Not everyone loves Christmas, for one reason or another…

Synopsis

A festive, coming-of-age tale about an Oxbridge candidate and a young homeless man who find themselves in the bittersweet predicament of falling in love with exactly the right person at exactly the wrong time. 

Well-to-do Jed never imagined he’d end up homeless, but family circumstances have made it his only option. Local vicar, Ben, tries to help him but there’s an element of self-punishment to the homelessness that makes Jed continue to put up with his situation – until disaster leads him to re-consider the vicar’s offer of a place to stay. 

Hattie is on the cusp of adulthood, frantically trying to persuade her mum that she doesn’t want to attend an elite university, preferring the idea of pursuing her love of art and textiles. When she meets Jed, she badly wants to understand his circumstances and why, when she has everything at her fingertips, he doesn’t. 

Hattie’s mum, Christine, has had a hard life and is desperate for more for her only child. When she meets Ben, the vicar who’s trying to help Jed, she finds an unlikely ally, and the two heartbroken souls find themselves drawn to each other. Until they find their relationship suddenly tested to the limit. 

One thing’s for certain: none of these characters is looking forward to Christmas. It’s the worst time of year for each of them, for different reasons. But perhaps this year, the festive season could defy all expectations.

Rebecca Boxall is the award-nominated author of five bestselling novels – Christmas at the Vicarage, Home for Winter, Christmas on the Coast, The Christmas Forest and Christmas by the Lighthouse. She is also the author of Christmas at the Farmhouse and her popular short story, A Winter’s Day.

My review

While studying at the library, Hattie finds herself being intrigued by the homeless man she sees sitting in the cold with his dog.
Jed is most times ignored by the people who pass him, and is surprised when Hattie offers him a hot chocolate against the cold. Because the only person who truly cares about him in these circumstances, is vicar Ben, who has offered more than once a place to stay.
But Hattie’s mother, Christine, isn’t happy with the new friend Hattie has made, as Christine wants Hattie to attend an elite university, so that Hattie can have the future Christine didn’t have. Even if Christine’s dreams for Hattie aren’t Hattie’s…
And the last thing Christine needs is another vicar in her life, as Ben keeps on appearing in her life more than once.
But no matter how different the lives of these four characters are, they have one thing in common, nobody is looking forward to the upcoming Christmas, and nothing or no one can change that…

First of all, I found the cover truly marvelous, even magical in a way. if you imagine a story centered around Christmas, and a cabin is involved, this is the imagine that pops up in your head, right?

Having said that, I expected this story to be a very sad one, even a heart – breaking one. and yes, the personal stories of each character is exactly that, but while it broke my heart, I still felt like this was truly a heart – warming story, showing us kindness, forgiveness, strength and love, all at the same time.

I truly liked Hattie and how open – minded she was. When she sees Jed for the first time, she wants to help. From the moment she hands over that warm drink, we see her genuine concern for Jed and how she wants to help in her own limited ways.
Hattie is the kind of person that looks at the person in front of her, and not at the situation. She sees and understands that Jed is a good guy, and that something out of his control brought him in being homeless.
But don’t think that Hattie pitties Jed, and that that is the reason she befriends him. Because that is absolutely not the case. She befriends him because she truly likes the person Jed is.

And Jed truly is a great guy. As he is a young man, I found it difficult to understand how he got in this particular situation. And why he is so reluctant in accepting help from Ben.
But his background broke my heart, as I cannot grasp how that can be done to a loved one. And even towards the end, when there are attempts of making things right again, we never get the complete truth…
Yet no matter what happened in the past to Jed, we see resilience in him, even fierceness in his eyes, as he wants to let everyone see that he doesn’t need help, that he can make it on his own.
Until he meets the unmistakable force named Hattie…

Seeing that friendship blossom truly was amazing, as it shows us that despite everything that happens in the world, there are good people out there, ready to help each other in their own way.

And one of those good people include Ben. As a vicar of course you wouldn’t expect anything else. But reality also tells us that that is not always the case.
But Ben is the kind of person who has his own demons to face, but that doesn’t take away that he will be the first by your side when you need him.
His genuine concern for Jed is admirable, but he also understands that Jed needs his space and needs to be on his own. But Ben is the kind of person who will always keep his door open for anyone, no matter his own inner demons.

