When your passion takes you to the world, but home calls you back…

Synopsis

Sometimes life is full of surprises, especially when you least expect them…

Born into the Scottish Clan MacBain and the 17th century ancestral home, Drumblair Castle, Liv MacBain has always dreamed of leaving the ancient homestead and becoming her own person in the world of fashion.

From a young age, she worshipped the trailblazing designs of the haute couture glitterati, hoping one day to join them.

With older brother Kerr, the rightful heir, Liv has been free to spread her wings.

Fast forward. Liv, is now 28 years old, working at a high-end fashion house and living her dream life in New York. She’s never been happier.

Until everything changes with one devastating phone call from her brother, Kerr, that brings her rushing back to Scotland.

Old friends and adversaries resurface and Liv faces a difficult decision that could mean her dream future can no longer be a reality.

Or can you have your castle and your career?

My review

Even if Liv Macbain’s family goes way back until the 17th century and have all been living in Drumblair Castle, Liv always dreamt of a career in the world of fashion. And with her brother Kerr being the rightful heir, she has been able to follow her passion and made it become a reality.
At the age of 28, she is truly enjoying her life in New York, working for a famous fashion house. But it takes only one call from her brother with devastating news to take her back to Scotland. Yet the loss of her beloved mother is not the only shocking news, because now Liv finds herself inheriting what was supposed to go to Kerr…
Liv knows the importance of the Castle, but is she ready to give up her own dreams for the sake of her family’s legacy? 

I have always been in love with stories set in the Highlands, contemporary stories or even those set in the past. And visiting these places is for sure very high on my bucket list, hoping I can thick if of very quickly. Meanwhile I will enjoy using my imagination and reading wonderful stories. And having this author having written a story in the Highlands, of course I couldn’t resist temptation! 

Being a ‘normal’ person myself, without any fancy title (although, Lady Tiziana, it has a nice ring, doesn’t it 😊), it’s not easy to grasp the rules for families who go way back.
So reading how Liv’s brother Kerr will be inheriting everything according those rules, well, in my eyes it doesn’t seem 100% right, but who am I ?
Yet having Kerr inheriting it all, made it also possible for Liv to chase her own dreams, not having any big worry about her legacy. 

Even if Liv is living the dream, it was still sweet to see how close she still was with her mother, despite the distance and time difference.
Yet it also made it more heart – breaking to read about that one phone call from her brother.  And of course Liv doesn’t hesitate to fly back home. 

Once back home although, things does not go as expected for her, yet as a reader we may already know that things will get shaken up rather quickly.  

While some may find it annoying how Liv is doubting herself all the time, not knowing what to do, I could also understand her doubts. If I were in her position, having found my place and having a blooming career, I wouldn’t know what to do either. And I would doubt every move I made too.
Liv understands the legacy of her family, and she wants to protect it. But does that mean that she should give up her own passion for the sake of the family?  

And then there is Kerr… while I would assume that in the most difficult moments, siblings would find each other even if they don’t really get along, seeing Kerr and his antics, made it impossible to be in my good book. Kerr does everything that is possible to be disliked.
Even if towards the end it seems he is turning for the better, I don’t know if things could get forgiven so easily in real life. 

Of course while Liv is attempting to do the right thing not only herself but also the place and everyone who has something at stake, there may or may not be a love interest too.
A love interest that may not be as straightforward and while it is a heart – breaking revelation in the end, I also admired the courage of Lisa Hobman to turn the tables, showing us that the roles of victims and perpetrator can also be switched, even if we too often don’t hear about it in real life. 

While reading, it’s obvious that the romance isn’t the main topic. But it’s about trying to figure out where the future will take us, about finding a way to make things work. It’s about doing what you should be doing, but without losing yourself and give up your own passions.
We see how hard Liv is trying to find the correct balance, wanting to make her family proud of her, but not wanting to lose that what makes her happy.
And while Liv is the one who has to make all the decisions, she has to cut the cord at some point, we also see that surrounding yourself with kindness, love and friendship, those decisions are easier to make with their input. 

This was a lovely book to read, even if there were some sad moments in it. But those sad moments were thwarted by funny, sweet moments with kind, generous and loveable characters, human and not, supporting a main character that is standing at a crossroads but deserves to have the best of both worlds.

Does sunshine always truly comes after rain?

