AN INVITATION TO THE COTTAGE BY THE LOCH

MY THOUGHTS:

Deb Sutherland is an event planner that is recuperating from a hysterectomy.  She receives an email invitation from the Laird of Loch Cameron asking her to plan the annual Spring Fling.  Without hesitation she packs up as many items she can fit in her car and heads for the Highlands.  She is anxious for the opportunity to find out everything she can about her Scottish roots.  While working around the beautiful castle she runs into Kyle Abernathy a property developer.  He is very arrogant but she enjoys the walks and talks that they share, along with sipping wine while gazing over the beautiful loch.  Deb finds an old tattered map among the cottage archives and looking at it she gasps in awe.  Did Deb just discover a long lost family secret about the cottage, did it really belong to her family all those years ago and was Kyle hiding the truth from her all along?

An Invitation to the Cottage by the Loch written by author Kennedy Kerr is an absolutely lovely story.  I enjoyed this story from cover to cover and felt heart-broken for Deb.  I was saddened by her medical issues and having to go through it alone.  But as the story went on I really enjoyed the mystery of the tale.  When she found the old map I was rapidly flipping pages anxious to see what she discovered.  I am always happy to return to Loch Cameron,  as the beautiful description of the Highlands always makes me feel like I have returned home.  This cozy romance story with family history and a little mystery was exactly what I needed.  I have loved this wonderful series and look forward to the next installment.  I highly recommend this book.  

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

DESCRIPTION:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 5 out of 

AN INVITATION TO THE COTTAGE BY THE LOCH
Author:  Kennedy Kerr
Publisher: Bookouture 
Publication Date: May 28, 2024
Pages: 275 
Buy on Amazon

High on the hills above the wide blue loch, Deb pulls the torn, sepia photograph out of her pocket, tracing her thumb over the girl pictured playing happily amongst the heather. Her grandmother hid this secret for decades…

After losing her sense of self recovering from a serious operation, event planner Deb Sutherland is desperate to reconnect with her family and start living again. So, when an email arrives from the Laird of Loch Cameron asking her to plan his annual Spring Fling, Deb packs her life into her car and makes for the rolling hills of the Highlands. This could be her chance to explore the Scottish roots her beloved grandmother refused to speak about.

Auditioning bands and designing decorations at the Laird’s grand castle, Deb runs into property developer Kyle Abernethy on the edge of the manicured gardens. Kyle is maddeningly arrogant, but Deb can’t deny how his icy blue eyes make her stomach flip. And as they share a bottle of wine overlooking the glittering loch, Deb finds herself laughing like she hasn’t in years.

But when Deb finds an old map of tumbledown worker’s cottages in the castle archives, her heart stops. She remembers how tearful her grandmother would get when asked about her childhood. Was Loch Cameron her home before her family was tragically torn apart? Has Kyle been hiding this truth from her all along?

As the Spring Fling approaches, should Deb run from Loch Cameron for good? Or will confronting her heart-breaking family history mean she can finally move forward with Kyle by her side?

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.

Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Bookhype | Amazon | Book Bub

FLY AWAY SUMMER

MY THOUGHTS:

Chef Lana Kelly just completed culinary school and turned her late father’s old fish market into a very successful restaurant.  Her family lost their Cape Cod inn and it was always her dream to expand the inn and keep it in the family. Finally, the inn goes up for sale and Lana immediately puts in an offer.  But Hunter Graham, a property developer in New York City out bids her and wants to make it into an event venue.  She is struggling to keep her restaurant going, and as the inn slowly slips through her fingers, so do the summer days and her hopes and dreams.

