Can Christmas wishes come true?

Synopsis

After one toxic relationship too many and more failed jobs than she can count, spirited Scarlett Finch has lost her sparkle and doesn’t think she can face this year’s festive season. The last thing she expects is to land a Christmas job at Glenbriar’s Little Station Bookshop, especially not thanks to a slightly unhinged older woman with a parrot, a pug, a wild imagination, and some crackpot ideas for displays – not to mention a flair for making unexpected decisions, like hiring Scarlett without telling the owner.

Widowed dad-of-three Lloyd Miller is just trying to keep life on track. Between moving house, juggling his day job, and preparing to take over the bookshop from his retired mum, the chaos inside the shop is the last thing he needs, particularly when it includes Scarlett, the woman he shared a no-strings summer fling with… and hasn’t stopped thinking about since.

While Glenbriar twinkles with Christmas lights, both Scarlett and Lloyd are haunted by their pasts, drawn together in their present, and uncertain of their future.

A bookshop full of anonymous wishes might just give them the courage to make their own – but with neither convinced they deserve a second chance, it’ll take more than festive magic to open the book on a new romance. They can’t change the past – but they can still choose how the story goes.

My review

Scarlett Finch knows everything about toxic relationships, as she has been in several ones. Relationships that have led her into making mistakes in the past, making her lose her sparkle and joie de vivre now. With all her loved ones around her being in a happy place, Scarlett has never felt more alone and lonely, especially with Christmas looming around the corner. And having no job, doesn’t make it easier for her to see things from the bright side. Until one day, she is looking at a Help Wanted sign at Glenbriar’s Little Station Bookshop. And before Scarlett knows it, the old woman in the store, with a pug and a parrot, has given her a job without even consulting the owner. The owner who happens to be the mother of Lloyd Miller, with whom Scarlett has had a summer fling with. Lloyd is struggling with the loss of his beloved wife, looking after his three children on his own, having a new job and at the same time taking over the bookshop from his mother. So with too many things on his mind, he is shocked to find Scarlett in the bookshop. But at the same time, he is also happy to see her again, as he hasn’t been able to forget the young woman that rocked his world that summer… However, both Scarlett and Lloyd are not only scarred but also haunted by their past and with too many differences and much more important priorities, even their Christmas wishes couldn’t come true, or can they?

There were several reasons I was happy to start reading this book. Not only do I love the stories this wonderful author writes, but I was also happy to return to Glenbriar, residence of many of my friends by now. With several books in this series, it feels like truly being welcomed back by all my friends that I made with each book. But as Scarlett isn’t a complete stranger, and I know about that trip that took place in summer, and what she has been through, I truly wanted to see how her story would turn out to be.

Right from the start, I still felt sorry for Scarlett. She has been through a lot, has met many wrong men and has made several mistakes already in her young life. She is at a point in her life where she wants to make a change, but she is also struggling with turning that leaf over.

I was cheering for Scarlett, having everything crossed that she would find her own happiness and that she would understand that making mistakes is just human. I could also see so clearly that Scarlett has learned from her mistakes, and just how much she has matured from our first encounter with her till this very book.

I loved reading how Scarlett rather by accident ends up getting the job at the Station Bookshop, not only because of the force of nature that Eunice is, but also because Scarlett admits herself that she hasn’t picked up a book for ages. But just like Eunice, I could feel that Scarlett was just the right person at the right place. Not only to help Eunice out, but also to give the bookshop a much needed injection of change and spark.

But most important I was also very eager to read how Scarlett and Lloyd would find each other again and if there would be any chance of that fling to evolve into something more important. Even if it may seem the wrong time and place…

Lloyd… there is so much going on in his life now, and unfortunately, not all has been a wonderful time.

Reading his background, learning about all that has happened and is still taking place, getting to know his children, well, it broke my heart…

Of course losing someone is painful, and losing her in that way, even more terrible. However how much Lloyd is still hurting over his loss, he knows that his children need him now more than ever. And while Eve, his eldest daughter may not agree with his choice, I could understand why Lloyd made the choice to move to Glenbrair.

It is not only to have a fresh start, but also and mainly to have the comfort and help from family around him. But being reminded with every turn around the corner what they have lost as a family, to be reminded of what they all have endured, and who has left is, isn’t the best way to start look forward again.

Now, it is not that Lloyd is in any way looking for someone new, because his priority is only on his children. He just wants to see a smile back on their faces, and he wants them to be able to not forget their mother, but to think about her with happy memories.

I had to laugh a little bit, reading how both Scarlett and Lloyd are flabbergasted when they see each other again. They never thought they would ever meet again, so while it was funny as a reader, I could understand the short circuit in their minds.

While of course I wanted Scarlett and Lloyd to find each other immediately again, I appreciated how Margaret let the main characters take their time. Not only because it was initially a bit awkward, but also because both Scarlett and Lloyd know that no matter what they may or may not feel, they aren’t the priority. Especially Scarlett shows a great maturity in knowing that Lloyd should and must only focus on his children.

Children who are not only struggling with the move, but are still grieving (and understandably) over the loss of their mother. And it felt so real to see how each child or teenager is coping with all what has happened to them.