Christine was perhaps the hardest nut to crack, or rather like. She is so set in getting her daughter in Oxford, not understanding that Hattie’s passions lay somewhere else. And at first Christine may look rather prejudiced. But slowly we get to understand her and what she has been through, making it easier to forgive her, and even forgive her later outbursts.

Obviously with Christine and Hattie being mother and child, it’s easy to link all the four characters together. But what also links the four of them, is how, in contrast to most people, they aren’t looking forward to Christmas, for their own personal reasons.

But as Fate has brought them all together, they realize that with the right people, Christmas is a wonderful moment to celebrate. And perhaps the characters are not all related by blood, but somehow, with patience, courage, strength, determination, (self) forgiveness, they found family with each other to be together with, ready to grasp that second chance and be thankful for it too.

Perhaps the epilogue wasn’t completely right up on my street. But I understood that that is also part of loving someone.

This was a warm, inspiring story that perhaps we all should read, as it shows us that sometimes it’s a small kind action that can be the start of a change in not only someone else’s life, but also our own…

When a marriage is made for alliances, what can come from it?

Synopsis

Could the wrong bride…

Be right for him after all!

For the sake of his family name, Lord Robert must marry to seal an alliance with an Irish clan. Only, the woman at the altar isn’t who he was promised! Instead, it’s her sister, Lady Mairenn! The sharp-tongued Irish beauty is as reluctant to wed as Robert, but as friction turns to fire between them, she’s further derailing Robert’s plans for this purely pragmatic arrangement…

My review

Irish Lady Mairenn is ready to sacrifice her own happiness for her sister’s sake. Even if that means to help her sister run away to marry the man she loves, and even if that means that Mairenn has to take her place in marrying Englishman Lord Robert de Brunville.
Robert isn’t happy learning that he won’ be marrying the woman he was promised, but for the alliance made with Mairenn’s dying father, he has no choice.
Neither one of them is happy with the prospect of living together with someone ‘outside their clans’, but needs must and it’s crystal – clear from the start that their marriage will be purely a pragmatic one.
Yet somehow Mairenn gets under Robert’s skin and despite their dislike of each other, there seems to be something else lingering between them… 

It took me a while to recall the first book of the series, especially as I am a fan of this author, I couldn’t remember any of her books being part of a series that I have started but not yet finished. After a small research, my questions were answered as the first part was written by another, yet also just as amazing author that I also happen to be following! 😊
But if you pick up this book and haven’t read the first book, there is no need to panic, as you can perfectly read it as a standalone. 

There are characters that immediately show how kind, loving and unselfish they are. And Mairenn is one of them. She is ready to give up her own happiness, as that means that her sister Cliodhna can marry the man she truly loves.
But there is more to Mairenn than just kindness. She is also sassy, in a good way, and knows how to get things her way. She knows how to handle her father, who as a clan – leader has always been very strict, rigorous and put the clan’s need above everything.
Yet there is also the great tragedy that struck this family, and that pain is still palpable. And there are Mairenn’s own issues, making her believe she is less worthy, and even a weakness for the family. 

Nevertheless, I loved reading how outspoken she is, even towards strangers. She won’t let anyone dictate her, and she stands her ground. That for sure put a smile on my face, not only when she first meets Robert, but throughout the whole book.
Even if she is ‘just’ a Lady, she knows more about the clan and what to do in which situation than any other man around her. And that was never heard of before in those times, but so refreshing to read about! 

Robert wasn’t perhaps the easiest person to like at first. I found him a bit pompous, not ready to listen and I found it even a bit annoying that he wanted to do everything his way. it felt to me he had no respect of the Irish ways.
He also appears to be very rigid, showing no attempts to build bridges with his long – lost brother, and is set in his own way of thinking. 

