Well this was just a delightful escapist read. I was whisked away to idyllic Greece, white sands and blue seas and the food sounded absolutely mouth wWell this was just a delightful escapist read. I was whisked away to idyllic Greece, white sands and blue seas and the food sounded absolutely mouth watering! This is quite a gentle read although it does deal with some tricky topics including miscarriage, abortion and coercive control but they are not front and centre and I felt were woven superbly into the story. I really felt involved with the characters and sped through it. I loved the story, drama and romance. It is full of joy and all I needed was to be lying on a beach for it to be perfect!
Merged review:
Well this was just a delightful escapist read. I was whisked away to idyllic Greece, white sands and blue seas and the food sounded absolutely mouth watering! This is quite a gentle read although it does deal with some tricky topics including miscarriage, abortion and coercive control but they are not front and centre and I felt were woven superbly into the story. I really felt involved with the characters and sped through it. I loved the story, drama and romance. It is full of joy and all I needed was to be lying on a beach for it to be perfect!...more
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 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
The three sisters an are good mix, each a great foil for the other. I found all the relationships tricky to get to grips with at the start with this being the third in a series, but I figured it out and it works well as a stand alone. Each of the sisters brings something to the party, sensible Rosa, village vicar, struggling to conceive but full of kindness and strength. Eva, feisty and bolshie, wanting love and to be loved and turns the head of superstar Drew. Hannah, who has her heart set on keeping Heatherly going but confused in love, I really wanted to give her a good shake at times! Virginia, their elder sister is hilarious and really annoying in equal measure, but such a great character, I really wanted to slap her!
This is a heartwarming read, full of love, a bit of mystery and lots of glamour. I especially loved the Agatha-esque am-dram component - so much fun!...more
Cass has dreams of becoming an artist but her family seem unable to accept it. She travels to Domenica in the Caribbean on behalf of her father to fulCass has dreams of becoming an artist but her family seem unable to accept it. She travels to Domenica in the Caribbean on behalf of her father to fulfill a promise he has made to a friend. She can’t say no, especially when she is accompanied by the rugged and handsome Ranulph.
Domenica has just been devastated by a hurricane and it’s all hands on deck to help before they can begin searching for the rare stone carving her father has asked her to find and photograph.
Cass finds more than she thought she ever would, an inner strength, actual gumption and also love. But will Ran return her feelings?
Katie Fforde’s books are always a nailed on winner for me. I’ve been reading them for years and I never tire of them!
This feels like a bit of a departure in some ways as it is set on the island of Domenica and clearly very close to Katie’s heart as she has close ties to the island. I really felt that this came through in the story. There are lots of details about life on the island, its history and people, it could stand in for the tourist board as I definitely want to visit and witness the rare emerald drop!
Cass and Ran are lovely characters as you would expect. There are some rocky steps on their relationship road, I do love a ‘will they, won’t they’ storyline and Austin is fabulously cast as the villain of the piece. But for me it is Bastien and Delphine who I loved the most, both wonderfully kind and generous characters and full of sass in Delphine’s case which was fun to read.
This is uplifting, filled with romance, will make you feel good and want to take a holiday. This is Katie Fforde’s 30th novel and I look forward to reading many more!...more
When friends Dido and Henry, owners of Heavenly Houseparties are employed to create a last Christmas party for elderly Sabine at Mitras Castle, littleWhen friends Dido and Henry, owners of Heavenly Houseparties are employed to create a last Christmas party for elderly Sabine at Mitras Castle, little do they expect how much it will change their lives. Dido is enchanted by the castle as soon as she steps through the imposing front door. And as Christmas day approaches, her feeling of connection to the old house runs deeper than she first thought. But when the snow begins to fall and Sabine's family arrive at the house - including Dido's teenage crush Xan - tensions rise around the castle's future and long-buried mysteries begin to unravel...
I read this over a couple of weeks and it really got me in the Christmas mood, I felt like I was getting ready for Christmas myself with all the preparations and the food - absolutely mouthwatering. I took the characters to my heart especially Henry, Xan and Dido. I also thought Nancy was wonderful and Sabine did annoy me initially but I grew to love her. This is full of Christmas magic, heartwarming for the soul and is absolutely ideal for curling up in front of the fire with tea, cake and one hopes lots of snow on the ground outside!...more
This book, my heart, OMG I just loved it and it has confirmed Josie Silver as an absolute Queen amongst writers!
