It’s never too late for a wakeup call.

Synopsis

‘It got better, in time, though to be truthful it always felt more of a duty than a pleasure: a little like homework, satisfying when over, and done well, but never exactly enjoyable. But then nobody had ever suggested it could be otherwise.’

This was the view of Claudia Faraday, 1920s respectable wife and mother of three, on the subject of sex. That is until an unexpected turn of events shakes her out of her torpor and propels her back into the world revitalised and reawakened, where she discovers, as Marie Stopes might have said: Approached in the right way, even homework can be fun.

My review

Claudia Faraday is a respectable society lady in the 1920s. Being in her fifties and a husband far away, she does think of sex as a task to do, even is that specific task gave her three lovely daughters.
now that her daughters are married themselves, Claudia has an empty house and too much free time.

But a random encounter suddenly stirs something and Claudia realizes that there is more to sex then just ‘something to do’.

This story is set in the 1920s but is still up to date in the 2020s…
I am not the age of Claudia, but I can understand her thinking. Especially in that time, it was a taboo talking about how enjoying sex (or the lack of it). And talking about the faults in your marriage is definitely something you don’t do.

So when Claudia starts her new adventure, we saw a side of Claudia we could never imagine.
Now, don’t expect that Claudia starts acting like a woman who goes around town and seduces each man she meets to satisfy her feelings.
Here and there were encounters with men, but it was more than just that.

I loved reading how Claudia really opens her eyes and sees a whole new world and starts imaging things she never thought of.

For me, it was not pure a sexual awakening for Claudia, but more on an emotional level. Claudia realizes that there is so much more in life than just being married and raising your children. She also realizes that people love in different ways.
During her journey, Claudia also learns to be more confident, and she learns what she truly wants.

It was nice to read how Claudia evolves in this story from a wallflower to a confident woman, chasing her dreams.
I had also much fun reading how Claudia learns things of herself she didn’t know and how many things she can imagine!

A funny read, with an important message underneath!

Today I want to tempt you with this amazing cover! Dont’ you just LOVE it??? 💕💕💕

Synopsis

A gorgeously romantic festive read from the author of A Mistletoe Miracle, guaranteed to warm your heart this Christmas!

Could it be the start of her happy ever after?

Ashleigh could use a little Christmas magic. She’s still living in Brighton with her Nan — who could give the Grinch lessons in how to be miserable — her acting career has been reduced to playing one of Santa’s elves, and not even the prospect of a friend’s winter wedding can cheer her up…

That is until Olivier, the gorgeous French chef, reappears in her life. Or more accurately, next door.

When they were teenagers, Olivier would spend every other Christmas with his mother, who just happens to be Ash’s neighbour and owner of the best chocolate shop in England.

If anyone can bring a little sparkle back to Ash’s life, it’s Olivier. All she needs is one kiss before Christmas…

Feel-good and festive, this is the perfect romance to curl up with this winter!

About the author

Author of the Best Selling A MISTLETOE MIRACLE and contender for the Joan Hessayon Award 2020, Emma has been a devoted bookworm and secret-story-scribbler since she was 6 years old. When she’s not running around after her two daughters and trying to complete her current work-in-progress, Emma loves to read, bake, catch up on binge-watching TV programmes with her partner and plan lots of craft projects that will inevitably end up unfinished. Her latest romantic comedy, SUMMER IN THE CITY, was released in June 2020.

Emma also writes historical and fantasy fiction as Emma S Jackson. THE DEVIL’S BRIDE was published by DarkStroke in February 2020.

The cover!!!

When life keeps bringing two people together…

Synopsis

‘An epic, sweeping romance about soulmates and second chances’ Holly Miller. 

‘An absolutely unforgettable love story’ Mandy Baggot. 

‘A deeply moving, richly evocative story of love, loss and the power of hope’ Miranda Dickinson. 

Finding the one is only the beginning… 

1954. Zara is fifteen the first time she meets Leon. During a power cut in a small French museum, the two spend one short hour in the dark talking about their love for art, Monet and Paris. Neither knows what the other looks like. Both know their lives will never be the same. 

