Thanks to HQ for gifting me The Dead Romantics. It’s perfect for Halloween! Discover why in the blurb and my review below…
Blurb
Florence Day is a ghost-writer with one big problem. She’s supposed to be penning swoon-worthy novels for a famous romance author but, after a bad break-up, Florence no longer believes in love. And when her strict (but undeniably hot) new editor, Benji Andor, won’t give her an extension on her book deadline, Florence prepares to kiss her career goodbye.
Although when tragedy strikes and Florence has to head home, the last thing she expects to see is a ghost at her front door. Not just any ghost, however, but the stern form of her still very hot – yet now unquestionably dead – new editor.
As sparks start to fly between them, Florence tells herself she can’t be falling for a ghost – even an infuriatingly sexy one. But can Benji help Florence to realise love isn’t dead, after all?
If you fell in love with Beach Read, The Love Hypothesis and The Hating Game, this laugh-out-loud romance packed with sizzling chemistry will give you all the feels!
Review
The Dead Romantics is a book with a ghostly difference and it is absolutely fabulous! Florence Day is a ghostwriter for Falcon Publishers and is basically failing at buttering up the new editor. She also has an interesting thing or two to say about publishing. She also isn’t into romance a and happily ever after and doesn’t really believe in them, except this is what she needs to ghost write. The repartee is fantastically funny.
There are moments of deep sadness when Florence’s dad dies, but then someone she least expects turns up, someone who it should be impossible to be in her eyeline. It turns out she can see ghosts.
There is good character development within it as readers see Florence grow in her unusual life. There is also hope to be found from places there seemed to be none.
The writing is clever and sharp how it mingles death and humour together to create a rom-com. All in all, the concept and execution of it makes for some entertaining reading.
A Little In Love is a laugh out loud rom-com and there aren’t many rom-coms I say that about. It’s so much fun. Thanks to Books And The City, Simon & Schuster for gifting me a copy of the book of which you can find out more in the blurb and the rest of my review below as well as praise by other authors for this book.
Blurb
The little village of Weddington is fast becoming THE place to get married. With its stately home, castle and two churches it has something for everyone, and now, famous after appearing in huge romcom movie hit A Little In Love, it’s hosting a monthly wedding fayre…
Rose Pedal is the proud owner of Pedals & Prosecco, a brand new business serving ice-cold fizz from a vintage bicycle, and she’s excited to be attending her first wedding fayre. But, on the way to Weddington Hall she’s involved in a near miss crash involving dashingly handsome James from Blume’s Florist.
Arriving at the beautiful stately home drenched and disheveled, Rose is horrified to find James is not only not sorry for nearly knocking her off her bike, but he’s gatecrashing her allocated spot on the lawn. His arrogance gets her back up and it’s definitely a case of hate at first sight. But as the wedding fayre season continues, James gently wins Rose over, and their relationship starts to bloom.
Can being just ‘a little in love’ help Rose and James find their own happy-ending…
Review
Rather apt for now, the book opens up with a bit about the environment and gas guzzling vehicles. This is a gorgeous book about Rose Pedal and her new business – Pedals & Prosecco, set up after dropping out of university for reasons that are rather funny. She first gains some experience in the working world from working with Mr Booth at his off-licence and all wasn’t lost as there are connections to what she learnt there to her inspiration to what she would do in her new business, running from a vintage bike, complete with wicker basket and then she looks for a trailer to put her bottles of fizz in. She has a penchant for weddings, so makes this her customer base. The book is all rather warm and cute with an edge of conflict. At a wedding when a florist turns up and tensions arise. It’s great that Rose stands her ground. She’s a woman with some sass and gumption, which is great to see in such a book.
The book is rather fun, with that cosy, entertaining rom-com feel and it’s so easy to get swept along with the romance of the wedding atmosphere as well as seeing the changing atmosphere between James Blume and Rose Pedal. There’s the most fun conversations between Megan and Rose about James. The dates between Rose and James aren’t exactly what you would expect, certainly not traditional things to do at venues and there’s always something going on. There are also places like The Copper Kettle, a quaint cafe turns out not to be so easy to find either. The book becomes more hilarious as it goes on. It’s most certainly a laugh out loud book with chemestry and all the fun and splendour of weddings.
The book ended unpredictably and that was rather nice indeed.
