An unexpected chance for the finding out the truth.

Synopsis

What will be will be…

Belinda Marshall’s idyllic teenage life in Brittany, France, fell apart when her parents dramatically separated and her mother took her back
to England.
Fast forward thirty-five years when Belinda’s world is once again turned upside down.
It’s the week before Christmas and Belinda’s employer ‘surprises’ her by asking for her help to rejuvenate their latest investment, a run-down campsite in Brittany.
Memories and anxieties that had lain dormant for years suddenly begin to resurface.
As secrets from a lost life threaten to overwhelm her, there is a realisation that maybe she wasn’t told the whole truth by her mother all those years ago.

Can Belinda reconcile her emotions and find happiness once more in the place she so loved and called home?

My review

Belinda loves her job, being involved with managing a few hotels. So when her employers have a new adventure for her, she surely doesn’t expect to go to Brittany, and put some life back in a camping place they bought.

Belinda has spent some of her younger years in Brittany, so she is not so happy being forced to go back to a place that broke her heart when she had to leave.

But having no other option, she gathers all her courage and goes to the camping. Quickly she finds her spirit back, adamant to fulfil her employers’ wishes, even if she is constantly having a standoff with the previous owner.

Luckily she also befriends Fern, a widow still struggling with the loss of her husband.

Will both Belinda and Fern find true happiness again?

If you only base your opinion on the title, this story will be a total surprise, because it’s a story about two women and there is no actual affair taking place!

Yet this story touched my heart and I did not expect it at all!

From the very start, Belinda is someone I felt sorry for. She loves her job but then she is expected to go to a place that holds so many sad memories.
Even if we don’t know immediately what happened, I sensed it was not just a minor event forcing her and her mother to leave.

For Belinda it was also a mystery, so when she finds a piece of the puzzle, she is curious to find out the truth but also a bit afraid of what that truth would be.

And Fern… after losing her husband, she feels very lonely. So befriending Belinda is something that makes her happy. We get to know Fern as a loving and caring woman.
Not every woman would think about taking her ninety years old mother-in-law in her house. Yet this shows just how amazing Fern is. She truly loves Anouk and does not see Anouk as a burden at all!

I found this story magical. Not in the literal sense of the word (if that even exists J) but after reading it, I found some lightness around me, having had the honour of getting to know these two strong yet also so different women.

They are both facing losses, are grieving over a past they had. Yet they find the courage to move on with their lives by facing the past and give it a right place in their hearts.

It showed me that there is always a new chance at finding happiness again. And that places that once were a nightmare to even think about it, new memories can change it in a beautiful dream.

When a holiday turns into a nightmare…

Synopsis

Lies, secrets, and a sinister plot hide in broad daylight at the heart of the Club Pacifica.

A beautiful tropical resort, exciting new friends, and a handsome guest liaison – it’s the perfect getaway for Chloe, a free-spirited Baltimore girl just getting to know herself. But the vacation of a lifetime quickly takes a dark turn when a young, overly flirty bellhop starts following her everywhere. It gets even worse when he disappears, and Chloe is the sole witness.

As bellhop after bellhop goes missing, she struggles to figure out what’s happening. When suspicion falls upon her, Chloe must not only try to rescue the kidnapped bellhops, but also to clear her name.

Complicating things further is the relationship she forms with Mateo, Club Pacifica’s guest liaison. Charming and easygoing, he is everything that her fiancé at home is not, and she finds herself fighting a growing attraction to him. But can he be trusted?

She soon discovers that she’s landed herself in a world of secrets, and, worse, that these are not just those of others, but also the secrets she keeps from herself.

Can she find her way through all the lies to finally discover the truth before it’s too late?

My review

Chloe is enjoying her holiday in Costa Rica. And even if she is being followed by an over-enthusiast bellhop, she is making the best of this new journey.

But when her bellhop disappears, she starts worrying a bit. And even more when it’s clear that more bellhops  are disappearing in thin air!
when the police is suspecting her of being involved, she is determined to find the missing young men and clearing her name.

Together with her two new friends and Mateo, she starts her mission!

This story is about people disappearing and trying to clear your name. but it’s also about finding what you truly want.

Chloe starts her journey in Costa Rica not knowing what she really wants. She is kind of in a relation with Cooper. But is Cooper really the man for her? There are more things she doesn’t like about him than she likes…

Through the story she makes up her own mind and does not allow to be bullied into doing something she doesn’t want to do anymore.
She is standing up for herself, and becomes a strong woman.