1963. In Paris, Leon no longer believes he will ever find the girl he lost that night. After dreaming about him for years, Zara thinks she has already found him. When they meet at an exhibition, they don’t recognise each other – yet the way they feel is so familiar… 

Over the course of twenty years, Zara and Leon are destined to fall in love again and again. But will they ever find a way to be together? 

‘It’s about dreams and taking chances. Missed opportunities and mistakes. Loss and sacrifice. But above all, it is about love. The kind of love that survives time, distance… even death. The kind of love I wish for you.’ 

A magical new love story about star-crossed lovers, perfect for hopeless romantics and fans of One Day and The Notebook. 

My review

Zara meets Leon for the first time when she is fifteen years old. Even if they don’t know how they look like, they bond quickly over art. Their mutual love for art makes it easy to instant like each other. But one hour spent together is all it takes for a pull impossible to ignore.

Over several years Zara and Leon meet again, at first oblivious at recognizing each other, but later their love only grows. Yet life stands in the way… Will there ever be a chance for their love to get real? Or is their love doomed to die?

This book was very hard to put away. Each time I was doing something else than reading, the story about these two people just kept spinning in my mind.

When we first meet Zara and Leon, it was a sweet moment, and yet beside the sweetness, you knew that this would be the start of a heartbreaking tale.

Both Zara and Leon cannot forget the other one, and do their best to meet again. But as often, that is easier said than done.

Yet their determination to meet again is something beautiful to read about!

There are many flashforwards in this story, and even if I sometimes wished we could see more of the inbetweens, they show what an impact these two random people had on each other.

I can start talking about each character separately, but that would do no justice to the whole story. So many things happen, good ones, but also sad ones.

The good ones made me laugh, cheer and the sad ones made me find myself on the verge of crying.

Zara and Leon have gone through so much during their lives, even sometimes having given up,on meeting again. They tried to move on, seeing other people, building a life without each other. And even if those moments made me sad, it also showed that letting go is the only way of being able to move on.

It’s hard to put to words why this story touched my heart. But after finishing it, I felt hopeful, because the characters have found love, lost it, but kept on trying to find it again.

The love starts on a sweet note, but only grows during the years. The hope just sparks through each page.

There is just one things left to say… just read this beautiful love story, but before you start, lake sure you have plenty of time, because you’ll find it impossible to put it away and go on with your own life!

Ow, and for those who are feeling lucky, there is also  a Goodreads giveaway for 50 kindle copies of Someday in Paris (It is open to US only as per Goodreads latest rules):

https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/311490-someday-in-paris

When the end of one thing is the start of a whole new adventure.

Synopsis

Welcome to the idyllic country retreat of Christmas Steepleton, and let Jane Lovering whisk you away with the most heart-warming, romantic and comforting read of the year.

Leaving London and her ex-husband Luc behind, Katie and her 14-year-old daughter Poppy move into their very own, very ramshackle cottage near the village of Christmas Steepleton on the Dorset coast. 

Harvest Cottage has been unloved for many years, so the job of bringing it back to life is a slow and expensive one. So, with funds running low, Katie jumps at the chance when a film company asks to use the cottage as a location.  But even as things are looking up, as harvest time passes and autumn chill starts to bite, the prospect of a cold winter in the country is daunting.

Some light relief comes from new friend Gabriel, so different from Katie’s exuberant but arrogant ex Luc. Will their friendship blossom into something more romantic, or will the reality of a tough country winter send her and Poppy scurrying back to the comforts of town? 

Let Jane Lovering spirit you away to the perfect country escape, far away from the bustle of the city. Just right for fans of Emma Burstall, Fern Britton and Kate Forster.

My review

After divorcing Luc, Katie needs a whole new start. So she moves from London to a cottage in Christmas Steepleton with her 14 – year old daughter Poppy.
Yet starting over is not so easy… The cottage she bought is lovely, but it needs a lot of TLC. But with funds running low, having struggles to find a new job and Poppy being the cliché teenage daughter, it’s looking that Katie will have even more difficult times head. 

