When it’s time to take back the reigns of your life in your own hands

Synopsis

I always thought I was going to be a girl who did something. I was going to run my own business and find fame and fortune! Fall in love…

But here I am. Still waiting for it all to happen, sitting on the floor, surrounded by lilies and roses, trying to do my best friend’s wedding flowers because – in her words – ‘how hard can it be, Frankie?’. The answer is actually ‘very hard’ but it’s not the only thing that’s tough right now. My boyfriend won’t commit, I barely have a job, and once again I have the hangover from hell…

What I don’t know is that life’s about to throw me a curveball a new friend I will make with a beautiful, sad-eyed little boy who is so very tragically ill. I still don’t know about that heartbreak.

Even so, in this moment, I know that it’s time for some changes. Maybe it’s time to make my dreams come true? To try to become a marathon-running, healthy-living, wildly-in-love florist-to-the-stars!

Because I’m beginning to realise that you only get one chance at life. I don’t yet how you change everything, all at once, but what I do know is it all starts with me…

My review

Frankie always dreamed of having her own business, yet she never expected to be a florist. It all happened when her best friend needed wedding flowers and after all, ‘how hard can it be?’.
Now she hopes to become a celebrity florist, even if the rest of her life isn’t going that well. The relationship with her mother is strained, using an euphemism, her boyfriend won’t commit and Frankie is facing another hangover…
Life goes its usual way for Frankie, until her best friend Honey challenges her to run a half – marathon. That is a sign for Frankie that perhaps it’s time to make some changes. And her finding  a new friend in Lulubelle and her little wonderful yet ill son Cosmo, makes Frankie realize that life is just too short (and unfair at times)  and that you only have one chance to life it…  

Debbie Howells just did it again…
Because this book is both inspiring yet also heart – breaking at the same time. 

I have to admit, Frankie at the start of the book wasn’t exactly the kind of person I would like to call my friend. Of course, for friends, Frankie would do just anything, as is shown with the wedding flowers for Honey and even later on in the books there are plenty of examples of Frankie’s love for her friends. That is not the issue with her.
The issue is that Frankie always manages to make a fool out of herself, and I didn’t like how she was having one hangover after the other.
And hangover, or rather the ‘before – part’, always put her and everyone around her in awkward situations. 

I also felt that Frankie didn’t know what she actually wants herself… because yes, she may be a great florist, but the way she got into the job, being pushed by Honey, well, that said enough for me. 

Yet it’s also exactly her not knowing what she wants, that shows this vulnerable side of her. Even as a florist, she wants everything to be perfect, causing herself unnecessary stressful moments. Frankie has such high standards, dictated by herself, that she doesn’t see that it has become even unhealthy. 

And it saddened me to also see how people just take advantage of her kindness, like her boyfriend who just takes her for granted or comes around whenever it suits him best… 

But I also have to say, that I was glad, happy and even proud to see how Frankie slowly is trying change her life. Nevertheless, training for a half – marathon would be pure horror for me!
Frankie finally seems to grasp that the way she is living her life, isn’t the right way. she doesn’t do anything actually wrong, but well, it’s not the best life she is having. 

Obviously, Frankie also learns that things don’t change that easy, and that it’s a work of trial and error. But seeing her making these changes, seeing how it also changes her for the better, was wonderful.
Frankie isn’t per se a selfish character, but meeting Lulubelle and sweet darling Cosmo, makes Frankie realize that even with her own little ways, she can make a change in people lives.  

This book is all about the journey a person makes. Not one journey isn’t without a hurdle. And we see not only Frankie, but also other characters, like bossy Honey, changing for the best. Not only in the way they act, but also in the way they actual think. 

Before you wonder, yes, there is also place for some romance in this book. And it’s in those bits we can also clearly see a change in Frankie head and heart.  

And of course, I will never forgive Debbie Howells for the heartbreak she caused not only the characters in this book, but also me. I found myself actually wiping tears away at those specific moments.
But no matter how terrible those moments were, even those moments are part of life. And it’s sometimes those moments that make us appreciate what we have more, and even make us a better person. 

The author shows us that to have a change, we need to make the change ourselves. And we have to start with little bits otherwise it’s a recipe for failure.
We should also never underestimate the importance of meeting new people. Because those new people in our lives can turn out to be of great value not only in the change we are attempting to make, but also in our lives in its whole. 

This story will make you laugh, giggle, facepalm, and even shed a few tears. But in the end, this emotional rollercoaster will leave you feel inspirated, and making you think of how you can make those changes in your own life. Because no matter how you spin this, you only have one life, and you should live it at the fullest, filled with happiness and joy. But also remembering that the darker moments will only make you appreciate the light all the more…

An unexpected inheritance with unexpected stipulations

Synopsis

It’s a truth often acknowledged that when a journalist and Jane Austen fan girl ends up living next door to a cynical but handsome crime writer, romantic sparks will fly!

When Maddy Shaw is told her Dear Jane column has been cancelled she has no choice but to look outside of London’s rental market. That is until she’s left an idyllic country home by the black sheep of the family, long-not-so-lost Cousin Nigel.

But of course there’s a stipulation… and not only is Maddy made chair of the committee for the annual village literary festival, she also has to put up with bestselling crime author –and romance sceptic – Cameron Massey as her new neighbour.

