Tizi’s Book Review

Of course it all happens at once…

Synopsis

Olivia doesn’t believe in happy families. She can’t trust men to be reliable, so she’d rather manage without one. As for kids – she’s never having those.

Marine biologist Walter is losing his daughter. He longs for a second chance to prove he can be a reliable dad.

When Olivia discovers she’s pregnant by her douchebag ex, Walter finally sees a way to be more than just a friend-with-benefits to her.

But how can he persuade the most independent woman he’s ever met to accept his help, let alone his heart?

Girl In Trouble is a standalone novel in the award nominated Smart Girls series. If you like warm, witty, women’s fiction, you’ll love this book. Ideal for fans of Meg Cabot or Jennifer Crusie.

My review

If there is one woman that men are afraid of, it has to be Olivia. She drinks as a man (or even more and better), is truly independent and surely doesn’t want to have any kids.
She isn’t afraid of seeing men without any real commitment. So when her ‘boyfriend’ Will goes AWOL, it’s not that her heart got broken.
Olivia’s total opposite is her landlord Walter. Even if divorced, he tries to be the best dad he can for his little girl. But his job as a marine biologist doesn’t make it easy as he often needs to go away for research. And show him a spider and he goes totally crazy.
Luckily he can always ask Olivia to rescue him for the eight – legged monsters in his apartment.
What starts as a friendship, quickly develops into something more, until Olivia discovers she is pregnant. And it isn’t Walter’s…

Part three in a series, and stakes are high! I loved reading the previous parts and I was looking forward to read this next chapter.
But one thing I didn’t expect, was having my heart broken so many times… 

I love reading about strong, independent women, making their own success without needing a man holding their hands.
And that’s what I truly loved about Olivia. She doesn’t sit in a corner waiting for her knight in shing armour to save her, but she saves herself. Or even better, she makes sure she doesn’t need saving!
But the sad part of Olivia is that she doesn’t see the bright side of being in a real relationship and sees how lovely it is to build a life together. 

On the other side we have Walter. He had it all, but he lost it all too. And to make things even worse, his ex – wife is moving to the States, taking their daughter with her and her new man.
Seeing how that news devastated Walter, broke my heart the first time…
Because Walter is the kind of man who has all the good intentions, but sometimes fails in achieving them. And that is something that happens to every one of us. 

When reading the blurb, I thought the pregnancy would be taking part rather early in the story and that Walter would start persuading Olivia in keeping the child and becoming a family unit, even if it isn’t his child.
But somehow I was glad it turned out to be different, because now we got the chance to see how feelings started to bloom before everything takes a turn for the worse… 

There was one terrible event that broke my heart even more than before, and I just wanted to jump into the book and try to be any kind of consolation to our main character.
Because the way it happened was not by choice, and seeing a devasted Olivia shows the real Olivia, and not the façade she tries to keep up all the time.

The beauty of this story is that the main characters are so real, recognizable and always stay ‘in character’. Their past, even if for Olivia it was a hurtful one, made them to the person they are now, and they stay true to them. It’s not that they suddenly change, become the total opposite of what they were until now just to make it easy to reach that happily ever after.
Of course, both Olivia and Walter change, because that’s what love does to people, but it isn’t a total transformation. The changes are like baby – steps and just perfect for the people we start to care about so much. 

This story isn’t just filled with happy moments, but also with painful ones, just like happens in real life. And seeing how Olivia  realizes she also wants someone to love her, just the way she is, warmed my heart.
Because isn’t that what we all want, someone who loves us, no matter how weird we can be sometimes, or how terrified we can be of spiders…  

Honesty forces me to say that this wasn’t my favourite part of the series, but it felt like the most real one. And for me that is more than enough to love it!

Is there a line too far that you wouldn’t cross for your own child?

Synopsis

Two DNA tests, one big lie…

“As I speed off in the ambulance holding my daughter’s hand, I wonder how I could have been so stupid. I should have made the bargain, paid the price – anything to avoid being right here, right now.

A voice whispers in my head that I can’t silence. This is all your fault. You killed her. It’s her voice, the one I hear in my nightmares. The woman who stole my memories, the woman who stole my life. And, this time, I know she’s right.”

How far would you go to save your child?