When suddenly a film company sees the cottage as the perfect setting for their ideas, Katie jumps at the opportunity to make some money for getting their lives back on track. And another benefit is that Gabriel is partly involved with the film company. Despite hitting on the wrong foot initially, he quickly becomes a new friend for Katie.  

But will Katie and Poppy manage surviving in a rural cottage with a life so different from what they know in London?  

How many story have any of you read about someone wanting a fresh start in a new place? Of course there are so many stories with this plot. But what this story makes it more different, is just everything that is going on… 

It already starts when suddenly a pony appears out of the blue. Yes A PONY!!! Only the great mind of an author could come up with something like that!
And the whole plot only thickens after this episode! 

Katie did what seemed best for her and her daughter, but quickly realizes that starting over isn’t always that easy. Buying a place is just the beginning, but when the place just needs everything redone, well, I wouldn’t want to be in Katie’s shoes. 

Yet I admire her determination to make the best of everything. When she finds herself having a camper in her garden, I wouldn’t be surprised if Katie would go all crazy and just pack and leave. Add a stubborn teenager and I would just give up…
Despite all the setbacks she tries to make the best of it.   

The most fun I had was whenever Granny Mary appeared in the story. She is so NOT your image of an granny!
Whenever she appears, you don’t know what to expect. Yet it’s obvious she is a caring person and she knows what people need. If it’s just some good advice or just a kick in the butt, whatever the characters needed, Granny Mary provided it!

For me, this story is about starting fresh, not giving up, but also about trusting people around you. Being afraid isn’t always the correct feeling and sometimes you just have to take that huge leap of faith. Allowing the past to put a hold on your present and future works only restricting.
With the right people at your side, with their trust and help, there is no problem you cannot overcome. 

When life doesn’t go like expected.

Synopsis

Arriving in London with £5, Stella rapidly begins hopping from one disastrous job, bedsit and boyfriend to another. All the time she is trying to paint pictures and write poetry. At last she gets a place in Hampstead but various men distract her from reaching the goal of holding an exhibition. An ever-changing group of friends moves her along from place to place. After each drawback Stela moves on, disaster after disaster, while the tally of of pictures shrinks to 36. Set in the heady days of 1960s Swinging London, this vividly charts one girl’s track through the untidy years at its height.

My review

It’s the early 1960’s and Stella has big dreams. She is a graduate from art college and wishes to hold her own exhibition.
But living alone in London is not an easy task for a young woman. So Stella starts going from one job to another, having relationships with several men, all distracting her from her one goal.

This story doesn’t sugar-coat anything… it shows the raw struggles Stella is having and how she is trying in just surviving.
Although I cannot agree with many of Stella’s choices, I understand her reasoning. When you’re finding yourself alone in a big city, it’s easy to make mistakes.

We get to learn Stella as an eager woman, determined to make her dream happen. But as often, life is not always fulfilling our dreams. Despite the hard times Stella is living in, she always keep the bigger picture in mind, that one day she will have her exhibition.
I admired her way of picking up the pieces of her life. Each time when she is at her lowest, she finds the courage to start all over again, no matter how bad the circumstance are.
Stella never gives up, no matter how easy that solution seems to be. And even when she is tempted to throw it all out of the window, somehow she gets her head back straight and keeps on fighting.

This story shows that life isn’t always all fun and games, on the contrary. Sometimes it’s a real struggle. And the struggles Stella is going through could be happening in the 1960’s but is still something very actual.

After the end, it left me still pondering, about the bad things, but also about how you should never give up and just keep chasing your dreams.

When you’re trying to escape, the wedding shop works its magic!

Synopsis

St Aidan: a cosy Cornish village where friendships are made for life and it’s always cocktail hour somewhere…

‘A pure delight’ Debbie Johnson

Return to your favourite little wedding shop by the sea for love, laughter and a romance to sweep you off your feet!

It’s the most romantic day of the year but the girls aren’t just gearing up for Valentine’s Day and a busy wedding season ahead, it’s also the 10 year anniversary of their beloved shop!

Jess is planning the party of the decade and with the champagne and cocktails flowing, sparks are going to fly…and not just from the fireworks display!

My review

Milla has been betrayed by her best friend and her fiancé in the worst way possible… And as now the couple is expecting their baby,  Milla does not want to be there when the happy occasion happens.