Yet the disappearing act is troublesome, as more bellhops start to be going missing. What seems to be pure coincidence, quickly becomes something worrying.

The length Chloe goes to find out the truth had given me different feelings.
When she starts searching with her new friends, it is really comic to see in what mess they are getting into.

But there are also some fearful moments and I hoped that a save solution would come from it.

It’s a dark story, but at the same time a nice read. I found myself wanting to know the truth.
There are some characters you would easily misjudge, and I found myself distrusting everybody, the possible culprit could be just anyone we meet.

Yet the changes Chloe is going through is the thing that was the most memorable. Her standing up for herself, her courage and dare was admirable!

A beautiful location with a dark story, but an important message!

What can be better than winning a holiday of a lifetime?

Synopsis

Natalie Jackson might keep up appearances on Instagram, but in reality her fiancé has just jilted her after the birth of their baby and she’s moved back in with her mum. Life isn’t exactly going to plan!

So when she enters the village raffle for the holiday of a lifetime, she thinks she has no chance of winning. But her name is pulled out – and, as luck would have it, so is a ticket bought by her childhood nemesis: Will Brimble.

Surely a romantic holiday for two is the worst idea ever…right?

My review

Natalie Jackson is trying to get her life back on tracks… Her fiancé left her right after the birth of their baby so she moved back to live with her mother.

Under some persuasion, she participates in a village raffle and big is her surprise when she wins the grand prize, a holiday to Marrakech!
But a not so pleasant surprize is when there is some confusion and a second name is also being pulled.
So now she has to share her prize with Will Brimble!

It would not be such a big deal if Will didn’t break her heart when they were teenagers… The idea of spending a romantic holiday with Will now isn’t so alluring anymore…

As usual Zoe May wrote a book that ticked all the boxes I needed at that specific moment!

Natalie is a young woman who had it all, and lost it all. Her only joy in life at the moment is her little girl. After being cheated by her fiancé, her main focus is her daughter.
It makes sense that Natalie doesn’t want to date anymore, being afraid of having not only having her heart broken again, but also her daughter will be a victim…

Yet in her most difficult moments, there were situations that made me laugh out loud (like the outfit she is wearing after a baby-incident!).
Despite her insecurities, Natalie shows she is also a strong woman. Taking care of a baby all by yourself cannot be an easy task.
And she has her heart on the right place. Her focus is her baby and getting her life back on track, nothing more…

And Will, well, okay he broke Natalie’s heart so many years ago. But he also hadn’t had the easiest life. He is now divorced and when we get to know the details of his marriage, I pitied him. Also losing his beloved father was a hard pill to swallow.

The holiday itself made me sometimes wish I was there myself, and other times I was glad it was just a book.
The hotel and its owners are real treasures, and even if Natalie and Will are telling a few lies, I felt the caring of the hotel owners. They are the perfect example how a hotel should be run.

But some moments I understood Natalie’s fear (those monkeys!).
Yet those moments were also the reasons I had to have a laugh! They were sometimes so absurd, there was no other option than laughing!

I loved how Natalie and Will are trying to make the best of an absurd situation. And this holiday was the perfect occasion of coming clean about the past.
And it was so lovely to see how those two people would get closer yet also being a bit afraid of what the future would bring.

Again Zoe May made me forget all my surroundings with this funny romance, with real people that are so recognizable and loveable!

Becoming an adult is not an easy task…

Synopsis

For fans of “Call the Midwife”, “Hard Pushed” or “This is Going to Hurt”.

Life Lessons is a new adult chick-lit medical drama, with splashes of clean romance.
Expect an unputdownable emotional page-turner that will take you deep into the life lessons of a student midwife.

Violet wants to be a midwife, but she has struggled with anxiety throughout her teenage years.

With her best friend Zoe at her side, she gets a place at University and starts training for her dream job.

Can she overcome her fears and find the self-confidence to make it through her first year?

Will Zoe’s romance with their housemate spell dating disaster?

Book one of the Lessons of a Student Midwife series.

This book is a prequel to Ghosted, the bestselling novel.

My review

Violet always dreamed of becoming a midwife. And now she has the opportunity as she starts going to University.

She goes to the same University as her best friend Zoe and even share a house together.
Sharing the house together is everything the girls wished for, and even if they have to share it with Luke, it’s just perfect.

