Can a locked heart be opened again, even if there are many reasons not to?

Synopsis

Allow me to introduce myself.

My name is Rian Kerry, and I’m in huge trouble.

This is how it happened: I had a crush. You know those teenage crushes, which I’m sure you’ve all experienced, too. It was that kind of crush that makes your knees tremble, that makes you blush violently and stammer when you’re with that person. One of those crushes that you assume you’ll just grow out of, the way the seasons change.

The problem is that my crush didn’t go anywhere. Actually, itonly got worse, transforming into something absurd and unbearable, which no one could seem to understand.

Especially not him.

Because he’s off-limits. He’s barricaded himself within his walls, from a sense of fear and guilt. He’s locked up his heart forever, and seems to have no intention of letting anyone in ever again.

My friends, Jordan, Anya, and Holly, say that he just needs a little push. They say that he needs to learn to believe again.

But I don’t think he’ll ever be ready, because he simply doesn’t want to be.

He doesn’t want to believe.

Not in something like us.

Allow me to introduce myself.

My name is Parker Hayes, and I’m an idiot.

Yep, you heard me right. I’m a real idiot. And, I swear, that’s putting it lightly.

But I’m a lot of other things, too. I’m a fireman, and a single father to two cheeky, hyperactive six-year-old twins. I’m a brother to Tyler, another fireman – and another idiot – who always seems to stick his nose into my business. I’m a kind-of friend to Niall, yet another idiot with nothing to do but barge into my life, uninvited.

Let’s get back to the point, here: the reason I’m an idiot.

Well, it’s pretty simple. I’ve lost my mind. Literally. It happened again. I fell for it. With my head, with my body, and with the heart I was sure I’d never be able to piece back together after another inevitable disaster.

The problem is that she’s not like the others.

She bakes cakes with my daughters, laughs with them, and shows them her magic bag. They’re crazy about her.

And so am I.

And now she knows it, and I know it, and everyone around us knows it. But I can’t take that step. I can’t let everything go to start over.

I can’t live through this again – because this time, I won’t be left standing.

Not if she’s the one to break my heart.

My review

Rian Kerry has crushed over Parker Hayes for a long while now. It started when she was a teenager, but her feelings for Parker only intensified.
However, Parker comes with a big amount of not only emotional baggage….
Not only is he a single father of six year – old twins, he has built walls so high to safeguard from any more hurt.
And then there is also the age – thing…
But the heart wants what it wants, and Rian finds herself not only falling deeper for Parker, but also starts to love the two girls.
And Parker doesn’t only see the young woman for her beauty, but sees how much his girls love her and spend time baking cakes, playing and especially, laughing.
But no matter what he feels, he cannot let Rian in, because when it will all go downwards, he knows he won’t be able to pick up the pieces again… 

From the start, it was obvious that there is a certain age gap between the main characters. But it’s only after a while that the exact ‘gap’ is made known.
And before I realised how big the gap is, I enjoyed reading this story. 

Rian is a young woman, but very mature for her age (even if it’s not immediately clear what that age is).
She has a straight head and has a clear idea of what or who she wants.
But she is also a kind of sad character, because she doesn’t has the best relationship with her brother and the sense of abandonment never left her.
No matter how hard Niall tries, Rian finds it difficult to let him completely in.
However, she is also a warm character, because the way she entertains the twins, and starts to truly care about them, is really heart – warming. 

Parker was a harder nut to crack. Not everything from his past was clear, but reading how he is a single father, and the mother not in the picture, well, it gave me an idea why parker behaved the way he does.
His fear of letting someone in, made me feel sorry for him, because he is the kind of character you would wish all the best.

I had fun reading about these two characters trying to ignore their attraction, and having the meddling of people who care, was very entertaining.

Having returning characters from the previous parts, was that extra, seeing how they are doing now. And knowing that their characters remained true to their persona, was a relief. Because even if they have already their happily ever after, they still remain that funny, even idiotic person we got to know before (yes Tyler and Niall, I’m talking about you!)

However I have to admit, the age gap did disturb me a bit. Because Rian and Parker are in so different stages of their lives, and I believed there would be a lot to overcome…
But like I said before, Rian shows how mature she is for her age, and Parker shows a vulnerability that makes a perfect match.

