#Review of Life Begins at the Cornish Cottage by Kim Nash review by Lou @KimTheBookworm @Tr4cyF3nt0n @RandomTTours @Rararesources #ZoolooBookTours #CompulsiveReaders #FeelGoodRomance #Christmas #LifeBeginsAtTheCornishCottage

Life Begins at the Cornish Cottage
By Kim Nash

review by Louise Cannon

Life Begins at the Cornish Cottage with this first love, revisited book with a gorgeous scenic look at Cornwall. It is also special in that some of you may recognise the location of Standpiper Shore from previous books, but this particular story is Stand-Alone. It’s a beauty for this Christmas. See the blurb and my full review below
Thanks to Compulsive Readers, Random T. Tours, Rachel’s Random Resources, Zooloo Book Tours, I am on what is an exceptional digital blog tour, which all those aforementioned top blog tour organisers have teamed up with a host of us reviewers, which I am proud to have a space on. Check out my blurb and review below and then follow the rest of the tour…

Blurb

Set against the sparkling shores of Cornwall☀️, this BRAND NEW heartwarming, uplifting and gorgeously romantic tale of second chances is perfect for fans of Veronica Henry, Trisha Ashley and Cathy Bramley. ✨
When life gives you heartbreak 💔, sometimes it also gives you a second chance… 💕

When Tom Sullivan returns to the quiet village of Sandpiper Shore, Emma can hardly believe her eyes. She hasn’t seen him since they played Romeo and Juliet in their school play – a lifetime ago, before real heartbreak, and long before she ever imagined life as a widow.

The last thing she wants is to relive the past, especially with someone who once made her teenage heart flutter. But when Emma agrees to put on a charity pantomime to raise money for the air ambulance service that helped her late husband, she’s thrown firmly back into Tom’s path.

As rehearsals begin and the local community rallies around her, Emma finds unexpected joy in bringing people together – and a surprising connection with Tom that feels far too real to ignore. Maybe it’s time for Emma to become the leading lady in her own life, not just for the show, but for herself.

Full of warmth, humour and heart, this is a story about letting go and discovering that it’s never too late to take a chance on love.

While this novel is set in the same village as the other books in the Sandpiper Shore series, it can be read as a STANDALONE

Review

On first entering the gorgeous Cornish scenery, it becomes apparent it’s going to be a slow-burn, but in a luxurious reading way. The way that immerses you and really get to know the characters and the place.

Tom Sullivan was Emma’s first love who has returned to Sandpiper Shore. It’s a fascinating angle on the romance story and poses the question of will they still like each other and how will both of these characters react? They haven’t seen each other since school and now they’re both rather grown-up. It makes for a rather interesting plot shape.

Like Iris in the film, The Holiday, Emma decides it’s high time she was the leading lady of her own life and develops some gumption as opportunities are presented and memories of her younger days come flooding back, not all are those she wanted to come to the forefront of her mind…

The opportunity she grasps, however is to put on a Pantomime with her friends to raise money for charity, specifically, the Air Ambulance. This is when Tom enters the scene, but what will she do with the feelings she still seems to hold for him, even though he broke her heart many years ago?

Life Begins at the Cornish Cottage has all the warmth of a cosy fleece, heart that lightens whatever is going on around in real life, just for a moment, beautiful scenery to fall for and a joyous community you want to be part of.

Life Begins at the Cornish Cottage is one for cosying up on a dark Christmas night with hot chocolate or any other warming beverage, or doing an act of kindness and gifting it to someone.

#Review by Lou of A Ticket To Ride by Sue Wickstead @JayJayBus #ChildrensBook #ATicketToRide #Stories #Rhymes @rararesources

A Ticket To Ride
By Sue Wickstead

All aboard!!! Got your ticket to ride this fantastically entertaining children’s book. This is a fun children’s book with rhymes and short stories that are great for on the bus or playing around with the idea of the bus in an imaginative manner. Today, I am part of the blog tour for this next instalment in this lovely collection by Sue Wickstead. Check out the blurb and my review below of A Ticket To Ride for 2 years to 12 years, thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources blog tour spot.