Claire is living every mother’s worst nightmare. Her daughter, Jess, has been diagnosed with a rare illness and desperately needs a bone marrow transplant. With no match on the registry, Claire turns to a charismatic geneticist for help and embarks on a Genetic Journey to seek a familial match for her daughter.

On the other side of the country, Marianne suffers her eighth miscarriage. Her perfect life is rotting underneath, but she is determined to do whatever it takes to have a baby.

When DNA test results reveal that Claire and Marianne are half-sisters, Claire must face the dark lies of the past and make impossible choices about the future. Is her secret sister the answer to her prayers, or will she cost her everything?

My Secret Sister is a tense and emotional family drama with a moral dilemma at its heart. Fans of Liane Moriarty, Jodi Picoult, and John Marrs’ The One will be gripped.

My review

In San Francisco, Claire is living a nightmare… her daughter Jess has a rare illness and unless a match is found, there is nothing they can do.
The bone marrow transplant is their only option, but finding a match is not that easy.
As a mother, Claire would do anything for Jess, even putting Jess’ DNA in a worldwide system, hoping that somewhere a match can be found.
Meanwhile in Washington is Marianne having her own heartbreak. Another IVF has failed after many other attempts and miscarriages. And even if her marriage seems to be on its last breath, Marianne wants to do whatever it takes to become a mother.
Little did these two women except to be a match. And not just being a very very distant relative, but apparently they are sisters…
But is Marianne willing to be a donor? And at what price? And is Claire ready to pay for it? 

When I started to read this story, I was a bit afraid that Marianne would turn out to be a total psycho, demanding something absurd for just donating her bone marrow.
Especially after that prologue… 

But the more I read about Marianne and her desire and fails of becoming a mother, the more I realized that my initial impression was a wrong one.
I felt so sorry for her side of the story. I can imagine how much someone wishes to become a mother. And all the losses she had to endure… I found it terrible to read how after each disappointment her hope just diminished…
And seeing how her marriage was also falling apart, a husband becoming more and more distant, and absent, that is not something that Marianne deserved. 

However, Marianne’s story was a sad one, but Claire’s just a heart – breaking one…
I cannot imagine the horror of having a sick child, with almost no hope left to find a match. Of course I understood why Claire was going lengths to just find that one match that would save her little girl.
Reading how Jess tried to keep her head up high but also failing, broke my heart. Nobody, and especially no child should endure such tragedies.
And my heart got broken even more to see how this ugly disease affected all the family members. I understood the fight Claire was having, to save her little girl, but seeing how she acted around her other daughter Becky…

Becky isn’t the easiest teenager in the world, but let’s be honest, which teenager is? She is maybe impulsive, but it’s obvious she adores her little sister… And Claire’s behaviour is just uncalled for.

When the truth about the relation between Marianne and Claire is revealed, was a bit over the top, and the extra revelation even more, but of course the author had to pull a rabbit out of the head to link both women.

This was a gripping story to read, about women having to face their most terrible nightmare, trying to keep all the balls in the air, and learning that their past has been partially filled with lies from someone they both loved.
But this book is also filled with hope, because let’s be honest, hope is always the last thing to die. And the lesson that help doesn’t come always in the way we expect, but the way it comes doesn’t matter, but what we gain from it, is.
And maybe, just maybe, a tragedy can bring new, unexpected people in your life that even after an initial hesitating may fill that gap in your heart you didn’t know about…

Secrets nobody knows of, or do they?

Synopsis

Colm O’Flynn was loved by his close circle of family and friends, however his death came too soon for everyone to make peace with their past.

Shauna, his second wife, adored him. But one night she broke their marriage vows, and didn’t get time to ask Colm’s forgiveness.

Jess was the first Mrs O’Flynn. Her heart is set on someone new, but will the last one night stand she shared with Colm come back to haunt her?

Colm’s best friend, Dan, is recently divorced. Can he take a second shot at happiness if it means betraying the one person who always had his back?

What no-one knows is that somewhere out there Colm left messages that could set them free to start over again.

Can divine intervention help them find Colm’s last wishes before it’s too late to love again?

