December 20, 2021

THE LOST PROMISE OF IRELAND

MY THOUGHTS:

Maggie has been away from Sandy Cove for awhile but still remembers the wonderful summers she spent there when she was young.  So when she finds out that her family’s old cottage is available, she decides to rent it for the summer.  She is in much need of a vacation in order to move on from the man who recently broke her heart.  Maggie was so happy to see her best-friend Sorcha and Sorcha’s cousin Brian still living in Sandy Cove.  The three have a great time reminiscing as if it was yesterday.  Maggie finds an old box hidden in the attic of the cottage full of the love letters she sent to an American boy she met one summer.  They knew they would find each other again one day, and that day happens sooner then she expected.   Maggie is not the only one returning to Sandy Cove for the summer. She is torn between her feelings for Brian and her long lost love.

I felt like I was actually in Ireland, I could feel the coastal breeze from the Irish Sea upon my face.  The wonderful description of the village will have you forgetting where you actually are.  This phenomenal story will touch your heart and make you feel as if are part of Maggie’s close circle of friends. This series is an amazing escape that you are sure to cherish long after you finish reading the book.  I absolutely loved this amazing addition to the series.  

Thank you Susanne O’Leary for another wonderful installment to the Starlight Cottage series.  This is one series I didn’t want to end, as I wanted to stay in Ireland for a while longer.  I absolutely loved this story, and I highly recommend it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rating: 5 out of 5.

DESCRIPTION:

THE LOST PROMISE OF IRELAND
Author: Susanne O’Leary
 
Publisher: Bookouture 
Publication Date: December 17, 2021 
Pages: 272 
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A completely gorgeous story about lost loves and small-town secrets that will sweep you away to the Irish coast. 

Maggie remembers her summers in the village of Sandy Cove in Ireland like they were yesterday. She and her family would swim in the crystal-clear waters, collect beautiful seashells and relax on the sand. So when she sees that her family’s old coastguard cottage is available, she wonders if renting it for the summer will finally help her move on from the man who just broke her heart.

As soon as Maggie arrives she is delighted to find her childhood best-friend Sorcha and Sorcha’s cousin Brian still living in town. They enjoy cosy nights in the local harbour pub, with its stunning views across the ocean, as if no time has passed. And when Brian reveals he had a fierce teenage crush on Maggie, she can’t help but notice just how handsome he has become.

But then Maggie finds a worn metal box hidden in the attic of the house, full of love letters she exchanged with a sweet American boy she met one summer. During their last night together, star-gazing on the beach, they promised to find each other again. Soon it becomes clear that Maggie is not the only one returning to Sandy Cove.

Torn between her growing feelings for Brian and the romance she’s held in her heart for many years, Maggie realises that her summer may be more complicated than she’d expected. Will Maggie finally find a true love who can sweep her off her feet or will this holiday in Sandy Cove be her last?

ABOUT SUSANNE O’LEARY


Susanne O’Leary is the bestselling author of more than twenty novels, mainly in the romantic fiction genre. She has also written three crime novels and two in the historical fiction genre. She has been the wife of a diplomat (still is), a fitness teacher and a translator. She now writes full-time from either of two locations, a ramshackle house in County Tipperary, Ireland or a little cottage overlooking the Atlantic in Dingle, County Kerry. When she is not scaling the mountains of said counties, or keeping fit in the local gym, she keeps writing, producing a book every six months.

December 12, 2021

MURDER AT THE CASTLE

MY THOUGHTS:

Amateur sleuth Belinda Penshurst is at it again.  While Belinda was attending a wine tasting event one of the guests collapse.  Wine critic Sadie Oppenshaw is the victim.  She dies at the wine tasting event that Belinda organized and also invited her to attend.  So, Belinda immediately goes into sleuth mode and is determined to find out who poisoned Sadie.  With retired detective Harry Powell by her side, Belinda begins to investigate the world of wine.  But, soon yet another guest at the wine tasting is found poisoned.  Belinda and Harry must find the culprit before they become the next victim.

This cozy murder mystery was such an entertaining read.  I loved the detailed description of the quaint village Little Challham, it seems like the perfect place to go wine tasting.   I enjoyed the mystery of the story and the plot twists where very engaging, they kept me guessing til the end.  I absolutely loved this amazing addition to this series.  

Thank you Lisa Cutts for another wonderful installment to the Belinda Penshurst series. This series is a cozy mystery, that is absolutely enjoyable to get lost in.  I loved this story, and I highly recommend it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rating: 5 out of 4.

DESCRIPTION:

MURDER AT THE CASTLE
Author:  Lisa Cutts
Publisher: Bookouture 
Publication Date: December 8, 2021 
Pages: 301 
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When the star guest collapses at a wine tasting, it seems someone has a taste for murder. Fortunately, amateur sleuth Belinda Penshurst was at the event – and now she’s on the case!

Belinda Penshurst loves her home village Little Challham, and its charming, peaceful ways. So when wine critic Sadie Oppenshaw dies at a tasting Belinda organised, she immediately turns detective to uncover the poisoner…

Accompanied by retired detective Harry Powell and her boisterous Labrador Horatio, Belinda sets out to investigate the world of wine. There are scandals brewing everywhere… but do the local DIY enthusiasts have a deadly vendetta, or did Sadie’s reviews cause a resentful restaurant owner to crack?

