Tizi’s Book Review

When the past and present come together.

Synopsis

Everything is about to change…

1789. Pierre and Catherine Aubert, the Comte and Comtesse de Verais, have fled the palace of Versailles for their château, deep in the French Alps. But as revolution spreads through the country, even hidden away the Auberts will not be safe forever. Soon they must make a terrible decision in order to protect themselves, and their children, from harm.

Present day. When Lu’s mother dies leaving her heartbroken, the chance to move to a château in the south of France with her husband and best friends seems an opportunity for a new beginning. But Lu can’t resist digging into their new home’s history, and when she stumbles across the unexplained disappearance of Catherine Aubert, the château begins to reveal its secrets – and a mystery unsolved for centuries is uncovered…

My review

Lu is finding herself a bit lost after her mother’s death. She took care of her mother, giving up her job for it. But now she doesn’t know what to do, as also her children have left the house.
When she gets the opportunity to buy a château with her husband and their best friends, she takes it.

Initially she is not sure and she is also afraid she will feel out of her depth. As she is always intrigued by history, she wants to find the history of the château. And when she is told that it’s haunted and that a woman disappeared in the 18th century, she has to find the truth.

In the 18th century, Pierre and Catherine Aubert were staying at the palace of Versailles. But as the revolution is getting closer, hey see no other option than escaping to Pierre’s château in the French Alps.
But revolution is not only taking place in Paris, but in all French. Is their upper-class as Comte and Comtesse making their situation becoming a dangerous one? And what can they do to protect themselves and their children?

This book is actually 2 stories for the price of one, a real promotion! ☺️
We get to know Lu and her new adventure. After losing her mother, she does not know what to do with her life. After an evening of too much drinking with friends, an idea takes place and the whole bunch are going to buy a place in France, having no real obligations at home.
Lu is reluctant, which makes real sense. Leaving everything behind is not so easy. And moving to a whole other country, is even more difficult. And of course, you can be best friends, but spending the whole time together, wouldn’t it jeopardize their friendship?

Initially she appears to be a very insecure woman. She doubts the made decisions, but she is also afraid to be a party – pooper and spoil the enthusiasm of the rest.  But slowly she finds her way in France, and she finds a purpose. It starts with wanting to figure out the past of the château, to taking care of a dog, and start teaching again. she blossoms to a warm and kind person. We know that she is the caring type, as she took care of her mother, and even if she is too preoccupied about her husband’s health, we know she does it for the right reasons.

Next to Lu her story, we are back in the past, getting to know Catherine and her husband. Initially they are spending time at Versailles. Catherine is a young woman, in awe of Marie – Antoinette. She has never known any better than wealth and is shocked when the ‘normal’ people are turning again their King and Queen. Of course history told us what was going on during that period, but Catherine has no clue. This shows a bit of her naivety, but we must not forget that she is young and simply does not know better. 
At the chateau, Catherine has to change her perspective. She grows up, and learns valuable lessons.

But of course the mystery remains. What happened to Catherine and Pierre? And together with Lu we are finding out what happened to the couple.
I sensed where the story would go to and even if Catherine was being rather happy at the chateau, there was this sense of doom.
I wanted that there was a way of turning Catherine’s cards. I felt sympathy for her, but I was also proud of how she managed to change her way of life.
And for Lu I was happy as she was finding her footing in a total strange country.

This story kept me going, wanting to know when Lu’s and Catherine’s worlds would come together. I was eager to know when the secrets would be out and that all characters would find their peace, each at their own way.

A story about changing your home, coping with changes, but having your loved ones near, and finding your peace.

It’s not all just black or white…

Synopsis

Falling for the man

Cressida Howe, the Archer, is a well-tuned weapon. But she’s also a woman captivated by a man—Eldric of Hawskmoor, the warrior knight her father ordered her to kill. Instead, for years, Cressida has simply watched him… Now she’s been captured by her formidable enemy, and her well-ordered world comes crashing down, for Eldric is even more compelling up close. Cressida curses her traitorous heart—this assassin has fallen for her target!