And seeing how Scarlett wants to help each of them out, but without crossing a line anyhow, shows us once again how good at heart she truly is. She knows what matters, when to offer help but also when to take a step back. But also not letting anyone belittle her anymore.

I liked in this book there is a special place for the Christmas tree where anyone can hang their own wishes in. And it was sweet to see how there are of course some superficial wishes, but more important, how there are wishes from the heart…

The story of Scarlett and Lloyd couldn’t be more fitting for a Christmas story, because it is a beautiful story about yes pain and grief, but more important about second chances, growth, love, matureness, understanding, respect and even forgiveness.

To refind the city of/ you love, to refind yourself, to refind more too?

Synopsis

Every moment of your life is a second chance…

Thirty years ago, Kitty Collins was a confident, carefree fashion history student living her best life in Paris. But then Tomas Laurent broke her heart and she retreated back to England.

A year later, Kitty’s a married stay-at-home mum and those big hopes and dreams have been replaced by nappy changes, school runs and dinner parties for her husband’s Academia colleagues.

Now 50 and recently divorced, Kitty is empowered to embrace single life and finally makes plans with Sasha, her daughter, to return to the city that stole her heart to move forward with her life.

But when a chance encounter awakens feelings she’d forgotten she had Kitty begins to wonder whether the ghosts of Paris should be left in the past.

With the help of old friends and new friends, can Kitty discover the woman she’s supposed to be and fall in love with the City of Light once more?

My review

At the age of fifty, Kitty recently divorced from her academic husband. A divorce is never easy, but hers is rather amicable and there still is a mutual respect and of course the love they both have for their daughter. Perhaps the life Kitty had, isn’t the life she envisioned as a young woman. Because once upon a time Kitty used to be a confident, carefree fashion history student, enjoying life and love in Paris with Tomas Laurent. Until Tomas broke her heart and she returned back to England. Being free to do as she wants, Kitty not only decided to celebrate her fiftieth in Goa with daughter Sasha, even making a new friend that persuades her to visit back the city she used to love, Paris. Empowered and ready to find herself again, Kitty decides to spend some time in the city that made her lose her heart. And with new and old friends, Kitty may find not only herself again, but even more?

Perhaps the main character in this book, Kitty, cannot be further away from myself. Not only is she more than a decade older than me, she is also a mother and has been married. But also, as a young woman, she has been studying and living in Paris, while I never left the comfort of my own country for a longer period.

It is clear that the young Kitty and the Kitty of now couldn’t be more different. Of course time has passed, and you mature, you change not only because you get wiser, but also because the turn life takes. And it is obvious that what happened in Paris with Kitty all those years ago, changed Kitty.

Kitty has become a more subdued, plainer version of the woman she used to be. It even felt for me, that when she got her heart broken in Paris, she just settled and stopped following truly her heart and her passions. Not that she has been living a life that she regrets now, but it is obvious that she has lost herself in all those passing years.

The story starts with her and Sasha being together in Goa, celebrating Kitty’s birthday and fulfilling one of her dreams. I was a bit surprised reading how easily especially Sasha just befriends everyone, being too trusty even? Of course, her open character is what makes Sasha her unique self, but I don’t think I would act in the same way Sasha does. But of course, that makes Kitty also become close friends with someone she meets there.

And I liked seeing how her new friend makes her understand that a broken heart in Paris means that she should also stop loving Paris. With her new friend, Kitty finds the courage to return to the place that she used to love.

It is in a way courageous, because Kitty isn’t just going on a short city trip, but she want to stay in Paris for a longer time. And I could understand that, because it is not only that she needs to fall in love with Paris again, but she also needs to fall in love with herself again.

Now, I need to say, Paris is a lovely city, but it is also a big city. So I found it a bit hard to believe how she just bumped into her old friend. But on the other hand, it also serendipity, as that encounter would be in fact what Kitty truly needs, for both her past, her present and her future.

I liked seeing Kitty’s confidence grow the further the story evolved. With her old and new friends, she comes out of that shell she has been for far too long. It was sweet how those friends (still) could see the real Kitty, the Kitty that desperately needs to emerge quickly.

That is the also the strength of this book, because with friends and their confidence in you can make you make self-confident and more courageous, to make choices that just a short ago you would be scared to be taking.

Of course Paris wouldn’t be the City of Love without some romance in it.

Just like young Kitty, I was rather disappointed in young Tomas and his behaviour and lack of courage and responsibility. But I could also understand the pressure he was on, and not being able to pursue his own dreams.

Yet the Tomas of now for sure has grown. Yes, he has made mistakes in the past but somehow also found a way to make his big dream come true. And even if he has achieved it, he still has regrets about the past…

Perhaps I would have liked to see more about Tomas and his own growth, but the focus was righteously so on Kitty. Because she has to go through the biggest growth in this book. She has to learn to grow confident again, to learn to love and like herself again, and to trust herself again.

And that is the important message of this beautiful story. Life can throw you curveballs, and life doesn’t always go as expected. And that can make you change yourself. But it is important to always be your real self. And if you have lost yourself, it is important to find yourself again. Because you are amazing, you are confident and you are more than good enough!  