This collection of light-hearted poems and stories is perfect for a cosy afternoon reading with your little ones. Perfect for sharing.

Around the corner and up the hill, jumping off when the bus stops still.

Animals and friends hop on and off the bus as it travels through lands near and far, on special days and everyday afternoons. On this journey, you can meet everything from cats and elephants to one very celebratory bee, telling jokes and adding their opinions.

A Ticket to Ride is a fun collection of cheerful poems with a few short stories sprinkled in. I love the silliness as well as the thoughtful moments, and who doesn’t need a few extra knock-knock jokes to brighten their day? This book is a great read-along, with poems for anytime you want to celebrate.

Review

What will your stop be? The book is your ticket to ride to wherever your imagination or heart takes you on a bus. It encourages fun around buses, language and the silly fun that kids just love to be entertained by. They’re also fun if you’re an adult reading to children. This is part of a gorgeously fun collection of complete within themselves books, which I choose to use in some Bookbug sessions (a Scottish Booktrust group for 0-5 year olds) and kids and adults alike have fun with them. Please note, this isn’t part of their collection, but we do have freedom to choose our books outwith too. The book itself is suitable for children of 2 years to 12 years. There are poems galore, some that are acrostic and all manner of other styles, which is what makes it suitable for such a broad age range.

Packed with jokes, animals and more, it’s the journey you and your children don’t want to miss. Meet animals in entertaining places like a Lion In A Bath, a Gutter Beetle, a Mouse Maze, some strange Electric Elephant Rain and more…
The illustrations are colourful, bold and entertaining for all children to enjoy.

The stops and imaginative, interactive aspects remind me a bit of Playbus in the 80’s. It has that level of fun (for adults, that title also makes me think of Ticket to Ride by The Beatles).

I highly recommend this book which encourages fun, imagination, language through rhyme, which is great to read aloud with children or for older children to also share and perhaps read aloud to their siblings or adults in their lives.

#Review By Lou of Under A Riviera Moon By Helen McGinn @knackeredmutha @BoldwoodBooks @rararesources #UnderARivieraMoon

Under A Riviera Moon
By Helen McGinn

Review by Louise Cannon (Lou)

Under A Riviera Moon is the second book I have read by Helen McGinn and after sinking rather nicely into the previous one, The Island of Dreams, I was delighted to review another for the blog tour. Under A Riviera Moon is Helen McGinn’s 5th stand-alone book.

Below you’ll find more about the book in the blurb, my review and a bit about the author who also knows her stuff when it comes to wine in the Saturday Kitchen.
What’s more is the book is perfect for fans of Carol Kirkwood, Karen Swan and Erica James.

Blurb

The BRAND NEW read from Saturday Kitchen’s Helen McGinn

When a heartsick Maggie is sent on an errand by her mother to Cannes, she is keen to get it over with as quickly as possible.

She has been tasked with collecting a treasured box of photos from her late grandmother Elizabeth’s best friend, the impossibly glamorous Allegra Morgon who is desperate to tell Maggie all about the year she and Elizabeth spent in Paris. The sixties were in full swing, the air hummed with jazz, artists and students made the streets their own, and the City of Love was weaving its magic. And against this backdrop, two people were beginning a love story that would last a lifetime – but be over too soon.

As Maggie hears more about Allegra’s life, first in Paris, then New York, and finally on the Riviera, she is captivated and inspired. Was life always leading Maggie to this moment, this beautiful place so she could finally learn to stop living in the past? Because if she can, then another love story for the ages might just be within her reach…

Review

Set in the 60’s in Paris makes Under A Riviera Moon interesting and quite different. Helen McGinn paints a picture with words, so you can visualise the places her characters go and hear the jazz music playing. It’s all rather immersive.

Spanning 3 generations, there is a lot of life about the place as well as love and loss.
In the present day, there is Maggie who has got a lot on her plate. She’s divorced and there are uncertainties surrounding her career. She takes a trip to Scotland and this unexpectedly sends her to France to collect her grandmother’s belongings from Allegra, her grandmother’s friend. This in turn leads to a fascinating look into Allegra’s life and more importantly, Maggie’s grandmother’s whom it would seem she didn’t know much about at all in her younger days.