My review

Losing The One is the most hurtful thing Shauna experienced, after her husband Colm died. But what haunts her also, is that, despite their wonderful marriage, there was one night that she still regrets. And with Colm gone now, she will never have the chance to ask for forgiveness.
If there is one person that understands her pain of losing Col, it surely is Jess, Colm’s first wife. No matter what everyone thinks, Shauna and Jess have become real friends, having each other’s back no matter what.
And Shauna can also count on Dan, as she is living in the apartment he owns. Dan is Colm’s best friend and wants to make sure that Shauna can always rely on him, even when he is struggling with his own recent divorce. 

But what nobody knows, is that somewhere there are messages from Colm hidden, that will not only uncover some kept secrets, but will also allow these friends to put their pain behind them. 

The talent of this author is that she never writes ‘easy’ stories but no matter how much your own heart will endure, you will find in the end that the sense of contentment in the end was worth of all the pain you felt and tissues you used.
And this story isn’t an exception! 

This story works with flashbacks, letting the readers see how Colm is fighting his disease and how he wants to leave important messages to his loved ones.
And boy, did these messages break my heart!
I found it lovely to see how Colm addressed Shauna, remembering the wonderful moments they had together.
But seeing him struggling with the harder bits, knowing it would break Shauna’s heart, was hurtful also for me.
And seeing how his health deteriorate, was just terrible. 

But what warmed my heart was, seeing how, despite losing Colm, Shauna has a whole close circle of friends, understanding how she feels and knowing what she needs, and when.
And even if these friends did things that I normally would condemn, somehow it all made sense when these things happened.
Not that I now would accept that in real life, but in this specific situation, with these lovely characters, it made sense.
Whatever they did, they didn’t do it to hurt their loved ones, and it was immediately followed by immense regret.
And in Shauna’s case, it was even worse, because she never got the chance to apologize to Colm for it… 

If you are looking for a story filled with happiness, don’t read this great book. But if you want to read a story that will make you grip your heart, I recommend to read this story, without a doubt.
It’s about losing the love of your life, and the grief following your loss. But it’s also about real friendship, seeing reason despite the hurt, finding the guts to move on (but never forget the one you lost) and put a stop on what/who hurts you the most. 

The main characters in the present show a resilience and courage that isn’t easy to find. And thanks to those sudden found messages from the past (tear – jerking moments!!!) they see where they were in the wrong, and realize that letting go of the past (and your safety cushion) will only benefit you and those friends that were and always will be a rock in your life.

Not always it’s an happily ever after…

Synopsis

Ed & Lily have a problem. It’s the day before Christmas Eve and the relationship everyone believed was rock solid is in trouble. It’s not just the past getting in the way, it’s the present too. 

They’ve got thirty-six hours before they fly to Iceland for a snowy Christmas break. Can they resolve their differences or will their plane leave London without them?

A story about love, loss and chasing your dreams.

My review

When Ed & Lily got together, it was just perfect. But now, their relationship may not be as solid as everyone thinks.
Trying to find each other back again, the plan is to fly over to Iceland for their Christmas break. But with only thirty – six hours left for departure, both Ed and Lily are struggling with getting on time on the plane. Will they both make it on time? And not only on the place, will they make it in time to save what’s left of their relationship? Because in order to resolve their differences, they both have to look at both past and present to see if ‘they’ are worth saving or not… 

In a romantic story, when people get together, that means the ending of the book. So we all imagine the main characters got their happily ever after and live together with all the puppies and sunshine, polka dots and moonbeams etc. 

But of course, in real life we all know that a relationship is hard work, and even after several years it’s all about compromising and trying to keep everything together.
And sometimes a couple has to make that difficult choice: staying together or breaking up? Because let’s be honest, sometimes love is not just enough… 

And Ed and Lily are now facing this exact tipping point. Going to Iceland will determine if they are worth the fight or not…

As a reader, we are taking part of the rollercoaster that Ed’s and Lily’s relationship is. Through flashbacks we not only get to see how they got together, but we also get to know the important events that made them the persons they are now. 

Lily has the terrible habit of getting everywhere too late, and losing half of her stuff. But it’s easy to see how kind, gentle and altruistic she is. She wants to be that person that made a difference in a someone else’s life.  