But will Violet manage to keep her fear anxiety under control? And is the job of midwife her true calling?

This story shows a lot of reality…

First of all, even if you’re going to the University doing following classes for the job you always wanted to do, it’s isn’t an easy walk in the park…

Add a main character who is suffering anxiety, and you’ll know that Violet is having even a harder time than expected!

Yet I enjoyed truly reading this book!

All the characters are down to earth, wanting to succeed in their studies. And not like in so many books and movies of people going to University, going to parties all the time.

Violet, Zoe and even Luke have their priorities straight and even when facing a small setback, they don’t give up easily.

It also shows that being a midwife isn’t only the happy moments of helping during birth, but it’s also about being very patient and being calm yourself.

The thing I enjoyed the most is the friendship that sparks through the book. Violet and Zoe are always there for each other, and when Violet is having a hard time, Zoe is there for her, no matter how much fun Zoe was having.

A story about chasing your dreams, having real friends by your side and overcoming your fears!

A real murder on a Murder Mystery Cruise…

Synopsis

Famous crime writer Bella Tyson is hired to co-host a Murder Mystery cruise, on a luxury liner sailing from Southampton to New York. She’s expecting an easy ride; fun and games, surrounded by amateur sleuths and fans of her books, all the while staying in a deluxe cabin and enjoying the spa and the amazing restaurants on board, culminating in a visit to one of her favourite cities in the world – the Big Apple.

She’s NOT expecting to be stuck on a boat in the middle of the Atlantic with her two least favourite people in the world, her hot but unfaithful bastard ex-husband Joel Quigley and fellow crime writer, bitch goddess and Twitter frenemy, Louise Meyers. And when real live dead bodies start turning up – as well as fake not-really-dead bodies – Bella’s dreams of being pampered on the high seas turn sour.

Accused of a murder she would have liked to commit but didn’t, and helped (or hindered) by a gang of unlikely detectives, can Bella find out who the real murderer is before the ship reaches its destination and New York’s finest drag her off?

My review

Crime writer Bella Tyson finds herself with her husband participating on a Murder Mystery Cruise. The purpose of the cruise is that the participating passengers find out who “murdered” a person on the cruise ship. Of course it’s all part of a staged murder!

Bella’s enthusiasm dies a little bit when on the cruise also her ex-husband is present, together with a fellow crime writer, her known nemesis Louise Meyers.
Yet she is determined to make the best of it!

But when beside all the bickering, a real murder is taking place, Bella finds herself being the prime suspect. So Will and she start doing some investigating, trying to clear her name and find the real murderer.
Easier said than done, but luckily they can count of help from even the least expected places!

Ok, this book has a murder in, yet I had so much fun reading it! Bella is so hilariously honest, I just wanted to be like her!
She is a famous writer, and just married to wonderful Will, after her previous husband cheated several times on her.
And being in a happy place, doesn’t mean she doesn’t curse now and then (ok, almost all the time!).

Yet the way she adores Will and visa versa, is so sweet to read about! The way they communicate with each other is so funny, yet it matches perfectly with the vision I had in mind for the two of them!

When the murder takes place, I somehow had a feeling who would be the culprit, yet it didn’t diminish the eagerness to continue reading!
I was curious to find out how the murderer would be unveiled and what the reason was for those actions.

The thing that made me even enjoy this book even more, were the small remarks towards the readers (towards us thus 😃). Bella talking to us, is making us being more part of the story. And the things that she is saying, are to take away all those silly clichés or just pointing them out that despite they are silly, even in this story they are present.

A great book, with a main character a bit different than we are used to have, making this even more charming!

How one moment is the catalyst…

Synopsis

A borrowed boy, a borrowed name and living on borrowed time.

What do you put on a bucket list when you haven’t done anything with your life? No interesting job, no lovers, no family, no friends. Believing she has only weeks left to live, Angie Winkle vows to make the most of every minute.

Going back to Jaywick Sands, is top of her bucket list. Experiencing life as a grandmother is not, but the universe has other plans and when four-year-old Danny is separated from his mum on the tube, Angie goes to his rescue. She tries to return him to his mum but things do not go exactly as planned and the two of them embark on a life-changing journey.

Set in Jaywick Sands, once an idyllic Essex holiday village in the 70s, but now a shantytown of displaced Londoners, this is a story about hidden communities and our need to belong.