Synopsis

Welcome back to The Starfish Café for a glorious summer, but with a few dark clouds on the horizon…

A new beginning…

As her summer wedding to Jake approaches, Hollie is excited for their new beginning as a family. But when some unexpected news threatens the future she and Jake had hoped for, Hollie will need to find the strength to overcome heartache once more.

A fragile heart….

Single mum, Kerry, loves her job at The Starfish Café, but behind the brave smiles and laughter with customers there is a sadness deep within. So when someone from her past re-appears in her life, Kerry can either hide away or face her demons and try to finally move on from her heartbreak.

A summer to remember…

For Hollie and Kerry it promises to be an emotional rollercoaster of a summer, but the community at The Starfish Café will always be there to help them through – after all, with courage nothing is impossible…

Join top 10 bestseller Jessica Redland for a wonderful summer at the seaside, full of love, friendship and community spirit.

My review

Hollie cannot wait to finally marry her Jake. After they both have been through, in the past and even recently, they are ready to start their lives officially together, filled with happiness and love.
However, they both realize that their happily ever after won’t be so easy to have, as once again they have to face some news that turn everything into heartbreak once again…
Luckily, Hollie has an amazing team at the Starfish Café, who not only look after the place with all the possible care and love, but they are also all a shoulder to cry on.
That even includes Kerry, a single mother of four, who loves working at the Café. But Kerry has her own demons to face…
She has always put her children before everything, putting her own (love) life on hold. But just when perhaps she is ready to dip her toe again into those waters, someone from her past resurfaces in her life to mess things up even more… 

Okay, I have made a decision and I am going to need every little bit of courage and determination to follow through…
I have decided to stop reading any of Jessica’s book, because my poor heart just cannot take it anymore! (Joking around here, for those who don’t know my attempts of being somehow funny 😊) 

There are people in the world (the fictional one and the real one) who just deserve all the best and all the happiness and joy and love. And Hollie and Jake for sure are such people.
After everything they have been through, which we all know about, it brought me to tears when they were *finally* able to get married.
And there were several other moments with this lovely couples that made me cry out of joy.  

However – and for that I do love you a little bit less Jessica – I also had several cries of sadness…
Because unfortunately this amazing author keeps on finding ways to break our characters’ hearts and mine too!
Both Hollie and Jake have to face again a few setbacks, and just like they say themselves, haven’t they have been through enough already? 

Despite everything dark on their paths (again!), it also brought me to tears to see how this couple is just perfect for each other. They understand each other without words, they know how to comfort each other. They know when to speak out, or when to keep quiet.
That is the kind of love that I now need to find myself. I will not settle for anything less! Because even if their love may seem corny, it’s just perfect in every possible way. 

I also loved reading Kerry’s story, even if that one too brought me to tears!
As a reader, we already know that her life is a hectic one, as she is being a single mother of four kids. Yet I didn’t expect that her tale would be so heart – breaking. With some flashbacks, we get to know how she ended up being single. And with those flashbacks, we see what a loving person she truly was and still is.
Her ex for sure didn’t score any points in my book, all the things he did to our lovely Kerry and thinks he can still get things his way with a sudden reappearance after many years of radio silence. 

Kerry is amazing as a person, but also a wonderful, marvellous mother. Despite her own feelings, she does what’s best for her children. And everything she does, is done for her children. I loved seeing her in mum – modus, being kind and gentle when needed, but also firm and strict when the children would act out.
And she isn’t afraid to act all firm and strict towards her ex, when his behaviour is risking to get her children all messed up. 

Kerry is the kind of person that would put her own happiness aside for her children. So while perhaps there may be or not may be someone for her, her main focus is and will always be her children. With so many changes in their young lives, Kerry cannot give any of her time to love.
And luckily for us, Artie is the most understanding person in the world. He knows that Kerry’s children will always be Nr. 1 on her list.  

This was again a wonderful story, bringing me laughter but also many tears. Sometimes it were the small bits making me cry, but also the bigger events made me sob…
Jessica Redland shows again with this book that life has its ups and downs. Everyone experiences heartbreak at more moments in life.
Yet Jessica also shows us that there are many rainbows and lovely summer nights making all the wrong things right again.
When you have your people, even the worst things cannot bring you down. With all their support and love, you will find the motivation, the courage and the will to move on.  

Now Jessica, can you please write a story which won’t turn me into a mess with a tear – streaked face, unable to talk to people for a long while after closing your book??? 😊

When the past is forgotten for real, yet remains a hurtful memory…

Synopsis

Sometimes when you can’t see the way forwards, the best thing to do is to look back…

When Jessie left home at eighteen, she swore she’d never go back. But when life takes a turn for the complicated, she’s forced to move in with her twin, Isaac, and his two best friends. To her dismay, one of these is Elliot, the boy Jessie once loved, until his life was changed forever by a terrible accident that Jessie still blames herself for.