But slowly we learn that also in his case there has been a great loss, something that bonds him with Mairenn.
Yet that doesn’t take away that he often clashes with his sharp – tongued wife, making us readers have the best of times!
And seeing him adapt to the Irish ways, to see him perhaps even unintentional listening to Mairenn and taking her advice, was good to read. Because the saying ‘behind every great man stands a strong woman’, isn’t just bollocks, isn’t it? 😊 

Great part of the story is about Robert and Mairenn finding not only each other, but also themselves. They learn to trust each other, they learn to rely on each other, they learn to share their physical and emotional pains.
But there is also room for betrayal of a terrible kind, a great fight and fear. And still, we also see loyalty in those darkest moments… 

This was once again a great story to read. Mostly it’s at a calm pace, but gives you more time to fully understand both characters, where they come from and what they have been through and how they mature as they have found unexpectedly an ally with each other.
We see that no matter over how many things they think differently and clash more than anything else, they also see that love can bring many good things, and that love opens their heart in a way they didn’t think it could. 

And even if yes, the ending is predictable, does it truly matter when we can see that even in time of Knights and Maidens, love is a powerful thing that can turn the fiercest warrior into a gentle man and the most outspoken maiden into a woman ready to fight for her man.

Check this out!

Synopsis

Embark on a gripping journey of sacrifice and self-discovery in The Asymmetric Man, a thrilling tale set against the tumultuous backdrop of the Vietnam War. Follow Blake, a young recruit turned undercover agent, as he navigates the treacherous world of espionage, survival and forbidden love. From war-ravaged Saigon to seemingly impenetrable jungle and the tranquillity of a Buddhist monastery, this riveting novel explores the power of recognising and embracing one’s true calling, no matter the cost.

Extract

In this extract Blake Carter, a Cambridge University undergraduate fluent in several Oriental languages, is offered the opportunity to work for MI6 after graduation, with the prospect of working overseas in the Far East.

CHAPTER 1

Cambridge

March 1966.  

Blake stood for a moment, and looking up at the word HUMILITATIS carved in stone above the archway leading into Caius College. He walked through the gate and across Tree Court towards the south west corner of the quad and an ancient solid oak door. He pushed it open and its hinges creaked. In the gloomy hallway that stretched before him, there was a dark wooden staircase whose intricately carved balustrade gave off a faint smell of furniture polish. As he walked upstairs the steps groaned beneath his feet and he reflected that students like himself had been using the University, and this college, for more than seven hundred years. He wondered how many others had found the conventions stifling, although it had not taken him long to learn to get around them and turn them to his own advantage. 

Blake made his way to Professor Dodds’ rooms on the second floor. This was only the second time he’d been invited; the first was after they’d been introduced, two years ago. They usually met in The Rose and Crown, a quiet back street pub. He knocked on the dark oak door and a few moments later it creaked open.

‘Good evening, Professor.’

‘Ah, Blake, do come in,’ said Dodds, with a hint of awkwardness. ‘You’re on time, I see. That’s good, shows good manners.’ 

The front of his shirt had slipped out of his trousers and his tie was stained with remnants of food and gravy still wet from dinner. Blake recognised the same smell of roast beef he’d noticed last time. Dodds often appeared to be scatterbrained, rambling from one subject to another, but Blake had learnt that his appearance and distracted manner hid a sharp mind. He followed Dodds into the living room, a dark space with heavy wooden panelling; it was just as he remembered. There was a medium-sized dining table with four upright chairs ranged round it, a two-seater sofa and two leather armchairs. Against the far wall were two sets of tall bookcases stuffed full of books, with layers of books arranged horizontally on top of the upright ones. Two photographs of the Professor in his colourful gowns were displayed in silver frames on top of one bookcase. Document folders and sheets of paper were piled high on almost every surface. Removing his Cantonese/English dictionary from the pocket of his canvas jacket, Blake was ready for another evening of their usual academic conversations, but as he stepped further into the room, he saw a stranger in a grey suit sitting on the sofa, drink in hand.

‘This is the young man I was telling you about, Gerry. Blake Carter. Blake, this is Mr Benson,’ said Dodds. The stranger rose to his feet, and held out his hand.

‘Good evening, sir,’ said Blake, shaking hands.

‘A pleasure to meet you.’ Benson’s voice was rich and clear. He was tall and lean, his sharp blue eyes shining like beacons. 

‘Make yourselves comfortable. Gin and tonic, Blake?’ said Dodds, turning away towards a small cupboard used as a drinks cabinet.