When Maddy challenges Cameron to write romantic fiction, which he claims is so easy to do, sparks fly both on and off the page…

My review

Maddy Shaw always enjoyed writing her agony aunt column named ‘Dear Jane’, taking inspiration from the novels of the famous author.
But with her column being cancelled, Maddy has no other choice than looking outside London for place to stay.
So when she inherits a house from the black sheep of the family, Uncle Nigel, it may be the answer to all her prayers, even it the inheritance comes with a few unexpected stipulations, like being chair of the committee for the annual village literary festival. And then she finds herself also having a lodger in the form of Luke Hamilton, better know as bestselling crime author Cameron Massey. And it’s a truth universally acknowledged that a Jane Austen lover and a cynic crime writer are bound to clash… 

I can say with a clear conscience that this story was not the kind of story I was expecting. I thought that the story would be more centred around  Jane Austen’s stories, even somehow a reproduction of it somehow.
So I was a bit disappointed when I discovered that I was on the wrong track.
but only to be quickly assured that this was a great story, even if not in the ways I expected it to. 

Maddy is the kind of character that you will immediately like. But not only that, as in my case, I recognized a lot of her in myself too. 

Losing your job is always difficult, but I can only try to imagine how it would also mean that you have to search for another place to live, and realize that you have to just change your whole way of living. Yet Maddy keeps her hopes up, believing that something will come her way. So I was glad when it did, even if it came in a way that Maddy didn’t expect. 

Seeing Maddy getting accustomed to her new place, getting used to the ways of how her neighbours are around, was not only refreshing, but also hilarious. I know for sure that I would get frustrated with such kind of neighbours, but it’s also clear what a close unit they are.
And how much they care about the ‘traditions” of their village, and how much Nigel, despite Maddy and her family’s vision of him, mattered in the village. Everyone wants to continue his legacy, showing how much he was loved. 

Obviously the best parts were those between Maddy and Luke. Their clashing, if we can call it like that, was exactly what I expected from them. Of course they don’t dislike each other completely, but they only don’t agree on the importance of genres in literature. And seeing how romantic Maddy tries to persuade Luke that romances aren’t at all that predictable, while Luke is sure that everyone could write a romance, was hilarious. 

But beside their bantering, it was great to see how slowly the relationship between them change from owner and lodger to friendship where trust and confidence only start to grow. And the trust and confidence, where Luke opens up and confides in Maddy about his struggles, was wonderful to read about. 

While the final outcome wasn’t a total surprise, it’s just like Maddy says herself, it’s the journey the characters make that is worth of the read. It’s the changes that characters undergo that make you hooked to a story. 

It was also sweet to see how, while perhaps not the main focus of this book, Uncle Nigel gets the recognition he truly deserved, which is as far as possible from being the black sheep of the family. It only shows that no matter what mistakes you make in your life, you can always find a way to turn things around.  

And while this book was not what I expected from the title, the author showed with her writing skills and her developing characters, that sometimes the unexpected can turn out to be even better than what we expected.

A new flatmate that just doesn’t feel right…

Synopsis

Always trust your very basic instincts or prepare for the consequences…

It was surreal returning to work after a five-month enforced sabbatical following the suspicious death of my best friend Livvy at a work event. I was grateful for the time away to grieve and had slotted straight back in work But a surprise awaited my return. Amanda Dowd, Livvy’s replacement, was firmly entrenched as my new flatmate in the company apartment. Something didn’t feel right, I felt on edge. But everyone seemed to love Amanda.

Even my ex-Jayden was blinded by her outgoing personality and model looks. Yet her desperation to become friends felt unnatural. When I began to receive calls, photos and presents supposedly from Livvy, I became spooked… someone was targeting me, watching me. With my job, home and life on the line, I had to find out who was doing this to me. I knew I hadn’t caused Livvy’s death; I still believed it was no accident. Someone else was guilty and I had to find out who before I was next…

Bestseller Gemma Rogers is back with another page-turning thriller.

And how far would they go to keep their secret?

My review

Ria needed a sabbatical after the suspicious death of her best friend Livvy. Suspicious, as Livvy died on an overdose, but was not doing drugs at all.
When Ria returns to the company apartment, she discovers she has a new flatmate, Amanda. And Amanda apparently has replaced Livvy in other ways too, as everyone at the office loves her and her ideas, even Ria’s ex Jayden. Yet despite Amanda’s open personality and amazing looks, Ria cannot shake off the feeling that something isn’t right.
And then Ria starts to receive calls and presents from ‘Livvy’. It’s clear that someone is watching Ria and wants Ria to pay…
Ria knows that Livvy’s death has more to it, and wants to figure out who is the culprit, before she becomes the next victim. 

There is something about this book that gave me goosebumps from the start until the end. Of course I sympathized with Ria, losing her best friend like that. And I could also understand that Ria believed that it wasn’t just an accident. Yet it could also comprehend how frustrating it was for Ria, as nobody took her serious and disregarded Livvy’s death rather easily. 

It’s hard to pick up your life after a loss, especially a loss like Livvy’s. And seeing how everyone, all the colleagues, friends, even bosses have moved on without a second breath, well, it’s hard…
But not only reading how Ria is trying to grasp the fact that life goes on, but also how easily Livvy has been replaced was terrible. 