My review

The Archer is a weapon, following orders from her father without question. Nobody knows she’s a woman and she wants to keep it that way. Problem is that now she captivated by Eldric of Hawskmoor. He wants vengeance for the assassination of his friends and wats to bring her to the King for her punishment. Except he never expected to imprison a woman… and certainly he wasn’t expecting that The Archer, Cressida Howe, would be so intriguing!

Again a beautiful story written by Nicole!
This time there is absolutely no question of having a damsel in distress. But totally the opposite! She is a true warrior! She fights harder than any other solder, is strong, knows how to hide so nobody finds her.
But behind the hard armour, we get to know Cressida also as a vulnerable woman. She just wants to be loved and accepted by her father and does everything for him.
She doesn’t only want her father’s love, but when it’s clear she watched Eldric even before he captured her, and there is even a little history between them, I even liked her more!
I respected her strength but I felt sorry for her when it was clear she doesn’t has anybody that loves her…

And Eldric… he wants vengeance but sees more into Cresside than he wants to see. He senses that there is more than meets the eye and that Cressida is not just a ruthless killer.

Their characters are so opposite, they clash more than have something in common. But the more time they spend together, we get to know them for what they truly are.
Both Cressida and Eldric have fears of not being accepted and feel like outcasts.

This book is shows us that there is always more than just one side of a story and that the world is not just good or evil. Sometimes people do things because of a hidden reason. And that a lot of people are just hiding their true selves, being afraid of other people’s reaction.

Together Eldric and Cressida start to face their demons together and they realize they are not so different at all.
I enjoyed this story about 2 strong people, but having fears too.
It’s about strength, opening up, but also about allowing yourself to just be you. Because there is nothing wrong with you!

When opposites collide/ attract

Synopsis

Two rival radio personalities. Lori Martin is a positive and upbeat DJ, known for playing love songs and dedications. Ben Baxter dishes out no-nonsense, in-your-face relationship advice. Total opposites. Never in a million years would they want to work together.

Fired for losing her cool after her boyfriend breaks up with her on the air, Lori surprisingly receives a job offer for the coveted morning show at the radio station across town where Ben works. She thinks she’s replacing him, but finds out they want to team up Lori with her archenemy to set the air waves on fire and boost ratings. Financially strapped, she can’t turn down the job.

While their on-air fireworks and explosive chemistry make for great listening, what in the world will happen after work hours?

My review

Lori Martin enjoys her job as a radio host. Her night show is all about love songs and dedications for the listeners’ loved ones.

But when during her show she loses her cool after her boyfriend breaks up with her ON THE AIR, she finds herself fired…

Finding a new job on another radio station is not so easy. So when she gets the offer to be the host on a morning show, she is over the moon. Especially that her new job leans that she is going to replace Ben Baxter.

Ben’s show is totally the opposite of Lori’s. He hates love songs, and has no pity for his listeners. He speaks his mind and is not afraid of to suggest to break up a relationship!

But Lori is not replacing Ben at all, she is going to be his co-host! How are they going to be able to work together on a show when their visions are so different?

I looked so forward reading this book, hoping it would as good as I hoped.

But oooh me of little faith! How dared I even have a glimpse of fear? This book brought me so much joy and made me laugh and smile and I just couldn’t put the book away!

It seems a rather simple story. A woman finds herself single and without a job. And when she starts working at her new job, her colleague is just intoreable.

But the author managed to write a story on a higher level, it just was perfect in every way.

Both Lori and Ben are strong characters. They know what they want and won’t allow anyone to make them change direction.

But when obligated to work together, that’s just asking for trouble.

The banter they had, was just hilarious to read. Neither one of them wanted to give the other a win, resulting in a great show, with high ratings.

Spending time together during work, means also they get to know each other better. And they realise that, even if they have a different opinion on some matters, they agree on many too… Even despite the orders from their boss of not dating each other, they keep spending time together after work.