When a fresh start doesn’t turn out as expected

Synopsis

🍂 Sparks are flying in more ways than one…

After years of juggling teaching with volunteering, Polly is finally ready for a change. When she lands her dream job at Meadowfield Nature Reserve – with the promise of a promotion in three months’ time – she trades in the stress of the classroom for the beautiful autumn days of the Cotswolds countryside.

Pennycress Inn is the perfect base for her fresh start: charming, cosy and filled with friendly faces. But everything changes when Zac, her attractive but infuriating ex-colleague, arrives. He’s here to take up a post at the reserve too – and is also staying at the inn! Worse still, the promotion Polly was counting on is suddenly up for grabs – and Zac’s her biggest rival.

With three months to prove herself, Polly must navigate village life, unexpected emotions and a career-defining challenge. As tension simmers and fireworks fly, will Meadowfield become the place she truly finds where she belongs – or will she be forced to walk away from everything she’s dreamed of?

My review

Polly is ready for the job she has been dreaming of. No longer teaching and volunteering, because not only did she manage to get the job at Meadowfield Nature Reserve, but she has also been promised a promotion in three months’ time. Momentarily staying at Pennycress Inn is just perfect for her, as she also get to know the community. However, what Polly didn’t expect is that Zac, her ex – colleague, has also applied for a job at the Reserve and is also staying at the inn. And to make things even worse, the promotion Polly was promised, isn’t a given anymore… Now Polly has to fight for the promotion, in a job that is not what was agreed earlier. And Zac being her biggest rival, especially as Polly hasn’t forgotten how he has been giving her a cold shoulder after her farewell party at their previous school. Three months for Polly to prove her worth, three months where tensions are building, but also three months where fireworks are flying around. But what will happen after those three months?

When I started with this book, I had already a smile on my face, just because I was so happy to return to a place that feels so warm, lovely and welcoming.

I am not the kind of person that can make life – altering decisions. Even changing a job for me means applying internally because I am a bit afraid of where I will end up. Yet I admired Polly with her choice and decision to not only go for a anew job, but also make an actual move.

Of course, as she is already a volunteer, it is obvious that her new job is something Polly is truly passionate about. I could understand that it would make all those changes easier, even if there is always and understandably a little bit of trepidation and a little bit of fear.

Now, wherever you work, there are always colleagues that you like more and some that you like less. But I couldn’t understand what has happened between Polly and Zac, because before the party, they seemed to get along pretty well. And yes, I could comprehend in a way that things would be a bit awkward. But that Zac would be totally ignoring Polly, that I couldn’t understand. That also made me rather dislike Zac…

And yes, I admit, that I was rooting for Polly all throughout the story. I wanted her to get the promotion, to come up with the best ideas to not only get more donations but also more visitors.

Not only because I am rooting for women all the time, but mainly because Polly deserves it. She needs this fresh start, she needs to feel home somewhere new. She hasn’t had the easiest times, and it’s clear that she is still hurt over the losses. So of course she deserves to be happy!

To only have Zac appearing and ruining everything! 😊

To start liking Zac, it wasn’t easy… He isn’t a bad man, not at all. But because we have only one side of the story, we don’t know what Zac has been and still is thinking. And we don’t know his struggles. What I can say is that Zac for sure can play a part, as he makes it all seem so easy what he is doing, but is hiding what is troubling him…

And once we start to see the real Zac, how could I not like him? It starts with little things, things he initially may seem to be doing reluctantly. And then we see the caring side of Zac, the Zac that sees more than Polly makes him believe. And the more we see the Zac that starts to open to Polly, admitting his own fears, doubts and struggles. But also his feelings and emotions…

And seeing Polly and Zac joining forces, understanding each other a lot better, was so heartwarming. Seeing them growing closer, admitting their real feelings shows us that in fact, how someone acts, doesn’t always represent their emotions or inner turmoil.

I also have to say that, how lovely was it to see my old friends again, and see how they are thriving!😊 Seeing them all again, and seeing how welcoming and accepting they are towards both Polly and Zac made me even more wanting to stay at Pennycress Inn myself! 😊

Sarah Hope wrote a beautiful story, about how starting over perhaps doesn’t always go as expected. But even if things go differently, it doesn’t mean it goes exactly how it needs to go. Starting over yet the recent past resurfacing can make you understand previous behaviours and make you see what you didn’t understand or comprehend. And starting over with someone ‘old’ can perhaps bring you what you never thought could be happen to you…

This author made me feel not so terrified anymore about a fresh start, as long as there is heart and love involved! 

Check out this cover

Synopsis

A new kind of yearbook has arrived for founders, dreamers, and doers. The Entrepreneur’s Almanack is a funny and deeply personal chronicle of what it feels like to start a business from scratch. This third in a series of short yearbooks celebrates the underrated art of entrepreneurship and a key aspect of the same: namely, success in business has more to do with intangibles than we care to admit. 

The guesswork and the gut, divine providence, even dumb luck are all players and should be welcomed round the table, not ignored at the fringes.

The Entrepreneur’s Almanack is the cosmic crutch you never knew you needed in business, but shouldn’t be without.