Under A Riviera Moon is captivating and fascinating reading about what was happening in 60’s France. With rich threads within the plot in an interesting time and setting, Under A Riviera Moon is a great holiday or wet weather read to lose yourself into for some escapism.

About the Author

Helen McGinn is a wine writer & broadcaster, international wine judge and author of the award-winning Knackered Mother’s Wine Guide book and blog. She spent almost a decade sourcing wines around the world as a supermarket buyer and now appears regularly on BBC1’s Saturday Kitchen and ITV’s This Morning as their wine expert. She writes about drinks for Waitrose Food Magazine among others and awards include Fortnum & Mason’s Online Drink Writer of the Year.
Her bestselling debut novel This Changes Everything was published in February 2021 and her second fiction book In Just One Day later that same year. This Is Us, her third novel, was released in September 2022 and her fourth, The Island of Dreams, in February 2024. Her latest book, Under A Riviera Moon, is published in April 2025.

#Interview hosted by Lou with Catherine Yardley about her book, Where the Light is Hottest and more… @Balavage @rararesources #ReadingCommunity #WritingCommunity #ActingCommunity #Books #Theatre

Interview by Lou with Author, Catherine Yardley

Welcome to Bookmarks and Stages, Catherine. Thank you very much for the opportunity to interview you about your book, The Light is Hottest, hopes and dreams, the creative industry and more for my slot on the Rachel’s Random Resources blog tour.

“Thank you! I am honoured to be included.”

Catherine Yardley is the author of Ember and Where The Light is Hottest. She’s also the editor-in-chief of Frost Magazine and a freelance writer who’s featured in The Bookseller, Mslexia, Metro, Huffpost, Writing Magazine and Writers’ and Artists’ amongst others.

Where The Light is Hottest

Natasha Jones has everything – a successful acting career, an Oscar, a wonderful husband and beautiful kids. But what does she have to go through to get there? From humble beginnings in a small town, Natasha’s path to stardom is paved with setbacks, heartaches and moments of doubt.

In the glittering world of fame and fortune, where dreams are spun from starlight and ambition fuels the relentless pursuit of success, one woman’s journey stands as a testament to the resilience of the human spirit. Beneath the facade of glamour lies a story of unwavering determination and unyielding courage.

Where the Light is the Hottest is a gripping tale of ambition, perseverance and the enduring power of hope. Through Natasha’s journey, we are reminded that the road to success is rarely smooth, but for those who dare to chase their dreams, the rewards are beyond measure.

Without further ado, let’s begin with the first question…

Who or what inspired you to write books?

My main inspiration to write books was all of the amazing books I read growing up. Enid Blyton and Beatrix Potter. Then Stephen King and Dean Koontz. I never thought I would be talented enough to write a book. I am glad I decided to be stubborn and go for it! Lots of things inspire me. Real life, my real life experiences and things I read about. I am interested in people and I love telling stories.

Your novel, ‘Where the Light is Hottest’, is set in the acting world. You were/are an actor yourself. Many actors write within all sorts of genres.
What made you choose to use your knowledge and experience to write a novel for readers to gain that insider’s perspective in fictional form?

I previously wrote a non fiction book, How To Become a Successful Actor: Your Essential Guide to Becoming an Actorpreneur. I wanted to write a novel and the easiest way was to use my own experiences. Writing fiction is a beautiful thing because you can take things that happened, and then write about them in a fictional way. Pablo Picasso said that art is the lie that helps us understand the truth. I can create a true-to-life experience of the acting world better through fiction than real life, which might not be quite so interesting!

Natasha, the main character, is ambitious, has setbacks and accomplishments and builds resilience. How much of Natasha’s life reflect your own experiences and in what way?

Natasha is more ambitious than me. I paused my acting career after sustaining a really bad injury on a film set. Natasha would have kept on going. Natasha comes from Scotland like me, and studied acting. A lot of the stuff in the book happened to me in a way or was things I saw or heard. I never did nudity because I am a bit of a prude, but Natasha ends up doing that on her own terms. She is stronger than me in many ways. She is incredibly resilient. I love that about her. Natasha is also loyal and a good friend. I am too. Friendship is everything.

