Just beautiful!

Synopsis

Can you love when all seems lost?

Ellie Perkins life was right on track until her boyfriend Sam suffers a near-fatal car accident, leaving him in a coma and all their future plans in limbo.

Desperately in need of something to fix, Ellie has to find a project and when her grandparents old house is put up for sale, she jumps at the chance. Because, like Ellie, the house is broken. And if she can fix the house, then surely, it’s just a matter of time before she and Sam are back on their path to happily-ever-after…

In life, when the worst happens how do you pick up the pieces?

A heart-breaking story of love, loss and the path to forgiveness, perfect for fans of Faith Hogan and Amanda Prowse. To be read with tissues

My review

Ellie and her boyfriend Sam seemed to have their future all figured out. But all their plans are thrown out of the window when Sam has an accident putting him in a coma. .

Despite this, Ellie keeps hoping that one day Sam will wake up and together they will continue to build their future together.
To keep herself from going crazy, she starts a project: buying her grandparents’ house and renovate it.
She wants to rebuild the house, making it ready for when Sam wakes up. Because when the house is ready, he WILL wake up. There is just no other option, is there?

Normally, when I read a story, it has to be a rather good story to let me wipe a few tears away. But OH MY GOD, I wasn’t ready to cry so much!!! Everything I was reading about Ellie and Sam, I was automatically reaching for my tissue, because I knew I would start crying.

This was just so heart – breaking… Ellie tries to be a strong woman, but how can she be strong all the time when the love of her life is lying in a hospital bed?
And Ellie says it also a few times: when somebody dies, you get to say goodbye. But Sam is not dead, so how can she go on with her life, when he is still there?

Luckily, she can rely on her Aunt, Uncle and niece, who are more parents and sister to her than her real mother.
And also Sam’s best friend is someone who she can turn to, in times of need.

After I finished this book, I had a feeling I went through an emotional rollercoaster. I felt a lot of sadness, but despite this, there was also a lot of hope, joy, funny moments.
And most of all, there was a lot of love that just sparked out of the book!

This book is a true recommendation for everyone!

When Bitterness meets Happiness…

Synopsis

Tom and Emma drift through life, both burdened with a heavy sense of grief. Both have suffered devastating loss and have closed themselves off to the possibility of happiness. Then, at a funeral, their eyes meet and they feel something neither expected. 

Supported by their quirky friends and a ‘right to the point’ pensioner, will they overcome their fears and find the solution to the pain within each other, or will they give up and go their separate ways? 

In turns funny and sad, A Reason to Grieve is a romantic tale about two people fighting their feelings, about love and loss. And about funerals.

My review

Tom and Emma are both struggling with their emotions. They are unable to grieve for a loss they had in the past. The only way they can cope, is attending funerals of totally strangers.
At one of those funerals, they meet and feel an instant click.

A friendship is created with feelings ready for more. But are Tom and Emma emotionally ready to take this leap of faith while their hearts are scattered?

In first instance, I found it a bit of a morbid story…  I didn’t understand the need of both characters for attending funerals of total strangers.
But slowly, as we get to know Tom and Emma better, the necessity they feel for going to funerals is clear.

Tom seems to have it all, but he didn’t manage to grieve over the loss he faced when he was a child. Thanks to his friends, and also the need he feels himself, he takes baby steps to overcome his grieve. And when he meets Emma, for him it’s clear he has to learn to get out of his shell.
during the whole story, it’s clear what an amazing friend he is. In time of need, no matter what the cause is, he does whatever he can to help.

Emma is grieving for a whole other reason, but her pain is immense anyway. Working in a hair salon with friends, she has a share of clientele that are more than just clients. And when one of her dearest clients has bad news, she wants to do everything she can to cheer Doris up.
She also shows what an amazing friend she is. And somehow she is even more introvert than Tom. But for those that are in her circle, she would move mountains!