When another of the guests at the wine tasting is found poisoned, it becomes clear the killer is only just getting started. Can Belinda crack the case and open the champagne, before the murderer catches up with her?  

ABOUT LISA CUTTS

Lisa Cutts is a full-time detective constable investigating murders for a living. When off duty she writes a fictitious version of her day job. She lives and works within the county of Kent with her husband and Labrador.

She is the author of the DC Nina Foster books, Never Forget and Remember, Remember. Never Forgot was longlisted for the Waverton Good Read Award 2013 and the winner of the Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award 2014 for Best Thriller. She has also written four books in the East Rise Incident Room series, Mercy Killing, Buried Secrets, Lost Lives and Don’t Trust Him. All four centre around DI Harry Powell and his Major Crime Team battling to solve the latest murders within the county. Currently she is writing the Little Challham mysteries, cosy mysteries set in a fictional village in Kent.

She writes a monthly column, Behind the Tape, for Writing Magazine answering police procedural questions from other writers. In early 2016, she was honoured to become the Patron of Rochester Literature Festival and help establish Murderous Medway, an annual crime fiction festival packed full of amazing author panels. As well as being on BBC Radio 4’s Open Book, Lisa has twice appeared on This Morning to chat about TV crime dramas Broadchurch and Line of Duty.

December 11, 2021

DAUGHTERS OF MAGPIE COVE

MY THOUGHTS:

Connie’s mother asks her to leave the city and come home to Magpie Cove and take over the family business.  A charming coastal museum in the wonderful town of Magpie Cove.  Even though Connie is reluctant to return home, she does anyway.  The quaint museum is struggling to keep going, but it is a cornerstone of the little community.  Connie is determined to make her new adventure a success and save the museum that has been in her family for generations.  When Connie finds her great-grandmother’s diary in an old box in the attic, it reveals things about her that she never knew.  When Connie befriends local entrepreneur, Alex Gordon she begins to realize that she is exactly where she loves to be.  But, when someone from her past arrives in Magpie Cove, she wonders if she must leave for good and never return.  

This awesome romantic suspense has all the feels.  This author completely pulls you into the story and whisks away to Cornwall.  I am always happy to return to wonderful Magpie Cove it’s such a gorgeous setting perfectly described by the author.  The quiet, quaint town is one that you can’t wait to get too and never want to leave.  I love the mystery of the story and the plot twists and turns where very engaging.   This rapid page turner is one that will definitely stay in your heart for a long time.  I absolutely loved the amazing addition to this series.  This series is one to be cherished for a long, long time.

Thank you Kennedy Kerr for another wonderful installment to the Magpie Cove series.  This series is a wonderful escape to Cornwall, one that shouldn’t be passed up.  I loved everything about this entire series, and I highly recommend it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

DESCRIPTION:

Rating: 5 out of 5.
DAUGHTERS OF MAGPIE COVE
Author:  Kennedy Kerr 
Publisher: Bookouture 
Publication Date: December 9, 2021 
Pages: 238 
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Connie stared out at the quiet Cornish sea as the hazy early morning light bathed the horizon in a beautiful golden glow. She inhaled the salty, cleansing ocean air, looked down at the handwritten note and wiped away the lone tear that had started to fall…

When Connie Christie’s mother summons her home from the city to Magpie Cove to take over the family business – a quaint, charming museum – Connie is reluctant. The cove holds nothing more than bad memories for Connie, memories she’d rather leave buried…

The tiny coastal museum is a hub for the local community but it is struggling to survive, and despite herself, Connie is determined to save the business that has been in her family for generations. Discovering her great-grandmother’s diary tucked away in a dusty box in the attic – which reveals her struggles as a young woman – gives Connie a surprising clue to unlocking the secrets in her own past. Maybe what happened to her all those years ago wasn’t her fault after all?

Connie starts to relish her work at the museum and the beautiful, calm surroundings of Magpie Cove. A chance encounter with handsome local entrepreneur, Alex Gordon, leaves her with more than just butterflies. Perhaps embracing a new start in her old home maybe isn’t the worst idea she’s ever had.

But just as Connie starts to feel like she finally belongs somewhere, the peace she has found crumbles when the one person she has tried for years to forget resurfaces… Can Connie finally find her home, and herself, in Magpie Cove, or will her painful past force her to run away again, this time for good?

ABOUT KENNEDY KERR

Kennedy Kerr is a British fiction author. She adores beaches, lochs and stone circles, and loves writing about small communities, mysteries and family secrets. She has a very cuddly cat called Twinkle who spends her days sleeping: Kennedy aspires to having Twinkle’s nap schedule one day.

Kennedy also loves cooking and baking all types of food, which is almost as much fun as eating it. Her favourite foods include (but are not limited to) Indian food, Victoria sponge, breakfast pastries with coffee and sushi. The only thing she’s not particularly keen on is artichoke, and she’d eat it, anyway.