‘Yes, please.’ 

Dodds poured Blake’s drink and handed it to him.

‘Just a minute, let me move some of those out of the way.’ He lifted a pile of documents from the seat of an armchair and made space for Blake to sit down. Benson returned to his seat on the sofa while Dodds sat on the other leather armchair, both of which had seen better days. ‘I’ve made some comments on the Chinese article about hydroelectric dams. Now where did I put it?’ Abruptly Dodds got up and put his drink on a small table beside his chair. He then did a tour of the room, rifling through different piles of documents and ending up at a pile on a footstool. Picking up a buff-coloured folder, he studied its contents. ‘Ah, here it is,’ he said, handed it to Blake and sat down again. 

‘Thanks.’

‘Well, Blake, how are you getting on with the Thai translation?’ asked Dodds.

‘Almost halfway through,’ said Blake.

‘Good, good.’

‘Ah,’ said Benson, ‘Doddsy here has been telling me he’s employed you to do translations for him.’

‘Yes.’

‘Translations? You’re reading Natural Sciences, aren’t you? Not much to do with Oriental languages I would have thought.’

Blake wondered where the line of questioning was leading and who Benson was; it seemed unlikely this was just a chance meeting. He shuffled in his seat. 

‘I was raised in the Far East,’ he said.

‘Ah, I see. So how did you come across Doddsy?’

Blake felt as if he was being quizzed, but Benson’s manner was friendly. 

‘I asked the Department of Asian Studies to recommend someone who could help me practise, so I wouldn’t forget it all. They put me in touch with Professor Dodds.’

‘Glad to be of assistance,’ said Dodds piously.

I am for sure intrigued!

Synopsis

A deadly feast, a mobster restaurant and a family get-together with fatal results.

Savour the spicy tang of dark and twisted tales in Pass the Cyanide, a follow-up to the award-winning collection of culinary mysteries, Add Cyanide to Taste.

From an old friend hiding a deadly secret to a ravenous house with an appetite for friends, Špiljak masterfully blends the allure of food and the thrill of mystery. Each story is a rich and satisfying serving of crime, with a twist that will leave you wanting more.

A must-read for fans of culinary noir and foodies who love a pinch of danger with their suspense. All recipes included are cyanide-free.

GuestPost

Hooked on culinary noir

When I wrote ‘Add Cyanide to Taste’ two years ago, I did it for my own pleasure, without worrying about the genre. Publishing, however, requires labels, only, which one to pick? Although my short stories were culinary mysteries, they weren’t exactly cosy, neither were they detective fiction. Some were classic hard-boiled mysteries, but there was also dark speculative fiction and horror.

So, how to label them and make sure that my ghosts and haunted houses don’t horrify unsuspecting readers? I didn’t want to promise a cosy read, only to sneak up behind the reader’s back and shout ‘booo’ when they put their feet up.

So I came up with culinary noir, feeling rather smug about having invented a new genre.

Noir, after all, allows for a certain mischief and darkness, while the culinary is the binding element of my stories. It means there’ll be some blood, some spooky stuff, ghosts and creepy dolls and a bit of magic, too.

Then, some months later, while preparing for the book launch, I discovered that culinary noir existed before I’d ‘invented’ it. One or two articles referenced it, but there were not so many books that carried the label. 

So I hadn’t made it up after all?

Rather than being disappointed, I was relieved. If the genre already existed, then it came with at least a few readers, who liked stories like mine. 

Once ‘Add Cyanide to Taste’ came out, it was clear there were more than just a few readers. People liked the stories and were happy to add culinary noir to their bookshelves. The book won an award and kept finding new readers. Some of them were book bloggers, and some of them tagged me in their review and asked for a sequel.

Until then, I hadn’t seriously considered writing another culinary noir collection, but I paused all the same and considered the request. 

Could I write another bunch of dark culinary mysteries? Yes, I certainly could, because I had quite a few story ideas already.

Did I want to? 

Well, yes. Writing those stories was fun and easy. The only problem was that I was kind of already in the middle of writing something else, having promised my time and attention to a bunch of entirely different stories.
What to do?

The only thing that made sense: I followed my gut feeling, abandoned the plans and started working on a new collectionof culinary noir.

