women do, these “ancient” men can only get jealous and unreasonable… 

But I also loved seeing Julia’s resilience. She fights for her marriage and family, and tries her best to make everything work.
And even when my suspicion was confirmed and Julia get betrayed on several levels, she keeps her head high and shows everyone what a strong woman she is. 

But not only is Julia a strong woman to look up to, so was Pam. As a young woman, nearly out of school, instead of going to Oxford University, she makes the decision to help out her country during War. Reading how she settles in at Bletchley Park, makes new friend, was sweet to read. I say sweet, because even during hard times friends can be made, and even falling in love is not impossible.

I admired Pamela, as I can only try to understand how difficult life during War can be. but even at her rather young age, she understand the importance of her job and the importance of keeping it secret, no matter how hard it is.
I appreciated that the author made Pamela fall in love, but didn’t change her into a gullible species. Pamela keeps a bright head, and sees when things are a bit off. But she also has a kind heart, as she doesn’t judge people just because of their past. 

This is a story of strong, smart, determined women facing difficult times. The author managed again to write a captivating stories, with a link to the real past.
Personally I never heard of Bletchley Park before (I live in Belgium, before you all go ballistic of my ignorance 😄) but I knew a little about how code breaking was the start of the end of the War.
And the place now surely has my interest, even if I will ever truly grasp how it all works… 

I enjoyed reading this story, and was amazed by these women that both in past and present are doing their utterly best in distressful times but are making the best of it and manage to make their own, newly found happiness.

Hot chocolate and gingerbread, what else do you need?

Synopsis

River and Alice miss Somerset. Christmas isn’t Christmas without family and friends, even when you live in quaint Cornwall.

When River’s Aunt Sheba dies unexpectedly, leaving him her ancient VW campervan, nostalgia nudges him and Alice back to Glastonbury – and the surrounding villages – to rediscover their roots whilst serving the most decadent hot chocolate and delectable gingerbread from their renovated ‘bar on wheels’.

A bar on wheels complete with a fold-up stage to host local talent competitions rivaling anything Simon Cowell could dream up, even if he’d gorged on a truckle of Cheddar cheese!

As the villagers sip their cocoa and ice their gingerbread houses amidst the festive backdrop of song, dance, and slightly more unconventional talents, River and Alice find themselves in an unexpected race against time:

Zara, their chocolate supplier is leaving Glastonbury on the twelfth day of Christmas, keen to put a string of disastrous relationships behind her to make a fresh start.

Bruno, their gregarious and gorgeous baking supplier is secretly smitten with Zara – ticking every box on her New Year’s wish list.

If only they can get them together for one experimental kiss under the mistletoe…

They’ve even enlisted their customers’ help in their mission to wrap this budding romance up in all the jingle bells and whistles. How hard can it be?

So, ho, ho VERY tricky, as it turns out…

My review

When Aunt Sheba suddenly dies, River and Alice inherit her ancient VW camper. That is the perfect occasion for the couple to go back to their roots, and they decide to turn the camper into a bar on wheels, selling decadent hot chocolate and gingerbread that will make you lick your fingers. The idea is to travel around Glastonbury and they rely on Zara, their chocolate supplier and Bruno, their baking supplier.
Even if they enjoy their time on the road, the clock is ticking away, as Zara is ready to Glastonbury the twelfth day of Christmas.
But Alice sees sparks flying around Zara and Bruno, and she wants to bring these two lovely people together.
Will Alice succeed in her matchmaking, or will Zara leave anyway? And will Alice finally have River proposing after waiting so long? 

Now, an Isabella May book is always a recipe for leaving me hungry during and after my reading. And this book made me even long more for a hot chocolate than I could imagine! 

It was only after finishing this book that I realized that this was a sequel, and that made me understand the book better.

River and Alice are somewhat already in their happy place, even if their current location isn’t making both of them happy.
Even if I didn’t know the background (which would have come in handy), the love between them is obvious. They both think the other one is happy in the current situation, and they both find it difficult to come clean about it, because they don’t want to break the one’s heart with the honest truth.

And even if I didn’t know the background of this lovely couple, that love between them, made me truly like them.
I found it funny how Alice kept waiting on a proposal and how River seems oblivious to it! 

However, I found that the main characters of this story were Zara and Bruno.

Zara may look like an ice queen, but the more we got to know her, the better I understood her and where she came from.
And her wish to move to Italy was understandable, even if of course I wanted her to end up with Bruno!
Her story shows us that every one of us comes with a bag filled with the past and that the past formed us to who we are now.
And even if we don’t always see it at the right moment, running away isn’t always the best solution. 

Bruno was hilarious in his behaviour. He has his heart at the right place, but his ways of communicating can surely need an update!
But that was also his charm, because we know what he truly means! 

Even if the Christmas Spirit wasn’t as present as I thought, this was a lovely story to read, about a couple ready to start a new adventure, new characters that deserve their own happiness and some appearances of characters of previous books adding that little extra on top of the overload of hot chocolate and gingerbread! And let’s not forget, the right kind of friends push you gently in one direction, but only with the best interests at heart. And real friends can even forgive your own stupidity and give you a well deserved second chance!

I know I fell in love with all these books, will you too?

Synopsis

Don’t miss this gorgeous eBook boxset of the first three novels in Christie Barlow’s bestselling Love Heart Lane series – also including a bonus Christmas short story!