From the start, it’s clear that there is something odd about Amanda. She truly wriggled herself in everyone’s lives, being the life of the party, making the world turn around her.
And while she doesn’t to anything really wrong, she is just trying too much and that was for me a clear signal already.
Also the fact how she had so easily wrapped Jayden around her finger, and not only him, just made things even worse. Whatever she did or does, no matter how friendly she appears to be, I never warmed towards her, even not a little bit. And not even in the end, when all the truths came out. 

There is so much going on this book, while of course Ria trying to uncover Amanda takes centre stage. There is how to cope with a loss, the guilty feelings, but also attempts of fixing broken relationships, having second chances or not and also, despite the many attempts, not losing your minds. 

Those bits where Ria gets calls and presents from ‘Livvy’, gave me even bigger goosebumps. You know that someone is dead, can you imagine the shock when you get those calls and presents? I for sure would be screaming like a madwoman! 

I have to say though, while initially I thought I already knew where this book would take me, the author added so many twists and turns, that in the end, I was left a bit flabbergasted. All loose ends got perfectly tied up, but absolutely not in the way I expected them to!
And I have to say, that towards those finals chapters, there were several characters that disappointed me… their behaviour was not in sync with how I (and Ria of course too) would think. That made me realize that no matter how good we think we know people, in the end we sometimes have too high expectations of them, which will only make us feel disappointed in them, and even in ourselves. Made me also wonder if we can truly know someone inside and outside? 

This book took me, like I am accustomed from this author, on a trip filled with doubts, suspicion, wariness and even fear. Again a thriller that had me sitting on the edge of my seat, not wanting to continue reading, out of fear for the next revelation, but also needing to continue reading, wanting to find out the truth, nothing but the truth and the whole truth…

Second chances in many different ways

Synopsis

Thirty-three-year-old Ruth Henderson and her daughter Maggie have some hard choices to make. Following the tragic death of Maggie’s father, they are left with a mountain of debt and broken hearts. So, despite her vow never to return home after the fall-out from her teenage pregnancy, Ruth can’t see any option other than for the two of them to move back in with her parents.

Going home means many things – finally confronting her estranged father, navigating her mother’s desperate need to make everything ok despite the wobbles in her own marriage, not to mention helping a still-grieving Maggie to settle into a new school, find new friends, and stop expressing her emotions through her ever-changing hair colour.

What Ruth needs are friends, but she abandoned her childhood ones when she left all those years ago. Luckily for Ruth, they haven’t abandoned her. Slowly she lets herself be embraced by a group of women who have always had her back – even when she didn’t know it. And as the grief and shock recede, Ruth can even begin to imagine sharing her life with someone other than just Maggie – if Maggie will let her.

My review

Ruth Henderson and her daughter Maggie are moving back home, after the death of Maggie’s father, and discovery of the mountain of debts.
Moving back to your parents is never easy, but in Ruth’s case it’s even worse, because with her teenage pregnancy years ago, she became estranged from her father.
She always felt like the odd one out, and those feelings only increased with the years.
Ruth also has to face the fact that her mother wants everything to be okay, even if they are not. And then there are the obvious struggles of raising a teenage daughter. A daughter that is still grieving over the loss of her father, and expresses her emotions by the colour of her hair.
But living back with her parents, also means seeing back Ruth’s childhood friends, friends that are welcoming her back. And also seeing again the one person who truly stole her hearts years ago…
However, being a mother means that Maggie will always be her first priority, a priority who may not be ready to see her mother dating another man… 

With Beth Moran, you know that you will get on an emotional rollercoaster, with a few unexpected twists and turns. However, just like on a real rollercoaster, once the ride is over, you feel happy of the trip you made! 

Ruth is the kind of character that even as a reader is a bit hard to instant like. We meet her at perhaps her lowest moment, as she has just lost the father of her daughter, she discovers the debts they have and has no other option to return home to her parents. To make things even worse, she and her father have an cold relationship, and Ruth clearly feels the disappointment he feels. 

So yes, all the above made me pity her. But why exactly I didn’t liked her from first instance, is perhaps the fact that she makes the right decisions, on paper.
Her pregnancy came as a total surprise, and while it is somehow admirable that the couple give it a shot, it’s clearly that they are just not that well – fitted.
As her partner never really has a part in the story itself, it makes it harder to have an honest opinion over the family as a unit, yet I couldn’t shake the feeling that the only thing in common was the love for Maggie. 

However, Ruth also shows an admirable determination. If I had to go back living with my parents, it would be just terrible. And I have a great relationship with them! But as Ruth doesn’t have that, I could see why she saw it as admitting her defeat… 

We also see her as a protective mother, as she sees behind Maggie’s mask. Ruth understands what Maggie is going through, and I liked it how Ruth even understood what the message of each new colour of Maggie’s hair meant.
Yet that doesn’t take away that Maggie has a free pass on everything. Ruth can still be strict when needed. And while she may appear too strict in a few occasions, she is always righteous. 

There are several events in this story. Obviously there is Ruth and Maggie adapting in a ‘new old’ place. But also Ruth and her father something attempting to make amends. And then the relationship between Ruth’s own parents are also seemingly reaching a breaking point.
And the cringy fact of a doctor not understanding or accepting rejections… 

But what stood the most out in this story, is the warmth. Because Ruth, even if she appeared to have burnt many bridges in the past, finds herself welcomed back by her old friends. She finds ‘her people’ again, ready to forgive her for leaving them.
They are helping her, without question, even if they have also their own issues.
But also warmth from Ruth’s ow family. That perhaps don’t show it that easily, but the love is still there, despite their differences and feuds in the past years. Because no matter what happened in the past or what will happen in the future, they are and always will be family… 

And then there is also so much strength in this story. Because yes, Ruth has been knocked down several times, yet she finds the resilience to just keep going. she is adamant to pay of the debts, even if that means taking two jobs. Even if that means working for someone she dislikes. Because she has her complete focus on the endgame. 