Cohabiting with three alarmingly unhouse-trained males was not in Jessie’s life plan so when Isaac, Elliot and Arthur offer her a generous rent discount if she’ll help them with their ‘Boys to Men Project’, designed to end years of disastrous dating, she reluctantly accepts the challenge.

As Jessie embraces the comfort of being home, revelling in her new job at her parents’ day centre full of people determined to grow old disgracefully, she realises her housemates aren’t the only ones needing to make some changes. And maybe, if she can finally forgive herself for Elliot’s accident, she can start to look forward to a future, with or without him by her side.

My review

Jessie left her home at eighteen, with the intention of never ging back. However, now she has no other option than moving in with her twin brother Isaac.
But she couldn’t be more shocked realizing that she would not only be living with Isaac, but also with his two best friends. Normally it wouldn’t be such a great deal, if it weren’t that it would mean living together with Elliot, Jessie’s first love. A first love that never took off, as Elliot’s life changed dramatically after a terrible accident that Jessie blames herself for.
Yet Jessie finds herself helping the three men with their ‘Boys To Men Project’, with the purpose of finding love, and show people Isaac, Arthur and Elliot can be real adults.
Being back home means for Jessie to find back a lost comfort, making people’s day while working at her parents’ day centre and perhaps even find a way to forgive herself for Elliot’s accident and finally have the chance to move on? 

Reading a story written by Beth Moran is not always easy. Not because she is a terrible writer, on the contrary! But it’s just that she writes stories where her characters had gone or have to go through terrible things…
Yet I also know that every tear will be worth as in the end, I will have read a beautiful, hopeful and heart – warming tale 

At the beginning, I found it hard to understand how Jessie would be able to stay away from her family, and especially her twin and also best friend Isaac. Even knowing that something terrible had happened in the past, and she is still blaming herself for it, I couldn’t do what she did as I am also very close to my brother and my parents. 

And not knowing what had happened, or what the consequences were of that accident, had my mind going in overdrive. I NEEDED to know what exactly happened, and how it had affected everyone. So meeting Elliot for the first time was somehow a shock to me, as he appeared to be rather unscratched.
But it’s only after getting to know him better and having Jessie’s flashbacks that I truly understood what the accident did to Elliot. 

While the focus was mainly on Jessie and her feelings of guilt and feeling at loss, I found that this story went much deeper than just a woman going back hope and meeting her first love again.
Yes, absolutely, it was great to read how Jessie finds her home again, and even excelled at her job. Yet it felt also like a lesson somehow. Because starting all over again, like Jessie, but also like Elliot, is not easy. Especially as you are not the person who you were before, or the person people expect you to be. 

It broke my heart to see how Elliot is still struggling with just life in general. But on the other hand it also melted my heart to see how he keeps on trying to be an example to children, by showing that different doesn’t mean not good enough.
I for sure could comprehend Elliot’s anger when there was some wrong – doing and I cannot say I would have been able to keep my calm either!. 

This story is filled with wonderful, marvellous but also hilarious moments! Especially Arthur deserves his own credit as his behaviour was often odd, yet it made me smile if not laugh every time he entered the scene! 

Beth Moran showed again with this book how wrong we sometimes can be in our own head, and like in Jessie’s case, even sabotage ourselves in a way, because of our guilt.
But she also shows us that sometimes life goes as it goes, and we cannot keep on carrying that guilt around. Because not always that guilt is justified.
And that perhaps a second chance can be found.  

While reading, I managed to keep my tears where they belonged, yet those last few chapters, with an amazing revelation that perhaps didn’t come as a total surprise, I found myself crying of joy. And when a book can bring you to express such emotions, you knew you read something amazing!

Love over several decades…

Synopsis

1939 – American heiress Vivi Miles falls for naval officer Nathan as soon as she arrives in England. And, under the threat of war, they marry in a whirlwind before he leaves to join his ship.

When Nathan returns from Dunkirk injured, he is distant, aloof, and no longer the man Vivi fell in love with. But it’s not just because of his brutal experiences of war. Nathan has a secret and Vivi suspects it’s linked to the mysterious evacuee at the secluded house in the woods on his Kent estate.