Where the Light is Hottest is about going after your dreams. Natasha has real resilience and determination to do this. Have you got dreams you pursue, if so, what are they and how do you go about chasing them?

That’s a good question. I do have dreams and I go after them relentlessly. Natasha and I have that in common. My dreams are more writing based these days. Based around book deals and things I want my books to achieve. I recently wrote for The Sunday Times which was always on my list of dream publications. I would still love to write, produce and act. It’s just hard to fit it all in.

How important do you think it is to promote such strong, positive yet emotive stories set around the acting world and what do you hope readers will take away from this?

I think a lot of people think that books set in the acting world are not relatable, but it is a job like any other. It can be tedious and boring. The actual work is not glamorous at all. I think people will get whisked away into a different world, but it is more of a realistic look. It is not Jackie Collins, which I love. It’s glamorous but Natasha is just a normal person trying to make her way in the world. Most people are too scared to go after their dreams. They are more scared to be successful than they are to fail. I think it is important to promote these strong, positive stories that resonate with people to show that you can be terrified and brave at the same time.

Do you, as an actor and an author feel the challenges within the creative industry affects you in any way and how do you overcome them?

Definitely. They are two incredibly hard professions. Maybe even the hardest. There is no clear path and no guarantees. The challenges are vast but the highs are like nothing else. The privilege of telling stories is huge. I love it. These professions are more of a calling. You have to be like Natasha and relentlessly go after your dreams and take failure well.

Do you feel there is any sort of bridge between acting and writing novels where one helps to do the other?

I think all writers should take acting lessons. Being an actor is a fantastic skill. You learn that everything about a person tells you something about them. From how they hold themselves, how they speak, and how they dress. There are a lot of actors who write, and it is obvious that the skills can cross well. Writing as an actor is also a brilliant idea. Making your own projects will help you stand out.

How do you feel when there are unfavourable comments about actors who also happen to choose to write books and how do you overcome the negativity and keep going?

I am lucky that I have not had much negativity. I brush most things off to be honest. I am happy with myself and my life. My dad would always joke when we were growing up that if we were making fun of him then at least we were leaving someone else alone. I think of that a lot now. How there are a lot of people who want to be negative and take their pain out on other people. It is rarely personal, and at least they are leaving someone else alone!

Have you any plans for writing more books or are there any acting jobs you can tell us about that are on the horizon?

There are a lot more books coming. I am very excited about it. There are some other projects coming too. Not much I can talk about, but I am feeling very privileged and happy at the moment. Hard work pays off eventually. In the creative industries it just takes a lot longer!

You can follow Catherine Yardley on these links for social media and her website:

https://x.com/Balavage

@catherineby.bsky.social

https://www.instagram.com/frostmag

https://www.threads.net/@frostmag

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063463605581

https://www.tiktok.com/@balavage

Website: https://catherinebalavageyardley.com/

#Review By Lou of Widows Waive the Rules By Julia Jarman @BoldwoodBooks @JuliaJarman @rararesources #BlogTour #Bookclub #Humour #ContemporaryFiction #Holidays

Widows Waive the Rules
By Julia Jarman

Review by Louise Cannon

A few years back now, I came across Julia Jarman’s books when she wrote for children. They are beautiful, insightful, fun books. I read a couple to a class in a library when they visited. Now, I see she is writing for adults and knowing her high calibre of writing in those children’s books, I simply had to accept a blog tour request to review one of her adult books.
Julia Jarman maintained that high calibre I had seen previously and certainly creates enthralling, entertaining plots for her books aimed at adults as can be seen from Widows Waive the Rules.

Blurb

The BRAND NEW novel from bestselling author Julia Jarman! Perfect for fans of Maddie Please and anyone who thinks age is just a number.

The Widows Wine Club of Viv, Janet and Zelda have navigated choppy waters before.

Having supported each other through the first shaky years of widowhood, the future was starting to look brighter. But when Janet is dealt another blow, it’s all hands on deck for the firm friends.