But it’s not just a ‘colleagues fall in love’ story, because the characters go deeper than that. Both Lori and Ben keep challenging each other, pushing each other, ready for the next move. They push each other to be a better version of themselves.

I truly enjoyed every bit of this book, happy with getting to know Lori and Ben better. But also sad, realising that the futher I got in the book, the quicker I would read the end.

I found it a beautiful story, with many laughs, some sad moments. But also being thaught again that there is always more than meets the eye, and that opposites do attract, but only if it’s the right person!

When ghosts of the past of a dear one come chasing you…

Synopsis

A child lies in an unmarked grave, another missing without a trace.

Dora’s life is a mess. Her husband has left her for another woman, she can’t pay the bills, and most days she doesn’t bother to get dressed. She feels life couldn’t get any worse, then her oldest friend, Eddie, is murdered. Before Eddie died he told Dora a shocking secret. A secret she wishes she didn’t know. She is not the only one who knows Eddie secret. Someone wants Eddie silenced for good and they are coming after Dora.

As Dora uncovers Eddie’s past she learns of a place called Blue Hollow where an unimaginable crime took place. Now Dora knows the truth of what happened there. Why an innocent man rots in jail. The secret has already taken four lives. She has a choice, bury the past with Eddie or become the next victim of Blue Hollow.

My review

Dora is finding herself a single woman again. her husband left her for another woman, and now she is struggling to pay the bills and find a reason to get properly dressed.
When her friend Eddie is murdered, she is devastated. Also because he just told her a shocking secret. And there are more secrets to be unfolded, with the help of several tapes he has put in different places.

Dora wants to find all the tapes, but soon she discovers that there are other people who would do anything to keep the secret hidden.
Now she is trying to find out the truth of what happened in Blue Hollow without getting murdered herself…

I found this a very creepy story… Dora is struggling after her husband left her and then she finds herself chased by people she doesn’t even knew of!
We are experiencing the story by Dora her ‘adventures’. And as she is trying to find the tapes Eddie left her, we are allowed to listen to those same tapes when Dora hears them for the first time.

This gives us the truth that is just terrible. Slowly we get to know what Eddie and his friends had to endure when they were younger. And we also see that despite the gruesome things they went through, they became real friends and their friendship is still lasting.

Reading about the past, gave me the chills, because imagining that those things really happened and still happen, is something it’s hard to grasp. But unfortunately, the reality shows us that there are terrible people still walking around. And that even this is a fictional story, some of it is just too realistic…

But what I liked about is, is that Dora is becoming more determined to find out what happened so many years ago and is not letting people to get away with it. Initially she finds it hard to believe it all, which is understandable, but when she realizes who is involved and what is still going on, she wants the truth out.
And despite the ugly things happening, I enjoyed reading about the banter Dora has with Dmitri. And also the kindness of those who knew Eddie.
These moment made me smile a little bit, even if the story is not something to smile or laugh about.

Thanks to the people Dora meets during her ‘quest’, she becomes stronger and more resolute. At first she was a little house mouse but slowly she becomes a real fighter. Both literally as figuratively!

This was a real sitting on the edge of my seat story, and the while time I was wondering what happened, what was happening and what would happen in the future! There were several twists I did not see coming and in the end I enjoyed reading it!

I’m in love…

Synopsis

The thought of having a dog hasn’t crossed Theo Martin’s mind. It’s not that he doesn’t like dogs – he does – but the idea has simply never occurred to him.

It has occurred to his mother though, and when she decides to buy him a puppy because she thinks it will “liven him up a bit”, his life is turned completely upside down and not for the better as far as he’s concerned. But when he discovers that having a cute dog on the end of a lead attracts a great deal of female attention, he soon changes his mind. All kinds of women stop to pet the pup and while they coo over Poppy, they talk to him. A lot. And for Theo, it looks like his love life is taking a very welcome turn for the better.

But what about Josie Wilde, his dog sitter?