This story shows us that age is in the end just a number, and that daring to open your heart again isn’t a recipe to get it broken again. Sometimes we have to dare to take that jump, no matter what people around you may think. Because the people that truly love you, understand you and will even cheer for you when you reach your happiness again.

When the shooting of a movie is the perfect set for a romance for the scriptwriters.

Synopsis

Can movie magic lead to a real-life romance?

When Laurel Martin is hired to rewrite the script for a new timeslip blockbuster, she expects the historical advisor hired by the studio to be an elderly academic who won’t interfere too much with her writing. But when she meets Professor Jason Harding, a young and unexpectedly handsome archaeologist who has some ideas of his own about the script, she realises the job isn’t going to be as simple as she first thought.

As their work takes them from arguing over historical details in a cramped London office to discovering the hidden beauties of a Greek island, Laurel and Jason’s relationship starts to echo the romance of their script.

But with Laurel’s actor ex-boyfriend making trouble at home, and constant issues with the volatile director, will Laurel and Jason ever be able to write the happy ending for their own story?

My review

Laurel Martin dreams of being a successful screenwriter. So when she is hired to rewrite the script for the hopeful next blockbuster, she grabs the opportunity with both hands.
As the film will be a historical romance, she ahs to work together with Professor Jason Harding, to make sure that everything in the film is accurate.
However, Jason is not the stereotypical Professor, as in being elder and even nerdy, but he is young, very handsome but also very stubborn as he has his own ideas about the script.
Even if Laurel and Jason are clashing with different opinions, they have to work together to make this script a success, even going with the whole cast and crew to the Greek island where the shooting is taking place.
Will this beautiful island work its magic also on Laurel and Jason? Or will Laurel return to her actor boyfriend? 

Oh wow, just wow… how much did I enjoy reading this story???
I obviously love reading a good romance, so I was mentally prepared to let myself surround by love. But I surely didn’t expect to find myself turning page after page after page!
You know that feeling when you’re having a dilemma and you don’t know what to do? Well, I found myself in that position after reading too many chapters at once!
Continue reading, and fall more in love with the book, but also finishing it way too quickly? Or stop reading for a while, so that I can enjoy reading it for a longer period? But then also only thinking about the story while doing other things…
Eventually I choose for the first option… 

Laurel is this kind character, with an imagination to be jealous of. She even imagines her life in script – form, which was funny to read.
But she is also a great friend to Amber, who has secretly a crush on her best friend who is getting married. Laurel tries to stand by Amber’s side, but also gives the right kind of advice. Because she knows it can all end badly.
And when Amber has a small part in the film Laurel is screenwriting, Laurel is genuinely thrilled for her. 

Of course reading how Laurel and Jason are initially clashing is just hilarious to read, but I found it heart – warming seeing how these two slowly are getting closer.
Jason is the kind of man that can be very stubborn at moments, but other moments he is the kindest, most gentle man I wish I could meet myself!

There is just one thing I truly disliked in the book, and that was the character of Conor… From the start I couldn’t find anything appealing and I wished he would rather quickly be out of the picture. 

But I fell completely in love with the story, the characters, and not only Laurel and Jason, but also Amber and Harry, the setting in Greece…
It made me wish I was the main character and that I was living Laurel’s life, of course skipping the sadder parts! 

An easy story to read, even too easy, because before I knew, I reached the end, which made me sad. I could have read so many more chapters about these beautiful, lovely characters and never get bored of them!

Even during hard times, determination can get you where you want…

Synopsis

Dolly Perkins and Jack Larkin have grown up in the notorious gin palaces of Birmingham.

It’s a world of happiness and friendship, but also violence and poverty. Now that Dolly runs the Daydream Gin Palace on Gin Barrel Lane she can finally control her own destiny, but sometimes fate still plays its hand. 

Keen to expand her empire, Dolly and Jack take on a new pub, but they are in for a shock when a foul smell in one of the bedrooms turns out to come from a body hidden in the wall. 

As the police hunt for their suspect, rumours abound, spread by the local urchins – happy to be used as runners for a little bit of food and a coin or two. 