‘Pass the Cyanide’ has kept the spirit of ‘Add Cyanide to Taste’, but brought fresh stories and characters. There are two speculative fiction stories with my own spin on vampires, a few whodunnits and a classic noir story set in Belgrade, my current hometown. There’s a holiday-themed story inspired by TikTok and there’s a story featuring artificial intelligence. Theidea for the latter came after a brief consultation with ChatGPT3. I’ve asked the tool to generate a few culinary mystery plot ideas which involved artificial intelligence, curious to see whether it would cast itself as a hero or as a villain. It did neither, and cast itself as a sidekick, a smart move on ChatGPT’s side. Though I didn’t like any of its suggested plots, I started contemplating my own plots featuring artificial intelligence. The result is ‘Ernest’s Choice’, the opening story of the collection.

I wanted to include the recipes, too, picking a few dishes from the stories, including cocktails, which might have had something to do with the blistering summer heat while writing the stories.

Even after finishing the book, I’m far from being done with writing in the genre. If anything, I am hooked on culinary noir and already planning the next book in the series.  

I’m calling the series ‘Cooking with Cyanide’, which is guaranteed to freak out the online bots, return some interesting personalised ads, and frighten my dinner guests, especially when asking about allergies.

But hey, that’s a small price to pay for the joy of writing new stories filled with delicious mayhem.

Willing to give them a try?

Check out this wonderful cover!

Synopsis

She’s writing her story one recipe at a time…

‘A delicious story that wraps itself around your heart’ Evie Woods, bestselling author of The Lost Bookshop

It’s been three years, two weeks and one day since Kate Shaw’s life changed forever. Three years, two weeks and one day that Kate has been angry – with herself and life.

But today is different. Different because Kate has finally taken the step she’s been avoiding…back into the kitchen. Now, what begins as a (disastrous) attempt to make pancakes becomes a culinary journey that is not only a love letter to someone so important to her, but also an unexpected means of connection to a community she never knew she had…

Pre-order Links

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Secret-Ingredient-Zara-Stoneley-ebook/dp/B0BF96B49J/

https://harpercollins.co.uk/products/the-secret-ingredient-sue-heath?variant=40275147096142

Publication Date: 15th February 2024

About the author

Sue Heath lives in Cheshire, England. When she isn’t working, she can often be found running around agility courses with her spaniel, and in the evenings, she loves to cook and spend time with family and friends.

‘The Secret Ingredient’ is an uplifting story that explores how a sense of community, sharing, friendship, love, and a feeling of belonging can help us make sense of life, find comfort, and heal. How we can find our happiness in ordinary things.

Sue has also written fourteen USA Today bestselling romcoms under the pseudonym Zara Stoneley and has sold over half a million copies of her stories worldwide.

You can find out more about Sue on her website – http://www.sueheath.co.uk

The cover

Never let age stop you!

Synopsis

Recently retired, Denny Lambert is finding life just a little bit…well, dull. So when her stepsister Juliette announces she’s getting married – again! – and invites Denny on a hen do with the Old Ducks, Denny really can’t say no.

Denny knows something about the Old Ducks and their wild exploits, but she’s just glad to be somewhere hot and sunny and away from her grey life back in the UK. She’s definitely not going to be pulled into any Old Duck mayhem….

But when they arrive at their beautiful Mallorcan villa, Denny is in for a shock. Because right next door is the man who once broke her heart – Bruno Browning. Now with the Old Ducks and an old flame to contend with, Denny’s life suddenly feels anything but dull!

But if she’s learnt one thing from her time with the Old Ducks it’s that life is for living…and that’s exactly what Denny is finally going to do!

Purchase Link – https://mybook.to/oldduckshensocial

About the author

Maddie Please is the author of bestselling joyous tales of older women. She had a career as a dentist and now lives in rural Herefordshire where she enjoys box sets, red wine and Christmas.

When you dream of something nonexistent… could it turn into reality anyway?

Synopsis

Ellie Browne, landlady of the Dog & Duck, is looking forward to a relaxing Christmas Day before the arrival of her and Max’s baby in the new year.

