THE IRISH CHILD

MY THOUGHTS:

Heartbroken Erin leaves her hometown of Boston for a new beginning.  After losing her husband in a tragic accident she has never felt so alone as she does right now, she needs a change.  So she moves to Roone Bay on the beautiful southern coast of Ireland.  She is determined to find the answer to a note she found in her family’s Bible.  She has thought about that note since she was a child.  When Finn, the local historian refuses to help her solve the mystery, she wonders how she will ever find the truth.  Erin wants to know all about her ancestors, and why Nellie left Ireland and settled in America?  Erin also knows about Annie, and must uncover everything she can about the missing child.  Erin feels close to her ancestors in Ireland and is soon offered a job.  She must decide if Ireland is her new home or is America where she belongs.

The Irish Child, written by author Daisy O’Shea is a wonderful story about family and the need for new beginnings.  I loved Erin’s story and my heart broke for her.  I cheered her on as she uncovered her family’s history.  O’Shea is phenomenal in her description of the Ireland Coast.  Feeling the sea breeze on my face is exactly what I needed.  This amazingly written time slip story had me flying through the pages making this book an unputdownable treasure.  This is the second installment in the Emerald Isle Series but can be read as a standalone. I highly recommend this book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

DESCRIPTION:

THE IRISH CHILD
Author:  Daisy O’Shea

Publisher:  Bookouture

Publication Date: July 16, 2024 
Pages: 325 
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A salty breeze whips the tears from my eyes as I stare out at the emerald Irish Sea. Everything I’ve lost, the child my great grandmother Nellie lost, all feels so present here, in the land my family left years ago. How will I ever move on? Will I ever uncover the truth about the little girl who went missing all those years ago? 

When Boston-born Erin arrives in wind-tossed Roone Bay, she’s heart-sore, tired and lonely. Her marriage is over: she’s come to build a new life for herself on Ireland’s rugged southern coast. And to unravel the story behind the mysterious note in her family’s ancient Bible that has haunted her since childhood. But hazel-eyed former lifeboat volunteer Finn, the only local historian around, quietly refuses her pleas to help.

So Erin settles in to the town, with its whitewashed cottages and ruddy-cheeked fishermen, and begins her quest alone. Who was her ancestor, Nellie, and why did she leave Ireland for America? What happened to her missing child, Annie, and did Nellie ever see her again?

Just as Erin despairs ever uncovering the truth, one rain-soaked night she is rescued by Finn, who finally agrees to help. And by firelight and candlelight each evening, just as it would have been in her great-grandmother’s time, Finn and Erin grow closer as they share their stories.

But just as Erin wonders if Roone Bay could be her forever home, she makes a devastating discovery. Will she be able to face the truth, which changes everything she thought she knew about herself, her past, and her family’s Irish legacy? Or will she run, just as Nellie did all those years ago, and lose the best chance at happiness she’s ever had…?

ABOUT DAISY O’SHEA

Sue Lewando was a teacher for several years before migrating to the office environment, where she was PA to the Treasurer of Clarks Shoes, a multi-national company, then, briefly, PA to Susan George, the actress best known for Straw Dogs. Sue had many genre books published (M&B and Virgin), under pseudonyms, and self-publishes her crime thrillers. She was on the committee of the Romantic Novelists’ Association in England, for whom she assessed typescripts. She has been a fiction tutor for the London School of Journalism for twenty years. She has two grown-up children, a happy second marriage, and a bundle of cats and dogs. She moved to West Cork with her husband to undertake a farmhouse refurbishment project, foster their joint passion for playing Irish traditional music, and to invest time in their individual academic projects. She recently completed a Masters in Creative Writing at UCC, taking the opportunity to explore diverse writing genres. She works with the Jeremy Murphy Literary Consultancy in the capacity of typescript analyst, ghostwriter, editor, and online publishing advisor. She loves good commercial fiction, and is a devotee of the Oxford comma.