And Ed, he is struggling to express his true feelings, not wanting to stand in the way of Lily and her dreams.
He would do anything to make her happy and doesn’t want to be the man that holds Lily back.
But there is a limit at what Ed can take… And jealousy and kept secrets aren’t really helping… 

This story shows us the beauty of getting together but also how difficult it can be to keep it all together.
It’s not easy to make a choice of following your dreams and be in a happy relationship. Relationships are about compromising, but how far is someone able to compromise? Is following your dreams and passion worth the end of a relationship? Or is staying with a person you love, worth of putting your own dreams away? 

The author managed perfectly to put all the struggles into words, but without making it a depressing story. The hard parts are perfectly broken up with the lovely bits.
And as a reader, you have no clue where the story will go. Will it be a lovely reunion with realizing that being apart is not a solution? Or will it be the end of a beautiful tale but life is taking Ed and Lily on different paths?

A beautiful, emotional, realistic story, with characters that are not perfect, but impossible not to love!

Two broken people in the City of Love

Synopsis

Escape to the breath-taking beauty of Venice – The City of Love.

When pragmatic, sensible and resolutely single Deirdre York (Didi to her friends) is sent to Venice for work she is determined not to be taken in by the romantic clichés. Winter in the floating city may be breathtakingly beautiful, but she’s here with a clear purpose and will not let the magic of Venice distract her.

Piero Zanetti is the epitome of the handsome yet tortured artist. Heart-broken by the end of his love affair with a glamorous opera singer, he has lost his ability to work, and his inspiration has drained away, along with his zest for life.

But Didi needs Piero working – she has been tasked with commissioning him to do a glass centrepiece for a luxury department store Christmas display – some how Didi has tocheer Piero up or at least find him a new muse…

As Didi and Piero slowly become friends, and as Venice starts to melt Didi’s heart and gently nudge Piero out of the blues, something special begins to happen. Can Venice – the City of Love – work a Christmas miracle and help Didi and Piero to find their happiness at last…

Leonie Mack is back with the most gloriously romantic escape, perfect for all fans of Mandy Baggot, Jo Thomasand Carole Matthews.

My review

Deirdre York, Didi for her friends, has been tasked with persuading Piero Zanetti to create a glass centrepiece for a Christmas display in a luxury department store.
Taking off to Venice, where Piero is living, she is certain that she will succeed. But Piero, since he got heart – broken, has lost his inspiration and surely wouldn’t think about taking money for his art, even if inspiration would struck him.
However, Didi won’t accept a ‘no’ for an answer and while becoming slowly friends, both Didi and Piero realize they have more in common than thought, even hating the same romantic clichés.
While exploring the beauty of Venice, Didi’s heart is finally start to melt and Piero is getting out of his dark moods.
Will Didi manage to have Piero creating a masterpiece? And will these two broken people have a chance for their own happiness? 

I have to tell you all a little secret, and I know it’s an unpopular opinion, so I’m risking many angry people over here…
I have explored Venice myself, and – be warned – I found it a bit overrated. Okay, there are lovely places and buildings to visit. And Venice has its historical background. But just like Didi, I am a bit appalled of how touristic it all is now.
If only it wouldn’t be so crowded all the time, it would make it a lovelier place. 

So when I started to read this story, even if it took place in Italy and me being Italian (or Belgian, depends on which book I’m reading 😊), I kept my little dislike for Venice in the background of my mind. 

When I realized that Didi shared somehow my opinion, I was glad I found a kindred spirit. I didn’t have to pretend to like all the hot spots and Didi expressed perfectly my thoughts.
I found Didi easy to like. She is a focused woman, determined in whatever she does, even if that means going to Venice and try to persuade the most stubborn man of the world.
Even if she has never ever truly fallen in love, she is a loving character. Her love for her sister is obvious each time they talk and she is truly worried for her sister. 

Didi may seem like a cold person initially, she dislikes all kind of romantic clichés, but the more I got to know her better, the more I saw where she came from. Her family past made her create a high wall, just to avoid of getting hurt, but also that wall makes it impossible for her to break it down. 

Piero… talking about Italian men! All non – Italian people have this image of Italian men, players, good looking, going from one woman to another. But Piero is for me the typical Italian man. Stubborn, brooding, proud, strong yet also fragile.
His pain does not only come from a broking heart, but also the relation with his father isn’t a great one. And, typical Italian, both men are holding their grudge towards each other instead of just talking! 

