Romantic entanglements, A-list weddings and missing diamonds… it’s going to be a busy spring in Westenbury!
Sisters Hannah, Rosa, and Eva are on a mission to sustain picturesque Heatherly Hall, in Yorkshire’s Westenbury village. So when they hear the legend of the Jet Set – a necklace with a rare diamond, commissioned by royalty and hidden in their hall – they plan a fundraiser: an Agatha-Christie style am-dram production and treasure hunt.
As if that weren’t enough, music superstar Drew Livingston and Bollywood legend Aditi Sharma have chosen their hall for a wedding in just six weeks’ time, and the pressure is mounting to pull off the wedding of the decade.
Staging the play, unravelling the mystery of the diamond, and meeting the demands of an A-list bride and groom without their lives unravelling seems impossible. But these three sisters know that with family by your side, anything can be overcome…
Perfect for fans of Katie Fforde, Jill Mansell, and anyone who loves a warm and witty romance with a dash of intrigue.
Publication Date – 29th February 2024 – so just 5 months to go!
About the author
Julie Houston lives in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire where her novels are set, and her only claims to fame are that she teaches part-time at Bridget Jones’ author Helen Fielding’s old junior school and her neighbour is Chocolat author, Joanne Harris. After University, where she studied Education and English Literature, she taught for many years as a junior school teacher. She now teaches just two days a week, and still loves the buzz of teaching junior-aged children. She has been a magistrate for the past nineteen years, and, when not distracted by Ebay, Twitter and Ancestry, spends her time writing. Julie is married, has a twenty-four-year-old son and twenty-one-year-old daughter and a ridiculous Cockerpoo called Lincoln. She runs and swims because she’s been told it’s good for her, but would really prefer a glass of wine, a sun lounger and a jolly good book – preferably with Matthew McConaughey in attendance.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year on Castle Street, and there’s a paw-some new business opening….
It had always been Tabby’s dream to work with cats and an inheritance from her beloved nanna has finally made that a reality. Idyllic Castle Street in Whitsborough Bay couldn’t be a better place for pastry chef Tabby to open a cat café with her boyfriend, Leon.
But when Leon leaves her in the lurch, the pressure mounts for Tabby. With Christmas fast approaching, she has to open the café on her own – a daunting prospect, especially when she’s been hiding her health issues from the ones she loves.
Faced with local resistance to the café – and somebody seemingly determined that she won’t succeed – Tabby will need her friends, family and cats more than ever to recover her broken Christmas spirit and pull together for a Christmas miracle.
Will the cat café bring the festive joy to Castle Street as Tabby had hoped or will it be a cat-astrophe? And can the magic of Christmas on Castle Street mend Tabby’s broken heart as well as her business?
Escape with million-copy bestseller Jessica Redland this Christmas for the purr-fect festive treat!
My review
Tabby is finally realizing her dream: opening a cat café in Castle Street in Whitborough Bay together with her boyfriend Leon. The opening has already been postponed once, as Leon accepted a job as a chef on a cruise ship. While that perhaps was a gift in disguise, Tabby now is counting down the days to finally welcome Leon back and to open the café. That is until Leon decides that not only the café isn’t his dream and that being in a relationship with Tabby isn’t either… Now Tabby has to open her café on her own, while Leon would be her ack – up when her health wouldn’t allow her to work. Luckily Tabby can count on her family, friends the people she has hired for the café to make the opening happening. But apparently not everyone is happy to have a cat café in Castle Street, and Tabby finds herself fighting against not only her illness, but also against prejudice and even against her own pride, as even her closest family doesn’t know the depth of her illness…
Hello everyone, my name is Tiziana, and I am an ailurophile… (yes, I had to check letter by letter that I was writing that word correctly 😊). At the moment I have no cats of my own, and that is only because I am living in an apartment, work fulltime and I wouldn’t find it fair for a cat to be having a limited space and being on its own for most of the day… So I take pleasure from catsitting, reading books where cats also appear etc.