Purchase Links

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0FVM42P26

Publication Date – 14th November

About the author

When Robin Bennett grew up he thought he wanted to be a cavalry officer until everyone else realised that putting him in charge of a tank was a very bad idea. He then became an assistant gravedigger in London. After that he had a career frantically starting businesses (everything from dog-sitting to cigars, tuition to translation)… until finally settling down to write improbable stories to keep his children from killing each other on long car journeys.

The cover!

Going back is not taking steps back…

Synopsis

Sometimes the only way forward… is to go back.

When Rowan Bellamy’s marriage collapses in spectacular style, she retreats with her two children, Bella and Theo, to the last place she ever wanted to return—her windswept Cornish hometown of Port Agnes. Taking the headteacher role at the local primary school is the easy part. Facing village gossip, curious neighbours, and old flames? Not so much.

Especially when one of those flames turns out to be Nathan Lark — the boy who broke her heart and the man who now has a reputation as bruised as her own. With his young nephew Leo a pupil in Rowan’s school, she and Nathan are thrown into each other’s lives once more. And whether she likes it or not, the chemistry between them is impossible to ignore.

As salty sea air begins to soothe old wounds and Port Agnes slowly feels like home again, Rowan must decide if she’s brave enough to let go of the past and open her heart one more time.

My review

Rowan never thought that the lack of passion in her marriage would end in a terrible discovery and the actual end of her marriage. Not being able to stay at the place that was her home for a long time, Rowan decides to take her children Bella and Theo and move back to her hometown, Port Agnes. She is ready to start again, with a new job as headteacher in the local school and rekindling friendships with old friends, and making new ones. But picking up the pieces of her life is not that easy, especially as in villages like Port Agnes, curious and gossiping neighbours are common. And when Rowan crosses paths with Nathan Lark, tings get even more complicated. Because Nathan is Rowan’s old flame, but with him being Leo’s uncle, a pupil of Rowan’s school with special needs, their paths cross more than it normally would. But despite the chemistry and sparks flying around between them, Nathan has a bad reputation and even has spend some time at his Majesty’s pleasure. Both Rowan and Nathan are still coming to terms about how their lives have turned out to be, so the last thing on their mind should be the sparks between them. But that is easier said than done…

Whenever I start reading a book of this wonderful author, I know that real life is being put on hold. House chores, cleaning, even sleeping, it can all wait because I have this book to read! 😊

Marriages that end aren’t a rarity anymore in the current world. And while it is always a sad thing, it can happen… So while I knew that Rowan’s marriage wouldn’t make it, I was still a bit shocked at the true reason.

Shocked, but also a bit sad. Because without giving anything away, we see how people cannot be their true selves, and have to pretend for ‘the bigger picture’. And nobody shouldn’t be able to not be their real selves, life is too precious to put on a mask and pretend.

What also saddened me, was reading how Rowan loves her husband, but how there isn’t any passion in their marriage. Of course, with the shocking revelation, it makes sense why that is lacking. But it saddened me as Rowan never got to feel that real passion, that deep love, those fireworks that spark with every touch, with every kiss.

Another thing that saddened me, was reading how Rowan feels that she cannot stay at the place that has been her home for so long. I know that her move is necessary for the storyline, but still 😊. It angers me how people are afraid of the gossiping, bad looks and looks of pity, even if Rowan in this case has done absolutely nothing wrong.

It broke my heart a little bit, reading how not only Rowan but also Bella and Theo need to adjust to their new lives in Port Agnes. Especially as the children don’t know the real reason of the move and the split of their parents (yet).

Starting over is not easy, adapting to not only a new life, but also returning back home, where a lot has stayed the same, but at the same time, a lot has changed too. Rowan is obviously doing the best she can in the situation she finds herself in, always putting her children first.

But not only as parent we see what kind of person Rowan is, also as a headteacher and a person in general, we see that she has a caring heart, wanting to help wherever she can, always having the right priorities.

The right priorities, even if that means putting her own feelings aside. Feelings concerning Nathan Lark…

Nathan… what a man that he is!

As an uncle he would move earth for Leo, there is not one thing he wouldn’t do for his nephew. And seeing their relationship was so heartwarming… Not only Nathan’s relationship with Leo, but also with his own brother, Will. I know how it feels having a great bond with your sibling, so I could understand and I could recognize the connection the two brothers have.

It is not a secret at the start of the book that Nathan has made a mistake in the not so far away past, but also that he has paid for it. And it angered me reading how some people are still condemning him. Especially as the committed crime is in my opinion not a that terrible one. And with the circumstances, it was even understandable…

Both Rowan and Nathan are not ready to give in to their feelings, with everything that has happened recently in their own lives. And with both not coming completely clean, there is always a certain level of trepidation.

On the other hand, it was so sweet to see how they are ‘forced’ spending even more time together because Theo and Leo become instant best friends! 😊

It needs to be said, my heart broke reading about Leo, but I also admired his mindset. It cannot be easy being restricted like he is, and knowing what the future may bring. But his positivity is something to truly admire! Leo for sure is an inspiration!