This story took me to Venice, but it showed me the beauty I didn’t initially saw. The art of glass making was well explained and even if it were merely words, I could see the pieces that Piero and his father created.

But this wasn’t just a book about the places in Venice, it was about characters thinking that they are somehow not worthy of what’s in front of them. Thinking in a negative way, will only pull you down even more. But when the right person comes in your life, even as broken as you are, you will see the beauty that is around you. And that walls, no matter how high they are, can be crushed down and even the most critic person in the world can start to see how sometimes all we need, is a romantic cliché… 

A wonderful romantic tale, in a place that will take your breath away, about people that will steal a piece of your heart even if theirs were initially broken.

Food, to make, to eat, to save

Synopsis

Can they stand the heat…?

Maggie’s in the running to be the next head chef at Michelin-starred Manhattan restaurant, Jean-Sébastien’s. Unfortunately, she’s competing against notoriously arrogant Ethan to prove she’s the best chef for the job.

Food critic Emily can make or break a chef’s career. When she visits the restaurant to see what interim head chef, Maggie, has to offer, Emily is having a particularly bad day…

Single mum Nayomi needs a job and Jean-Sébastien’s needs a kitchen porter – perfect! She just has to keep her head down and money coming in. But she’s desperate to speak up and help struggling chef Maggie – Nayomi’s own skills might be just the recipe to save Maggie’s career and impress Emily.

A delicious story of unexpected friendship and risking it all, for fans of Zara Stoneley and Lauren Weisberger.

My review

Jean – Sébastien’s is a Michelin – starred restaurant in Manhattan. But when the head chef, Jean Sébastian suddenly dies, Maggie hopes she will finally be able to prove her worth and become the next chef, in honour of her mentor.
But then she sees her promotion changing into an interim job, and her worst enemy Ethan is ready to take over the chef’s cap…
And it doesn’t help when food critic Emily visits the restaurant. One review from her can make or break a chef’s career. And Emily feels she has a score to settle…
But Maggie finds helps in the newly hired kitchen porter Nayomi, a single mum in need of the extra cash.
Despite Nayomi’s resolution to be as invisible as possible, she cannot stand and just watch Maggie struggling. And Nayomi’s background can be exactly the thing to help Maggie out.

I love reading books and watching movies about food. And I am always intrigued by how it works behind the scenes in a restaurant. but I can say with 100% certainty that it is a job I would never ever ever do it myself.
So I have respect for people who work every day,  every shift in a restaurant to just let us enjoy a lovely meal!

At first I thought I would be confused while reading this book, as there are three main characters, facing their own struggles.
But my fears were unfounded, as it was very easy to keep track of just everyone’s background.

All the women are facing difficulties in their lives and are struggling with just keeping their head straight.
I am not going to tell exactly what each woman has to endure, because I want you to discover every story yourself.
But I cannot not say how even if apparently there was no emotional link between the women, it all came together and the missing bits were linked together.

This story is about strong women, trying to stand up again after a great pain. In their own way, they try to stand their ground, but have to face the emotional background and pick up the pieces again.
Not only is it about making amends, but also about following your passions, dare to move on and allow love (back) in your life. Not only the love – love but the friendship – love, the parent – child love and food – love also!

I found this a lovely story to read, and it reminded me of movies and I saw and I saw while reading a lot of potential in making into a movie, with a better storyline than the already seen movies.
The author shows us in this book how wrong sometimes our perception of an event can be. But also that another hurtful event can be the start of something new and the possibility to do some internal search of what we truly want from our lives.
And that no matter what happened in the past it’s never too late to undo the wrong we once did.
Oh, and there is tons of food in it! Just dig in!

When you have something to prove…

Synopsis

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

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

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

My review

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

When the ghosts of a far past are haunting you.

Synopsis

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

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

Cornwall, England, 2015

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

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

Belgium, 1815

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

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

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

And has Anna finally found where she belongs…?

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

My review

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

One strange gift, with many new opportunities as a result

Synopsis

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

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

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

My review

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A fake fiancée, what could go wrong?

Synopsis

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

My review

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

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

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

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

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

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

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