As war continues to rage, Vivi battles her own grief and loneliness, and tries to find out the truth of the girl’s identity, uncovering a scandal from the past.

Is her love for Nathan strong enough to survive?

My review

Vivi Miles moves in 1939 from America to England. Little did she know that she would fall in love so quickly with naval officer Nathan. With the threat of war, they decide to get married before Nathan leaves to join his ship.
Vivi is waiting anxiously for his return, but Nathan is not the same after being in Dunkirk and got injured. Vivi does her best to find the man back she fell in love with, but it’s not easy, especially as she suspects that Nathan is keeping secrets from her.
With the war still going on, and even when the war is definitely over, Vivi is surrounded by grief, loneliness, and even heart – break as she discovers scandals and secrets not only from a faraway past, but also a more recent one, affecting her more than she would think… 

A story taking place during war always intrigues. I want to know how the characters experience those hard times and how they try to keep on moving on, despite all the terrible things happening around them.
And then there is this story, which contains all the above, but also shows us what happens several years later. 

When Vivi arrived in England, I was curious to see how this American girl would adapt in a whole different world and with a looming war around the corner.
So when she meets Nathan, I was somehow happy to see how she could envision her future in England with a man she has fallen in love with.
Yet I have to admit that it happened all rather quickly for me. They met, they write letters and then they marry. But that is maybe also an effect of the war, wanting to catch the moment, and enjoy those happy moments whenever you can. 

However, it appears that Vivi wasn’t meant to have many happy moments… she quickly had to face several tragedies on her own, not having someone close to confide in…
Yet these tragedies also shows the readers what a surprisingly strong character Vivi is.
Obviously, each tragedy Vivi needed her time to process it all, yet each time she manged to get up again and move on from it. 

It saddened me to read how Nathan changed with thank to the war, and how cold he was around Vivi. Of course he has seen terrible things and he is literally scarred by the war, yet I found it not always easy to like him. And living his life or just living next to him cannot have been easy, as it wasn’t in real life. 

The secret he had wasn’t really a great shock, but perhaps I would have liked to see more of the run – up and more depth? Also, with that prologue I expected more from Elise’s character, while now she was more on the background, while her presence in the book for sure had important consequences. And while the focus was on Vivi, I also felt that Elise deserved her own spotlight, even if Fate didn’t treat her that well. 

However, despite everything our main characters went through, it is clear that people would do anything for love, and are ready to face the consequences of their choices. I admired Vivi’s strength and kind heart, doing the impossible after a betrayal. But I also understood Nathan’s limbo and scars and also saw and comprehended Elise’s feelings, courage and strength. 

This was a story filled with sadness, hardships, pain and betrayal, but love, compassion and care stood above all those negative feelings. And even during the thirty years’ time span, it shows that wonderful things can come from things that hurt us the most.

Fan mail isn’t always what it seems to be…

Synopsis

A barrage of threatening letters, a car bomb, and a heart attack rip apart what was once a close-knit family of adopted brothers. Randy and Bobby, along with fellow band member and best friend, Danny, receive fan mail that turns menacing. They ignore it, but to their detriment. The sender turns up the heat. Violence upends their world. It rocks the relationship between the boys and ripples through their family, nearly killing their dad. As these boys turn on each other, adopted brother Brian flashes back to that event in Arizona where he nearly lost his life saving his brothers. The scars on his face and arms healed, but not his heart. Would he once again have to put himself in harm’s way to save them? And if faced with that choice, will he?

Guest Post

Guest Post by Joseph Lewis, Author of Fan Mail

Recently, I was interviewed on The Author’s Spot Podcast and you can find it at: https://podcast.theauthorsspot.com/1973858/12365749

The interview touched on my life and my writing, and of course, my newest book, Fan Mail. I hope you take a listen. The interviewer, K. E. Robinson, was prepared beyond belief. He knew my books and my writing, and it made speaking with him not only easy but also enjoyable.

When I write, I write about an idea that came to me, and honestly, my ideas sometimes come in the strangest of ways. For instance, when I got the idea for Caught in a Web, which was published in 2018, I was sitting at my kitchen table reading the local newspaper. On the front page was an article about the rise of fentanyl and heroin deaths in our area, especially amongadolescents. About two or three pages after, there was an article about a violent and vicious gang, MS-13, and their rise and spread into Northern and Central Virginia, my home area. The idea for my book, which won three awards and was named “One of the Best Crime Fiction Books of 2018” by BestThrillers, was born. 