But rumours can be dangerous, and as one of the worst winters on record covers everything in snow, Dolly and Jack have to fight for the lives they have made for themselves, and for the urchins that they have come to think of as family.  Will the arrival of a new baby on Gin Barrel Lane bring the promise of new hope, or will the long-awaited thaw uncover new secrets and new tragedies…

The Queen of Black Country sagas is back on Gin Barrel Lane with a rip-roaring, heart-warming, page-turning story of family, friendship and beating the odds. Perfect for fans of Val Wood and Lyn Andrews.

My review

Dolly Perkins was a lucky child when Jack Larkin, a child himself, found her, and made sure that his mother Nellie Larking, took Dolly in.
Now Dolly has opened her own Daydream Gin palace and is keen on expanding her empire, with Jack and Nellie by her side.
No matter how big her dreams are, in the new pub a body has been hidden and now discovered, and rumours of what happened spread around town, with the help of the runners, ready to gain a coin here and there.
But the body isn’t the only danger lurking around the corner as jealousy is fuelling their nemeses and he surely is eager to take Dolly and her loved ones down.
However, Dolly shows her strength and learns during the cold winter what love is and what she is risking to lose because of not daring to face her own emotions.
Dolly is ready to fight to make a success out of her business, but is also keen to take care of all the people she cares about. 

I know that whenever I read something from this author, it won’t be a walk in the park.

Again this is a book that pinpoints perfectly the hardness of life, the challenges someone has to endure and the fight they have to keep on having to gain their happiness.
This is the second part of the series, but can be perfectly be read as a standalone, because the missing pieces of the puzzle will be filled in when necessary.

We find Dolly now as a young woman, ready to make a success of her businesses. With the help of Jack and Nellie, she is always determined to find the next place she can turn into gold.
I admired how she managed to turn her cards into her own advantage, but what I loved the most about Dolly is how she never forgets those in need.
Even is sometimes she is too hastened in her decisions for my liking, eventually it is clear that her decision are for the benefits of those who need a helping hand.
She never forgets where she came from and is generous in spreading her wealth.

By never forgetting where she came from, she has her best friend in Jack. Growing up together has formed an unbreakable bond, until Dolly starts to flirt a little bit too much for Jack’s liking.
And this caused a breach between the two of them, having me crossing my fingers that eventually the air would be cleared and that the obvious match would be made. 

Of course, a story has to have a bad guy, and in a terrible way, I found it funny how Ezra Moreton was fuelled and fooled by his own urge for success, making his selfishness and hunger for more money his own downfall. And I surely wasn’t feeling sorry with the way his life turned out to be. 

This story shows us as a reader that no matter what happened in the past, with a certain amount of determination and with the right people by your side, you can change the course of your own life. Sometimes you have to charge of your own life and not just sit back and see wait fate has in store for you.
And this story is the perfect example of how someone in the different era did just that.
This surely was again a gripping, enthralling, heart – warming story with lovely characters and lots of proof of courage and love.

When your job is on the line…

Synopsis

Ruby Oldbridge needs to learn to take her own advice. 

A brilliant counsellor at work in York, she is however floundering in her own life. Her romantic track record is woeful, her finances are in a pickle, and she’s back in a house-share after splitting up with her useless ex.

But one thing Ruby is brilliant at, is helping other people find a way through their problems, and she excels at the job she loves, doing just that. 

Happy-go-lucky, Mr Positivity, Zac Drewe also loves his job – the trouble is, it’s the same as Ruby’s, and the management have decided to ‘rationalise’ their department. There’s only room for one of them.

As the snow and winter close in on York, Ruby and Zac have everything to lose, and Ruby starts to wonder if the happy face Zac shows the world, might be disguising a sadder secret. 

Set against one another, they are unlikely friends. But perhaps, if they could take the time to understand each other, they might discover that rather than rivals, they could be the best thing that ever happened to one another…

My review

Ruby is not in a very happy place. After splitting with her boyfriend, her finances aren’t that great and she finds herself sharing a house with others.
Luckily, she still has a job she is good in, and not unimportant, she is the only one at the firm being a counsellor, helping people to find the job of their dreams, and solving the problems they struggle with.
But when suddenly there is a merge planned, she has to fight for not losing her place to Zac Drewe, aka Mr. Positivity.
But Zac also is ready to fight for his place, because he also has a lot to lose if the job isn’t his…
However, in the dark months of winter, Zac shows how kind – hearted he truly is, and even if they are played against each other, a friendship is slowly being made.
And Ruby learns that Zac has his own demons to face. So in the end, who will keep the job? And what will be the consequences? 