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THE SECRET HOTEL IN BERLIN

MY THOUGHTS:

Lili Rodenberg and her husband Marius run the Edel Hotel.  It’s a prestigious hotel located in Berlin.  Its guests are among the most wealthy.  The war is raging on just outside the beautiful, grand entrance.  There seems to be no end on sight.  Lili is Jewish, hiding in plain sight, walking among the very people that she despises.  She knows that if any of the German officers find out her secret of being Jewish it would surely be the end for her and her family.  Even thought they fear of being caught they use their wine cellar to hide Jews in until they can be transported to a safe location.  Shortly after her husband Marius is called up to fight in the war, he is soon missing in action.  Lili must do everything she can to protect her daughter, search for her husband and protect those she is hiding.

The Secret Hotel in Berlin written by author Catherine Hokin is a heartbreaking historical fiction that will leave you inspired.  I was captivated from the very first page and was engaged until the last page was turned.  I felt such empathy for Lili and Marius.  They risked everything to keep others safe.  And my heat broke again when Marius went missing. I am always amazed at the risk that people took and knowing the tragedy that would come if they were caught.  I loved this story of hope, courage and sacrifice and I highly recommend it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rating: 5 out of 5.

DESCRIPTION:

THE SECRET HOTEL IN BERLIN

Author:  Catherine Hokin

Publisher: Bookouture 

Publication Date: July 12, 2024 

Pages: 366

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Berlin, 1944. ‘It is a great honour to have you here, Herr Hitler.’ Lili doesn’t stumble over the lie, her hand steady as she pours champagne. Everything must be perfect, no one can suspect a thing…

Lili Rodenberg and her husband Marius run the Edel, Berlin’s most glamorous hotel. For its wealthy guests, it is an escape from the destruction outside, with its elegant piano bar and fine amber brandy. But Lili is Jewish, a secret she is terrified will end in tragedy for her and their beloved little girl.

Lili’s only choice is to hide in plain sight, her heart racing each time uniformed officers step through the Edel’s grand entrance. As Berlin becomes a more frightening place, Lili pleads with her husband to help shelter those in danger but Marius is adamant: he will not risk the lives of his wife and daughter. Until the day he is called to the front – and goes missing in action.

Left in sole charge of the Edel, a heartbroken Lily fixes her smile as she serves men who would have her killed in an instant if they knew the truth. She decides she must fight back, hiding Jews in the hotel’s wine cellar before moving them to safety. Though she is seized with terror, it gives her the strength to carry on.

But her courage catches the attention of the Resistance. What they ask of her is impossible.

Lili has protected her daughter by living a life full of secrets. Can she risk it all now and put her child in danger for the sake of her country?

ABOUT CATHERINE HOKIN

I seem to have followed a rather meandering career, including marketing and teaching and politics (don't try and join the dots), to get where I have always wanted to be, which is writing historical fiction. I am a story lover as well as a story writer and nothing fascinates me more than a strong female protagonist and a quest. Hopefully those are what you will encounter when you pick up my books.

I am from the North of England but now live very happily in Glasgow with my American husband. Both my children have left home (one to London and one to Berlin) which may explain why I am finally writing. If I'm not at my desk you'll most probably find me in the cinema, or just follow the sound of very loud music.

I'd love to hear from you and there are lots of ways you can find me, so jump in via my website.

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THE NEAR MISS

MY THOUGHTS:

Wren and Nick seem to have fate on their side or do they?  After multiple near miss accidents they always seem to be in the same place at the same time.  Wren is walking out of her favorite bookshop when a sheet of glass falls from a window above her.  It shatters into a million pieces at her feet.  By the time Nick arrives on the street below to apologize, Wren is already gone.  But this isn’t the last time they have a “run in” with each other.  They always seem to meet by accident, but is fate ever going to be on their side or will it always be an accident?