Deciding what Janet needs is a change of scenery, Viv and Zelda book a luxury cruise on the Queen Mary 2, heading for the bright lights of New York. And once on board, the women are entranced. A floating pleasure palace, the Queen Mary is just what the doctor ordered. From tai chi to dance lessons, cocktails to crafting, there’s nothing they can’t do to while away the miles at sea.

But when they are joined at their first supper by fellow widow Primrose Carmichael, the holiday takes an unexpected turn. Because not only does Primrose share Janet’s surname, but their late-husbands were both called Mal… As the similarities between the two women stack up, so do Viv and Zelda’s suspicions. Determined to get to the bottom of the mystery before they’re in sight of the Statue of Liberty, the friends are ready to waive a few rules…

Julia Jarman’s warm, wise and witty novels are perfect for everyone who believes age is just a number. Perfect for fans of Caroline James, Judy Leigh and Maddie Please.

Review

There is mystery and revelations and fun to be discovered on the high seas in Widows Waive the Rules.

Janet, Viv and Zelda are friends who need a holiday, so it’s all NYC, here we come! There’s lots to do on the cruise ship to keep them entertained, including various classes. There’s also the warmth of friendship and support through difficult times, as well as laughs. It gives you that warm fuzzy feeling inside that makes you want to join them. I’m not even their age, but still, I’d join them in a heartbeat!

Primrose Carmichael is an intriguing passenger who joins with our 3 intrepid explorers. The question is who is she? Certain things don’t all add up, which sends the 3 friends hunting for answers as to why it looks like she’s connected with Mal, Janet’s late husband…

Widow’s Waive is a highly entertaining, heart-warming book with surprises.
By the time you turn to the last page, you hope there will be more…

What’s more, I am certain I am not quite the target market for this book, but I still found it highly enjoyable and would read more…

To find out about all of Julia Jarman’s books, check out her website here: www.juliajarman.com

Buy Link Boldwood

#Interview by Lou with #author Margaret Amatt about #Christmas #Book – Mix-up Under The Mistletoe @AmattAuthor @rararesources #BlogTour

Mix-up Under the Mistletoe

Interview by Louise Cannon with Margaret Amatt

Set your sights on a Christmas in the Highlands of Scotland in this Glenbriar series book, which can be also a standalone festive read. Today I am getting all festive with the Rachel’s Random Resources Blog Tour with Mix up Under The Mistletoe with an interview with the author, Margaret Amatt. Discover more about her writing, how she ensures she gets the balance right so her book can be standalone and part of a series, her characters and what she is doing for Christmas this year and more… Here, I have to say a huge thank you to her for taking the time to send in her answers so quickly and for her lovely comments, which you’ll see along the way. First check out the beautiful cover and the blurb and then we will crack on with the interview and how this book could be in your hands for a present or for your own pleasure.

She’s always on the outside looking in,
but his door might just be the one to open for her this Christmas.

‘Her name’s Tilly. Tilly Thorpe. She lives in London.’

To stop his family from speculating about his love life, travel company CEO Rafe Harrington casually drops Tilly Thorpe’s name as his girlfriend. After all, they’ll never meet – she’s just a name he saw on a rival company’s website.

But when Rafe arrives at his family’s home in Glenbriar for Christmas, he’s shocked to find ‘his girlfriend’ waiting for him.
He has some explaining to do and so does Tilly.

Why did Rafe’s family welcome her with open arms when she’s little more than a spy? Someone who’s trying hard to please her superiors, hoping it’ll bring some desperately desired happiness to her lonely existence.

Rafe isn’t a big fan of the festive season, but neither he nor Tilly can ignore their instant spark. With bad weather forecast, now is the ideal moment to discover some magic. Tilly’s never felt this at home anywhere, but none of it’s real, and that’s not why she’s here.

With time running short, can they seize this unexpected chance to fall in love not only with Christmas but also with each other?

Welcome Margaret Amatt to Bookmarks and Stages.
It’s a pleasure to introduce you to my blog readers.

Who or what inspired you to write and set books in Scotland?

I was born in and live in Scotland, so it felt like a natural place to write about. My first series was based on a real-life Scottish island that I love to visit, but I was always frustrated at the lack of books written about it, so I decided to write my own! This current series is a fictional place, based loosely around where I live. The locations are so beautiful that I really enjoy writing about them.