I always know from the start that I will love reading a new story from this magnificent author.
So before I began, I made sure I was comfortable, wouldn’t be disturbed for a while and I let myself dream away with again an amazing story. 

While getting to know Ruby better, and knowing what she had endured in the past, I surely wanted her to keep the job. Not only did she lose the boyfriend (not that I wanted her to keep THAT boyfriend), but splitting up and losing the house and having debts all over, made sure she lost it a little bit.
And then you find yourself sharing your house with other people, isn’t surely a great step forward for anyone… 

But I have to say, even if I pitied Ruby, and for that reason only, she deserved to keep the job, she is actually really good at it! She truly understand the people she is seeing and is great at discovering what each of one actually dreams to do for a living. 

However, when Zac enters the story, and his reality is revealed, my heart just broke…
The lengths he goes for his beloved ones, is just admiring. Not many would do what he Is trying to do. And that left me just in awe of his character, especially because he tries to see the positive in just everything. Of course, knowing his situation made it an impossible choice whom should have the job. 

It would have been easy for the author to make this a story of real nemeses, not afraid of playing dirty and just keeping an eye on the prize.
But I loved how Ruby and Zac saw how they were being played and decided to put their heads together.
And then reading how their relation evolved, it made me just swoon all over the place!

The author also turned the attention to some subjects that somehow are still taboo and points out that there is nothing to be ashamed of being in need of help. Life doesn’t always go as expected and sometimes we need that extra help to cope with everything we have to face.

But I found it inspiring that sometimes, one decision made above our heads, can be the catalyst of thinking about our own future. And is the life we are living at this moment, what we dreamed of? Or should we dare to jump into the unknown and dare to chase our dream for a better future?

Not only did I found this a beautiful, warming story to read, but also a story that made me think about how easily we just go with the flow, how we just sit comfortable in the position we are currently in.
The characters in the end did the only right thing that there was to do, and I found it a perfect example of how satisfying and rewarding doing the right thing can be.
I loved it, is there really more that I can say?

With a little help of a friend…

Synopsis

Eleanor Sharpley has been living a lie…

Needing to escape her London life quickly, Eleanor throws her things into the back of her car, and heads to her erstwhile best friend Charlie’s family farm. 

But Charlie isn’t there. Instead she finds Charlie’s grieving brother Daniel, her eight-month old daughter Hope (a daughter Eleanor had known nothing about), and a crumbling and unloved Damson Farm. 

Damson Farm lies at the edge of the village of Ferrington, with the river Maddon flowing at its heart. But Ferrington is a village divided by more than just a river – it is split in two by an age-old feud – between the Old Side and the New Side. Eleanor has run from her problems, straight into a family and a world that has problems of its own. 

But Damson Farm has magic too, and as winter gives way to spring, the old farm starts to come to life under Eleanor’s love and care. The orchard starts to blossom with daffodils and bluebells, and the sound of bees busy in their hives fills the warming air. Can Eleanor bring Daniel and the feuding village of Ferrington back to life too, or will her secrets catch up with her first?

My review

Eleanor Sharpley’s name is not a known name in the world of journalism, but her pen name Nora Sharp is often being feared.
However, writing the truth can sometimes be hurtful, and Eleanor now has a stalker, who finds her just everywhere she goes.
After another strike of the stalker, Eleanor decides to escape to her best friend Charlie’s family farm.
The trip to the farm isn’t a smooth one, so Eleanor is relieved when Daniel shows up to help her after her close encounter with a sheep.
Daniel appears to be Charlie’s brother, but he delivers some unexpected news: not only has Charlie passed away, but Daniel has also adopter Charlie’s daughter Hope.
Eleanor is welcome to stay at Damson Farm, which has seen its best time as long as she needs, to put her life back on track.
But slowly Eleanor realizes that Damson Farm needs her more than her London life needed her. And after finding out Charlie’s dream, Eleanor is determined to make Charlie’s dream come true, while trying to solve a feud that is dividing the village of Ferrington.

I know that when I start reading a story by this author, there will be a whole rollercoaster of emotions. Because this is not just a romance, but our main characters have to face so many different hurdles in their lives.