And can you imagine my complete joy at discovering that one of my favourite authors (yes, that’s you Jessica!) wrote a book involving cats??? It felt like all my favourite holidays were coming together!
Tabby, our main character, is an amazing, lovely person. Even if I questioned the amount of cats she has, because let’s be honest, there are A LOT of them, I admired with how much love and care she looks after each and every one of them. And I completely understood her with giving each cat a voice and accent of their own. Believe me when I say that I did the same thing!
But while I was developing a girl – crush on her, my heart also broke for her. Not only did her boyfriend dump her on a terrible way, also her health – issue for sure did add pressure on realizing her dream. (In Dutch we have a very fitting saying, by pointing out that something isn’t just that straightforward ‘Dat is geen kattenpis’, which would be translated as ‘That is no cat pee’).
I didn’t know much about the disease, and I didn’t know how it all translated into how it makes someone feel. But reading how Tabby is feeling, and how she is trying to explain it, both with the colour scheme and the amount of spoons (you’ll get it when you’re reading the book), somehow it was much more understandable for me, even if I can only try to imagine how people really feel having the disease. And it truly broke my heart seeing how Tabby’s health issues are preventing her to live her dream at the fullest. Because somehow, she always has to depend on someone else on the bad days…
I could comprehend Tabby, as she hides her discomfort, as she doesn’t want to be a burden to anyone. But her family and friends do an amazing job by asking her what would she do if someone she loves was in need of help?
Jessica shows us with this book how much love there can be in a person. The way Tabby cares about each cat as an individual, and how she makes decisions that even break her heart, but are the best decision possible for her furry friends, shows us that Tabby is a real cat – lover. And we see at one specific occasion how one event truly affected Tabby (don’t go thinking I have forgiven you for that Jessica, as you brought me to tears once again! 😊).
But Jessica also shows us that we should never underestimate the love others have for us. Tabby is afraid to show her real pain to her people. But she slowly learns that her people love her unconditionally and would do anything to help her out. Because that’s what you do when you love someone.
I have read a few reviews before I started writing mine, and some were saying that this wasn’t’ a real romance, as it only appears more towards the ending. And yes, it’s true that Tabby’s love interest isn’t the main subject of this lovely book. But let me ask you this… what is romance about? Isn’t it about finding/ having someone to love? And so, Tabby has to learn to love herself, her completely. And she has other people around her that love her. So how can this not be a romance? Because this book is filled with love, on each page!
Well, except when there is one character who proves to be anything than a lovely character…
Like I just said, Tabby has to learn to love and accept herself. Even if that means that her dream perhaps isn’t that realizable in the way she thought it should be. But that doesn’t mean that her dream and love for cats cannot be shown in a different way, one that is perhaps even more ‘Tabby’ than she thought.
My dear Jessica, once again you wrote an amazing story, filled with so much warmth even if there were a few heart – breaking moments in it. And you brought us also back a few old friends, which absolutely delighted me! 😊 You show us again and again what marvellous characters you can put into books. And they are real characters, flaws even included. But those flaws and real issues that they are facing, make the characters only more lovable.
This was a typical Jessica Redland – book, filled with so much warmth, friendship, paws and love. Once again this author exceeded my extreme high expectations!
When a made bet turns out to go completely differently
Synopsis
Escape to Medieval Scotland, where a Highlander searches for a bride…
Is the wife the Highlander seeks
…already by his side?
Back from battle, Hamilton of Clan Graham makes a bet with his brother to find a wife by summer’s end. So, the Scottish warrior enlists the help of his childhood friend, Beileag, to help him woo his perfect woman. But like Hamilton, Beileag has changed whilst he’s been away…and she intrigues him like never before! His focus should be on winning a bride. Yet why is Beileag all he can think about?