So she goes to St. Aidan, where she can rely on her real friends. Even if her heart is broken and it’s the most romantic period of the year, she wants to spend her time working in the wedding shop. As she is also in the wedding business, she knows what she is doing.
But when she finds herself planning the perfect wedding for Nic, it’s quickly obvious that Nic has high standards and is not easy to please. And add the attraction between them, and it’s a grantee for fireworks!

When I started to read this book, I was a bit afraid I wouldn’t be able to follow, as this is a part of a series. But this wonderful story can be perfectly read as a standalone, even though now I want to read what happened in the other parts, because I just fell in love!

The book doesn’t start happily… I immediately felt so sorry for what Milla went through…Nobody deserves to be treated like that, and even if there are feelings, you just don’t do that to your best friend / fiancée.
Yet this makes it clear what kind of people they are…

During the story, we get to know how Milla has been more a victim than initially thought, so my sympathy only grew for her.
But I didn’t only feel sympathy for her, but also admiration. Despite everything that happened to her, she wants to succeed during her working holiday, and spending time with people who really care about her, is making it easier for her to figure out what direction she wants to go, both business and private.

And she meets Nic… the first meeting was already fireworks. But when she finds herself organizing a wedding for him, it made me sad. Because I saw so much potential for them. And even if Nic is pushing all her buttons, and the other way around too, the chemistry between them is just wow.
The more I read about the two of them, the more I started to fear that it would go a direction I wouldn’t like…

But Milla didn’t go through what she did to be now on the other side. She shows true determination to organize the perfect wedding for Nic. And when the truth comes out, she is even more determined than ever!

Milla makes a real transformation in this book. Initially she was more a wallflower, letting people dictate her life. But being away from the bad influences, she grow more and is being the real Milla again. And when she is not sure, she has her friends sticking by her side.
The more Milla was standing up for herself and deciding want SHE wanted and not what other people wanted her to do, the more I liked Milla. She became someone I admired for her courage.

This book has just everything I expected to be, with that extra detail. A beautiful setting, a magical and romantic business, people who you instant feel a connection to as a reader (with the exception of a few ugly characters…). Be prepared to swoon over, have several loud laughs and to feel utterly happy when the story comes to an end.  (Just to be clear: not because you’re happy that you finished the book, but because it was just a beautiful book! 😃)

A countdown to Christmas with a few bumps.

Synopsis

Join us for Christmas in the Cotswolds in this perfect festive escape, from the bestselling Lucy Coleman.

Imogen Tolliman never knew her mother. And when an accident robs Immi of her father too, she goes to live with her grandfather, Tollie, in his picturesque lock-keeper’s cottage by the Aysbury marina. 

Tollie is the star of the Santa Ahoy Special each Christmas – a festive boat ride along the canal that enthralls both children and adults alike. And as Immi grows up, she starts to appreciate the magical community she is lucky enough to live in. 

When Immi meets Gray Adams, she instantly realises he’s someone special. And as their relationship gets serious, they start to plan for the Christmas to beat all Christmases.  

But as the day approaches, and the romantic snow showers turn into blizzards, their dream of a Christmas to remember, looks set to be one they’ll never forget – for all the wrong reasons. Can they salvage the festivities, or will old secrets that are finally uncovered turn Immi’s life upside down forever?

Let Lucy Coleman transport you away to a dreamy Cotswolds Christmas full of snowflakes and secrets, log fires, mistletoe, friends and much-loved traditions. Perfect for all fans of Trisha Ashley, Holly Martin and Sue Moorcroft. 

My review

Imogen never knew her mother and lost her father too. But luckily for her, she could grow up with her grandfather. And even if it wasn’t always easy, she enjoyed living in the lock – keeper’s cottage by the Aysbury marina.

Immi knows she is lucky. The community is very close, ready to help each other out, she found the man of her dreams in Gray Adams.
And it’s almost Christmas! And this year it’s going to be a great Christmas!