The Near Miss written by author Lily Joseph is a wonderfully written rom-com.  I really enjoyed this story and Wren and  Nick were utterly delightful.  I loved the banter between the characters and this book had me laughing out loud.  I really enjoyed never knowing how they would meet again as it added mystery to the storyline.  This lovely story is fun and a definite must read.  I loved it and I highly recommend it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

DESCRIPTION:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 5 out of 

THE NEAR MISS

Author: Lily Joseph
Publisher:  Bookouture
Publication Date: July 10, 2024 
Pages: 305 
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Nick and Wren are meant to be. But Nick and Wren have never met. And now, fate is about to change everything…

Wren just wants a quiet life with no surprises. But one day, when she steps out of a bookshop, a sheet of glass falls from a window above and shatters at her feet. Walking off and not looking back, she doesn’t see the handsome sandy-haired man in the scruffy overalls who dropped it. Little does she know that he could change her life forever.

Nick is still reeling from a devastating breakup and just wants to keep his head down. But while restoring a bookshop, he drops a plate of glass from a window, just missing a young woman with beautiful brown hair and a bag full of books. He rushes out to apologise, but by the time he’s on the street she’s gone.

Luckily, over the next few months, he’ll run into her again. And again. And again.

But every time they cross paths something always gets in the way of sparks flying. Will they stop playing it safe and take a chance on love? Or are they destined to always be a near miss?

ABOUT LILY JOSEPH

Lily Joseph is a romantic fiction writer from North East England, a setting which appears regularly in her writing. Her work has been shortlisted for the Lindisfarne Prize, an award for northern authors. She lives in North Yorkshire with her partner, two teens and two cats, none of whom are interested in books whatsoever. At least the cats have an excuse.

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THE DIARY AT THE LAST HOUSE BEFORE THE SEA

MY THOUGHTS:

Clara’s family have lived at the beautiful Brellasham Manor for their entire life.  The beautiful and cozy cottage has been the only home they have known.  Audrey Brellasham lived at the manor over fifty years ago, making it a home and safe place for her to raise her family.  One night she walked into the sea and was never heard from again.   So when Clara finds Audrey’s old tattered diary hidden away she reads through it and uncovers a flurry of secrets. River, an old friend of Clara’s, has recently moved back to the area after being gone for sixteen years.  He helps Clara rummage through the attic that has been locked since Audrey went missing.  When River’s father announces that he is selling the cottage and the manor to developers, Clara is heartbroken and must do everything she possibly can to save her family home.

The Diary at the Last House Before the Sea written by author Liz Eeles is a wonderfully written story full of suspense, family history and romance.  This captivating story had me reading well into the night.  I was flying through the pages of this unputdownable story.  The author once again does an amazing job of transporting the reader from where you are to the beautiful Heaven’s Cove.  I felt the coastal breeze on my face and the sand between my toes.  This wonderful story played like a movie in my mind’s eye.  I loved everything about this book, from the mystery to the romance to the picturesque setting.  This is a phenomenal installment to the Heaven’s Cove Series.  It can be read as a standalone but I highly recommend reading the entire series. 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

DESCRIPTION:

THE DIARY AT THE LAST HOUSE BEFORE THE SEA

Author:  Liz Eeles

Publisher: Bookouture 
Publication Date: July 8, 2024
Pages: 347 
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‘Dear Diary, I have so much to keep secret. Maybe I am cruel to leave. But I have no choice…’

Thirty-one-year old Clara’s family have called their cosy cottage in the grounds of Brellasham Manor ‘home’ her whole life. And when River, the owner’s son, returns after sixteen years away, at first Clara is wary. They shared their first kiss as teenagers before River moved halfway around the world, and his soulful brown eyes look just the same.

Clara’s first heartache isn’t the only memory overshadowing the manor. More than fifty years ago, Audrey Brellasham lived here as a young bride and filled the house with love, laughter and dancing. Until one night, she walked into the stormy sea and was never seen again.