My review
Hamilton of Clan Graham has made a bet with his twin brother, to find a woman by the end of the summer. While Hamilton does it to push Camron to finally go after the woman he loves, he doesn’t want to lose the bet himself. He has found the perfect woman for him, and he asks the help of his childhood friend Beileag. But what Hamilton didn’t expect is to see how Beileag has changed while he was away. And he finds himself intrigued by this woman, proving that still waters run deep…
Having read the first book concerning the Clan Graham brothers, I was very curious to read Hamilton’s part. And while I absolutely liked reading Camron’s tale, I think that perhaps Hamilton may be my favourite of the twin brothers!
But even if Hamilton was my favourite of the two brother, I truly liked Beileag’s character. Well, I liked her, but I also felt sorry for her. She is a quiet character, yet nothing goes unnoticed. I felt that she wasn’t comfortable in her own skin, and her height for sure wasn’t the best of gifts that Mother Nature could give her. Also her parents weren’t exactly the most kind and loving people. Yet we can see obviously that Beileag is a kind and loving woman. Her siblings mean the world to her, and she is also very protective towards her friends.
I loved how free – spirited she was during the whole story. She found something that made her happy, her own world, and even if she knows that not everyone would agree with what she is doing, she won’t let anyone take it away from her.
But it was also interesting to get to know Hamilton better. Why was the bet placed? And what exactly did he truly see in his ‘perfect woman’? While it was easy to see Hamilton as a playful person, up to mischief all the time, in this book we get the chance to get to know the real Hamilton, his fears and struggles included. And while his choice for a wife may have seemed a superficial one, it’s clear it’s made with a purpose. And that purpose shows us an unexpected vulnerability in Hamilton.
Hamilton and Beileag are very different kind of characters, a fierce warrior and a shy young woman. Yet them together, it just works. Despite their differences, they seem to understand each other, and when they don’t, they want to. I found it even sweet to see how slowly they start to see each other in a different light. They get to know each other on a totally different level, and they realize that perhaps despite their differences, they also have a lot in common.
Beileag naivety concerning matters of the heart and Hamilton’s passion turn this unlikely couple into a couple with fireworks. Beileag learns that love is not something impossible and Hamilton learns that even for him there is a perfect match, even if it’s not in the form of the woman he expected it to be.
This was a great story to read, as it gives us characters that perhaps are unlikely to find something deeper with each other yet they do. It was also a funny story somehow, seeing how sudden jealousy submerges, and making the characters understand the depth of their real feeling.
Giveaway!
Win a Signed Copy of The Highlander’s Unexpected Bride (Open Internationally)
Amelia Riley and Ben Lawson have something in common – fathers who have kept secrets.
On the day of his father’s funeral, Ben’s life changes forever when a woman he’s never met shows up claiming to be his sister. As he investigates the past, Ben is shaken to discover that much of his life has been built on a carefully constructed foundation of his father’s lies. Needing answers, he agrees to visit Juniper Meadows, the ancestral estate owned and run by his long-lost relatives, the Travers family.
Arriving in the pretty Cotswold countryside, the first person Ben meets is Amelia Riley. They are immediately drawn to one another, but Amelia has her own complicated ties to the Travers family. Her only goal is to set the past to rights so she can move on with a clean conscience.
As Ben starts to see the events of his childhood more clearly, he allows the warmth and fun he finds at Juniper Meadows to draw him in from the cold. But just as he’s contemplating setting down roots, Amelia is making plans to leave…
Bestseller Sarah Bennett is back with an irresistible, feel-good, page-turning escape, perfect for fans of Cathy Bramley, Katie Fforde and Phillipa Ashley.
My review
Ben and his father have always been on their own, after Ben’s mother died. At least that is what Ben always thought, and he couldn’t be more shocked to learn that not only his mother is still very much alive, but he also has a little sister. Digging up his father’s past, Ben sees that his father has kept many secret and hasn’t always been as truthful as Ben thought. In search for more answers, he decides to take up on his sister Hope Travers’ offer to visit Juniper Meadows. And slowly Ben gets t know a part of his family he was unaware of, and it makes him think about what his future may hold, as in the past he didn’t follow his passion, but listened to his father. With now a family that encourages to follow your passion, Ben has a lot of thinking to do. And thinking he does, as he also keeps thinking about his encounter with Amelia Riley… Amelia, who has been best friends with Hope, but also discovered that her own father betrayed her and her mother in a terrible way…
Oooh just what a delight to return to Juniper Meadows! And I liked it how the story just picked up straight where book Nr. 1 left us, namely Hope finding her brother, after learning of his existence.