My review

Angie Winkle believes she has only a few weeks left to live. So she decides to go back to Jaywick Sands, a place with many memories.
At the train station, she is witness how the four-year-old Danny is being separated from her mother on the tube. She starts doing the right thing, wanting to return him to his mother, but suddenly she finds herself with Danny in Jaywick Sands.

Initially I found this a very disturbing book.  A woman just taking a small child to fulfil her dream of being a grandmother… well, not a good excuse to kidnap a child, right?

Yet the better we get to know Angie, it starts making sense… not that I approve het actions, but I felt her pain…
And when I started to read Nikoleta’s point of view, I was glad that Angie took the boy…

This is not a book to take lightly, it shows how nasty people can be, working with an own agenda.
And even if Angie seems to be that bad person in this story, she has her heart in the right place. And Also Nikoleta is the same. Even if she is a bit naïve in the beginning, she sees things that are out of the ordinary, and is putting the child’s safety above everything.

It was sweet to read how Angie was accepted by the small community, and how even after her lies came out, the community stood by her side, doing whatever they can to help Angie and Danny…
And when Angie wanted to give Danny back to Nikoleta, she didn’t just do it without a fight, she wanted to be 100% sure that Danny would end up with loving people.

This story is not what I thought, it surprised me in a good way. It was sometimes dark, but there were moments of lights, when Danny’s happiness were so obvious.
It was bittersweet, because you know it has to come to an end somehow, and I was afraid that it wouldn’t be a happy one. But all the people around Angie, Angie herself and Nikoleta are proof that there are good people around, ready to help, no matter how well they know you (or don’t know you)

It’s a book that puts you back into place, and that even no matter how bad your situation looks like, it will make you stronger and you will find caring people when you least expect it and where you least expect it!

How a forced taking it easy is life changing.

Synopsis

This is the story of two women.
One old, one young.
One looking for new adventures. One looking for a purpose.
Both needing a friend.

And this is how, along with two little girls in need of a family, a gorgeous stranger, and a scruffy dog, they bring the whole community together every Saturday morning for love, laughter and a little bit of running…(well, power walking).

Some people come into your life when you need them the most.

My review

Claire is the perfect example of a workaholic. But when she is forced to take time off, she does not know what to do with all her free time.
The moment she decides to start exercising in the outside, instead of going to the gym, she has no clue how her life will change.

She meets Hilda, an older woman who is obviously very nosy and has a wide imagination. Yet they quickly bond and the daily run becomes a kind of tradition, followed by drinking a coffee together.

When one day, there is a new addition to the duo, Claire is surprised to find out it’s Ash. She had a wonderful night with him, but then suddenly he ghosted her.
Ash was just like Claire, a workaholic, but he found himself suddenly out of a job.

The bunch quickly are a package, spending their time together, even if they are not exercising. And when Hilda comes with the idea of organising a weekly park run, Claire and Ash find themselves with a purpose again.

But organising a park run is not as easy as it seems, right?

Did I enjoy reading this book? A-B-S-O-L-U-T-E-L-Y!!!!

From the beginning you know that Claire will have to stop working for a while. So I was very curious to know what she would do with all her free time!

So when she starts to go running, I was respecting her, as I am sooo not into running myself!

Not only running is changing her way of living, but also finding herself taking care of her nieces while her sister needs some time for herself in India, well I wouldn’t like to be in Claire’s shoes!
And exactly for the way her sister leaves the kids and all the other things happening in the book, well, if that would be my sister, I would have done not so nice things to her!

My first impression of Hilda was not a nice one… I found her too nosy, curious, and sometimes even rude (just taking Claire’s coffee!).
But slowly I had to change my mind about her. Hilda has her heart at the right place, she helps Claire out with the 2 children and she just wants to feel needed and useful.

And Ash… the first time we meet him, is hilarious… the staring stand – off, who would imagine such thing!!!
But I was disappointed in him after he ghosted. (Hmm, I’m not liking many people apparently 🤣)

Yet all the characters get a chance of shifting priorities and while organizing the park run, they realize many people are just alone. Thanks to the park run, the feeling of a real community is back, making many people happy again.

I found this a lovely story, about how work is not all there is. And friends come in different shapes and ages and in the most surprising ways.
And that love is not just something that comes easy but you have to work for it to make it work. And that love has many faces and each one of them is wonderful! 

Time for revealing a new cover!