When I got the idea for Spiral Into Darkness, I was an administrator at the time, and I was talking to my psychology teacher. My background is psychology and counseling, and we were having a discussion on nature vs nurture: are we the way we are based upon genetics, or are we the way we are based upon our situational life experiences? An age old question that is still debated. That evening, I watched an episode of Criminal Minds about a serial killer. The idea popped into my head: is a serial killer born a serial killer, or is there a trigger that causes one to become a serial killer?

I think I can speak for most writers when I say that this is the norm. Ideas happen, and theysometimes happen in the strangest of ways.

I think the major gift or need a writer has at his or her disposal is to be aware. To be aware of lifehappening around them. Conversations. Mannerisms. Modes of dress. Colors. Buildings. Events as they happen. Books one reads, TV shows and movies one watches, and music one listens to. All of this is potential fodder for, and the guts of, a story. 

Honestly, I’ve been blessed. As a guy who has spent the last 47 years in education as a teacher, coach, counselor, and administrator, I’ve watched and listened to kids and the adults they interact with. Kids walked past me in the hallways. I monitored the cafeteria where they ate, or where they visited with friends, worked, and sometimes took a nap. I chaperoned dances and officiated commencement. I owe a great deal to the kids and the staff I worked with. It is their voices, their actions, their events that take place between the covers of my books.

I think because of my work, my main characters are adolescents. Specifically, a patchwork family of seven adopted brothers who carry baggage- some big and ugly, some small and ugly, but they all have baggage. Of course, because I write thriller-crime-mystery fiction, I have a trio of three detectives who appear in each of my books. 

In my newest book, Fan Mail, the baggage the boys carry gets the better of them. A car bomb begins the action. This is followed by a barrage of fan mail sent to two of the brothers and a close friend who gained a modicum of celebrity in a local band. These letters become more threatening as it is ignored. The car bomb and the letters cause an inordinate amount of stress that brings about their father’s heart attack. All of this threatens to tear apart this close-knit and loving family. The boys turn on each other. Trust is lost and friendships are tested. And the three detectives race to find who is behind the car bomb and the letters before anyone gets hurt or dies.

The idea behind Fan Mail? An article I read about how celebrity kids handle, or sometimes, didn’t handle life in the spotlight, and how this affected their lives and the lives around them.Again, an idea that came to me in a strange way. Had I not been paying attention, Fan Mailwouldn’t have been written.

Can a marriage of convenience turn into something more?

Synopsis

Wed to a stranger

Awakened by his touch

As the new wife of stoic knight Benedictus Monceaux, innocent Adela finds herself in a whole new world… Their union is one of convenience and power, but her feelings for the warrior unsettle and excite her. Hiding an inner strength, Adela knows she can be a strong ally to her husband but first she must walk a fine line between duty and desire, both in court and in the bedchamber.

My review

Adela has not seen much of the real worlds, as her parents always made sure that she was being kept pure and innocent, for her arranged marriage with Knight Benedict Monceaux. Her own family paid more attention to the prestige of being linked to a well – known name than looking and loving Adela like normal families would.
Benedict Monceaux was never looking forwards to getting married and kept postponing any further preparations. That is until his cause and his duty towards the King require more funds.
Adela could not be happier to marry Benedict, not because she loves him, but she sees it as an escape from her own personal prison. And Benedict cannot wait to use the dowry to help his King, and is ready to leave his fresh bride with her family.
But Adela won’t let her freedom slip through her fingers and stands her ground to go with Benedict to Windsor.
And Benedict may perhaps realize that Adela can be a strong ally, not only what concerns his duty as a Knight, but also the duty of a married couple… 

Having read all the previous parts of this series, it’s easy to say that Benedict was the most enigmatic, closed and even coldest of all the Knights. And that made me very curious to see what kind of woman would make us show a human, warmer side of this Knight.
But be reassured, even if you haven’t read the previous parts, you can easily catch up while reading this amazing book, that somehow even turned out to be one of the funniest of the series! 

Of all the kinds of women Benedict could be ‘ending up’ with, Adela would be the last of my thoughts, especially when we first meet her.
At the start, she seemed like a really meek, otherworldly young woman. Yes, it isn’t her fault she never left her own room, and this fact made me pity her a lot.
I felt even more sorry realizing that her own family used her for their own benefits, but also Benedict somehow used her, marrying only for her dowry. And add to the equation that Benedict was ready to leave her with her terrible family after the wedding, well I can say with a clear conscience that he wasn’t scoring any points in his favour! 