I felt sorry for Ben in so many different aspects… He is doing a job that in fact he doesn’t truly love yet he did it anyway, after his father pushed him for a ‘real’ career. He never felt the support for chasing his artistic talents, even if that was what put him in a happy place. He has lost his father, not knowing about the illness, and has to face somehow even the hypocrisy of those who knew his father. And then he learns that everything he thought he knew was a lie. Not only did his own father kept the truth about Ben’s mother, but Ben is shocked to learn that he has a little sister, and a whole family ready to welcome him back.
But I could also understand Ben, as he doesn’t know what to do with the fresh information he has received. He is obviously wary of the new situation, and he doesn’t know what the correct way is to tackle the whole matter.
I truly sympathized with him, as while he was happy to realize that he isn’t alone in the world at all, but I could also understand that finding a whole family still makes him a bit wary of everything, as he tries to comprehend what happened in the past, and what the real truth is.
Of course Hope optimism is very infectious, and I found it heart – warming to see how quickly the siblings bonded. Yet I also was glad to see that Hope understood that they all needed to take baby – steps.
If there is one person who could somehow comprehend Ben, knowing what it feels to discover a father who kept secrets and didn’t always follow the laws, it is Amelia.
Amelia isn’t a complete stranger, as she made an appearance in the previous book. But I was happy to see she has her chance in the spotlight in this book. We know what her father did (and even if you didn’t read the previous part, it is all explained) and I could understand her feelings. While Amelia herself didn’t do anything wrong, she will always be linked to her father. So her sense of guilt and shame, even towards her best friend, made sense to me, even if they were absolutely unjustified, because she didn’t do anything wrong.
So obviously, these two people, haunted by secrets from others, find each other. And seeing Ben and Amelia finding each other, comprehending each other like no one else could, and find someone to just talk to (initially 😊) was truly heart – warming. Because both characters need to have that kind of person in their lives. But they also find someone that persuades them to follow their dreams, to do something with their artistic talent, even if it would be a risk somehow.
I truly liked the development between them, but in the end what I liked the most about this book, was the story about family. Because Ben finds a family he wasn’t aware of, yet he is accepted between their midst like if he has always been there. The Travers’ for sure show everything that is beautiful about a family. This is a welcoming, open family, ready to help out a member of it, no matter if you have always been in there, or have just arrived. And no matter if you’re family by blood or not, just like Amelia. Because Amelia is also part of the family by proxy, as she is Hope’s friend. And that makes you find a home, with no judgement.
This author once again wrote an amazing story, with wonderful characters even if they are haunted. Yet Sarah Bennett makes it possible to inject so much warmth and love in her tale, making her characters find a place where they truly belong, with whom they truly belong.
The American Woman: a story of hope, disappointment and new beginnings
When it’s impossible to forget is it possible to forgive?
Jennifer is stuck doing dead end waitressing jobs, her naïve dream of Hollywood stardom in tatters. Gareth, an IT consultant on a temporary contract, is the unlikely customer at Giulio’s Diner in the downbeat part of Los Angeles where she is now working.
It shouldn’t be a perfect match, the attractive, outgoing waitress from Idaho and the shy, good looker from Wales, but when it comes to relationships nothing is predictable, is it?
They move from state to state and when Gareth’s work in America dries up Jennifer follows him to Britain. Everything changes. What is she supposed to do when she discovers that she’s been fed a pack of lies?
Now living alone in Muswell Hill, Jennifer is a regular at the popular Dream Café with a great job and a lovely set of friends, but it’s impossible to cast aside the wonderful memories of her time together with Gareth.