Fly Away Summer written by author Lindsay Gibson is an absolutely lovely delightful story.  I was drawn into this story by not only the beautiful cover but the turn of every page kept my attention.  I was cheering for Lana as she kept moving forward, no matter the setbacks.  Gibson is amazing at describing Cape Cod with its cool summer breezes and the bay waters lapping the shore. I felt like I wanted to walk on the sandy beach and dip my toes in the bay. I loved the story of Lana and Hunter.  This heartwarming story with its fabulous characters and notes of love, loss, new friends and new beginnings is exactly what I needed.  Get swept away with this amazing story.  Lindsay Gibson is an auto buy author for me and I look forward to reading many more of her stories.  I highly recommend this ten star read…I loved it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

DESCRIPTION:

FLY AWAY SUMMER
Author:  Lindsay Gibson
Publisher:  Harpeth Road Press
Publication Date: May 15, 2024
Pages: 300
Buy on Amazon

After losing her beloved family’s Cape Cod inn right after culinary school, chef Lana Kelly converts her late father’s old fish market next door into a successful restaurant. However, over the years, she’s kept her eye on the inn with dreams to expand. She also hopes she can acquire the property for her grandad so he’ll know it’s back in the family before his dementia causes the memory to vanish for good.

When the inn goes up for sale, she rushes to put in an offer. But Hunter Graham of Graham Property Development in New York City snapped it up and plans to transform it into an event venue. With competition on the Cape continuing to rise, Lana worries about how to keep her little restaurant growing. And she isn’t so thrilled about her new neighbor.

Next to the lapping waters of the bay and the summer breezes, Lana is forced to face the truth. But will that truth be losing the inn forever or finding something more?

A heartwarming summer romance that will sweep you away to the sparkling New England coast. An incredible story that you will not be able to put down, full of healing, family ties, and best of all, love.

ABOUT LINDSAY GIBSON

Lindsay’s first book, her memoir, Just Be: How my Stillborn Son Taught Me to Surrender, won the Book Excellence finalist award in 2018. She has been featured in Elephant Journal, Green Child Magazine, and Self Magazine.

 

Lindsay now writes emotional romantic fiction, full of heartfelt love, good friends, and family, sprinkled with humor and tender warmth, where her characters discover that love is the reason for everything. Her debut romantic fiction novel The Christmas Promise with Harpeth Road Press, set in a charming New England town at the holidays is now available.

 

When not writing fiction, she is working on her exclusive weekly newsletter Love is the Reason about all things love, food and healthy living. She spends the rest of her days chasing her three daughters around their hometown in Connecticut and hanging out with her Irish husband whose brogue still makes her blush.

​

Lindsay is available for book talks, speaking engagements and interviews both online and in person

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram 

A HELPING HAND FOR THE VILLAGE NURSE

MY THOUGHTS:

Ottilie Oakcraft recently lost her husband Josh.  She needs a new beginning and so she had taken a job as a nurse in the beautiful and quaint village of Thimblebury. She has found the perfect home with the perfect setting.  Wordsworth Cottage that sits right next to a flowing river, Ottilie knows this is exactly where she wants to be. She loves the villagers and is especially drawn to an older lady named Flo.  Flo and Ottilie love to meet and chat over a cup of tea.  Flo helps Ottilie through her grief, and Ottilie feels as if she may just make it through this season of her life.  But just as she feels like she is going to be ok, she is about to lose her new cottage due to a severe storm that causes the river to burst it’s banks.  The water floods her cottage and she feels once again that she has lost everything.  But, Flo’s grandson Heath refuses to let that happen.  He spends day and night to help repair the cottage.  The entire village steps in to help.  As Ottilie opens up to Heath about the pain of losing her husband Josh, Heath opens up to Ottilie about the heartbreak he suffered from his marriage.  Heath and the villagers provide a small ray of hope for Ottilie as she feels once again that this is exactly where she needs to be.

A Helping Hand for the Village Nurse authored by Tilly Tennant is a lovely little story about love, loss and new beginnings.  I absolutely loved the village of Thimblebury and my favorite part was the people.  The tea time chats between Flo and Ottilie were so touching and made me feel like I was sitting with them.  Tennant is great at pulling the reader into her stories.  I loved everything about this phenomenal story from the first page to the last.  It hit all the feels and the details of the village and the people made it extraordinary.  I am so happy that this is the first book of a new series, I can’t wait to read the next installment.  Thank you Tilly Tennant for such a sweet wonderful story that made my heart happy.  I highly recommend this absolutely fabulous book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