She has made me cry ugly tears, laugh This book, my heart, OMG I just loved it and it has confirmed Josie Silver as an absolute Queen amongst writers!
She has made me cry ugly tears, laugh and squeezed my heart, all whilst totally making me believe in Romance forever!
The characters are believable, Laurie and Jack and Sarah are all fabulously real. They act like normal people, not fictional people, their lives are messy, life happens to them, and it is just brilliant! There are so many twists and turns in this, it is not a run of the mill romance by any stretch.
WHAT A BOOK! It’s made a late run for my annual book awards and is one of my reads of the year!...more
‘Sometimes, life unexpectedly shakes you to the core and other times, it sends you a gift.’
Holly Roberts is well-known among family and friends for de‘Sometimes, life unexpectedly shakes you to the core and other times, it sends you a gift.’
Holly Roberts is well-known among family and friends for despising the cold, so no one is more surprised than her when she agrees to pack her bags and move to the Swiss Alps. But after getting her heart broken, spending the winter season working as a sous-chef for wealthy twins Genevieve and gorgeous Luca, is exactly what the doctor ordered. Verbier is home to millionaires and Holly has never felt more out of place in the snow-capped wooden chalet. Thankfully new friends, chalet girl Liv and chef Xavier are there to be her guide in this new world of après-ski and fondue, and to teach her how to get off chair lifts! And then there is Luca... rich, handsome, but what is the catch?
I just loved loved loved this debut. It hits the right notes for a perfect read just in time for Christmas. I loved Holly straight away, and what a nightmare heartbreak she suffers, but she is actually quite ballsy and gets herself on an epic adventure in Verbier, working and playing hard. I really chuckled at her snowboarding attempts, I remember what it felt like constantly falling over when I learnt many years ago.
My mouth watered at all the amazing food, my tastebuds longed for the fabulous wine and my heart burst with the romantic vibes, the strong friendships and the SNOW! This is one that will keep you hooked, I mean, Xavier…… ...more
Where better to start again than New York? Iris arrives in the city of dreams, intent on restarting her culinary career, and leaving her recent heartWhere better to start again than New York? Iris arrives in the city of dreams, intent on restarting her culinary career, and leaving her recent heartache behind. Wandering the streets at a famous food festival, Iris feels like she's living in a movie. Then she stumbles upon a gelateria that looks strangely familiar. Inside, she meets Gio: a perfect leading man with an irresistible smile - and a crisis of his own. As fate would have it, Iris is the one person with the answer to his problem. She just can't tell him that . . . So, can Iris finally let go of the past - and let herself fall in love?
Josie Silver has done it again. This book is totally cosy, wintery, romantic and just ticks all my boxes for a fabulous read! Gio and Iris! Just loved this character combo, any character called Iris in a winter romance has me hooked, it’s ‘The Holiday’ that does it. Add in New York cafe vibes, gelato, family, food and a huge dollop of love and this book is just a recipe for success.
‘Watch’ I hear Estelle say next to me as I open my mouth to question what I am seeing. ‘This is where our story begins….’
Elle is out of a job, a bad r‘Watch’ I hear Estelle say next to me as I open my mouth to question what I am seeing. ‘This is where our story begins….’
Elle is out of a job, a bad relationship and homeless. She spots an advert that looks like the answer to her problems but with a catch. She does not like Christmas. On Mistletoe Square, an elderly lady and her housekeeper have a huge tree and a collection of decorations that span the years of the house. Each with a story to tell and a glimpse of Christmas past. Each Christmas is brought vividly to life for Elle, could what felt like the end be a new beginning for her?
Step into ‘Christmas House’ number 5 Mistletoe Square and be transported and enchanted by the magic of storytelling.
This book takes you through time in an unexpected way, the characters were so wonderful. I especially loved Estelle and Angela, they are gloriously larger than life, the humour and fun whilst walking through history with them was great, whilst also very sensitively dealing with some tricky themes.
I just loved this story, it is gloriously Christmassy, totally endearing and mesmerising, full of joy, fun and warmth. It is simply asking to be made into a wonderful Christmas film. ...more
Oh what total joy it was to sink into this Christmassy book! Just what I needed, snow, a proper Christmas Inn, love, strong women, relationship ups anOh what total joy it was to sink into this Christmassy book! Just what I needed, snow, a proper Christmas Inn, love, strong women, relationship ups and downs and a perfect ending. You get little crumbs as you read of what could happen, little clues to keep you reading, I love guessin...more
No, I know it’s only October, don’t shout me down but I just wanted to get a little of that Christmas frisson! It was rainy and That Christmas Feeling…
No, I know it’s only October, don’t shout me down but I just wanted to get a little of that Christmas frisson! It was rainy and I wanted to curl up with some love and snow and joy and The Christmas Letters by Sue Moorcroft was just the ticket!