Were his lies justified? Are they forgivable? And most importantly, should she be giving Gareth the second chance he so desperately wants?
[This is a stand-alone novel in the ‘at the Dream Café’ series]
R J Gould writes contemporary fiction about relationships using a mix of wry humour and pathos to describe the tragi-comic life journeys of his protagonists. The American Woman is his ninth novel and follows The Engagement Party, Jack and Jill Went Downhill, Mid-life follies, The bench by Cromer beach, Nothing Man, Dream Café, Then and now, and Darren, Andrew and Mrs Hall. He has been published by Headline Accent and Lume Books and also self-publishes. Before becoming a full-time author he worked in the education and charity sectors. In addition to his addiction to telling stories, he has somewhat milder addictions to playing tennis, watching film noir cinema, completing Wordle and eating dried mango slices. He is a member of Cambridge Writers and the Romantic Novelists’ Association UK and lives in Cambridge, England.
Oooooh look at this brand new book from this amazing author!
Synopsis
Love Heart Lane – where friends are there for you no matter what
Fashion designer Libby Carter has always loved weddings, so when her brother finds himself in a bind and asks her to step in and plan the perfect winter wonderland wedding for guests at his hotel, Starcross Manor, she happily takes on the challenge. But this is no ordinary Christmas wedding and when everything starts to go awry Libby asks gorgeous videographer Guy Hart for help.
This isn’t single dad Guy’s usual gig – and he is not a fan of weddings – but saying no to vivacious Libby isn’t an option … especially when saying yes leads to one very unforgettable kiss under the mistletoe!
“Far as I’m aware–” Joe said, dropping his head briefly, the better to compose his features, “–far as I’m aware, Miss, we’ve no rabies in the Hebrides at the moment.”
Rose Mackie has inherited a house on a far-flung Scottish island from her curmudgeon of a father who wanted nothing whatsoever to do with her.
So she lands on Primrose Island with the intention of packing up the old beach house, selling it to the first person who’ll make an offer, and moving firmly on. But Joe Fraser, her late father’s neighbour, has some inconvenient news for her on that front.
Rose prepares for battle – only to find that the longer she spends on Primrose Island, and the more time she spends around Joe in particular, the more she begins to question everything she thought she knew…
My review
When Rose Mackie inherits her father’s house on Primrose Island, she wants to sell it as soon as possible. As her father was not in her life at all, why should she keep something from him? When her father’s neighbour Joe Fraser informs her that there is a stipulation in the will, and selling the place isn’t as straightforward, Rose knows that she will have to spend more time in her father’s house than she wanted. But the more time she spends in the house, and the more time she spends with Joe, she learns that in fact, she knew less about her father and his situation than she thought to know. And that perhaps that one stipulation that initially infuriated her, wasn’t that bad at all…
I always love reading stories where the main character for one reason or another inherits a house, and then discovers that the truth isn’t what he/she thought it was. So obviously I just had to read this novella too!
I can only try to imagine how Rose must feel, when not only she inherits a house on Primrose Island, but also she inherits it from her father, whom she never had any contact in her life. While Rose until a certain age always believed that her father would return, at one point she stopped caring. If he didn’t care about her, why should she?
Having those thoughts, I couldn’t blame her reluctance and her wish to just sell up the place as quickly as she could. But it was also clear that things weren’t as Rose always thought they were, and I was very curious to see to what extend exactly.
We can see a lot of anger in Rose, and that is completely understandable. Yet in a way it was also funny to see the alterations with Joe. Not only does Rose see Joe as a know – it – all/ better but she also dislikes it how Joe seems to know her father in a different way than hers. So seeing them clash over several things, or over different opinions put a smile on my face, especially as us readers we know how it all will end.
But what warmed my heart the most in this novella, was seeing how Rose, even if she has negative feelings over her new place, somehow finds her peace in Primrose Island. And she also discovers that her father is anything but the mans he thought she was, and that makes her feel regretful, but also closer to a man she has never known.