And then there is, of course, so much love in this story.
Love for your own child, a love that turns you in an enraged Mama – Bear when needed. But it’s also the kind of love that makes you stand your ground.
But there is also love for your friends, as I stated above, a love that can stand the test of time and distance.
And love for your family, that is unbreakable no matter what.
And then… the first love…
The purest kind of love… a love that so often just fades away, ends in heartbreak. But that once in a while, turns out to be the only, perfect love. 

Like I said, this was an emotional rollercoaster. I had many laughs, several snickering moments, a few gasps, and a lot of heart – warming bits.
This author shows again that sometimes the most plain starts in a book can turn into a great, unexpected yet wonderful, inspiring, encouraging story about second chances in so many different aspects.

Can you get a fresh start while the past is still haunting you and your loved ones?

Synopsis

When Cate Rivers leaves her husband in the middle of the night with their young daughter, Eliza, she has no idea what the future holds. Taking a live-in position at Hollow House on the Dorset coast, she determines to make a new life for her and Eliza. 

But Cate’s new boss, fossil hunter Charles Thorner, could do without the problems of a couple of runaways under his roof. He’s got enough worries of his own, including a painful past which still holds him prisoner today.

As the two of them learn to work alongside each other, secrets are shared and a new closeness is found, but they soon discover that you can only hide from the past for so long…

The Way to the Sea is the latest heartwarming novel by the bestselling author of The Beauty of Broken Things and The Rose Girls.

My review

Cate Rivers has no other option than leaving her husband in the middle of the night. Her marriage wasn’t a happy one, and for her and her daughter’s sake, they needed to get out of there as fast as possible.
Cate is determined to build a new life, together with Eliza on the Dorset coast, and she even has found a live – in position at Hollow House.
But her boss, Charles Thorner, wasn’t aware that Cate would come with a child, and he for sure could do without their problems. Especially as he has his own problems and traumas.
However, slowly, and with Eliza’s interest in fossils, exactly Charles expertise, things start to change at Hollow House…
And both Cate and Charles learn to trust each other, not only wit their problems but also with their secrets, even if those demons come and resurface, and it’s time to face them once and for all… 

Victoria Connelly is one of those authors that never write easy stories. All her books include characters that aren’t having an easy life, there is always something haunting them.
Yet all her characters are so easy to like and love, and has you rooting for them from the first paragraph in the book. 

And this book isn’t an exception… 

We get to know Cate as an unhappy woman. Even worse, as a woman who is afraid of her husband, fearing for her life, and her daughter’s.
While we are luckily spared from the details, we immediately understand her and the choice she has made to flee the scene. 

I can only try to understand the hardship she had to endure, and it’s clear to see how this disturbed marriage effected poor Eliza…
It angers me so much to see how a person only dares to behave that way, just to feel superior…  

On the other hand, I was happy to see that Cate could count on the friendship and kindness of Allie, even if they haven’t been in touch for years.
With my faith lost with Cate’s husband, Allie’s actions restored my faith completely. Allie gives Cate all the possible help by even finding Cate an employment and a place to stay. 

An employment that doesn’t start very well, as her boss doesn’t know he has hired a ‘package – deal’.
I have to be honest, Charles’ behaviour at the start didn’t score any brownie points…
He is cold, stand – offish, even rude at moments. And yes, him being a fossil hunter didn’t help for sure, as I don’t have any kind of feelings towards fossils! 

However…
Slowly we get to understand why Charles acts the way he does. And my heart just broke for him… I am not going to give anything away, but I could understand why he is being distant, as I could feel him carrying the worries of the world on his shoulders… 

And of course, seeing him with Eliza, showing his patience, even his acceptance towards Eliza’s own particular situation, well, it made my heart just melt while I was reading!
I loved seeing this complete other side of Mr. Fossil, showing that first impressions can absolutely be wrong! 

Obviously, while Cate, Eliza and Charles are finding each other, trusting each other and starting to see a whole new life, things couldn’t keep going uphill…
And even if it didn’t come as a total surprise, it kept me sitting on the edge of my seat! And even if the resolution of it came a bit ‘too easy’, it also made complete sense. 

Beside cate’s story, the author also takes her time to let us get to know Allie and her own little family a bit better.
And while I loved those bits too, I also felt like it was a missed opportunity… because I absolutely loved Allie, and I wouldn’t have minded to let her have her own, separate tale to tell us, without having to share the spotlight. 

But it also helped to show us that no family is perfect, that families comes in different shapes and forms. No family is perfect, and in each family there has to be room for communication, but also finding compromises.
And it also shows us that members of a family can be found when you least expect it. 

I loved reading this book, as the author managed to get me again on a wonderful emotional rollercoaster. It shows us the ugliness of life, but especially the beauty and the strength of life and people. Because no matter how broken you appear to be, there will always be a strength in you, ready to fight for perhaps not your own happiness per se, but for the happiness of the person you love and treasure the most.
And with that same strength, you will be able to pick up the pieces (or fossils?) of your own life and be ready to start all over again, with again your hope and faith and courage to love restored!