When Clara finds Audrey’s old leather-bound diary tucked away, she’s certain that deciphering the coded messages inside will reveal the secret truth about this mysterious woman. And as River helps her explore Audrey’s locked attic bedroom, preserved from the night she disappeared and filled with her beautiful ballgowns, they’re soon laughing together and forgetting all the reasons they drifted apart.

But when River’s father announces the manor, and the cottage, will be sold to developers, Clara’s mother is devastated that everything she knows and loves is disappearing. And with the elderly owner clamming up at any mention of the past, it seems Audrey’s story is lost forever.

But if Clara keeps searching, will she be able to save her mother’s home? Or will solving the secrets of the diary tear apart River’s family, and destroy any chance of happiness between them?

 ABOUT LIZ EELES

Liz began her writing career as a journalist and press officer before deciding that she’d rather have the freedom of making things up as a novelist. 

Being short-listed in the Corvus ‘Love at First Write’ competition and the Novelicious search for a new women’s fiction star gave Liz the push she needed to keep putting pen to paper …. and ‘Annie’s Holiday by the Sea’ (her first published novel) is the result. 

Liz lives on the South Coast with her family and, when she’s not writing, likes to spend time walking by the sea, and trying to meditate. Her ambition is to be serene one day …. she’s still got a long way to go.

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HIDDEN IN THE NIGHT

MY THOUGHTS:

Former FBI agent turned rare-book collector, Ivy Elliott returns to Alaska at the request of her mother.  Her mission is to secure and protect an unpublished manuscript written by Jack London.  The book has been kept a secret for decades. But, when Ivy arrives in Alaska the manuscript is no where to be found.  Ivy stops at nothing to locate the manuscript and save the girl that has it.  Ivy partners with Nolan Long an Alaska State Trooper to find the manuscript and the girl.  But with no help from the Alaska elements, the temperature and the snow is falling, but the search must continue.  

Hidden in the Night written by author Elizabeth Goddard is an amazingly written story full of suspense, romance, and faith.  This wonderful and captivating story had me on the edge of my seat from cover to cover.  With my heart beating faster and faster, I flipped the pages as fast as possible.  Goddard is a phenomenal author that knows how to immediately pull the reader in to the pages and not letting them go until the end.  The detailed description of Glacier Bay Alaska was perfection, and I welcomed the return to one of the most beautiful places on earth.  I shivered as I read about the blizzard and felt like I needed a jacket.  This story played like a movie in my mind’s eye.  I’m sad that this phenomenal series has come to an end but it makes me look forward to read more stories by this fantastic author.  I highly recommend this unputdownable ten star read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

DESCRIPTION:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 5 out of 

HIDDEN IN THE NIGHT

Author: Elizabeth Goddard
Publisher:  Revell Publishers
Publication Date: June 4, 2024 
Pages: 326 
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At the behest of her ailing mother, former FBI special agent turned rare-book collector Ivy Elliott arrives in Alaska to secure an unpublished Jack London manuscript kept secreted away for decades. But when she arrives, she learns the manuscript is gone--taken by the granddaughter of the woman who possessed it. Ivy sets off in pursuit, not just to save the manuscript but to save the vulnerable girl, who was previously trafficked and has no idea what she's getting herself into.
 
Joining forces with Alaska State Trooper Nolan Long, Ivy must battle a blizzard, sabotage, and the worst of an Alaskan winter as the search goes on. But every answer they find only raises more questions--and the danger to their lives and to the missing girl may only be the tip of the iceberg.
 
Don't miss this breathtaking race for truth set amid the glorious--and deadly--Glacier Bay from USA Today bestselling author Elizabeth Goddard.