The book is just perfect for sitting back with a glass of fizz as the words, creating fun scenes on the page lightly bubble through the book.
Praise for the Author By Other Authors
A warm, delightful joy of a book’ PATRICIA SCANLAN, Sunday Times Bestselling author
‘The perfect romantic read’ HEIDI SWAIN, Sunday Times Bestselling author
‘You’ll fall a lot in love with A Little in Love. Weddington is the village we all dream of living in, and there’s really no mystery why our heroine Rose falls for the handsome James. Secrets, romance, escapism – yes please!’ JULIET ASHTON, bestselling author of The Sunday Lunch Club
‘An absolutely charming and joyful read with lots of laugh-out-loud moments along the way. Overflowing with fabulous friendships, dreamy romance and all things weddings, it really did warm my heart and leave me with a big smile on my face’ KIM NASH, author of Moonlight Over Muddleford Cove
‘I fell more than a little in love with this book. Florence is an incredible storyteller and this book is the perfect cute romance read’ LUCY KEELING, author of Just Friends
‘A warm, comfort read of a book with the kind of rom-com characters you recognise and root for’ ANNA MANSELL, author of What We Leave Behind
‘I thoroughly enjoyed this heart-warming and ever-so-cute story. What an adorable tale!’ LUCY MITCHELL, author of Instructions for Falling In Love Again
‘Fun, fresh and full of fizz, I loved it!’ LAURA KEMP, author of Under a Starry Sky
‘I absolutely loved this charming romance! It was funny, fresh and an utterly fabulous read’ HOLLY MARTIN, author of Sunlight Over Crystal Sands
‘Tender and engrossing, this romance will touch your heart and make you smile’ RACHEL HORE, Sunday Times bestselling author
‘A good old fashioned ‘will they, won’t they’ romance filled with as much fun and sparkle as the bubbles in Rose’s prosecco. Perfect escapism, best enjoyed with a glass of fizz!’ KATHLEEN WHYMAN, author of Wife Support System
Halloween is now over, so now is the time that is ripe for thinking about Christmas. I am pleased to be on the blog tour for Underneath the Christmas Tree for some festive cheer. I thank Simon and Schuster for the book and for the other gifts too (please note my review is not influenced by this). Please find more in the blurb and then head down to my review.
Blurb
***The sparkling new Christmas novel from the Sunday Times bestselling author Heidi Swain!***
Wynter’s Trees is the home of Christmas. For the people of Wynmouth it’s where they get their family Christmas tree, and where Christmas truly comes to life.
But for Liza Wynter, it’s a millstone around her neck. It was her father’s pride and joy but now he’s gone, she can’t have anything to do with it. Until her father’s business partner decides to retire and she must go back to handle the transition to his son Ned.
When Liza arrives, she discovers a much-loved business that’s flourishing under Ned’s stewardship. And she’s happy to stay and help for the Christmas season, but then she has other plans. But will the place where she grew up make her change her mind? And can it weave its Christmas cheer around her heart…?
Underneath the Christmas Tree is the perfect festive read, promising snowfall, warm fires and breath-taking seasonal romance. Perfect for fans of Milly Johnson, Carole Matthews and Cathy Bramley.
Review
It’s a joy to return to Wynmouth, on the Norfolk coast, and this book has so much warmth to it that makes it great for cosying up with thick cosy jumpers, doors locked and a nice drink and snacks so not much moving is required, until the end. Underneath the Christmas Tree is heartwarming in the colder weather, with life decisions to be made and a good dollop of Christmas cheer to brighten the darker days.
Things aren’t always easy or comfortable for Heidi Swain’s characters and this time it is Liza Wynter who has choices to make, especially about the Christmas Tree business – Wynter’s Trees that was once her dad’s. The business is full of Christmas cheer within its grounds and there’s a sense of heritage, of preserving what went before, which I like and appreciate and think is important, except this isn’t without its issues within the business itself as Liza wants to give up her shares in Wynter Trees, which she has with David and Edward (Ned). There’s the decision how to tell the public to be made, but there is also a feeling of gumption as she tries to do what she feels is right for her in deciding whether forging a new path, knowing the business could still be in good hands, is for her or not. There are sad an bittersweet moments with memories for Liza about her dad.
There is also Maya and a some jealousy emerges from Liza, even though Liza herself is more popular amongst the customers than she thinks. Tangled up in this is Ned and there comes a bit of a love story.