Can you get a fresh start while the past is still haunting you and your loved ones?

Synopsis

When Cate Rivers leaves her husband in the middle of the night with their young daughter, Eliza, she has no idea what the future holds. Taking a live-in position at Hollow House on the Dorset coast, she determines to make a new life for her and Eliza. 

But Cate’s new boss, fossil hunter Charles Thorner, could do without the problems of a couple of runaways under his roof. He’s got enough worries of his own, including a painful past which still holds him prisoner today.

As the two of them learn to work alongside each other, secrets are shared and a new closeness is found, but they soon discover that you can only hide from the past for so long…

The Way to the Sea is the latest heartwarming novel by the bestselling author of The Beauty of Broken Things and The Rose Girls.

My review

Cate Rivers has no other option than leaving her husband in the middle of the night. Her marriage wasn’t a happy one, and for her and her daughter’s sake, they needed to get out of there as fast as possible.
Cate is determined to build a new life, together with Eliza on the Dorset coast, and she even has found a live – in position at Hollow House.
But her boss, Charles Thorner, wasn’t aware that Cate would come with a child, and he for sure could do without their problems. Especially as he has his own problems and traumas.
However, slowly, and with Eliza’s interest in fossils, exactly Charles expertise, things start to change at Hollow House…
And both Cate and Charles learn to trust each other, not only wit their problems but also with their secrets, even if those demons come and resurface, and it’s time to face them once and for all… 

Victoria Connelly is one of those authors that never write easy stories. All her books include characters that aren’t having an easy life, there is always something haunting them.
Yet all her characters are so easy to like and love, and has you rooting for them from the first paragraph in the book. 

And this book isn’t an exception… 

We get to know Cate as an unhappy woman. Even worse, as a woman who is afraid of her husband, fearing for her life, and her daughter’s.
While we are luckily spared from the details, we immediately understand her and the choice she has made to flee the scene. 

I can only try to understand the hardship she had to endure, and it’s clear to see how this disturbed marriage effected poor Eliza…
It angers me so much to see how a person only dares to behave that way, just to feel superior…  

On the other hand, I was happy to see that Cate could count on the friendship and kindness of Allie, even if they haven’t been in touch for years.
With my faith lost with Cate’s husband, Allie’s actions restored my faith completely. Allie gives Cate all the possible help by even finding Cate an employment and a place to stay. 

An employment that doesn’t start very well, as her boss doesn’t know he has hired a ‘package – deal’.
I have to be honest, Charles’ behaviour at the start didn’t score any brownie points…
He is cold, stand – offish, even rude at moments. And yes, him being a fossil hunter didn’t help for sure, as I don’t have any kind of feelings towards fossils! 

However…
Slowly we get to understand why Charles acts the way he does. And my heart just broke for him… I am not going to give anything away, but I could understand why he is being distant, as I could feel him carrying the worries of the world on his shoulders… 

And of course, seeing him with Eliza, showing his patience, even his acceptance towards Eliza’s own particular situation, well, it made my heart just melt while I was reading!
I loved seeing this complete other side of Mr. Fossil, showing that first impressions can absolutely be wrong! 

Obviously, while Cate, Eliza and Charles are finding each other, trusting each other and starting to see a whole new life, things couldn’t keep going uphill…
And even if it didn’t come as a total surprise, it kept me sitting on the edge of my seat! And even if the resolution of it came a bit ‘too easy’, it also made complete sense. 

Beside cate’s story, the author also takes her time to let us get to know Allie and her own little family a bit better.
And while I loved those bits too, I also felt like it was a missed opportunity… because I absolutely loved Allie, and I wouldn’t have minded to let her have her own, separate tale to tell us, without having to share the spotlight. 

But it also helped to show us that no family is perfect, that families comes in different shapes and forms. No family is perfect, and in each family there has to be room for communication, but also finding compromises.
And it also shows us that members of a family can be found when you least expect it. 

I loved reading this book, as the author managed to get me again on a wonderful emotional rollercoaster. It shows us the ugliness of life, but especially the beauty and the strength of life and people. Because no matter how broken you appear to be, there will always be a strength in you, ready to fight for perhaps not your own happiness per se, but for the happiness of the person you love and treasure the most.
And with that same strength, you will be able to pick up the pieces (or fossils?) of your own life and be ready to start all over again, with again your hope and faith and courage to love restored!

Never apply on a job advert when drunk, you’ll never know where you’ll end up with!

Synopsis

When high flying, workaholic Katy Smith is suddenly made redundant, she needs to find a job fast!

After mistakenly answering an advert online, she quickly realises that the rundown railway station in sleepy Cranfield isn’t the 5-star London hotels she’s used to working in!

But a job’s a job. Right?

Chef Ryan Connelly is having a crisis of confidence after his Italian dream turns sour.

Returning home to try to pick up the pieces of his parents broken marriage, he soon discovers that his family home, the railway station, is close to financial ruin

Can Katy use all of her skills and find a way to save the railway station?

And can Ryan rediscover his passion of cooking once more?

As winter in Cranfield begins to sprinkle its magic, perhaps Katy and Ryan can find their very own new beginning on Railway Lane.