Synopsis

The placid life of a college librarian is plunged into a desperate fight for survival when he witnesses the death of his only friend. Suddenly he is forced to confront disturbing changes in his nature and appetites and their consequences. Suspected of murder and pursued by an implacable police detective he runs – but is he running from the law or from himself?

About the Author

After more than forty years of paid employment David Pollard retired to glorious Hereford and immersed himself in the theatrical activities of the county. He is currently Chair of Hereford County Drama Festival.

David sees himself as a teller of tales – he is a playwright, author of short stories and novels. He has a preference for dark and dystopian material. He is also an actor and theatrical director. Among the many authors admired by David is Robert Louis Stevenson – for his website David adopted the appellation Tuistala – Samoan for ‘Teller of Tales’ which the Samoan people called RLS.

Several of David’s plays have been published by Lazybee Scripts – one of which ‘Aspects of a Betrayal’ was shortlisted for the Kenneth Branagh prize at the Windsor Fringe Festival.

David has two works published on KDP/Amazon:

‘His Cat and Other Strange Tales’ – a collection of macabre short stories

‘The Alienation of Ludovic Weiss’ – a psychological thriller

A third book ‘Mindworm ‘ is scheduled for publication in September 2020

When not writing, directing or acting David runs a podcast platform for the streaming of radio plays and short story readings – Hand to Mouth Sound Theatre.

For relaxation David reads voraciously with a liking for history and thriller fiction. He also enjoys country walks of the strolling variety.

The cover

Doesn’t the black sheep of the family deserve her happily ever after too?

Synopsis

Archibald Hill is handsome, single, and he’s going to his best friend’s wedding ready to make a conquest or two. After all, everyone knows weddings are the perfect setting to get lucky.

Summer Knowles used to have a life—friends, family, a sister who’d do anything for her—until she blew it all away with a terrible mistake. Now, attending her twin’s wedding as the party’s undesirable number one seems like more than she can handle. So, when a tall stranger with smoldering ice-blue eyes offers her a therapy of seven nights of no-strings-attached fun, she might even ignore that he has a beard and accept.

Problem is, Summer has never been good at keeping sex and feelings separated…

My review

Summer Knowles made 1 terrible decision once and this caused her to have no friends left, and has been an outcast even from her own family.

Even if her twin sister Winter and her former best friend Lana have forgiven her, she is still on the receiving part of nasty looks.
So when Winter is getting married, Summer is obviously happy for her, but she is also afraid how the people will react to her presence.

And when she meets Archie, she accept the offer of no – strings – attached fun, so that she can distract herself.
But is she capable to keep the fun and her feelings separated?

I need to make a confession… when I first read about Summer in the previous parts of this series, I disliked her immediately.
I couldn’t understand how she could betray her best friend and sister like that. So when I started with this book, I was sceptic to read her story.
But I was pleasantly surprised!

Summer was not just a heartless, selfish b*tch… she made 1 terrible mistake that she will possibly regret her whole life.
She is afraid nobody will ever forgive her and is afraid of people’s reaction. Luckily she has the victims of her mistake on her side. Winter and Lana are the most forgiving persons I know, so I was happy for Summer that she was not alone.

When Summer meets Archie, he mistakes her for her twin sister, so I had a real laugh when the awkward moment of realisation was there!
Immediately the sparks fly around, but here my dislike for Summer started to shift in truly liking the girl! Even if Archie offers her an easy distraction, she will not make another mistake risking to jeopardize her sister’s wedding.

But of course, if she would stick to her decision it would be a very short story! 😃

I loved how it becomes very clear how insecure Summer actually is… she is fighting sometimes a lost cause, and she feels that no one will ever forgive her.

And Archie… he is the perfect example of a man with fear of commitment. He is resolute to add Summer to his list of conquests, but he quickly finds himself looking for her all the time.

I had so much fun reading this book. I loved Summer and her insecurities, and her hate for beards. I loved how much she actually cares for her sister and her friends.
I loved how Archie looks after Summer even if he doesn’t have to, when the agreement they made is crystal-clear. I loved how his view on relationships shifted.

I had to wipe the tears I had for laughing at the hilarious moments, had to stop myself from
‘aaaaw – ing’ several times.

A lovely story about finding love, even if you don’t want to find it. And that one mistake does not have to be the end. And that no matter what, family and true friends will find always a way to forgive you.
And love is all you need, just dare to take the chance!  And that sometimes you have to change your opinion about people! 😃