This is not only a story about second chances, but it also like the title says it, about letting go of the past. The past can be a burden, as we see with Rowan and Nathan. And there are and always will be people that will never let us forget about mistakes that we have made. The past shouldn’t be allowed to hold us back. Yes, we should learn from the past and from the mistakes, but it shouldn’t be a reason of not starting to live again, to love again, to allow love again.

Jo Bartlett not only captivated me with this wonderful story, she also brought me joy with it, she inspired me and made me believe in the good of people again.

Can Christmas bring that extra magic?

Synopsis

Can the happiest time of year heal the most broken of hearts?

Georgine loves Christmas. The festive season always brings the little village of Middledip to life. But since her ex-boyfriend walked out, leaving her with crippling debts, Georgine’s struggled to make ends meet.

To keep her mind off her worries, she throws herself into organising the Christmas show at the local school. And when handsome Joe Blackthorn becomes her assistant, Georgine’s grateful for the help. But there’s something about Joe she can’t quite put her finger on. Could there be more to him than meets the eye?

Georgine’s past is going to catch up with her in ways she never expected. But can the help of friends old and new make this a Christmas to remember after all?

My review

After the breakup with her ex, Georgine’s life isn’t an easy one. You may think that a breakup may be difficult, but her ex left her with debts, making Georgina struggle to make ends meet. However, the financial worries won’t stop her to love Christmas. She is even organizing the Christmas show at the local school. And when with the arrival of Joe Blackthorn comes also extra help for that same show, Georgine couldn’t be more grateful. Yet there is something about Joe that Georgine recognizes, but cannot put her finger on. What Georgine doesn’t expect, is that somehow her own past is catching up with her, making her question everything once again. But will this Christmas be the one where all the pieces finally fall into the right place?

I had one big issue while reading this book… The main character’s name is Georgine, but each time that name appears, I read it as Giorgina, as that is my mother’s name 😊 So that also made me see each time my own mother in my mind and not the character that is closer to my own age and not to my mother’s 😊.

But if that is the only issue I have with this book, well, that isn’t really an issue, right? 😊

I found it difficult to understand how Georgine could live like she is at the start of the book. While of course her current situation isn’t caused by her own, it angered me reading how she is paying the price for the mistakes of someone else.

It is also clear that in her past something has happened, causing other financial issues. But as this isn’t made clear from the start, I didn’t know what to expect as a revelation, making my mind also going wild, thinking of the strangest things that could have happened.

But even if Georgine has struggles, I liked reading how she loves Christmas and how she wants to all she can for the show at the local school. A local school that truly could be an inspiration for other, real schools.

I also admired Georgine, how she is looking after her father, without making him feel like any kind of burden, even if he isn’t the fit man he used to be. Also when her sister appears on her doorstep, Georgine is ready to help Blair.

But don’t get me wrong, Georgine is ready to help all her loved ones out, but she has learned her lesson and she is not just letting people walk over her.

When Joe Blackthorn arrives in Middledip, it is obvious that he has a history with the place and with some people. But it is also clear that in a way, he is running away from something.

My heart broke when discovering Joe’s background. What he has been through as a young child, is something that nobody should go through. A child needs to have a worry-free upbringing, having fun, feeling loved and cherished.

Yes, he has made mistakes in the past and even not so far away present. But I couldn’t blame him, because it is all obviously linked to the way he grew up…

I also have to say, I could understand why Joe is keeping his real identity hidden from especially Georgine, but I could also understand the anger, disappointment and mistrust from her side, when discovering who Joe truly is.

Not only with Joe, but also with Georgine, we see how the past can burden you, and affect your present and your future. It is difficult to get rid of that burden, to make people understand that you are not the same person you once were.

But we also see that no matter what has happened to us, the essence, what makes us us, never changes. Because we see that Joe made mistakes with the influence of others, but that his core is an amazing person.

And seeing how Joe and Georgine are finding each other again, after all those years, how that connection they both believed they had as youngsters, somehow managed to stand the test of times, was just so great and heartwarming to read.

Of course, there are several ups and downs both Georgine and Joe have to overcome,  and there are still secrets being kept, out of shame or fear, but also here, the core of their feelings never changed.

And that is the power of this book, showing us how people can turn their lives around. But also how strong feelings and emotions can be, no matter how much time has passed. And that around Christmas, anything can happen, and even insurmountable things can be solved, if you just believe and have faith, trust and love.

When all you want for Christmas is…

Synopsis

For Lou Chalmers, Books and Coffee in Pelican Crossing isn’t just a bookshop and café, it’s the realisation of a dream. But with her sixty-fifth birthday approaching, she’s beginning to feel the weight of time and harbours regrets over her estranged relationship with her sister. Facing yet another lonely Christmas, she wonders if it’s time to try and reconnect.

When retired widower Blair Stevens leaves Tasmania to join his daughter in Pelican Crossing, he questions if he’s made the right decision. But as he delves into the town’s history and starts writing the novel he’s always wanted to, he becomes engrossed in his new life.

When an event at Lou’s bookshop brings the two together, they strike up an unlikely friendship. As Blair helps Lou search for her long-lost sister, their connection deepens in a way neither of them anticipated. But as fate pushes them towards each other, will their friendship blossom into something more?