Maddy Cracey had called Nelson’s Bar home all her life. Tucked away on the Norfolk coast on the cliffs and sharing her home with her husband Adey until an epic row and he stormed out into a blizzard never to return. Six years later she is living and caring for her Great Aunt Ruthie and daughter Lyla, when a handsome stranger Raff, arrives with some love letters from the past for Ruthie and their quiet lives are turned upside down by family secrets. Maddy and Raff grow close and love begins to blossom until a message from Maddy’s past threatens to upend all they have built.
I have to say that this book was just joyous, I loved the characters and the setting, I could really picture Nelson’s Bar, the cliffs and the sea and the wind blowing! It’s full of snow and Christmassiness (is that a word?!), there’s a big dollop of love in it, there’s mystery and drama and it really is uplifting. I think Ruthie was my favourite character, she is just lovely and brought a tear to my eye. Closely followed by Lyla, who made me hoot; the honesty of kids does it every time!
It made me think about letter writing too, it’s gone out of fashion since we all have phones in our hands. But there’s something about a letter and a love letter that is really special. After this I’m bringing back letter writing to my life!
This is a heartwarming, joyous festive read, perfect for winter nights and twinkling lights! ...more
Any book that in the first few pages contains the lines ‘Looking for books in charity shops was like digging for treasure’ is simply a winner in my eyesAny book that in the first few pages contains the lines ‘Looking for books in charity shops was like digging for treasure’ is simply a winner in my eyes. And so it was proved to be by this gem of a book!
When Emily loses her job, house and fiancé all within a few days she is determined to change her life and sets up her dream cafe in the Yorkshire village of Essendale. But, it’s not as easy as she thinks and discovers she has bought a failing business not a thriving one. Wanting to turn things around she meets local GP, Ludek, who is crazy about board games and the Little Board Game Cafe is born. All is not plain sailing however and when a major chain comes to the village, Emily does not know if she can compete.
I really adored this book, you can feel the joy and love the author has poured into this story. We are board game lovers in our house and I have a collection of ancient old games from when I was a kid plus a few newer ones too. It was lovely to read the detail of the games in the story and made it a little different in my eyes too. The characters are wonderful, I loved Mr B and Marjory, battleaxe Florence and of course Emily and Ludek. This has the perfect combination of love and friendship, I couldn’t put it down once I’d started it!
Sprinkled with joy, this book is a must read for all you romance lovers out there!...more
Katie Fforde’s books are like comfort food for the soul. I have been reading her books for years, way before I ever started reviewing and I was so excKatie Fforde’s books are like comfort food for the soul. I have been reading her books for years, way before I ever started reviewing and I was so excited to get an early read of her latest book. Never did I think when I first read her books that I would get that opportunity and this did not disappoint!
It’s 1966, Meg has travelled down to Dorset on a rescue mission to help out her Mum at the hotel she works at. Meg is a chef but it’s a man’s world still and doesn’t she know it! Tasked with helping her mum with an important banqueting event, she rises to the challenge. Then Justin, the hotel owners son arrives, wanting to take over the running of the kitchen. Meg is infuriated and determined to continue cooking, sparks, as you would expect start to fly!
‘Usually, it is a sleepy backwater, make no mistake. But at the moment, it’s a scene of high drama!’
I just loved this warm hug of a book, it’s everything I needed. Romance, delicious food, a little bit of France, and a huge dollop of love. I really loved all the characters, Meg was just lovely and as usual, it was the supporting roles that hit the spot for me, especially Susan!
Katie Fforde has done it again, she is the undefeated Queen of romance!...more
Katy is on a trial separation from her husband Will which came out of the blue. This has now turned into a request for a divorce and she is floored. CKaty is on a trial separation from her husband Will which came out of the blue. This has now turned into a request for a divorce and she is floored. Cue her friends to whisk her off to France for a summer break away from her life in England.
This is a glorious journey of self discovery for Katy. Leaving a long relationship is horrendously difficult and those feelings struck a chord for me, it felt real. I loved how Katy comes to accept herself and to know that she has worth and beauty outside of being in a relationship.