This is part of the Glenbriar series, that can also be read as a standalone. How do you ensure it works for readers who have followed it from the beginning and those who are diving in from a later book?

That’s a really great question and I don’t think anyone has ever asked me that before. It’s actually one of the trickiest things to do when writing a series like this to get the balance right. I can’t bring in all the characters from previous books to later stories as it would clutter up the main story, so what I try to do is think of every book first as a standalone story. That way I make sure it has a plot readers can follow with knowing what has gone before. Then I use characters from previous books as side characters. I choose the ones I think would work best and I try to show them in their ‘new’ life, so it’s almost like an epilogue to their story that readers of previous books will enjoy. I occasionally hint at them having had an interesting life or story, so that readers think, ‘Oh, I wonder if there’s a book about them!’ and hopefully go and check it out.

The crucial thing for me is just to have the recurring characters feature when necessary and if there’s a point to it, not just for the sake of squeezing them in! This is also how I introduce characters for future books. They often appear as a side character in one or more books before they get a story of their own. Some readers are very quick to pick up on this and will message me asking if a certain character will be getting a story of their own.

The blurb talks about it being partly about a character who is someone who’s trying to please her superiors but seems desperately lonely. It’s a common occurrence of people wanting to please those above them, but how do you feel this affects a person and those around them?

Another great question!

For this particular character, she’s had a tricky upbringing where she didn’t get the nurture and love she needed as a child. She started working for the business she’s in shortly after leaving school and it gave her life a structure and purpose which she hadn’t really had before. For this reason, more than anything, she became attached to it and felt like she should have loyalty to it as it was the first place she’d really made connections with people – even if they were not all good.

In answer to the question, it’s affected her whole life up until now as she’s trapped in a cycle of wanting to please her superiors in order to get the approval she craves, but not completely convinced what they’re doing is right.

It’s a very tricky situation and one she learns to deal with as the story goes on, though I can’t say too much about that as I don’t want to give spoilers!

How did you gel the feelings of the characters, especially Rafe not liking Christmas with this turning around a bit as all converged together, such as them meeting and the festive period upon them without it sounding too twee?

Such great questions! And you are so right in wondering, because often it’s wholly unrealistic for people to suddenly go from hating Christmas to loving it over the course of a few weeks. In Rafe’s case, he’s not a full-on Christmas hater, so he wasn’t too tricky to convert! He’s more of a cynic and he’s kind of let the joy of Christmas slip out of his life, seeing it more as a pointless distraction than something he absolutely hates. His conversion back to being a Christmas lover starts when he meets Tilly, because she’s from a completely different background. Rafe is from a loving family while Tilly grew up without parents in a disrupted childhood setup. When he starts to see Christmas with his family through her eyes, he remembers how magical and what fun it can be.

Hopefully I’ve made it convincing rather than twee!

Do you like Christmas and how do you plan to spend it?

I enjoy Christmas and try to keep it simple and stress free. To me, the joy is more in the build-up than the actual day. I love Christmas events like markets, the pantomime, Santa train, reindeer parades, and even just looking at the decorations in towns and other people’s houses. It’s also lovely to see family and friends, either and parties or just for little visits to hand over presents. My favourite thing is probably decorating the Christmas tree with my husband and son and seeing it twinkling in the corner once it’s done. 🎄

Purchase Link

https://mybook.to/mixupmistletoeAuthor

About the Author

Margaret is a bestselling Scottish author and chocolate lover who has been writing stories for over twenty years (possibly more if you count her primary school efforts). Her early works will never see the light of day and are locked in dusty vaults on some old floppy disks. But after all those years of practise, Margaret released her first novel in 2021. It was the first of a ten-book series set on the gorgeous Scottish Isle of Mull. Margaret is also the author of the acclaimed Glenbriar Series ,based in the fictional Scottish town of Glenbriar. This is an ongoing series with more books coming in 2024 and 2025.The stories are unashamedly romantic, but with lots of drama and an eclectic mix of characters. Each book can be read as a standalone, but followers of the series will enjoy catching up with the characters.