This story was an unexpected surprise for me. I didn’t doubt that I would like it, but I loved it more than expected!
The premises sounded a bit weird, so I didn’t know how the story and the characters would evolve. So I had a little fear that it would be a story too confusing, making no actual sense.
But I liked every bit of it!

Tom and Emma are everyday people, they can be your friends, members of your family etc.
It’s no so hard to relate to them, understand their feelings and fears. And when the past is uncovered, their feelings make even more sense than before!

And for your share of laughter, be sure to count on Doris!!!

Is it really impossible?

Synopsis

Lady’s maid…

To wedded Lady?

Lady’s maid Jane Bailey’s life is turned upside down by the arrival of wealthy gentleman Robert Kendal. He’s come to take Jane to visit her long-lost, aristocratic grandfather. Travelling together, they succumb to a mutual attraction. Yet Jane knows a maid should not hope to love a gentleman, even if she’s suddenly wearing silk dresses and dining with the Family. Society decrees they cannot marry, but how long can Jane deny her heart?

My review

Jane is a young lady’s maid, rather satisfied with her current life. But it all changes when suddenly Robert Kendall appears.
He came to her lady’s house, to search for a Jane Bailey and bring her to her unknown grandfather.
During the trip, both of them get to know each other better and they feel attracted to each other.
But can it be love? Jane is still a maid and it is not custom to marry a gentleman, even if Jane now is part of the world of silk dresses and fancy dinners…

Yes, I knew what to expect from this ‘kind’ of book, but sometimes this kind of book is all you need!
Jane is a typical plain Jane, nothing extremely special, not even wealthy and working as a maid together with her mother.
When her world turns upside down, it’s obvious she is a bit lost, not knowing in which she now is part of.
Is it the world of a maid? Or is it the world of the wealthier?

During the whole book you sympathize with Jane, because it all so recognizable.
In the past she had her own demons she feared she’d never get over.
But she is also determined to face her demons and find a way anyway.
She’s also temperament full, not allowing anyone to treat her as a lesser woman, just because she’s a maid.

This story is “typical” being a Harlequin book, but also pointing out the difference in class, which is still up to date.
“Normal” people are most of the time content of their lives, but we all feel like a fish out of the water when we are faced with the people that are better off in wealth.
What also was nice to read, was that there are always people judging us without a right reason. Just because they are full of themselves, they assume we are not worth of their time and we are not worthy of breathing the same air, so to speak.

But there are always exceptions to this rule, as Robert Kendall shows. He’s a kind man, not caring about society and their thoughts, but makes up his own mind, after getting to know the person himself, and not having any prejudice.

So despite being ‘ooh you’ll know how it ends’, I truly enjoyed this book, as it shows that in the end, not so much has changed in society.
But it also shows that people can change if they want to, and that nothing is ever truly lost!

Creepy goosebumps!

Synopsis

Her husband wants her locked away in a psychiatric facility. His business partner wants her dead.

     Trust. Who do we place our trust in every day? Family members, friends and people who we turn to for help, doctors. But what if the doctor you placed your trust in had secrets? Dark secrets. So many secrets.

     Isabella Armond is an ordinary Parisian woman with a comfortable life — until a shocking discovery shatters her perfect world. As her husband’s behavior becomes increasingly unstable, Isabella slowly realizes all the signs point to the fact he is not who he appears to be. Is he a respected Cardio-thoracic surgeon with a thriving Paris medical practice helping people? Or is he leading a double life which involves the international trafficking of black market organs? Greed, blood money, and psychopath are the terms she learns are associated with a man she thought she knew.

     Forced to delve deeper into her husband’s secret life, she makes discoveries that will make her question everything she believed forcing her to face an impossible decision. She is desperate to uncover the truth, but once you know something, it can’t be unknown. The more she learns, the more she wishes she knew nothing at all.

     When the sun dims, your second self shall disappear. Consequences not of her making were nipping at her heels. Tick. Tock.