So did I love it when Adela started to stand her ground? Absolutely! Did I love it when Benedict didn’t know what to do? Absolutely! 

The best part of this book was reading how Benedict is this strong, even terrifying knight, and yet he is at total loss whenever Adela is around. And on the other hand we have this vulnerable Adela, growing stronger on each page.
Somehow the roles were reversed and that added on the charm of this story! 

Of course, if Benedict would change his character suddenly, that wouldn’t seem realistic at all. So I liked how Ella Matthews managed to keep Benedict stoic, non – expressive, yet also showing us his tender side, without changing overnight.
And seeing this side of Benedict, the gentle manners in a Benedict – way towards Adela, and seeing this unlikely couple getting closer, well, it made my reading sessions! 

But also reading about his real feelings, his fears and sense of having lost everything and everyone he cares about, well, it made me understand his character even better. And even if I didn’t always agree with his behaviour or reasoning, I could understand where he was coming from.

Seeing Adela blossoming, adjusting to a new place, learning to get to know new people, learning to see through hypocrisy and see when someone is really sincere, like a character we already can count in our circle of friends, but also finding herself, was truly sweet to read.
Even at moments where everything seemed to be lost, I admired Adela for keeping her found strength. 

If there is one thing that will stay with me after reading this wonderful story, is that we should never judge a book by its cover, literally and figuratively speaking. It’s not being someone looks like a brute, that he is. It’s not because someone doesn’t express himself very well, that he doesn’t feel deeply. And it’s not because someone hasn’t seen much of the real world, that she cannot of inestimable value and be an asset. Or if you haven’t been in love before, you will never feel that deep connection with someone.
Oh, and seeing Benedict being teased around by Theo for sure added an extra value! 😊

Come on, aren’t you even a bit curious to read this book?

Synopsis

A tale of two husbands, two wives, and the woman in between.

It is a June day and the rain is lashing down as Emma and Andrew move into the house of their dreams in an affluent London suburb. Two doors away, dejected Darren and Kelly are downsizing into their new home.

It doesn’t take long for the women to hit it off despite being opposites in many ways. Meanwhile Andrew, a teacher and poet, and Darren, an alarm systems installer, are at loggerheads from the word go. 

When Emma and Kelly decide to take breaks away together – to a spa, a countryside retreat, the Scottish Highlands – their men feel abandoned. Their animosity grows and the loyalty to their wives is tested when Mrs Hall moves in as their in-between neighbour. But who exactly is this woman and what game is she playing? 

The wives return from a stay in Scotland to discover that a lot has changed. Will their marriages be robust enough to survive?

Purchase Links

UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Darren-Andrew-Mrs-Hall-relationships-ebook/dp/B0BW9NDRYG

US – https://www.amazon.com/Darren-Andrew-Mrs-Hall-relationships-ebook/dp/B0BW9NDRYG

About the author

R J Gould writes contemporary fiction about relationships using a mix of wry humour and pathos to describe the tragi-comic life journeys of his protagonists. Darren, Andrew and Mrs Hall is his eighth novel and follows The Engagement Party, Jack and Jill Went Downhill, Mid-life follies, The bench by Cromer beach, Nothing Man, Dream Café and Then and now. He has been published by Headline Accent and Lume Books and also self-publishes. Before becoming a full-time author he worked in the education and charity sectors. In addition to his addiction to telling stories, he has somewhat milder addictions to playing tennis, watching film noir cinema, completing Wordle and eating dried mango slices. He is a member of Cambridge Writers and the Romantic Novelists’ Association UK and lives in Cambridge, England.

What a shared passion for music and living in Paris can do…

Synopsis

Step into the roaring 1920s Parisian music scene

Leaving Manhattan…

For a secret Parisian affair…

New York darling Elizabeth Van Hoeven has everything…except freedom. But now Eliza’s traveling to study piano at the Paris Conservatoire and falling for jazz prodigy Jack Coleman in the process! A love like theirs is forbidden back home, and as they make beautiful music together under the Parisian lights, Eliza and Jack face a difficult choice: the life they’ve always known, or the possibility of a life they never could have imagined…

My review

Elizabeth Van Hoeven is living in New York’s 1920’s as a privileged young woman. Her family comes with wealth and prestige. Yet the one thing that makes Eliza’s heart truly skip a beat, is music. Having the opportunity of a lifetime, Eliza moves to Paris to study piano. And it’s on the other side of the world that she meets Jack Coleman, a talented jazz player.
Their backgrounds couldn’t be more different, as a white Manhattan girl and a black Harlem man feel this impossible pull toward each other.
But while everything seems possible in Paris, choices need to made anyway… a future together filled with love, or a future apart with only the memory of that wonderful time together in Paris? 