ABOUT ELIZABETH GODDARD

Elizabeth Goddard is the USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of 60 novels and novellas, including Cold Light of Day and the Rocky Mountain Courage and Uncommon Justice series.  Her books have sold nearly 1.5 million copies. She is a Christy Award, Carol Award and Reader’s Choice Award winner and a Daphne du Maurier and HOLT Medallion Award finalist.  When she’s not writing, she loves spending time with her family, traveling to find inspiration for her next book, and serving with her husband in ministry.  For more information about her books, visit her website.

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THE FLORENCE LETTER

MY THOUGHTS:

London, 1940; Margaret lived in London and worked in a shop that was destroyed in a bombing.  She decided to relocate the country and take a job as a Lady’s maid.  She works for Lady Violet at Gatley Manor.  The year is now 2015 and Claire has a new job as researcher at a beautiful house in the country.  She is brokenhearted and welcomes the fresh start and new beginning.  While working at the house, she finds an old tattered letter buried in the back of a drawer.  It told the story of Lady Violet who had a daughter Tabitha.  Claire was enthralled by the letter, and promised to find Tabitha.  She travels to Florence, Italy the last known place for Tabitha.  But, once Tabitha was  found, it wasn’t what Claire had expected.

The Florence Letter written by author Anita Chapman was a captivating dual timeline story.  Chapman amazingly wove together the past and the present, keeping my attention from cover to cover.  I was completely entranced by the storyline, while rapidly flipping the pages to the very end.  I enjoyed the characters and Claire was my favorite.  She was determined to find Tabitha even though she was dealing with her own heartbreak.  This was a wonderful story and I loved the detailed description of Florence.  If you’re ready to go to Italy, this is the perfect story to transport you there.  I highly recommend this book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

DESCRIPTION:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 5 out of 

THE FLORENCE LETTER

Author: Anita Chapman
Publisher:  Bookouture
Publication Date: June 24, 2024 
Pages: 343 
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Looking out over the twinkling city lights of Florence, Claire thinks of the letter that has brought her here. Written by a woman who escaped the Blitz, it holds a secret kept for a lifetime… but can Claire make the woman’s dying wish come true?

arrives at her new job as researcher at a grand English country house, nursing a broken heart. But tucked into the back of a long-forgotten drawer she finds a letter written in an elegant hand. It tells of a wartime secret about the beautiful Lady Violet – whose passionate affair with an Italian prisoner of war scandalised the village and ended in tragedy.

Captivated, Claire promises to find Violet’s daughter, Tabitha, and reunite her with a priceless piece of her mother’s jewellery. With only the name of an Italian bakery, Pasticceria Mancini, to guide her, and the help of her handsome neighbour Jim, Claire travels to Tabitha’s last known location – Florence.

Winding through the colourful streets, the sun warm on her bare shoulders, a tantalising scent of freshly baked bread floats on the air and Claire’s heart leaps at the sight of an ageing bakery sign: Mancini. Although she learns that Tabitha hasn’t been there for many years, Claire refuses to give up. And as she and Jim talk late into the night over glasses of local chianti, Claire looks into his piercing blue eyes and finds herself growing closer to him…

But when they finally track Tabitha down, it isn’t the happy reunion she expected and Claire is left reeling in the wake of discovering a devastating family secret.

Violet’s story has an ending – but will the truth lead to forgiveness, or will it only bring more pain? And will Claire be forced to walk away from a chance of happiness with Jim at last?

ABOUT ANITA CHAPMAN

Anita likes to read journals and diaries from the past, and one of her favourite pastimes is visiting art galleries and country houses. Her first published novel, The Venice Secret, is inspired by her mother taking her to see the Canalettos at The National Gallery in London as a child.

The Venice Secret was published in March 2023 and spent six weeks in the overall Amazon UK Kindle Top 100, reaching number thirty-eight. The Venice Secret has had over four million Kindle Unlimited pages read and received more than 3000 Amazon reviews since publication.

Since 2015, Anita has worked as a social media manager, training authors on social media, and helping to promote their books. She’s run several courses in London and York, and has worked as a tutor at Richmond and Hillcroft Adult Community College.

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