Love Heart Lane – where friends are there for you no matter what

Love Heart Lane

When Flick Simons returns to the cosy village of Heartcrossshe only expected to stay for a few days. The white-washed cottages of Love Heart Lane might be her home, but the place holds too many painful memories, and of one man in particular – Fergus Campbell.

Foxglove Farm

Isla and Drew Allaway appear to have the perfect life – a strong marriage, two beautiful children and their picture-perfect home, Foxglove Farm.
But, new mum Isla is struggling. When she discovers that Drew has been keeping secrets from her, Isla has to face losing the home they all love.

Clover Cottage

When Vet Rory Scott inherits ramshackle Clover Cottage in the quaint village of Heartcross, Allie MacDonald just knows this is their happy ever after. A place to call home with the man she loves – it’s her dream come true!
Until Rory drops a bombshell. He loves Allie but he has dreams of his own to follow – to live and work in Africa. Clover Cottage will have to wait just a little longer…

Plus the exclusive short story – Christmas at HeartcrossCastle.

Celebrate Christmas with all your favourite residents from Love Heart Lane – a short Christmas story not to be missed! Merry Christmas! X

Purchase Links 

UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B09B4R97YL/

US – https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09B4R97YL/

About the author

Christie Barlow is the number one international bestselling author of fifteen romantic comedies including the iconic Love Heart Lane Series, A Home at Honeysuckle Farm and Kitty’s Countryside Dream. She lives in a ramshackle cottage in a quaint village in the heart of Staffordshire with her four children and two dogs.

Her writing career has come as a lovely surprise when Christie decided to write a book to teach her children a valuable life lesson and show them that they are capable of achieving their dreams. Christie’s dream was to become a writer and the book she wrote to prove a point went on to become a #1 international bestseller in the UK, USA, Canadaand Australia.

When Christie isn’t writing she co-presents The Book Show on Radio Northwich, enjoys playing the piano, is a keen gardener and loves to paint and upcycle furniture.

Christie is an ambassador for the @ZuriProject alongside Patron of the charity, Emmerdale’s Bhasker Patel. They raise money and awareness for communities in Uganda.

Christie loves to hear from her readers and you can get in touch via Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christie_barlow/?hl=en

Twitter @ChristieJBarlow

Facebook page Christie Barlow author

A different choice, a different life

Synopsis

A modern-day retelling of A Christmas Carol…

Caroline is a cynic career woman living the high life in Manhattan where love and relationships are but a distant memory of the past.

But after a freak accident on Christmas Eve, Caroline receives a visit from a cheeky spirit of Christmas Past, Present, Yet to Come, and—most importantly—Christmas That Could Have Been. When she wakes up on Christmas Day suddenly married with three kids and living two doors down from her parents in New Jersey, Caroline has a chance to experience the life she would’ve had if she’d made a different choice.

Will small-town life as a mother and a wife make her rediscover what’s really important in life?

My review

Caroline is the typical cynical career – focused woman. The passion she once had for books has shifted into finding books that would make the most money.
Spending Christmas Eve with her family has become a chore that she wants to tick off as soon as possible.
But this Christmas Eve, Caroline has an accident while leaving her sister’s place and she receives a visit from a Christmas Spirit.
Suddenly Caroline is catapulted into a whole different life, married to her ex – boyfriend, with three kids and living way too close to her parents and sister.
Even if it looks like a total nightmare at first instance, Caroline learns what her life would have looked like if she would have made a different choice in the past. 

I have read several books from this other and each time I loved it! So having the opportunity to read a retelling of a Christmas Carol, with the imagination of Camilla Isley, I knew it would be a hit! 

Caroline was initially very easy not to like. Her focus is purely on money and prestige, she doesn’t treat her employers very kindly and she loathes Christmas.
I understand the desire for someone to have a wonderful career, but I found Caroline very obnoxious.
Of course that’s the whole point of this tale (and the original story), to have a very unpleasant person and make him/her see how different life could be if he/she chose a different path. 

So when she finds herself suddenly not only married, but also with three kids, I found it hilarious! Being surrounded by a bunch of kids, asking for attention and not actually knowing them, that’s asking for trouble for Caroline.
She learns the hard way that children do not always follow the plans you had made, and a disaster is quickly followed by another. 

But she also sees that being loved and being surrounded by that, can make all the disasters disappear.
Not only did I fall in love with the kids myself, but also Sam was the kind of man that could easily steal my heart! 

I found it lovely and also funny to see how Caroline is adapting to the family life. The whole different life shows how much she has changed in her ‘real life’ and it wasn’t a good change. Caroline now sees how a good life could look like, and she herself undergoes a change. She becomes the Caroline she once was again, following her passions and following love, not following just the money. 

I found this a wonderful retelling, with a few changed bits compared to the Dickens’ story, but they only elevated this tale even more. It reminded me also of the movie with Nicholas Cage (while he still made the better kind ones).
Camila Isley stayed true to the original concept of A Chistmas Carol, adding her own signature and making it up to date to 2021.

This story was exactly what everyone needs to read on a day where you do not want to do more than just sit comfortably under a blanker with a hot cocoa! And it made me wonder in what kind of different life I would end up after the visit of my own Christmas Spirit!

Giveaway time!

And you can also try your luck:

Win 3 x e-copies of A Christmas Date by Camilla Isley (Open INT)

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/33c69494448/