DESCRIPTION:

A HELPING HAND FOR THE VILLAGE NURSE

Author:  Tilly Tennant 

Publisher: Bookouture 

Publication Date: May 24, 2024

Pages: 418 

Buy on Amazon 

Among the emerald hills of the Lake District sits the village of Thimblebury and Wordsworth Cottage, its garden bursting with wildflowers. It is the perfect place for village nurse Ottilie to make her brave new start…

Ottilie Oakcroft never thought she’d live in a place like Wordsworth Cottage. Nestled close to the river, her new home in the tiny village of Thimblebury means all her patients are just a stone’s throw from her front door. As they drop in for cups of tea and cosy chats she ignores all the jobs on her to-do list and gets to know her new neighbours.

Yet maybe keeping busy is just what Ottilie needs, even if she’s barely had a minute to unpack her suitcase. Heartbroken after the death of her husband Josh, as she offers advice and hot soup from her kitchen to the villagers who clearly need a helping hand, she starts to feel part of a community again.

But disaster strikes when a terrible storm causes the river to burst its banks and flood Ottilie’s ramshackle cottage. She has sunk every penny she has into what she’d hoped would be her forever home, and now she’s faced with the prospect of losing it.

But the villagers have other ideas. They can’t bear to lose Ottilie and they make a plan to save her house. Leading the effort is handsome Heath, and as he rolls up his sleeves to get involved in the repairs, he and Ottilie start to open up to each other. Ottilie tells him about her loss, and he shares the pain of a marriage that ended in heartbreak for him.

Ottilie hasn’t talked to anyone like this since Josh’s death and while it scares her, a tiny grain of hope begins to grow. Could Heath be the man to make her feel life is worth living again – not just for her patients, but for herself?

ABOUT TILLY TENNANT

Tilly Tennant was born in Dorset, the oldest of four children, but now lives in Staffordshire with a family of her own. After years of dismal and disastrous jobs, including paper plate stacking, shop assistant, newspaper promotions and waitressing (she never could carry a bowl of soup without spilling a bit), she decided to indulge her passion for the written word by embarking on a degree in English and creative writing. She wrote a novel in 2007 during her first summer break at university and hasn’t stopped writing since. She also works as a freelance fiction editor and part-time lecturer.

Hopelessly Devoted to Holden Finn was her debut novel; published in 2014 it was an Amazon bestseller in both the UK and Australia. In 2016 she signed to the hugely successful Bookouture and is currently working on her fifteenth Tilly Tennant novel. Christmas bestseller A Very Vintage Christmas has just been made into a movie for Lifetime Channel.

Tilly also writes young adult fiction as Sharon Sant.

                       Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon | Instagram

BAYOU REDEMPTION

MY THOUGHTS:

Elizabeth Keller is a cardiac surgeon and desires a new start, a fresh beginning.  It is a very difficult task being a member of a family full of scandals.  She works and lives in the same town she grew up in. The residents of Cypress Bayou can’t seem to forget the kind of person she was when she was younger.  Dr. Charlie Beaudoin arrives in Cypress Bayou trying to escape his past.  Leaving New Orleans behind, he is ready for a new beginning, a fresh start.  Elizabeth and Charlie are co-workers but Elizabeth, fears that he may be there to replace her.  When a hurricane is threatens the Bayou, with mass destruction to the town and the hospital, Elizabeth and Charlie join forces to protect the residents of the town.  Romance between the two is unavoidable and the storm is shaking up more than just the town.

Bayou Redemption authored by Susan Sands is a wonderful unputdownable story about love, new beginnings and second chances.  I loved the flip of every page of this book.  I love the character of Elizabeth and that she would go to great lengths to save her patients.  She loved the town and was invested in the people of the town.  I also really enjoyed the story of Charlie he was looking for a new beginning and in the process found love.  The twists and turns and the suspense of this story was a welcome surprise.  I couldn’t wait to get to the end.  I have enjoyed this series so much, it is a favorite of mine.  I love the description of the Bayou and felt like I lived there.  Sands is amazing at pulling the reader into the story and not letting them go.  This is the fourth book and final installment in the phenomenal Louisiana Series.  You could read this as a standalone novel but my suggestion is begin at book one and read the entire series.  It is so good and you will want to follow the characters through the whole series.  This is one that will stay with me for a while.  I highly recommend this ten star read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 5 out of 5.