Forced to employ someone to walk his dog when he’s in work, he finds himself increasingly attracted to her, but unfortunately Josie’s interest in him appears to be purely professional. As the summer unfolds and he falls head over heels in love with the sweet and vulnerable pup, he finds himself falling for Josie.

For Theo, it’s not so much ‘love me, love my dog’, but more like ‘love my dog, love me, too’. Please…?

My review

Surprised by his parents, Theo Martin finds himself in possession of a dog. He never thought of buying one himself, so he has no clue what to do with “it”.
But his mother is certain it will make his life more interesting.
Theo does not agree as this sweet little puppy, Poppy, is just turning his life upside down!

Soon he sees the perks of taking a cute puppy for a walk, as he suddenly received a lot of female attention.
Despite the attention he now receives, he is relying on a dog sitter for the time he is spending at work, and trying to find a new family for Poppy. Because of course he is not keeping this little puppy!

OH MY GOD I LOVED THIS BOOK SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH!!!!!
And I fell in love with Poppy! I want her myself!

But back to the story!
I enjoyed reading every bit of it!
Theo is initially out of his depth, as he has no clue how to handle a puppy. He does not know what to feed her, how to train her etc.
And he is still determined to find another family for her.
But when the moment is there, he finally realizes what everybody knew all along… he’s just fallen in love with poppy, like all the readers!
And the lengths he goes for her, ooow just instant swoon!

He wants the best for Poppy, so he hires Josie as a dog sitter. and not only poppy loves Josie, also Theo is falling for her!

This book had me smiling from the start until the very end! It shows you how a dog can change a person’s life for the better.
Thanks to Poppy, Theo starts going out more, meets more women and is having a more active life.  And he even starts to like his job all over again!
He also becomes more protective towards Poppy, showing what a caring man he really is!

I can talk and describe so much more about this amazing book, but it would not be enough to express the joy this story brought me!
If you want to feel true happiness while you’re reading a book, if you want to feel how the love sparks, do not hesitate any further read this book!
And said by me, a real cat person, converted to a Poppy lover, means a lot! 😃

Check out this cover!(and the book itself also of course 🤣)

Synopsis

British doctor Lea Holm has come to New York to work in her chosen field of emergency medicine. She loves her new life in this exciting city and can’t wait to get started with her research project. The last thing she needs are distractions.

But then she meets famous actor Ricco Como in her building – a distraction if ever there was one. He’s gorgeous and sweet, and there’s an immediate connection between them. Lea tries to resist temptation, but when he comes to her for help dealing with his steadily worsening migraine she can’t turn away from his plight.

As Ricco’s health takes a turn for the worse, their lives become more and more entwined. But can their growing attraction withstand the strain of his ill health, and can he let Lea be more than just his doctor?

**This novella series contains detailed descriptions of long-term health conditions, cheating and a bereavement.**

The series is set in New York City and was written before COVID-19. It makes no reference to recent events.

About the author

Cecilia Fyre is the pen name of a romance author trying out something new.

She likes sunny, crisp autumn days. Cups of hot cocoa with little marshmallows floating on top. The roaring of the sea. Laughing until your face hurts. The silence when you curl up with a good book. 

Her stories are about people. Some of them are strange, some think they’re boring. They all have secrets, they’re all scared sometimes. Cecilia writes about life, about love. About how hard it is to do it right. Usually, there’s a happy ending, or at least there might be one, someday.

But life’s not all sunshine and roses, and that’s why Cecilia tells her stories.

In the real world, Cecilia lives in England.

The Cover

When you’re not allowed to love the man you do…

Synopsis

When murder stalks St. Merryn, no secrets are safe…

A forbidden romance…

Set in 1820 Cornwall, Charity Perrow lives a sheltered life in the village of St. Merryn. When she meets and falls for Jethro Ennor, they soon learn their families are bitter enemies, and Charity finds herself torn between remaining loyal to her family and giving into her growing desire for a man they hate.