There is always something that pulls me into the stories of impossible loves. Is it because I love reading how the heart wins over the mind? Or because of wonderful characters not listening to society and make the most difficult choices yet manage to find that perfect happiness?
I don’t know, but this story for sure shows us many prejudices, many dilemma’s but also that marvellous feeling of pure love, with the addition of a few famous characters that our main characters meet, having that little extra. 

I have always liked music, I always have music on, wherever I am. As background at the office, at home, and even singing out of tune in the shower.
However, playing instruments is not something I can do, except those few years we learned to play the flute at high school. But I always admired people who can play an instrument and even shred sometimes a tear while hearing talented players. 

So I took an immediate liking to Eliza, as I can only imagine being able to play the piano like her, but also perfectly understanding where those notes can take you while playing.
But I also admired her courage, to follow her passion. Maybe I am just a coward, but I would be terrified to move to the other side of the world, even with the opportunity of a lifetime. 

However, what I liked the most, was seeing Eliza finding her feet, finding herself while being in Paris. She discovers a whole different world, where people accept her and just everyone else, without any prejudice. And even at moments where her homebase seemingly wants to pull the strings, I liked how Eliza pulled herself free, and fought for her own happiness. 

A happiness she didn’t know, but found with Jack…
Jack is a man who has been through a lot, and not only because of him being black, but he has also seen terrible things while fighting during the war.
It hurt me seeing how people, especially in New York, were prejudiced towards him just because of the colour of his skin. And only made me realize that even a century later, these things still happen…
Why can we not just see people for who they really are and not for how they look like? 

Yet is was heart-warming to read how in Paris Jack gets the treatment he truly deserves, gets opportunities because of his talent. And seeing him feeling at home in Paris, was somehow even sweet. 

Eliza and Jack show their readers that love doesn’t look at someone’s appearance, but at someone’s heart. And seeing a shared love for music only makes that attraction even bigger.
While this story takes place in the 1920’s, I found this a story that is still very relatable now. It shows us that even if society wants us to make other choices, following your heart and your passions is always the right choice. And being set at a great place like Paris only shows us that the right place at the right time will bring us the most wonderful and amazing things!

The journey of love

Synopsis

Life is full of highs and lows, but it’s who helps us through that counts.

Stumbling across her teenage diaries in her childhood home, Charlie is instantly transported to the 1990s.

Charlie relives all the emotions and feelings as memories come flooding back, from first kiss to first love and everything in between.

Back in the present and Charlie discovers that even in the darkest of times, light and laughter can ALWAYS be found.

A heartfelt journey through life, from teenage angst to the trials and tribulations of adulthood. Family love, friendship and romance weave throughout but who will love you, always, forever?

My review

While being back in her childhood home, looking after her ill mother, Charlie suddenly finds her old diaries again.
Those diaries bring her immediately back into the 90’s, and Charlie finds herself on a memory journey, rediscovering young Charlie having her first kiss, falling in love for the first time, and all the struggles while growing into adulthood.
But also thanks to those diaries, Charlie realizes that no matter how difficult things may get in life, there can always be found a silver lining.
A silver lining that perhaps will be the start of something new…

As I was born in 1986, I truly lived the ’90 as a young girl. As a teenager I followed every possible hype, and even if I was not one to follow fashion, I still had those Buffalo boots (were they a hype everywhere or was it just in Belgium?) and had my first crush in those years.
So reading this book was for me, like many of my peers, a real throwback down to memory lane! 

Despite the title of this book, I didn’t know what to expect. Was it a romance about second chances at love? Or was it a story about having found that One Love? From its blurb I couldn’t truly get any actual hint, so I was very curious to know what it was about. 

And it took me while to get completely into this story, but once I got in, I couldn’t get out. Of course, Charlie’s diaries taking her back to a time I know so well (and not so long ago! 😊) made it easy to feel connected with Charlie.
But not only that, also Charlie’s journey to get at where she is right now, was so recognizable.  

I hope it doesn’t sound very condescending, but Charlie had a normal life. She grew up with all the issues every child, teenager and young adult had. She tried to find her own path, with trial and error, with falling in love and also with having doubts about everything and everyone.
It did ring a bell with me, and I am sure it will do also with you! 