A heartwarming story of two strangers who find unexpected companionship in this small town on the Queensland coast.

My review

Lou Chalmers is the proud owner of Books and Coffee in Pelican Crossing. It has always been her dream to own a bookshop, and seeing how well her business is doing, warms her heart. But being sixty – five makes her realizes that there are some things that need to be sorted out and forgiven, like the estrangement she has with her sister Fleur. And with Christmas looming around the corner, she feels the loneliness more than ever. However, despite all her efforts, Lou cannot find her sister Fleur. Until she meets Blair Stevens, who recently moved from Tasmania to Pelican Crossing, to be closer to his daughter and grandchildren. Having just arrived, Blair wonders if he made the right choice by moving, but finds himself drawn by not only the town’s history, but also by Lou. And as he knows how to help her with her search, because he is writing a novel about his own ancestry, the two start to form a friendship. But could they also start to feel something more, something they didn’t expect to feel (again)?

Even if the average age of the main characters in this series is well above my own age, the amazing author that Maggie is, always manages to make me not only like them, but also make their stories to recognizable and relatable to me.

So of course I had to read this next instalment, not only because I like all the characters, past and present ones, but also because Pelican Crossing is just such a warm, welcoming, accepting place!

Lou made me somehow see myself in forty years (just 25, but let’s keep that a secret, won’t we 😊). Now, our lives couldn’t be more different, but yet there were some resemblances. Lou has achieved her dream of having a bookshop, and is rather content with her life. I am very very far off achieving my dream (if I already knew what my real dream is of course). And I can say that the contact with my family, my parents and brother, is very good.

But as Lou is on her own, after the betrayal of her sister Lou found very difficult to forgive, she finds herself lonely at moments. And that made me realize, being single for a while, with not having my own family, how not only fast time passes by, but also how fragile and precious life can be.

Lou is of course surrounded by friends that truly love and care about her. but seeing everyone having found love ‘again), and her still being on her own, that truly resonated with me, I could understand Lou and her feelings and emotions.

I liked it how Lou knows that the time has come to move on from the past, that holding on that grudge won’t do anyone any good. Better late than never, right?

And of course, help to find Fleur comes in the wonderful form of Blair.

Blair loved his wife dearly, and ever since losing her, he is a bit at loss. And with the desire being closer to his daughters, he has decided to make the move from Tasmania to Pelican Crossing. And I liked reading that, how committed as a father and grandfather he is. He truly loves his family and would literally do anything for his loved ones.

Seeing Blair in the grandpa – role especially, was so heartwarming, so sweet! He shows exactly what grandparenting is about: loving the children dearly, but also spoiling them 😊.

However, what I loved the most about this story, was the pace where everything was happening. Because from the moment Lou and Blair meet, there immediately something there between them. However, the friendship that they start, was just so great to read!

They may be different, have had different kind of lives, yet they are in a way kindred spirits. And even when there is nothing more to their bond (yet?), they just love spending time together, even if there are just some passing, quick moments.

And that felt like the strength of the book, how slowly, genuinely, naturally things evolve, at the right pace, giving both characters to understand, accept their feelings.

Now, with that title, it is clear that the topic of family is also an important one. Seeing how Lou wants to make amends, shows the growth she has made during the years. But also we see the grief, the pain when she realizes that time has passed to quickly. However, there is also her acceptance, when she connects with new people in her life.

In this book we see the power of connecting with people, how important family, friendship and love in general just is. We can be content with our lives, but with that extra something, how great life can be…

Maggie Christensen not only delivered a wonderful story, but also exceeded my expectations for it!

A wedding like no other, but is it good or bad?

Synopsis

A Hallowe’en wedding is taking place in Sunnybrook! One well-loved Little Duck Pond Café regular will be walking down the aisle at a reputedly haunted manor house miles from anywhere – and it’s set to be the spookiest and most fun Big Day ever. But when the local river floods and the wedding party is stranded there overnight, weird things start to happen. Are ghostly antics at play here? Or is there something far more sinister going on? Will the wedding even go ahead?

My review

Wedding bells are ringing for a beloved couple in Sunnybrook. And just like Sylvia and Mick are, they want it to be something special. So why not having a Halloween wedding in an old mansion which has rumours of being haunted. But as everyone they love, cannot wait for this joyful event, nothing can stop this power couple, right? Especially when an old friend of Sylvia’s, a famous florist, has agreed to do what she does best. But what Celia didn’t expect, is that she would be facing the One That Got Away… So can Celia keep her cool with Mark around her, and most important can everyone keep their cool when strange things start to happen, that could even jeopardize the wedding everyone is looking forward to?

The start of my reviews of this series is becoming repetitive, something that the stories never will be; but what a delight it was to return to Sunnybrook! Each return here, each new story, makes me feel like walking back home, being embraced by not only lovely people, but lovely and warm feelings too!

And how amazing is it being present at the wonderful wedding that Mick and Sylvia have planned! Who says that marriage is only for young people??? Because Mick and Sylvia may have an age on paper, and have lived through a few scares, but it is easy to see that their love keeps them young at heart!