A village with hidden secrets…

A battle-scarred redcoat is lurking In Greenoak Woods. Struggling to keep his grip on sanity, he’s come home to settle the score with those responsible for the heavy burden he’s been carrying all these years.

An innocent man accused…

When a villager is murdered, the suspicion falls on Jethro. Now Charity must risk everything, including being disowned by her family, to prove his innocence and save him from the gallows.

But as Charity hunts for the truth, she begins to uncover secrets over a decade old—secrets that will change everything.

My review

Charity Perrow her mom was murdered years ago. And the presumed murderer got away without being sentenced. He was proclaimed innocent, and now Charity and her family despise the Ennor Family.

But when she meets Jethro Ennor, she is torn apart, as she wats to remain loyal to her family (and hating the Ennors) but her feelings for Jethro keep growing.
When Jethro is accused of murder, Charity has to risk everything to prove his innocence.

A story of forbidden love has always intrigued me. so I was really curious about this book. To make things worse for this love story, was that the father of Jethro has supposedly killed Charity’s mother. What’s worse than falling in love with the son of your mother’s murderer?

The beauty of it was, that Charity and Jethro got to know each other before they knew who the other one was related to. The feelings were already there when the truth came out. And we all know that you cannot just ‘undo’ your feelings…

But it’s not just a love story, as suddenly there are also some disappearances and even murder. And the world of the love birds gets shattered apart when Jethro is accused.

This book shows us different point of views, allowing us to see the world through several characters’ eyes.
So we know who the culprit is. But we also get to know his motives. And let’s not forget it’s not all black or white. Slowly we get to see what is really going on, and we learn to even feel a little bit of pity. Of course, murder is not to be justified, but when I got to know what all happened in the past and what is going on now, well, I felt sorry.

What I enjoyed about this book is the determination of Charity, to stand by “her” man, never giving up hope. Also how Jethro evolved from a “caveman” to a man being changed by love. Even if the love is a little bit too sudden and too big J.

There is also an air of mystery, making this story even more captivating and intriguing. 

Book 2 of The Middle-Aged Virgin series

This book surely has my interest! Just check out the cover!!!

Synopsis

Can a holiday romance lead to long-term love?

When Sophia moves to Tuscany to join the hot Italian-stallion she’s fallen head over heels in love with, she dreams of an idyllic life filled with passion, pasta, sunshine and her favourite gelato.

But will the reality live up to the fairy-tale?

The Middle-Aged Virgin in Italy is a fun, sexy sequel about stepping out of your comfort zone and keeping the spark alive in a relationship. If you like Sophie Kinsella and Sophie Ranald, you’ll love the latest novel in Olivia Spring’s page-turning, romantic comedy series.

Pre-order today and get ready to join Sophia on her Italian adventures!

Pre-order Links

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B084YT5J1K/

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B084YT5J1K/

The Middle-Aged Virgin, the first book in the series is available to read for FREE in Kindle Unlimited – https://amzn.to/2w2UbZu

About the Author

Olivia Spring is a British, London-based writer of contemporary women’s fiction, sexy chick lit and romantic comedy. Her uplifting debut novel The Middle-Aged Virgin deals with being newly single after a long-term relationship, dating, love, sex, friendship and living life to the full.

Olivia published three novels in 2019: Only When It’s Love, Losing My Inhibitions and Love Offline. The Middle-Aged Virgin in Italy, the hotly anticipated sequel to her debut novel will be released in July 2020.

When she’s not writing, Olivia can be found baking or making regular trips to Italy to indulge in pasta, pizza and gelato and of course, seeking inspiration for her next book!

The Cover!!!

And when you think you’re at your lowest…

Synopsis

English teacher Izzy Cole wanted a fresh start.

A new town, a new home, a new school.

But when sixth former Nicky Stevens sets his sights on her, he begins to reel her in at a time when she’s most vulnerable. Soon Izzy is risking her family, her career and her life as she finds Nicky wants more than she ever planned to give.