Eleanor is struggling with her work because she is being stalked. She has her suspicion, but as so often also in real life, people being stalked are minimalizing what is happening to them. But everyone has a limit they can endure, thus when Eleanor reaches hers, she sees no other option than running to her friend Charlie.

I have to admit, the sheep made me laugh, but when the news of Charlie was revealed, I felt utterly sad.
Because don’t we all have friends we don’t hear that often as we supposed to, but for some reason contact is limited to the bare minimum. However, not being aware of your best friend’s death, I can only imagine how Eleanor’s heart broke. And on top of it, learning that Charlie left a daughter behind… just tragic.

Together with Daniel, she now has to grieve over a person she loved, while taking care of the most innocent person, Hope.
Learning that Daniel has adopted Hope as his own, made me just fall in love with him immediately. Because he puts his own life and dreams on hold to take care of the most precious gift Charlie left behind.

I loved reading how Eleanor was adapting living in Damson Farm, and in the village of Ferrington. When she learns of the feud still being actual, and the harmful effects it has on its inhabitants, she is determined to put an end to it all.
I found it somehow funny how people, who generally have a normal sense of right and wrong, can be so single – minded over something that happened in the past.

This book was heart – warming, heart – breaking, bittersweet, even a bit mysterious because who was the stalker, and I found it a joy to read.
This isn’t just a feel – good story, but it shows us real emotions to events that could be happening in everyone’s lives.

The author managed to put all the feelings of grieve perfectly into words, without making a depressing story to read.
But she also managed to show us that there is light in the end of the tunnel. Losing someone is very hurtful, but in time, you can change that pain into something beautiful. And trying to change a dream into reality is a wonderful way of trying.

And as there is of course some romance in it, it shows us that love can wash all the pain and grieve away.

This was a hopeful story that shows a bit of the ugliness of life, but mainly the beauty of it.

The perfect getaway with many surprises

Synopsis

Tired of the city, Grace Clelland returns to Blue Sands, the quiet Cornish seaside village where she grew up. There she will meet old flames and old friends, rekindle old loves and ignite new ones in a novel that will have you dreaming of the soft crash of the waves on the shore, the feel of sand between your toes, overloaded ice-creams and smoky beach barbeques.

My review

Saying that Grace Clelland is having a hard time is surely an understatement… Her boyfriend Gavin broke up with her, and now she is fearing that a customer will press charges after a huge misunderstanding.
These last two episodes were just the tip of the iceberg, so being persuaded by her best friend Joan, Grace decides to return home to Blue Sands.
Quickly her summer back home turns out to be a blast from the past, and Grace faces her past decisions, and has new decisions to make, involving her own future.

In the first few chapters, I truly pitied Grace. Her boyfriend Gavin was in my opinion truly a wimp… His excuses are really the lamest ones, and Gavin should really start to grow some balls.
And also all the crap she had to endure at her work, I can honestly say I would have done what she did so much earlier!

When finally back in Blue Sands, she gets the shock of her life, because it’s obvious that Joan has been keeping a secret from her…

And I have to say, even if I would be initially angry with Joan with keeping that kind of information, I admired her positive attitude and willingness to be a happy person and not allowing to let something hold her back.

Being back home means for Grace that she has to face the decisions she once made. And also putting those decisions and consequences behind her. She realizes holding on to the past, is holding her back for a bright future that may lay ahead.

I loved reading how Grace started to feel home again, and shows that entrepreneurship on saving wat matters to her.
I was laughing when her artistic ideas turned out to be a disaster, but also felt a sense of proudness when finally the perfect picture was realized.

Going back home can make you feel like a failure, but sometimes going back home is exactly what you need. Memories are coming back, people that cared and you cared about, still love you no matter what.
And being back home, can make you realize what you truly want for life.
It can start with small steps, with starting back to surf, to use your old bike again to climb that mountain, and the wish to discover who the Masked Surfer is…
And maybe, why not, fall in love again with someone unexpected…

I found this a sweet, warming story about finding yourself again, fighting for the right cause and love. Love between old friends, lost loves, love for new friends and even love that shifts form.
The author wrote a beautiful story showing us that going back is not always a bad thing, but it can be the start of something new and wonderful.