My review

Isabella Armond lives her life in Paris with her husband and important surgeon Adrien. She has an art gallery, what she always dreamed about.
She seems to have the perfect life, but her husband isn’t Mister Perfect at all. On the contrary, he is involved in the world of international trafficking of black market organs. His greed is getting more and more out of hand.

When Isabelle starts to discover everything, her own safety is at risk. Who can she still trust? And can she trust herself?
And how are the bombings in Paris, London and Rome involved in whole this story???

I have read several books by this author. But this one was the darkest until now!
When Isabella uncovers the truth, you know the worst is yet to come.
It’s creepy when you realize that the person you’re supposed to trust blindly, is the one causing you harm.
Due his actions, Isabella is becoming more confused. But she finds the strength to fight back and rely on truly trust-worthy people.

But the involvement of Adrien goes beyond than assumed. It’s not “only” the black market of organ trafficking, but it goes way further.
And he is not the only pion in the game…

This story made me shiver with fear and realization that we cannot trust everyone in our environment.
And also the bombing was way too close to reality, as the Notre Dame was a victim and had severe damage.
It was too realistic, remembering the fire that took place not so long ago…

We haven’t seen the end of the series yet, so I’m fearfully looking forward to read the next part!

What would you do?

Synopsis

TWO PEOPLE HARBORING SECRETS…

A stranger from the future comes to Paige’s cabin in rural Georgia with a treatment for her early onset Alzheimer’s disease. He bargains with the skeptical patient to give her The Cure if she’ll conduct a longitudinal study for him, proving his drug’s efficacy to a future world full of clients that need it. Faced with her dire diagnosis, he might be her only hope. She grapples with the side effects of his offer and learns to suppress her own dangerous truth: trust no one.

Seldom lucky in love, Paige finds herself competing with her best friend for his attention, knowing there can be no good end for their stolen moments of passion. Can she stay under the radar of the medical and legal communities to carry out his requests? And how will their complicated pasts bring them together physically, emotionally and professionally in a successful, if unethical, partnership?

Many lives will be changed, but at what cost… and to whom?

My review

When Paige receives the news that she is in an early stage of Alzheimer, her world falls apart. But when she receives a visit from a stranger, claiming he’s from the future, she does not know what to do. He claims that in the future a cure has been found for Alzheimer, and he wants her to take part in the study to see what the future side effects will be.

Of course Paige is skeptical, but in the end, what’s the worst thing that can happen to her? Main problem in the present is to stay under the radar and not be exposed in the medical and legal communities as she and her partner ‘in crime’ are searching for more guinea pigs…

Paige is a woman who is rather solitaire. She has her small circle of true friends, but has never been someone who has fallen in love, or is searching for love. She had her share of encounters, resulting also in losing her precious little girl.
Even when her world starts to fall apart, she has her doubts when the perfect solution is handed to her. She does not believe him blindly, and want to be sure he is not just a scam.

It’s a story about travelling in time but not only. All the characters have to go through some self-discovery. Paige has to face her past, and decide for herself what her future will look like.
The stranger from the future has his own second agenda of the why he went back in the past.
And Paige’s best friend also has her own reasons to be part of the team.

While reading the story, the depths of each character come at light. Is what we initially know the whole truth? Or is there more than meets the eye? And what extend will the decisions made now will have in the future?
Somehow, I was dragged into the story, wanting to know the result in the future, wanting to know the effects of each action.

Each character is well developed, and we get to know them on a better level, even if it means that our sympathy sometimes disappears.
And after reaching the end, you are left with answers, but also with more questions!

Wow, what an amazing, promising cover!!!

Synopsis

Esther’s life isn’t perfect (whose is?) – but she’s happy enough living in her little flat with her boyfriend, Josh.

But that’s about to change.

Bored out of her mind in work, she wishes that something, anything, would happen to liven her life up.