My review

Katy Smith didn’t expect being made redundant when she was summoned in the office. With her being a workaholic, she needs to finds a new job as soon as possible. But jobs in hospitality aren’t that easily found.
So when one evening, enjoying a drink too many, she seems to have found the perfect job, she doesn’t think (or sober up) and applies for it.
Katy is over the moon when the job is hers, but shocked when she realizes that she hasn’t at all applied for a job in a 5 – star London hotel, but a rundown railway station in Cranfield. And not at all a hotel!
Yet a job is a job, and she is determined to make the best of her situation, even if her world and those of the Connelly’s are far apart.
Ryan Connelly is a chef who has returned home, with his dad needing support after his failed marriage. And while Ryan himself is struggling with picking up the pieces of his own life, he now must also do something to save his home.
Perhaps with joining forces with Katy, Ryan will be able to not only save the station, but also find again the passion of cooking… 

Alison Sherlock is the kind of author that can write a seemingly ‘easy’ story, but can elevate it in a wonderful, lovely story.
So when I started reading it, I was completely ready to be falling in love with the main characters while at the same time returning to a wonderful place I have been visiting before.
You can perfectly read this story as a standalone, but why should you? 

From the start, it’s clear that Katy is a strong, determined woman. She knows what she wants, and knows what it takes to reach her goal. Living in London made sure that Katy walks and talks like a real, empowered city – girl. She talks the talk and she wears the labels. 

Yet it becomes also clear that her strength is only a way to protect herself. She won’t allow anyone to break her heart like her father did, so she just won’t allow anyone getting close to her.
And it saddened me to read this, as while I was a fan of Katy chasing her dreams, she is also a lonely person.  

As a reader, we know that the job advert she applies for, isn’t at all for a fancy hotel. And in my mind I thought: Well Katy, that’ll teach you to apply for a job after drinking!
and it was a bit funny to see how this city – girl finds herself with her fancy clothes and designer shoes in the middle of nowhere! 

I wouldn’t have judged her if she packed and left immediately, but I liked it how somehow she saw something in the Connelly’s family, and how she was touched by Bob Connelly, struggling after his wife left him…
She sees and understands his pain, because she herself has endured something alike. 

I found myself snickering several time over the cultural shock that Katy is going through. Willingly or unwillingly, she finds herself drawn into Cranfield – life. And it was so sweet to see how, no matter how hard she tries to keep her distance, is finding real friends, in the shape of our own old friends!
And perhaps even learns to open up her heart for love, for Ryan. 

Now, Ryan Connelly is my kind of man! And no, I am not only saying that because he is a chef who has lived in Italy, chasing his own dreams!
but because we see Ryan as a man who has been chased by his own demons, yet doesn’t hesitate to help out his family with their struggles. 

His father needs him, and even if Ryan hasn’t figured out yet how to help, he is ready to stay in Cranfield, even letting Katy stay while he himself doesn’t see how she could possibly help. 

Obviously, the both of them don’t get along from the start. As that would have been just too easy. Yet despite the many differences, they slowly start to see the real person behind the facades.
Ryan quickly realizes that Katy is a force of nature, with great ideas to turn the tide, but Katy also sees that Ryan needs a (not so) gentle nudge to allow himself to dream big again. But she also sees that Ryan may be the person who will show her that loving someone doesn’t mean that it will end in heartbreak. 

Both characters slowly start to trust each other. Ryan is what Katy needs but didn’t know, and vice versa. They push each other in the right direction, but It doesn’t happen without trial and error. 

The best bits however, no matter how lovely the evolution between Katy and Ryan is, is seeing how Katy realize that deep down, she is more a village – girl than a city – girl and how she starts to feel more at home and even loved in a new place than what she saw as her home. And Cranfield shows again what a great community it is, by not only welcoming Katy, but also offering helping hands in whichever way they can. 

It was also heart – warming to see how Ryan’s father Bob is coming out of his shell, after being heart – broken and even depressed about it. 

This book shows us that no matter how much pain we have endured in our lives, in the right place with the right people, we can find a wonderful second chance. A chance not in the shape we thought it would come, but nevertheless exactly in the shape we needed it to come. 

Alison Sherlock wrote again a marvellous story, with lovely characters, with many smiles and perhaps a tear here and there.

Is being content with your life enough?

Synopsis

When Seren’s brother Andrew signs her up to Yorkshire Dating, only for them to recommend that she ‘gets a life’ before they find her a match, Seren has to admit that they may have a point.  

She loves her job cooking at an elder day centre and her little flat, but it’s fair to say her life is a little short of hobbies and friends. Since she was young Seren has felt safer close to home, but now she’s a thirty-something divorcee, it’s time for a change.

Change arrives in the shape of alarmingly clever collie Kez, who Seren offers to take in ‘temporarily’, and kind but mysterious new colleague Ned. But as Ned and Kez tempt Seren out of her shell, it means facing her fears. And when Andrew finally reveals the secrets of their childhood, Seren’s need for safety suddenly makes sense.

A problem shared is a problem halved, and with friends by her side, Seren might be able to get a life that she loves at last.