‘Feeling rudderless… I feel that way too. Sometimes I think we all do.’
This was just the read for me at my time of life, a lot of themes are covered, menopause, divorce, the fact that when you reach your forties you suddenly stop being seen. Yet, as women I think we come into our own at this age, I feel way stronger than I used to and more confident too. It’s lovely to read a book where the protagonists reflect me, not some fit young thing!
It is a light read and is easy and flowing and I long to return to France for some summer Sun myself! ...more
This is a tale of first love, that fever dream feeling, the overanalysing, the second guessing, the immaturity, wanting to please, to get inside theirThis is a tale of first love, that fever dream feeling, the overanalysing, the second guessing, the immaturity, wanting to please, to get inside their head, hoping they can see inside yours and know what to want and feel.
‘Square peg, round hole.’
This is all consuming, blinding draining love. Those first moments, in some ways it is like stepping back in time, the hedonistic times at Uni when you think you are invincible.
‘It might have brought her anxiety to the fore, but it had always been there, colouring everything a muddy shade of purple.’
I went on a bit of a rollercoaster with the characters, I liked them, I didn’t, I felt sorry for them, I loved them, they annoyed me, I cried with them, I laughed with them, honestly this made me feel so much in such a short space of time!
What a cracking read, by the end I felt a bit wrung out to be honest, but it’s good, very good! ...more
This book is just simply a little bit of Christmas joy!
Cleo has managed The Little Knitting Box in NYC for 4 years and it has been in Cleo’s family foThis book is just simply a little bit of Christmas joy!
Cleo has managed The Little Knitting Box in NYC for 4 years and it has been in Cleo’s family for nearly four decades. She made an escape to New York from her old life in England but then she gets a letter that tips her world on its head and puts the future of the shop in jeopardy. Dylan has been trying to pick up the pieces of his life as a stay-at-home after his marriage broke down and his mother passed away. He just wants to give his kids stability and love this Christmas. But when he meets Cleo, he begins to see it’s not always so easy to move on, especially when his ex seems determined to win him back. Cleo and Dylan realise life is rarely black and white, and both have choices to make and as the snow starts falling will it be a Happy Christmas at The Little Knitting Box?
I’m a knitter of sorts so I loved the setting of this story and the knitting speak. It feels warm and almost tactile to read with the descriptions of the different wools or yarn. The characters of Cleo and Dylan are fabulous, there are twists and turns and ups and downs for these two. But sparks fly between them and I was rooting for the pair of them from the start.
Relationships can be tricky, there is baggage, kids and exes to contend with and this story melds all this together we ease. Dylan and Cleo are clearly meant to be together but there are obstacles, Prue, Dylan’s ex is a large one, totally manipulative and one you will love to hate! If only they’d talk to each other properly!! But we’ve all been there, those conversations in your head that you have second guessing every little thing, I recognised so much and so many feelings rang true. And ooh - the little twist bringing Cleo and Prue together, I LOVED that, unexpectedly brilliant, but the outcome of that meeting leads to something that you will have to read to find out…
‘She knew she’d regret it if she didn’t make Christmas at the Little Knitting Box the best one ever. Christmas was her thing. She loved it. Always had and always would.’
There is hope and grief and love and joy, twinkling lights and snow - everything you could ask for really, plus it’s made me want to reach for my knitting needles again!
Lots of relationships now start online or on our phones rather than IRL, but can you fall in love with someone you’ve nThe Man I Never Met - Elle Cook
Lots of relationships now start online or on our phones rather than IRL, but can you fall in love with someone you’ve never met?
I would reply with a big fat yes, because I did! I was a little bit in love with my now husband before I met him as we’d messaged each other and spoken for a long time by phone before we actually met each other. This being the case I was totally made up to be reading this book, fate happens and so does love and I really wanted this to be the case for Davey and Hannah.
Davey misdials Hannah’s number and thinks nothing of it.He lives in Texas, she lives in London after all, but then he gets a job….in London and the misdial turns into video calling and soon they are going to meet in real life! Weeks later, Hannah goes to meet Davey at the airport but he doesn’t arrive. When she finds out why, it turns both their worlds upside down. Both having to pick up the pieces of their lives, will Davey always be the man Hannah never met?
I think you can probably guess what happens - little fist pump right there!
Just a wonderful and joyous read, I read this in a day, couldn’t put it down and I was totally swept up in Hannah and Davey’s story. I laughed I sobbed I punched the air and it just gave me that perfect butterfly in your tummy feeling!