The downside of a novella is, that there is so much to say and so little space to tell it all. So things evolve rather quickly, or things that perhaps would have escalated more, are resolved without any issue, just an angry look suffices. And it left me with a few in depth questions that were left unanswered, or that I would have liked to see more how things would evolve between Rose and Joe.
But that didn’t take away I enjoyed reading this novella, showing in a short amount how sometimes in a place that doesn’t feel like home, with the truth and discoveries, you find a place more home than anywhere else. And that even on the most remote place (or at least how it feels) you can find the most unexpected yet most wonderful things.
A holiday filled with twists and turns, nice ones and not…
Synopsis
Antigua… the Caribbean at its most luscious, its most beautiful… silver sand, cobalt sky, warm turquoise sea… and a bunch of complete strangers, who only have one thing in common: they’re single. Some are looking for romance, some for something more. But they’ve all chosen to spend their holiday with people they have never met before. And pretty soon, some will become good friends, some enemies and some lovers. And many of them will experience things they never expected, including their tour manager Eve, who perhaps has the biggest shock of all. A story that will make you laugh and make you cry with just the right number of twists to keep you turning the pages as you get to know all the members of the group as they, in turn, get to know each other.
My review
Tour manager Eve is heading off to Antigua with a group of singles, ready for their holiday. As each have their own reasons to participate on a singles’ holiday, they have all chosen the wonderful setting of Antigua, even if they are all are a bunch of strangers to each other. It’s up to Eve to let each person have the best possible times, with excursions, amazing food and live the wonderful experience of an all – in vacation. In the time span of a couple of days, some people of the group become good friends, some will have an instant dislike for each other, and others will benefit of the ‘What happens in Antigua…’. But also in that same time span, things will happen to several of them, and tour manager Eve included, that will change their lives one way or another…
When I started this book, I was thinking about my own personal situation. As I am single, I have thought about going on a singles’ holiday myself. But not having made that final decision yet, I thought that meanwhile I could enjoy reading this book and see how the characters would experience a holiday on their own.
And as I also have brother who is a tour guide in Italy and I have joined him a few times, i for sure could understand Eve’s situation. Eve is a kind person, and is ready to help out however she can. She is also very patient, but we can also see that some are testing her patience to her limits. And again, going on trips with my brother, I knew that people on holiday can be at their best, but also at their worst. Even just as a reader, there were some characters that got me so frustrated! I don’t know if I would have been able to keep calm and carry on just like Eve did!
It was great to see how diverse the group was. Each has its own background, and also personal reasons for being on the holiday. Some may be genuine, but some not. And that diversity for sure made this a captivating story.
Reading about all the several people on the holiday, at first made me a bit afraid I would confuse a character with another. But my fears were unfounded, as it’s very easy to keep with each one of them. Of course, having a group, it’s normal to like one character more and dislike another. And seeing how my gut feeling in the end proved to be right, was satisfying. Yet that didn’t take away that, despite my gut feeling, there were a few twists and turns that I didn’t see coming!
I have to admit, that perhaps the length of each chapter was a bit too long for my liking. I perfectly understand the choice the author made, as each chapter depicts one day at the time. But as I am the kind of person who reads by chapter, if you are laying in bed, ready for some sleep, that one last chapter for sure takes a while to get through! 😊 And yes, there are “pauses” in each chapter so I *could* have stopped at one of those, but once again, I am a reader by chapter 😊. But this is truly a personal feeling I had, and it didn’t influence my opinion over the story itself!
This book for sure gave me the holiday – vibes, as my last holiday was at the start of July and I for sure needed a new break, even if it was a fictional one! But beside that laid – back vibe, it also shows us that even in a short time span, relationships can be formed. And I am not talking only about the romantic one, but also the friendship kind, a kindred spirit kind, and even a surprising kind!
I truly enjoyed reading this story, and while many characters had their closure, I cannot wait to read more about Eve and her next tours!