My review

Seren is fed  up with her brother Andrew wanting her to date. She is absolutely fine with her life just how it is. So who cares if she doesn’t have really a hobby? Or that she is living in her little flat, above the elder day centre where she works cooking for the visitors?
But when a dating app even suggests her to make her profile a little more interesting, she has to admit that perhaps they may have a point…
However, how to change that safe life Seren is so accustomed to? Seren reluctantly agrees in joining her brother and his husband on a Game night, and even agrees n helping out a dog training session. A session that ends with her taking a collie, Kez, temporarily at her place.
With Kez, she has no option by getting more outside. And even new colleague Ned, despite his mysterious air around him, is tempting Seren to get out of her shell.
But fears don’t disappear overnight, how much Seren wants them to. And the reason of her fears may be closer to home than Seren thought, and she may need all the support she can get to have even a chance to find her happiness. 

Jane Lovering has the most amazing talent of writing books that warm your heart and yet also break them at the same time. Yet you cannot not love each book she writes. And this book was again proof of her talent! 

The story starts with Seren being annoyed by her brother Andrew’s interference. And oh dear, did I comprehend her! Being happily single myself, I could understand Seren’s frustration. What’s wrong with being on your own? Why do we need a partner to make us feel happy?
But I could also understand that Andrew was doing it out of concern, but perhaps addressing it in the wrong way. 

Yet it’s clear that his worries are not only about Seren being on her own, it’s the fact that Seren just doesn’t do anything. She doesn’t do anything adventurous, even going to a place she hasn’t been before is terrifying her.
So even if she doesn’t see it herself, there must have been something that caused her fear. And it saddened me reading how she doesn’t see how that fear has a tight grip on her life. 

Of course Seren isn’t a total tragic character. Because she loves her job cooking at the elder day care, and she truly cares about the people coming in every day, with all their shenanigans. And if we truly need to see more, just look at the lengths she goes for the latest addition in the group, Mimi. 

We see also that Seren is the kind of person who agrees on doing things she rather doesn’t want to do, just to please please.
She doesn’t care about Dungeons and Dragons, she doesn’t want to help a dog training session, yet she does them anyway.
Even keeping Kez in her flat, she truly doesn’t want to do that, yet there Kez is, in her flat… 

But with Kez in her life, slowly things start to take a turn for Seren. They always say that dogs are great at seeing people’s true character, and Kez sees Seren and absolutely adores her. As if we needed more proof… 

Kez forces Seren to get more outside, literally. And we see how Kez has an absolute positive impact on Seren… 

Another person with a great impact is Ned. I have to admit, I had a few laughs with Seren’s suspiciousness and even fantasy. She thinks the strangest things of Ned, and yes, even if he has a few secrets, Seren’s mind is going a bit over the top! 

But we can see the gentleness in Ned, that he doesn’t only do his job because it’s the expected thing, but we see also how much he cares about the people (Seren included) and Kez. 

We see Seren getting more outside, and more out of her shell. And with Ned by her side, she slowly starts to understand that while she is content with her life, she is letting her fears holding back.
But acknowledge your fears, and understand them is a total different thing. And I understood Ned why he wanted Seren to discover the truth. But I also understood Seren as she believed there was nothing there to discover. 

Of course, there was…
And it truly broke my heart to read what had caused Seren’s fears, and even more. With her talking to Andrew, so many things made totally sense while before they just didn’t… I can only try to understand how difficult it can be to face that past that you have put away in your mind. But with understanding comes also the ability to do something about it, by taking baby steps of course. 

I found this somehow an inspiring story. It shows us that being content with our lives is okay, but why settle down with just being content, if with stopping our fears, we could find true happiness? But it also shows that happiness doesn’t come instantly, it takes some take to get there. It is just like Mimi, we need to take our time to finally get that click. And it may be hard work, but once it’s there, you’ll get the greatest reward! 

And as a person who loves to bake, I absolutely LOVED having those recipes in the book! There are several ones I will try out for sure, making me find my own little happiness with creating (and obviously eating! 😊) something delicious!

When a forced trip couldn’t be further away from your own world, what would happen?

Synopsis

When the Big C takes her best friend too soon, Willa Jenkins struggles to recapture the joy in her life, and all she wants is to get away from LA’s glitzy party circuit. But superfan Valentina had other plans. For her final, wickedly funny act, she’s packing her bestie off on a two-week Outlander-themed experience at Balcraigie Castle, Scotland.

Expecting a couple of weeks with Valentina’s hot brother Gabe, Willa gets more than she bargained for when she’s put to work doing actual, real-life farm work. Not only that, but to get the ‘full’ experience, she’s paired up with the irritating—and irritatingly sexy—Finn, with whom she will pose as fake husband and wife for the next two weeks.

Willa despairs of Valentina’s terrible trick. But then she makes a discovery. Finn’s family might just lose the castle if they can’t make the experience worthwhile for the other attendees. The stakes are high, but as the days pass and the fake marriage she signed up for starts to feel all too real, could Willa be in for a prize of a different kind…love?

My review

Willa Jenkins is living the life in LA, as her job at a tv – station makes her meet famous people all the time.
However, losing her best friend Valentina took away all the fun in Willa’s life. Yet even now Valentina manages to surprise/ shock Willa, as Willa is being sent off on a two – week Outlander themed experience in Scotland.
But not only that, she is going to spend that time together with Valentina’s estranged brother Gabe.
To get the full experience, all the guests are being put to work, and do actual real – life farm work. And instead of being paired up with Gabe, Willa finds herself fake – married to Finn, whose family own the castle but is also the one person who truly annoys Willa.
But soon Willa also learns that Finn’s family may lose the castle and Willa finds herself offering her help. Will Willa be able to save the castle together with Finn, who turns out to be different than Willa thought? 