Unfortunately, her wish comes true when Josh calls her from the airport to tell her he’s going to work in a bar in Spain, and she’s not invited, Esther is devastated, and her unhappiness is compounded when she discovers she can actually view the bar via a webcam link and watch him chatting up other girls.

But when she inadvertently clicks on a link to another webcam which shows a pretty cottage and the rather hunky man who lives in it, her interest is piqued and she wishes she could get to know him.

Wishes don’t really come true, though – do they…?

Forgiveness is a great gift if you can give it!

Synopsis

The wedding bells for Lorna and Tristan Blake toll doom right as the honeymoon begins with an unexpected turn in Tristan’s health. While World War II winds down, Lorna receives a letter from the War Department informing her that the brother she thought killed in action is still alive. She is overjoyed, but his return will dredge up a devastating secret about their parents’ tragic death –a secret that could destroy her new marriage and threaten her husband’s physical and mental well-being. What unfolds is balancing act of keeping the faith and shattering the pieces of the life she’s worked so hard to put back together.

My review

Lorna and Tristan are enjoying their just found happiness together. But too soon their happiness comes to an end when Tristan’s suddenly goes for the worse.
Luckily for them, a ray of light appears when Lorna receives the news that her brother is still alive, as earlier he was assumed to be killed during the war.
Lorna is obviously over the moon with this news, but how will Chucky react when he finds out who Lorna married?

This story somehow hit me emotionally on a level that is indescribable…
Both Lorna and Tristan have been through so much in their lives, separately and together, I just hoped they could find their happily ever after quickly.

For those who have read the first part of this series, know that forgiveness is an amazing gift, what Lorna gave Tristan.
But what about Chucky when he finds out the truth?
In the past happened so many things that effected their lives, and not everybody has been able to grieve like it should.

The whole time I was reading, I almost felt the ache in my heart… the sad parts were so heart-gripping I felt sad and depressed myself hours after put the book away…
And when there were happy moments, my spirits were lifted! All the emotions in the story had an effect on my own emotions!

An amazing book that will touch your heart and will be in your mind long after you reached the end!

What would you do when you don’t remember the last days???

Synopsis

Arriving at work to find she’s lost more than five-and-a-half days (133 hours), Briony Chaplin, has no recollection of where she’d been or what had happened to her. She is distraught. Has she been ill, or had a breakdown, or could she have been drugged and abducted?

Doubting her own sanity, Briony is fearful of what she’ll find. Yet she’s driven to discover the truth. When she trawls her memories, she’s terrified by visions, believing she may have been abused and raped.

Assisted by her friends Alesha and Jenny, and supported by a retired detective, she’s determined to learn where she’s been and why.

My review

Briony finds herself at work in a confused state. She doesn’t remember how she got at the station and what happened the past weekend.
With help from her best friend and surprisingly from a colleague and her supervisor, she tries to figure out what happened to her.
And are the visions she is having memories or is it her imagination going wild?

This book got me on the edge of my seat from the very start!
It all seemed so strange that Briony had no recollection at all from the past days. When she arrives at work, in first instance she doesn’t get much sympathy, but once her situation is clear, the people she least expected it, are there for her. She gets help from Alesha and Margareth, and once her best friend is aware of what happened to Briony, also Jenny stands by her side.

During the whole story I felt sympathy for Briony, as not knowing what happened to you seems like hell to me…

Slowly the mist of not knowing clears up, but can she trust what she sees or is she just filling up the gaps by going from worst case scenario and imagining things?

Briony goes through sereval thoughts: who can she trust? Can she trust herself? Is her mysterious past somehow involved? Is she just going mental?
Despite her desperation, good things happen also, as she finds herself new friends in people she would never imagine being friendly.

While I was reading the book, I had my suspicions of what happened, and in some way, I would have been a good detective, but the extent of the facts was not something I would have foreseen!
If you want mystery and want to binge-read, I really suggest this book!