My review

And when you think you’re at your lowest…

Izzy moved with her family to a new town. She wanted a new start, after seeing her daughter spending too much time with the wrong friends.
her first day as a teacher already starts with a bad omen, as she nearly has an accident with a guy who just chases off.

Big is her surprise when later that day it seems that the culprit was Nicky Stevens, a sixth form student.
Nicky shows his interest in her, which flatters Izzy. But soon their friendship develops in something more dangerous. And Izzy continues this dangerous path, even if this will jeopardize her marriage and her career.

This is a heck of a disturbing thriller!
Initially I thought Lizzy was just stupid. There is a strict line in the teacher – student relationship that may not be crossed. But slowly Lizzy pushes that line further away, allowing Nicky to get closer to her, to the point the line is just gone…
But the better we get to know Lizzy, the more we see she’s a troubled woman. She has suffered a trauma and is not over it. She is also facing anxiety, and has OCD. This puts her in a vulnerable position, making it easy for Nicky to make her his victim.

The first part of the story I did not have a clue where the story would take us. I saw Lizzy getting caught in Nicky’s web, but that was just the tip of the iceberg.
The length of manipulation of Nicky was something I did not see coming.

This book disturbed me a lot, as I hoped for Lizzy that she could have the opportunity to get her life back on track after what happened to her before. But she finds herself in a downward spiral, taking one bad decision after the other, with the “help” of Nicky.
But Lizzy is also determined to not let Nicky dictate her life, so she is trying to figure out a way out. She evolves from a kind of pitiful woman to a woman fighting for her family and her career.

Reading this story disturbed yes, but also got me on the edge of my seat, trying to think together with Lizzy how to escape, gasping when situations got even worse than I thought. But also seeing silver linings when relationships are being reinforced again.

The perfect ending of a beautiful story…

Synopsis

Five thousand miles from his ex, AJ is living with Lisa’s decision to call it quits and leave both him, and Alabama behind. Upon hearing that Lisa is moving forward from their engagement with a new (and handsome!) doctor-boyfriend, AJ is confused and broken at the idea of facing life without his soul mate. AJ finds himself at a cross roads, does he give up all hope of ever reconciling with Lisa and take a chance on love again with someone new? Or is his heart destined to be forever entwined with the beautiful Irish woman he met on the internet… who is now with another man?

My review

The moment he lands back home, AJ gets the worst surprise from his girlfriend Lisa. Instead of being engaged, Lisa broke up with him…

He is devastated, but determined not to fall back in a black whole of pity.

When news travels that Lisa is moving on with a handsome doctor, also AJ will try to get back grip on his life and move on.

But forgetting Lisa is harder than imagined. Is it truly over between them and should AJ move on? Or will there still be a possibility between them?

Ow ow ow, each time I read a part of this story, I fall more in love with the characters. And this story, read from AJ’s point of view, was beautiful!

Initially I thought AJ was going to take the breaking up very badly. And of course he was devastated. But his determination to stand tall just made me proud of him.

Actually, the whole story made me proud of AJ. The way he handles the situation, is just admirable. His heart got broken, but he still cares deeply about Lisa. And he prefers to be ‘just a friend’ as long as it means he can be part of Lisa’s life.

He really tries to move on with his life, and he starts even dating again. He shows how mature he is, putting his own feelings aside when he sees how happy Lisa now is. And when tragedy strikes, he moves earth and heaven to be near Lisa and be supportive. Again, proof of how mature he is…

This book for me showed the true meaning of loving someone. It’s putting the the other person first, even if it would break your own heart.

And of course, let’s not forget about Jeremy… he is an amazing friend, not only for AJ, but also for Lisa. And he surely collaborates with the funny parts. Without him, this story would miss a chunk of its charm!

When I found myself at the end, I was a bit sad that I had to say goodbye to so lovely characters. But it gave me also a feeling of hope, as AJ never gave up hope. And if he was able to endure everything he went through, and still had hope, well, it’s something everyone should inspire.

A beautiful story about amazing people, being unselfish and never give up hope!