So, I am not making myself very popular with my next statement…
I started watching Outlander, but then somehow I found myself giving up. I didn’t get any further than season 1. I don’t know exactly why, but I just didn’t watch it anymore… 

Yet that made me understand Willa a little bit, as she also doesn’t comprehend the whole hype either. Of course, if you are a fan of the show, I totally respect that! Everyone should be able to love whatever show they are watching. And I liked the dedication the other guests had while being on the experience. 

Willa is a woman who is also very focused on her career. She has a very alluring job, yet she wants to keep on stepping up on the ladder. I liked reading how she meets all those famous people, and how she manages to use her Willa – power over them, letting them say and do things they otherwise never would. 

While I liked that force of nature she is, seeing that other side of Willa, the side of a woman who has lost her best friend, and is even a bit at loss without her, broke my heart.
Her pain is somehow the other side of the medal, the darker side of all that glimmer and glamour. Because the bond Willa and Valentina has was truly unique. I laughed reading about their friendship and I think I would have liked Valentina as a friend too.
And we see how caring Valentina was, in so many different occasions. 

I could understand the shock Willa had when she was informed about the themed experience, and also the shock of having it to spend with Valentina’s brother Gabe.
Yet it was sweet to see how, once that first awkward meeting was over, how good they got along.
I have to admit, I thought that story would take that direction, as it would have been a full circle and also just so perfect.
So saying I was surprised at a specific moment, is an understatement. However, somehow it also made perfectly sense… 

Once Willa is ‘married’ to Finn, for me it felt that that was the moment the story truly took off. Because there we get to see a change in character in Willa, where she in fact shows her true colours, or rather, finds them herself.
While things with Finn don’t start well, slowly she starts to see the troubles he is having and with the excuse of their ‘marriage’, she wants to help to save the castle.
And it for sure was great to see Willa at work, seeing how she manages even the impossible! And of course, seeing feelings develop was also a great treat! 

It took me some time to get truly into the story, but that is also because the author takes her time to let us to get to know Willa, the career – minded one, but also the caring Willa. And we see also a shift inside her. We see her change right in front of our eyes. 

This story makes us dream of an Outlander experience, even for people who are not exactly fans. We see the hard work and passion running a castle needs, and we see that it takes a village to make something work.
And also we get to see what a well – meant apology can do.
But most important, we get to see and understand that sometime we need to get outside our comfort – zone, literally in this case, to understand what truly matters and what truly makes us happy. Even it that would take us to a castle on the other side of the world!

I want more!!!

Synopsis

Are a rocket scientist and one of Hollywood’s brightest stars a match made in heaven or is it a catastrophe headed for a crash landing?

Lana loves four things: science, her cats, her friends, and her books. She’s on her way to earning her professorship when she finds out her long-term boyfriend has been sleeping with her best friend! That discovery has her hiding in the broom closet at a posh hotel.

Only, it turns out broom closets are the place to be these days. 

Christian Slade, America’s sexiest man alive (as voted by fans), in a desperate attempt to escape the paparazzi finds himself in a broom closet with one sobbing occupant. Unable to leave a damsel in distress, he offers help, only to realise she has no idea who he is! It’s like he’s been given a gift. A smart, beautiful woman, who isn’t after him for fame and fortune . . .

Soon Christian is buying a Tesla to impress his scientist with his eco credentials and taking her on dates where no one will recognise him.

My review

I am not happy with this book… this because I finished reading it too quickly!

I want more!!!

This story has just everything. It starts in a dramatic tone… Lana has just discovered that her boyfriend cheated on her. And not just with a random woman, but with her best friend!

Following them in a hotel, she ends up hiding in a closet.

And by sheer coincidence, she meets Christian, the most famous actor,in the world.

Having no idea who Christian is, Lana is immediately on his radar!

Once I started, I was hooked and kept reading and reading and reading. And sadly way too quickly I reached the end.

Proof that I enjoyed it in full!

The story is a sweet, charming story. Christian is the perfect boyfriend, even though sometimes he’s struggling with doing the right thing. It was funny to see how he tries to do the right thing, having the complete opposite result! Yet it was also endaring to see him struggling a little bit!

Even if at moments he fails, we can clearly see his character. He is caring, gentle, even generous and when he cares, he *cares*.

And Lana is so lovely down to earth, standing strong when she’s faced with the cons of dating a famous person. I can only try to imagine what it must be like to date a famous actor, yet I admired how she keeps her head on her shoulders. She isn’t starstruck at all, and she only cares about the real person, and not the actor Christian.

Of course there are some hurdles our main characters have to jump over, otherwise the story would be over even quicker. And some hurdles could have been totally unnecessary if both characters just took their time and actually communicated clearly at some points. But on the other hand, it also shows that even with love, things don’t always come that easy…

It’s a lovely story, about not only falling in love with someone amazing, but finding the perfect balance without losing each other in the process. It also shows that even for love, stupid mistakes can be made. But that in the end, it doesn’t matter if it all comes together perfectly.

Just like the other books of this amazing author, I was completely hooked from the first pages. Whenever I start a new book of her, I know that I will be in for a marvellous story, without any disappointment!