Now, I have to admit, even if being single for a long time, whenever I would ever imagine getting married to someone, it would be the romantic wedding everyone has. And not even one second I would think about getting married at Halloween. And absolutely not in an old mansion with haunting rumours! But Mick and Sylvia chose something that in a way is so fitting for them. A standard wedding would not be them at all!

It was so sweet how just everyone in Sunnybrook wishes this couple all the best, and see how happy they make each other. Once again we see how just wonderful the people in Sunnybrook, and especially our friends, truly are.

It was also a bit of a creepy story, because at the mansion where the wedding and the preparations are going to take place, strange things are starting to happen. I am not a believer of ghosts, so I was sure that there would be logical explanations for all the strange things, but I also have to admit, that perhaps there may be something else…

On the other hand, there is also the bittersweet story of Celia. I liked her from the very start, even if it is clear that the persona she is on the show, isn’t the real Celia. And that not only resonated with me, I also found it very recognizing. Because haven’t we all put on a braver face, put on a more extravagant version of ourselves out there?

I could feel how during the years she has felt she somehow has lost the essence of who Celia truly is. And how much she has given up, or not has had all the experiences in life she perhaps wanted to have.

And it saddened me reading how at a younger age she has loved dearly, and how nobody and nothing could ever compare to that love.

I could definitely understand her shock seeing Mark out of the blue, and how they will be staying at the same place for a while….

But I also saw it as an opportunity! I had my fingers and my toes crossed for the pair of them, hoping there would be a lovely and delightful reunion.

However, I could understand why Celia after seeing some things, wanted to keep her distance from Mark, not wanting to be heartbroken again. But I could also see how easily things could be misunderstood, especially when you don’t know the whole history, background or situation that is taking place.

Once again I was amazed by Rosie Green’s storytelling talents. Because not once I felt a little bit bored, or feeling ‘been there done that already’. In fact it was the complete opposite, because I was totally captured by this lovely story, by the lovely people, and the wonderful emotions and feelings that spark from every page!

Can everything from the past be forgiven?

Synopsis

A heartwarming and heartbreaking tale of love, loss and the chance to put things right

When Georgie turns up at a quiz night in a London café, Peter storms past her without a second glance. Fifty years ago, on their penultimate night at university, she had betrayed him and he has never forgiven her for wrecking their seemingly perfect relationship. 

Their life journeys since that fateful night could not be more different. Georgie has had brief success and notoriety with Mothercluckers, an all-female punk band, followed by a life ruined by alcohol and drug addiction. By contrast, Peter’s career as a university library administrator has been fulfilling, stable and successful. 

Rachel, the café owner’s daughter, knows all about the Mothercluckers. Obsessed by their wild reputation, she can’t believe her luck when Georgie turns up and she cajoles her father into allowing Georgie to stay in their family home for the night. When Georgie tells her about Peter, Rachel schemes a reconciliation. 

Meanwhile Mia, Peter’s new colleague at the university library, is a breath of fresh air who reminds him of the young Georgie. Mia is soon pushing for him to reunite with Georgie.

Can the two young women succeed in getting Georgie and Peter to face up to the incident that tore them apart? The clock is ticking.

My review

Fifty years ago, Georgie broke as a young woman, her boyfriend Peter’s heart. Despite all her efforts, he never forgave her and then life took them both in complete different directions. Where Georgie’s life as being part of a punk band, was filled with music but also bad decisions, Peter built a solid, academic life. In the present, Georgie walks into a London café quiz and there is Peter. But he is anything but happy to see her, shocking a bit Georgie. However, with having both young women being suddenly their biggest supporters, and wanting nothing more for Georgie and Peter find each other again in one way or another, their paths will cross again. But with everything that has happened between them and in their own personal lives, is there room for not only forgiveness but also for each other?

When we were younger, haven’t we all made choices and mistakes that at a later stage in our lives, we regret? It can be something innocent, but as we can see in Georgie’s life, one mistake can be the start of a downward spiral, adding mistake after mistake after mistake.

But when we see Georgie in the here and now, we also see that your life can be turned around, that you can change for the better.

It saddened me reading about Georgie’s past, how one bad decision let to another, to another and even to addiction and fatalities to people close to her. She managed to push the people that loved her, away by her behaviour, her reactions and even unwillingness to see her mistakes in a way.

I also have to admit, I wasn’t understanding why now Georgie appears in London, wanting to apologize to Peter after all those years. If I were in her shoes, perhaps I would just forget about what happened fifty years ago, and just move on with my life, as it finally is getting back on track, with just a few hiccups left to get over.

But I found it also a testimony of her changed character, as she is determined to come clean about what happened not only those years ago, but also recently. She shows a resilience, a vulnerability but also an understanding. She understands Peter’s reluctance, his behaviour of ignoring her. And that shows just how much Georgie has grown over the years.

Now, it needs to be said, that while Peter for sure seems like a real proper man, Georgie’s betrayal scarred him much deeper than it would seem. He has also made mistakes in his life, perhaps not as grave as Georgie’s, but mistakes that also hurt the people around him and the people that he loved/loves.

I have to admit, I was a bit wary of Mia and Rachel at the start. In Rachel I initially saw someone wanting to befriend and help Georgie more because Rachel is a fan of Georgie, and not out of the kindness of her heart.