As with most books by Heidi Swain, there is some lovely sounding food and drinks to also get your appetite going.
This is a book that I thoroughly recommend to get you in the festive Christmas mood.
The Meeting Point, newly published, is a book within a book in some respects and is great for romantics and those who love cafes.
Blurb
What if the Lift driver who finds your cheating boyfriend’s phone holds the directions to true love?
‘Who are you and why do you have my boyfriend’s phone?’
‘He left it in my car. You must be the blonde in the red dress? I’m the Lift driver who dropped you two off earlier.’
And with these words, the life of the brunette and t-shirt wearing Maya Maas is turned upside down. Having planned to surprise her boyfriend, she finds herself single and stranded in an unknown city on her birthday.
So when the mystery driver rescues Maya with the suggestion that she cheers herself up at a nearby beach town, she jumps at the chance to get things back on track. She wasn’t expecting a personalised itinerary or the easy companionship that comes from opening up to a stranger via text, let alone the possibility it might grow into something more…
Review
The book has such an intriguing beginning. It instantly pulls you into the imagination of Maya Mass and instantly you’ve jumped into the imagination of Maya Mass, who is creating a story. The Meeting Point begins as a story within a story. It instantly draws you in because it is written, especially at the beginning, like you’re watching something unfold on a screen or like a trailer for a movie on the first page. Then you get to know who Maya Mass actually is. There is the impression she relies on her imagination to get through life and because there is an element of lonliness and some hard times, so she creates characters and their lives inside her head and scribbles them down as readers are again pulled into her imaginative worlds, as well as her own life. Soon Maya’s life turns into something as strange and interesting as her imagination. It all starts with the opening of a text from someone not know and all becomes like amazing serendipity as it really opens up her life and brings some real colour as she begins to also live again outside her imagination too, not that she loses that of course. Just all seems to fit more together in a healthier way. Not, of course that it is as simple as that.
The book whisks readers to a whole year later and Maya isn’t at all happy and makes you wonder how come and it shows that even in a romance, such as this, the whimsical warmth of the possibility of romance, a job, isn’t all perfect. There are also the stresses of relationships and how the emotions can feel so complicated with romance and what to feel about the former boyfriend and a new guy on the scene – Ethan Delphy, who Maya isn’t entirely happy with and writes to this American author and you can feel the frustrating when the reply is not directly from him. She is then compelled to track him down, encouraged by publishing friend – Ailsa.
It’s easy to lose yourself in the book and wonder if things will come good for Maya or not and it’s hard not to hope that they do, but there are some love/hate relationships going on, that it’s easy to just hope get sorted out one way or another and that she gets what she wants, but she has to make some decisions on that first. It’s interesting to see where The Meeting Point is and what then unfolds from that.
This is a delightful book for the romantics and for people who also like to hear about snippets of conversations about other books and going to lovely cafes. It’s a lovely relaxing and entertaining read for the most part.
Deja Vu, even though set in and around the school, is firmly in the adult fiction genre, with its big themes that twist this way and that and have so much unexpected depth and shines a light into some current situations. All combined, with great plotting, this all makes it rather more compelling than expected. Thanks to Cherry Publishing for inviting me and gifting me the book to review. You can find the blurb and review below.
Blurb
Connie Bentley is not your average Newly Qualified Teacher. Moving back to live with her parents while working at St George’s Independent Day School for boys is not how she imagined her life would be at thirty-two.
Art teacher Matt Turner is not average in any way. A relationship with a colleague eight years ago didn’t lead to the happy outcome he’d expected — he’s now older, wiser, and warier.
When Connie and Matt meet, the spark of attraction is immediate and mutual. Although neither is going to admit to that because the more they learn about each other, the more they’re both getting an uncomfortable feeling of déjà vu.
Will past hurt, raw wounds, and unexpected twists stand between them, or will they both get a second chance at love?
Review
Connie Bentley has a tough start at her new school, where she is a newly qualified teacher, appointed to teach French,, even from the minute she sits down in the staff room, due to that age old problem of poor communication, so she didn’t get certain messages, but the staff seem nice enough, when she starts to meet them.
The fact it is about a romance between teachers appealed to me, since, when I was school age, lots of years ago, an English teacher had an affair with an Art teacher. It did work out for them, with its own life twists and turns, I learned later.