But with a snowstorm brewing outside, it seems that things might not go quite to plan. After the dramatic events of the holiday season, Ellie settles into her new life at Max’s huge country mansion, Braithwaite Manor, juggling work and family as best she can.

When she’s asked to help organise a summer wedding for one of her best friends it’s only natural that her mind turns to her own non-existent wedding plans! But with Max decidedly lukewarm on the subject and other family complications threatening to disrupt life further, Ellie fears there’ll never be wedding bells at the Dog & Duck after all.

The perfect feel-good love story for fans of Cathy Bramley, Heidi Swain and Julie Houston.

Purchase Link – https://mybook.to/weddingdogducksocial

About the author

Jill Steeples is the author of many successful women’s fiction titles – most recently the Dog and Duck series – all set in the close communities of picturesque English villages. She lives in Bedfordshire.

Lees Meer

A great story about strong characters!

Synopsis

They didn’t forecast this!

When charismatic and handsome weather presenter Marcus Bowman walks back into Willow Roxburgh’s life three weeks before Christmas, her quiet job as an admin worker at the Old Schoolhouse residential care centre in Glenbriar is shattered. He’s not only the man she used to crush on, he’s also the one who thwarted her TV forecasting dreams.

But she’s no longer the anonymous studio assistant; she’s secretly Scotland’s new favourite weather forecaster, Rocky Rainman.

With the Schoolhouse facing closure, Marcus is on an assignment to drum up festive support. However, he’s discovered the internet sensation Rocky Rainman lives somewhere nearby and is determined to expose him after Rocky’s recent damaging comments on social media. Seeing Willow, the girl he used to obsess over, shakes his priorities.

When a blizzard hits, Willow and Marcus are snowed in, and she discovers her perception of him wasn’t as accurate as her forecasts. Marcus isn’t convinced it’ll be a white Christmas, but he’s determined to win Willow’s heart. Can their new love weather storm if he discovers her secret? Because how can there be a future for Marcus Bowman and Rocky Rainman?

Purchase Link – https://mybook.to/snowdown

About the author

Margaret is a Scottish author and chocolate lover who has been writing stories for over twenty years (possibly more if you count her primary school efforts). Her early works will never see the light of day and are locked in dusty vaults on some old floppy disks. But after all those years of practise, Margaret released her first novel A Winter Haven in 2021. This is the first of a ten-book series set on the gorgeous Scottish Isle of Mull. Margaret has also written six books in The Glenbriar Series with more planned for 2024.

The stories are unashamedly romantic but with lots of drama and an eclectic mix of characters. Each book can be read as a standalone but followers of the series will enjoy catching up with the characters.

This was a wonderful next chapter in a wonderful series

Synopsis

Sandy Elliot is devastated when a fire destroys her new business and doesn’t know how she can go on. When she receives a call from her grandmother’s old friend seeking her help, a trip to Bellbird Bay seems like the answer to a prayer.

Rob Andrews is proud of what he has achieved with Bay Bikes, the business he set up when he returned from Afghanistan. But the memory of his time there still plagues him and has always prevented him from forming any close relationships, afraid his deep-seated guilt and recurrent nightmares would scare off any woman foolish enough to become involved with him.

Upon meeting, it’s certainly not love at first sight. Sandy hates his beard and tattoos while Rob, though attracted to Sandy, doesn’t believe he deserves to find happiness.

But Bellbird Bay is a small town, and their paths continue to cross, making it impossible for them to ignore each other or to deny the attraction between them.

With the festive season approaching, can Sandy and Rob overcome their pasts and enjoy a celebration of their own?

Purchase Link – https://mybook.to/CelebrationsinBB

About the author

After a career in education, Maggie Christensen began writing contemporary women’s fiction portraying mature women facing life-changing situations, and historical fiction set in her native Scotland. Her travels inspire her writing, be it her trips to visit family in Scotland, in Oregon, USA or her home on Queensland’s beautiful Sunshine Coast. Maggie writes of mature heroines coming to terms with changes in their lives and the heroes worthy of them. Maggie has been called the queen of mature age fiction and her writing has been described by one reviewer as like a nice warm cup of tea. It is warm, nourishing, comforting and embracing.