And in Mia’s case, I saw perhaps a young woman not knowing what or who she wants in her life. I saw her jumping from one decision to another, not thinking properly about the consequences.

But I was happy to read how in fact, these two young people, seeing the world and life so differently from Georgie and Peter, are an actual help to these perhaps lost souls. Thanks to their help, their persistence, we see how Georgie and Peter are accepting each other again.

This book didn’t start perhaps with me being drawn into it completely. But the more the story evolved, the more the main characters but also the side characters grew, the more I had the need to discover how it would all turn out.

Because, like I said before, just like Georgie, we have all made mistakes, can all mistakes, errors and wrong decisions be forgiven? And can it be too late for it? Or can it be that it is never too late to make right again what was done wrong? This process is the strength of this book, showing us that people can change, can attempt to redeem themselves. And who knows where forgiveness, acceptance and understanding can bring us, no matter how old or young we are…

To join forces against a common enemy, but is he truly?

Synopsis

Nestled deep in the countryside lies Starlight Croft – population small, gossip levels high, and secrets harder to hide than a cow in a phone box.

Jen Armstrong thought she had life more or less under control – marriage ticking along, teenagers on the right side of the law – until hubby Peter unexpectedly demises leaving Jen suddenly single, hugging a secret, and trying very hard not to fall apart in front of the entire village. 

Just when things couldn’t get messier a For Sale sign appears. The community centre – the only place big enough to host Pilates and the local psychic’s séance nights – goes up for sale.

Cue The Starlight Society: a mismatched crew of locals with hearts of gold, questionable strategies and Jen reluctantly roped in to assist. Their mission? Raise the cash to save the hall before a charming-but-infuriating property developer named Liam Lancaster possibly turns it into a boutique hotel with mood lighting and tufty towels.

Can they pull it off? Will the hall survive? Might a secret be unwittingly revealed? And can Jen resist throttling an enemy who has the most annoyingly twinkly eyes?

A feel-good romantic comedy where love, lies, and livestock collide.

My review

Starlight Croft can be best described as a small village, filled with great people, but also filled with local gossip where everyone knows everything about everyone. Or at least, that is what they think. Because nobody knows what secret Jen Armstrong is carrying around. From the outside it may seem she had a good marriage with Peter, and their teenage children are never causing her any distress. But when Peter suddenly dies, not only Jen now has to come to terms with an almost empty nest and being on her own, on top of that secret that looms over her head. And then Jen finds herself drawn into the village drama, as the community centre is going up for sale and the brand-new The Starlight Society is raising money to keep the centre out of the hands of a property developer wanting to turn the centre into a hotel. Despite the general dislike towards Liam Lancaster, Jen finds herself drawn towards him. Yet just being widowed and Liam being the enemy, and that secret of hers, it’s no way, right?

Right from the start of this book, it was clear that Jen is, well not exactly happy, but in a way relieved that Peter has passed. For us readers it is clear that it was a toxic relationship, but the details are initially unknown to us, and the depths of the toxicity too.

As my imagination is known for running wild, my thoughts went all the way. And as seeing how Jen is burdened with her secret, can you blame me for it? 😊

Despite my imagination, it is clear that Jen has been through a lot but that in fact, she is a kind, gentle woman. She is a caring mother, a genuine friend and just a woman that can finally feel free.

It is also obvious that Jen is well seen in Starlight Croft, that people care about her too, and that the community see more than Jen may think. And it speaks volumes that everyone want Jen involved with saving the centre. Now, it also needs to be said, that nobody truly has another choice, as there is force of nature to be reckoned with. 😊

It warmed my heart to see how the whole community is fighting against the common enemy, as they all care about the centre and they see how it is a big part of the community itself.

A common enemy, in the form of Liam Lancaster, that perhaps is immediately disliked by everyone, but not by me. Because yes, he might be the developer who wants to build a hotel. But I also kept in mind that it is just his job that he is doing. While it is a fight he has against the community, I could also see the real person that Liam is.

Now, of course there are several misunderstandings between Jen and Liam, and there are some fears that Jen understandably has. But the connection these two people have, is palpable from the pages. I was cheering for the pair of them!

It was also sweet reading how Jen is able to open to Liam, and how Liam is not judging for her choices. Because Liam is the first to know about the secret Jen has, and while it could have been easy to blame her, to make her even feel worse and make her feel guilty, he understands the position Jen was in, and what truly happened on that fateful night…

This story may be about a community fighting against a common enemy, to save the heart of their homes. This story may be about a blooming yet perhaps even ‘forbidden’ romance. But for me, it felt like this story is about courage. Courage to let love back in, courage about letting go of the guilt, courage of standing up to the real enemy and courage of doing the right thing, not only for you but for the people around you.

Debbie Viggiano made me laugh with this book, as there are for sure some ‘special’ inhabitants in Starlight Croft, but also how funny some misunderstandings were. It made me worry, because it made me realize once again that nobody truly knows what happens behind closed door in a family. But most important, it made me smile, because Karma is always you-know-what and somehow, someday, good people will receive what they deserve. And despite what has happened in the past, they will be able to look forward to a bright and happy future.