Just a little side cheer for Joan, Hannah’s neighbour - what a character!
‘She’s out and about all hours of the day, driving fiercely in her battered Citroen Saxo as if she’s an eighteen year old boy high on life.’
Gripping, romantic, funny, beautiful, heartfelt and with intermittent sobs, this was a perfect read! ...more
Aurora Storm, Uber famous pop star is caught in a clinch that was innocent but causes a storm on social media. Desperate to distract from the story shAurora Storm, Uber famous pop star is caught in a clinch that was innocent but causes a storm on social media. Desperate to distract from the story she asks for help from Nick Morgan, a man she trusts to pretend to be her boyfriend. Nick is still carrying a torch for her from the couple of weeks they spent together the previous year and he jumps at the chance to help her and make the most of being thrown together.
Aurora joins Nick and his family for festive celebrations and is caught up in the romance of it all, but can she turn her back on pop stardom for village life? And can Nick prove that happy endings really do happen in only 2 weeks?
‘A couple of weeks pretending to be in love with the only woman I know who’s been able to get close enough to you to break your heart,’
Oh I just squeaked and rubbed my hands together with glee over this. I sort of had the picture of what may happen and I WANTED it too! I was not disappointed! This is a totally christmas-tastic book full of snow, joy and is so festive! I’ve said it before, this genre often contains difficult themes woven in to a wonderful love story and Sarah Bennett really hits the mark. A fabulous cast of characters, loads of romance, the sea. It is just luscious!!
Beautifully festive and full of joy, many, many stars to this one!...more
I just loved the set up for this, it felt a bit like an old school Fred and Ginger film in a way, you could see how the characters were laying themselI just loved the set up for this, it felt a bit like an old school Fred and Ginger film in a way, you could see how the characters were laying themselves open for mishap with hilarious, yet very romantic consequences!
‘They shared a long look that made her feel as if he saw every single thing she was hiding. Knew every single thing she wasn’t saying.’
Clemmie Alice and Ross are siblings, who have each other’s backs but bicker at the same time! All heading to the family home in Scotland for Christmas they meet to decide what they do and don’t want their parents to know. Clemmie has a secret she wants no one to know, Alice doesn’t want her parents to know she may be getting married but doesn’t want kids, Ross , well, he has made up a girlfriend, Lucy, from the cover of a magazine. Meantime the real life Lucy is heading to the same house to try to bag a marketing deal with Ross and ends up stranded at the Scottish home and bingo we have the perfect Christmassy romantic will they/won’t they set up!
I loved the characters in this one, all just right, it’s full of laughter and romance and of course snow. I swung from smiles and laughter to having a lump in my throat, that’s what family and love and Christmas does to me! Oh Clemmie and Fergus my heart! Really these were my 2 favourite people in this book. The others are all great but it was these two who really squeezed my heart. I am such a sop but I just adore this genre, I never thought I would but it is such a tonic, an escape and a joy!
‘She was twenty-seven years old, and she’d loved Fergus Maclennon for at least twenty three of those years.’
And then this:
“Your child is always your child, no matter how old they are. You want the best for them.’
More sobbing! How is it that words written by someone you don’t know and have never met can do this to your emotions, it’s amazingly powerful stuff!
Oh, And Nanna Jean is an absolute Queen!
The ideal Christmas read, what a winner!!
✩✩✩✩✩
Thanks so much to Sarah Morgan, HQ stories and Netgalley for my copy of this book to read ...more
I haven’t visited Hedgehog Hollow before, it is a small world, with a lot of characters to get to grips with but Jessica kindly gives a character listI haven’t visited Hedgehog Hollow before, it is a small world, with a lot of characters to get to grips with but Jessica kindly gives a character list at the beginning. You might think that this is going to be a light fluffy read but as is often common in this genre there is more than that. Yes this is a wonderful hug in a book, and the characters are lovely, warm people that you would love to go for coffee with but there are challenging themes too and that is what I really like about them!
I love the setting of this book, I can easily picture it and I especially love the characters of Sam, Fizz and Terry. Bless Fizz, she has had a tough time, there are relationship fall outs and also I would say a trigger for abuse so beware but it is dealt with in a very sensitive way. There is also romance, love, babies and of course Christmaaaaas! I hadn’t realised this was the last in the series so I need to go back to the start and follow all these lovely people!
Emotional, so heartfelt and uplifting, it’s the perfect start to my Christmas reading! ...more
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