What changes will new arrivals bring to a place that is the heart of a village?
Synopsis
A wonderful story of love, friendship and opening your mind and your heart to new possibilities that will enchant fans of Holly Martin and Heidi Swain.
The Copper Plough is at the heart of village life for the residents of Heritage Cove, and never more so than at Christmas, when the tree glows in the alcove and the smell of mulled wine carries out onto the street. So when new owners for the beloved pub arrive and decide to shake things up, not everyone welcomes the changes with open arms.
Local bakery owner Celeste is ready to keep an open mind. But she’s shocked to discover that one of the new landlords is Quinn, a former Navy sailor with whom she had a short but powerful romance years earlier.
Fate may have brought Quinn and Celeste back together, but life seems determined to keep them apart. Can the villagers learn to embrace the newcomers this Christmas? And will Quinn and Celeste find a way back to each other before snow falls over Heritage Cove?
My review
While the whole community of Heritage Cove is worried about what the new owners of the Copper Plough will do to the place, bakery owner Celeste is keeping an open mind about it. Just because there are new owners, doesn’t mean that everything will be thrown away. But Celeste also tries to make the people comprehend that the new owners do have the right to run the pub how they want, and that changing its name into ‘The Star And Lantern’ is just the beginning of a new adventure for its owners. Then Celeste learns that one of the owners is Quinn, a former Navy sailor she had a short but intense romance with a few years ago. Has Quinn come back to stay and rekindle their relationship? But things aren’t all that straightforward, as Quinn has his own demons to chase away, Celeste keeping her distance despite the attraction. Let’s not forget the community that aren’t all that keen on all the sudden changes. And then there is the fate of a beloved member of Heritage Cove, whose health is taking a turn…
First of all, how lovely to return to Heritage Cove! If there is a place where community truly sticks together and is more a family than just people living in the same place, it for sur is Heritage Cove!
Both Celeste and Quinn may not be the typical main characters that you would expect. Yes, of course they are both lovely, but Celeste has made a choice in her life that perhaps not everyone would understand/ agree with. And Quinn is going through time, which was kind of expected but seeing his struggles aren’t all that easy, especially as it also affects those around him in a way.
Celeste is a very open – minded young woman. In the sense that she is sad to see new owners taking over the pub, but she is also seeing it as an opportunity for them. While the village is rather afraid to see what the future will bring, Celeste is ready to give the owners a chance. She knows that change isn’t a bad thing, and that there can be found a middle ground. But a chance must be given.
With realizing that one of the owners is Quinn, an old flame, I could also understand that Celeste didn’t know how to behave. On one side, she was happy to see him again, but on the other hand, is she ready to give her heart to him completely? And will he accept her choice?
Now, before you go thinking the weirdest things about the choice Celeste made, it isn’t a strange one. it’s a choice that perhaps even takes courage to make, and that perhaps not everyone would agree with. But in the end, it’s Celeste’s life and she can live it anyway she wants.
And then there is Quinn… from his first appearance he somehow made me fall in love with him. And I even liked him more seeing how he respected Celeste’s wishes with their first goodbye…
But my heart also broke for him, seeing how he has returned. Because Quinn is broken, in a way we could expect a former Navy sailor would return. But I found it also refreshing in a way to see how Quinn has changed. Reading how things slowly crept on to him, without an explicit cause, was showing us that his situation can come in different ways, and not just “the one” we all assume.
We see Quinn struggling, but also we see Quinn somehow ashamed of what he is going through. And how he doesn’t know how to cope with it. And that’s a real struggle for so many people in real life. As a bystander it’s always easy to have a readymade solution, but it’s always easier said than done, and only the person living it can know when the right time has come to take the right step to healing.
This is a slow – burn romance, if we can really even call it that. Because, yes the focus is on Celeste and Quinn and their trying to figure out if they have a chance of their HEA, even if there are several struggles to overcome.