Deja vu has humour in and around the staffroom, all those things you may or may not see if you’re a pupil. It is also about moving onwards in life and shows that teachers are only human too. Connie had a relationship, before her new job and is now at this boy’s school for a new start. What a new start she gets when her birthday comes around with an absolute eye-popping present that many people could only dream of.
The book does in fact concentrate on that whole school vibe from a way that is most definitely adult romantic fiction with the themes it presents. It’s entertaining reading the banter, but there’s also some sorrow in there too as it takes a well-observed look at their lives outwith the classroom too. You get a good feel for the atmosphere around the staff and it is pretty lovely, it makes it feel like a school anyone would want to work in or be associated with, by the way they treat their new team member.
Matt is an interesting character as he pretty much keeps himself to himself and builds metaphorical barriers around him when it comes to women, especially on social occasions. It creates an air of mystery and intrigue to know what happened to him. This brings a whole different slant on things as often, if there’s going to be a character, such as Matt, it is the female, so it turns certain subjects on its head, adding to the intrigue.
There’s tension built up between 2 members of staff. It’s a subject that is current, real and very serious. It is one that brings such a twist and such powerful themes to the whole romance genre.
A Home In the Sun is a great summer read by Sue Moorcroft. Readers can escape to Malta, with it’s beautiful scenery and find out about Judith’s complicated life of love and woe and more… It is a delight for these hot weather days and nights. Discover more in the blurb and my review below. I thank Avon Books for inviting me to review and for gifting me a book. Please note, my review is unbiased.
A gorgeous summer read about new beginnings from the Sunday Times bestseller.
Home is where the heart is…but what if your heart is broken?
When Judith loses her partner, she loses her life in Malta too – including the beautiful view from her sun-warmed balcony of the sparkling blue waters of Sliema Creek.
Back in England, Judith finds a spare room in her sister’s house where she grew up – but with it comes a whole host of family dramas. Nursing a broken heart, Judith knows she must find happiness again – and rebuild her life on her own terms.
Could an island in the sun be the answer she is looking for?
A wonderfully escapist summer read, perfect for fans of Katie Fforde and Carole Matthews.
Review
Who can, on a hot, balmy summer’s day, resist that title?
Judith McAllistair, in 2000 is 40 and lives in Malta and is hungry for change. New millenium, start of a new decade in her life, newly single, she sees it the perfect time to make changes. Already new romance is on the horizon with Georgio Zammit. All isn’t as it seems with a peel back of the sun and scenery, into the culture of Malta, one that makes this potential romance tricky and a bit squirmy. It’s a part of their culture that isn’t talked about as it resembles very little to the tourist scene, but is part of real life for the permanent population. It gives a very interesting insight for people wanting to reside there, that becomes compelling. The summer vibe is also all there, adding to that blissful summery mood.
The book moves to the first chapter and time has also moved onto April 2004 and there’s sizzling romance and it oozes with delightful scenery and diving is on the agenda. Everything is idyllic and has, even though, Judith is living in Malta, it has that easy holiday feel atmosphere, until tragedy strikes and her world of new hot passion is turned upside down and she is brought to earth with a jolt.
There is time for readers to soak up the Maltese sun and surroundings, which makes it lovely to escape into, amongst the challenges of the characters lives, which also takes readers to England in a move that isn’t taken lightly and ends up in Birnham, where welcomings aren’t all terribly warm and emotions are high and adjusting and building a new life is harder than it is assumed to be. There are serious money issues and the need for a new job and huge decisions to make about what it is she wants to do and not do for a living. It is fun meeting everyone, but not always easy for Judith to be reunited with people. As if that isn’t enough to contend with. there is an unexpected issue involving a snake…
In part 2, time slinks into 2005. There are secrets to keep and lives for Judith to watch moving on and to be halted by more tragedy that is beautifully observed in the writing.
The writing has everything from sadness, anger, humour and overriding all of that is absolute pure drama as the past affects the present and future and how lives can move on and keeps you guessing how they can and if that is possible and where Judith will end up in her life – England or Malta?
Wynter’s Trees is the home of Christmas. For the people of Wynmouth it’s where they get their family Christmas tree, and where Christmas truly comes to life.
What if the Lift driver who finds your cheating boyfriend’s phone holds the directions to true love?
Bookmarks and Stages by Lou 