From the small town in Scotland where she grew up, Maggie was lured to Australia by the call to ‘Come and teach in the sun’. Once there, she worked as a primary school teacher, university lecturer and in educational management. Now living with her husband of over thirty years on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, she loves walking on the deserted beach in the early mornings and having coffee by the river on weekends. Her days are spent surrounded by books, either reading or writing them – her idea of heaven!

When love is the last thing you are looking for

Synopsis

A cheeky chappy comedian

Charlie is most comfortable playing the funny man in front of boisterous crowds in London’s comedy clubs. But he’s about to be swapping his routine for wedding speeches. And his new acquaintance Sarah, thinks he is anything but amusing.

The woman who’s got it covered

Weddings are always a difficult time for widower Sarah, but you would never tell – she’s too focused on making the week of her best friends’ wedding as perfect as possible. She definitely has no time for the grumpy and surly Charlie, who it’s clear her friends are trying to set her up with.

And only one room left at the rental…

When a drunken invitation adds more people to the pre-wedding holiday house than Sarah organized for, she finds herself spending A LOT more time with Charlie than she intended. If only they could both let their guards down, they might find they have more in common than they think

My review

Sarah may be a young widow, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t over the moon that her best friends are getting married. She even made sure that the week leading to the wedding is organized perfectly, even if it’s taking place on the other side of the world, London.
The one thing she didn’t take in account is that there are more people invited to stay at the rented holiday house, making her spend too much time to her liking with Charlie, also one of the best friends of the happy pair.
Because Sarah and Charlie for sure don’t get along, as it’s already clear from the moment he is the one to pick Sarah up at the airport.
But the more time spent together, the more Sarah sees of the Charlie behind all the jokes… and the more they both realize to have a lot in common… 

There are stories with the trope enemies to lovers. There are stories with the trope heart – broken characters. There are stories with the trope of a character with a difficult past. And then there is this book, that has all the above, but also handles each above mentioned trope with delicateness and lightness. That make this book so amazing to read, as there are moments that will make you sad, but also moments that will make you laugh. 

Sarah is not an unknown character, as she has made several appearances in the previous chapters of this series. And I had my fingers crossed that she too would have her moment in the spotlight. Because she may not have had the spotlight before, but for the characters she has been of an invaluable importance. 

I could see where she was coming from, regarding love. Because she had it all, and lost it all way too soon. So can you blame her that she isn’t looking for love? Not only does she still feels like it she would betray her late husband, but she also knows that she couldn’t endure the pain that would come with the inevitable heartbreak. 

But even if she is afraid of love, she loves. And how she loves… she would do anything for the happiness of her friends, even if that never gives her a moment of peace. She would rather walk around like a headless chicken if that would give her friends an amazing time. 

And seeing her clash with someone like Charlie for sure was hilarious! Because Charlie has this laidback attitude, but he is also hot and cold. He goes from one emotion to another in a blimp.
I liked it how he was described as a social extravert, as that gives you the perfect idea of how Charlie is. When around people, he for sure is the life of the party, ready for more than one joke.
But once his funny mask is off, he enjoys the quiet and the calm. 

Of course his background makes him also wary of new people and wary of changes. And It saddened me to see how he felt that he has no stability, that everything can be taken away from him in a blimp.
And my heart for sure bled to read how he grew up, feeling like he had and still has nothing to offer… 

Seeing how Sarah slowly starts to understand Charlie was truly sweet. For some inexplicable reason (is it really although), they get each other. No matter how different they may appear to be, deep inside they share the same fears. And they find that kindred, scared, spirit and find that person they can open up to. 

But they also share the same likes and dislikes. Their inside jokes land and are understood by each other. It was great to see how they spend time together, how Sarah discovers London with her own and unique tour guide.
Also there we see how well they in fact match, as Charlie just knows what Sarah will want to see. 

In each book, there is a moment where things go downhill for some reason or another. And in this book, it truly broke my heart, as we see how fear is holding the both of them back, while in fact love should make you courageous again, to take that step, on matter how scare you are.  

But the ending of the book mended my broken heart, as it was just perfect for the characters, and was truly well – fitted! 

I truly loved this fourth chapter of a series I liked from Book 1. And maybe, just maybe, this may have been my favourite one!