But after finishing this lovely book, what remained truly fixed in my mind, was the whole community. A community that looks after each other. And just FYI Helen Rolfe, I still haven’t forgiven you for the agony you caused me by doing that to sweet Barney! 😊 And also a community that loves the place they are living, and wary of any change. But also a forgiving and despite their wariness also an accepting community.
Heritage Cove showed once again the power of friendship and family. A place where home truly is a home, where you can be who you are. A place where perhaps even anything is possible. And of course, a place that resides several of our old friends that delighted us also in this book with their presence and still being of importance to the main characters!
A murder mystery weekend event to uncover more than just a staged murder…
Synopsis
One murder mystery weekend. Two rival sleuths.
They’re looking for answers. But will they find love?
Kate Brannon is delighted to be attending her first murder mystery weekend in a movie-worthy Victorian manor house. Still getting over being dumped, cracking the case would be a welcome boost to her flagging confidence. And the prize money wouldn’t hurt either.
But Kate’s dreams of victory become a nightmare with the arrival of Max Ravenscroft. Smart, enigmatic and annoyingly handsome, Max is Kate’s sleuthing nemesis.
When she and Max are forced to work together, Kate despairs. But, as the investigation brings them closer, she finds being his partner in solving crime isn’t all bad.
With growing suspicions that the game is rigged against them, can Kate and Max beat the odds to find the killer? And, as their partnership deepens, can they find romance too?
A sweet romantic comedy with a cosy mystery at its heart. Perfect for fans of Kathryn Freeman, Laura Jane Williams and Katie Fforde.
My review
After going through a difficult moment, Kate Brannon is happy to be finally attending a murder mystery weekend in a Victorian manor house. Not only will that weekend take her mind of her being recently dumped, but also the prize money is a great incentive. But her enthusiasm diminishes a bit when she learns that Max Ravenscroft will be part of her team. While Max is part of her usual gang, he is also Kate’s nemesis, as he often takes the win barely moments before she cracked the mystery. With the two of them working on the case, Kate realizes that Max is not what she thought he was, and together they may have a real chance of winning. That is, unless the suspicions of the game being rigged are true…
Well, I can say that this story for sure took me by surprise. And in a good way! I found it refreshing that the main characters are taken part in a murder mystery and that there wasn’t an actual murder taken place. It seemed for sure something I would like to do myself too! And the lengths the ‘suspects’ go to be as believable as possible for sure put a smile on my face! 😊
I truly liked Kate, as I could both feel her sadness but also her enthusiasm for what was waiting for her. After having her heart broken, it was clear that this weekend was exactly what she needed to get her ex out of her mind. There were also some bits of Kate that I recognized in myself, like her fear of speaking in public. And I loved her unique style. If only I had the same dresses as Kate does!
And I could also comprehend her dislike towards Max. Max didn’t do anything wrong in the past, but sometimes you just dislike the person who manages to steal your thunder and appears to dislike you just as much.
But in fact, in the whole story I couldn’t find any fault Max. on the contrary, once we get to know him better, we see what a gentle, kind, supporting person he is. He may antagonize Kate at first, but we also see how he manages to make Kate feel more confident and also stronger in general.
I found it sweet in a way to see how these two nemeses realize that what they to know what the other one was thinking, could be so wrong. And once that realization dawned, they found out that they could rely on each other and that together they are a force to be reckoned with. And then the moment they see each other in another but amazing daylight, where they realize that perhaps there is more going on between them… no words needed!
Obviously, there are some issues to be taken care of. Not only the fictional murder, but a host that may not be so genuine and honest as we may think. An appearance that was not only unexpected (yet expected from our side!) but also unwelcome. But all the above only worked in favour of our main characters.
On a last note, I have to say I found the title of the book very clever! It for sure put an extra smile on my face!
I absolutely enjoyed reading this book, and I found myself sleuthing along with amazing characters. Characters that realize that perhaps their initial thoughts about each other could be wrong, and see the real person in front of them. And this all taking place in a wonderful setting! ☺️
Tizi’s Book Review 