But the closer Christmas is coming, more insecurities are coming Immi’s way. Will she and Gray be able to have the life they dream of? Gray has to look after his mother and his job is suddenly not so busy as it should be…

And when a bigger secret is coming out, can they all salvage Christmas? Or is this going to be the worst Christmas ever?

When I started reading this story, I was a bit confused. Initially I thought this would be how Immi and Gray would meet and fall in love, and meanwhile of course having some minor problems to solve.
But it was quickly clear, that all the falling in love already took place.

Yet this didn’t diminish the liking of the story! Falling in love and getting together is often the easiest part.

It’s obvious that Immi and Gray truly love each other and would do anything for each other. Yet often life gets in the way…
Gray finds himself struggling with his job and has to take care of his mother. So he is forced to ride over and back each week just to see Immi.

This bothers Immi. Not meaning that she doesn’t understand what Gray is doing, it’s just that she misses Gray so much during the week and the weekend are just too short to spend time with the man you love.
But they both are trying to make the best of it and are trying to find a way to plan their future together.

Immi is also living in a place where the people are really there for each other. That’s something I always enjoying reading about… a real community, with helping hands when needed.
Even the most introvert person in this story opens up and becomes a real member.

Also when a big secret comes out, concerning Immi, the love that everyone has for her just jumps out of the book!
And the author does not just make it easy by saying that after a day or so everything is solved, but puts reality in it by showing that sometimes giving time to process it all is how it really is in real life.

All the characters show real emotions, happy ones, sad ones, and do not act all crazy. The way they handle things would be exactly how I would behave (kind of 😀) if I were to be in the same situation.

This story concerns a rather short period in Immi’s and Gray’s life, yet it manages to make me escape my own reality and live in theirs for a while.

And even if they are having struggles, the magic around Christmas, the amazing people and real feelings is the perfect recipe for starting to dream about Christmas!

Well, today I’m spoiling you with amazing covers! This one certainly has my interest!!!

Synopsis

Allow me to introduce myself.

My name is Tyler Hayes, and I’m a fireman.

Sorry to already disappoint you, but I’m not the person you think I am.

My charming uniform and seductive smile have caused nothing but trouble, and my not-so-honourable reputation, which I used to be so proud of, has kept me away from the one person I wanted to spend the rest of my life baking cookies for; my sweet, beautiful, slightly crazy Miss White.

I guess now I need to tell the whole story.

At forty years old, following years of self-sabotage, I’ve suddenly found myself admitting that I know absolutely nothing. Maybe my friend Niall was right when he told me to accept the process and just grow up. And now it’s too late; I’ll never be able to keep her close to me. All that’s left to do is watch helplessly – but deservedly – as my world comes tumbling down around me.

About the author

A. S. Kelly was born in Italy but lives in Ireland with her husband, two children and a cat named Oscar.

She’s passionate about English literature, she’s a music lover and addicted to coffee.

She spends her days in a small village North of Dublin, looking for inspiration for her next stories.

Rainy Days is her debut novel.

THE COVER!!!

Today it’s time for revealing a beautiful cover!

Don’t you just love it? 💕

Synopsis

Sometimes it’s impossible to part with the things we love the most…

When Amy Ashton’s world came crashing down eleven years ago, she started a collection. Just a little collection, just a few keepsakes of happier times: some honeysuckle to remind herself of the boy she loved, a chipped china bird, an old terracotta pot . . . Things that others might throw away, but to Amy, represent a life that could have been.  

Now her house is overflowing with the objects she loves – soon there’ll be no room for Amy at all. But when a family move in next door, a chance discovery unearths a mystery long buried, and Amy’s carefully curated life begins to unravel. If she can find the courage to face her past, might the future she thought she’d lost still be hers for the taking? 

Perfect for fans of Eleanor Oliphant and The Keeper of Lost Things, this exquisitely told, uplifting novel shows us that however hopeless things might feel, beauty can be found in the most unexpected of places.

About the author

Eleanor Ray has an MA in English Literature from Edinburgh University and works in marketing. She lives in London with her husband and two young children.
Eleanor was inspired to write Everything is Beautiful by the objects her toddler collects and treasures – twigs, empty water bottles and wilting daisies. She is currently working on her next novel.

THE COVER!!!