But this wasn’t only a trip down memory lane, as we also see all – grown – up Charlie facing present hardships.
And somehow it was amazing to see the evolution Charlie made from a young girl to this adult woman, who can still stand strong, despite every curveball life throws her. 

I have to admit, it drove me a little bit crazy not knowing the endgame of her love life immediately. But that it also the charm of the book, because no matter how much you plan or dream, you can only hope for the best but can neve know how life will turn out the be and if that person you loved once so dearly will still be standing by your side so many years later.
And that mystery has been put to words so well by this author! 

While reading, you can clearly see how personal this book is for the author. She took some inspiration from her own experiences, and you can see that personal touch while reading.
And that extra touch made this book not only remember me myself growing up, but made me realize what a wonderful tale this was about where not only life can take you, but also love…

Three generations living now together in France, can they become closer after being adrift for so long?

Synopsis

A family reunited after a twenty-year estrangement, will discover secrets that change their lives forever…

Gabriella Jacques, is happy to be back in her childhood home, Villa Espoir in the South of France ready to embrace fresh experiences with friends new and old and to heal some deep family scars.

Recently widowed Harriet Rogers, hopes to rebuild her family life and reconnect with Elodie, the daughter she abandoned into her mother Gabby’s care to follow her heart. But when an acquaintance from the past seeks her out, Harriet fears a secretfrom her past will ruin her plans.

Elodie Jacques, adores her new life in her Grandmothers old home as a freelance journalist. Her relationship with her mother is tense as she struggles to understand why her mother won’t talk to her about the past, as until their past is resolved, there can be no future.

Will these three women, all living under the same roof after two decades adrift be able to put aside the past and find harmony in the present together?

My review

After spending last Christmas in the South of France, Gabriella and her granddaughter Elodie have finally moved permanently to Juan-les-Pins in the South of France. Even if the relationship is still strained, also Gabby’s daughter, and thus Elodie’s mother, Harriet is moving to Gabby’s childhood home.
Harriet hopes that she can have a chance to make amends, and make Elodie forgive her for abandoning her daughter.
But all that Elodie want is to understand why she was left behind. Because no matter how amazing Gabby looked after her, a young girl always wants her mother.
And all that Gabby truly wants, is that the people she loves the most find their way back to each other.  

After finishing Christmas On The Riviera, I was left with many unanswered questions. While it ended on a rather happy note, there were still unfinished business, and I needed to know what would happen once the women made their move.
Yes, I know these are all fictional characters, but it only shows how easy it is to get invested by the characters written by this amazing author. 

And obviously, I didn’t get disappointed! 

After finishing this lovely book, I honestly cannot say who my favourite character is. Because they are all three amazing, lovely and strong. Yet they are also vulnerable in their own specific ways and have all endured hardship one way or another.
I thought I would struggle more to like one character, yet having her full story, made me realize that not everything is always as simple as it looks. 

Having three generations living together under one roof cannot be easy, as there is obviously a generation gap. And then there is also the issue of Harriet’s past behaviour.
At first I hade my own judgement ready, yet the more I got into this story of three women trying to reconnect somehow, I could understood each woman separately so well.
I comprehended Elodie’s need to know, but also her keeping her distance and not fully trusting her own mother. 

But I also understood Harriet, after knowing what she has been through, trying to bond again with her daughter. But also with a blast from her past, her wish to do the right thing and respecting Elodie’s boundaries, and not rushing into things, made me see Harriet in a whole different, better, shinier light. 

And then there is Gabby, the matriarch of the family, whose greatest wish is to see her family united again. But as being older, she is also wiser and knows such things need time, from each side.  

It was lovely walking around in Juan-les-Pins again, discovering new places, meeting new and old friends and most of all seeing three women building a new life, starting a new adventure, together.
This story felt like while going back to the past, it allowed the characters to make great positive steps towards the future. 

Obviously there is some romance in it too, some not so surprising, yet others were. But the focus of love was that between these three women. Love that despite error and trial never disappeared but also love that needed to be reconquered. It made me realize that  love comes naturally, but also needs to be fought for. It can be a difficult fight, yet the result is a very rewarding one. 

I found this a wonderful return, where many burning questions were answered but also with several beautiful surprises. There were also some developments that weren’t that surprising however still amazing to read them.
It was truly marvellous to read how the strained relationships between these women slowed changed and it warmed my heart to see that in the end, it’s never too late…