DESCRIPTION:

BAYOU REDEMPTION
Author:  Susan Sands 
Publisher: Tule Publishing
Publication Date: May 21, 2024
Pages: 252
Buy on Amazon

She wants to find Mr. Perfect, but first she needs to fine tune her own Ms. Perfect…

Skilled cardiac surgeon Elizabeth Keller is determined to turn over a new leaf. Not easy when you live and work in the same small town where you grew up and your family’s rocked by scandals. Plus there’s the painful fact everyone remembers your brilliant, beautiful, blonde mean girl adolescence. But Elizabeth doesn’t give up easily. Ask anyone including the new hot surgeon gunning for her job.

When Dr. Charlie Beaudoin arrives in Cypress Bayou, he’s relieved to put the past and New Orleans behind him. His new partner is as gorgeous as she is captivating, and definitely suspicious of his professional intentions. At first Charlie works to establish respect, trust and friendship with Elizabeth because he needs the job. But when a hurricane threatens the town and hospital, he and Elizabeth pull together to create a safety plan and soon the lines between professional and personal blur.

But when the skies clear and secrets and threats surround them, will their budding romance and fragile trust survive?

ABOUT SUSAN SANDS

A self-described late bloomer, Susan Sands began writing her first novel at age forty. She compares her challenging journey to publication as “raising another child—a difficult one.”

Susan has published five southern, contemporary women’s fiction novels set in Alabama. She describes her humorous small-town stories as fun, romantic, and filled with big family love. Susan also writes authentic place-as-a-character southern fiction with a humorous voice in addition to her Alabama series.

Susan has three grown children and lives with her dentist husband in Roswell, GA. She has a degree in elementary education, is a member of the Georgia Romance Writers, the Romance Writers of America, the Atlanta Writer’s Club,  Womens Fiction Writers of America (WFWA), and the Broadleaf Writers Association. She participates in book festivals, book clubs, and writer’s conferences around the South. Susan is the recipient of the 2017 Georgia Author of the Year award for romance.

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon | Instagram | Book Bub

THE NURSE BEHIND THE GATES

MY THOUGHTS:

Emilie and Danner were childhood friends, along with Otto, Felix and  Gerty.  They played in the streets of Munich, growing up in the same neighborhood.  Emilie and Danner were the very best of friends and knew that they would grow up and get married.  But when the war started, Danner had to move to Poland with his family.  He was the only one in the circle of friends that was Jewish.  Emilie and her husband Otto move from Munich to Dachau.  Emilie is a nurse to her husband Otto, a doctor.  They have a job at the Dachau prison camp, she is told that it is for research, and that all the prisoners are criminals. Emilie soon discovers that isn’t the case.  Her husband is lying to her.  And when Emilie recognizes one of the prisoners is a childhood friend of her’s named Danner, she knows for sure they aren’t there for research and the prison isn’t used to house criminals.  She remembers Danner to be one of the kindest people she knows.  When Otto tries to convince Emilie that they are actually there to murder the prisoners or they themselves will be killed.  Emilie has to find a way to escape the horrible place, but she will not leave without saving Danner.

The Nurse Behind the Gates is an amazing and heartbreaking historical fiction written by Shari J. Ryan.  I thoroughly enjoyed this story, though it had me in tears for majority of the story.  I wanted to read this in one sitting but it was too hard for me…I had to stop to take a breath.  This emotional read is necessary to remind us of the horrible time of World War II, and the resolve of those that survived.  I enjoyed this story very much, keep tissues near by because you will definitely need them.  Ryan is amazing in her writing style, rich research and pulling the reader into the story, making you feel like it’s happening right before your eyes.  I enjoyed this story very much and I highly recommend it.  

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 5 out of 5.

DESCRIPTION:

THE NURSE BEHIND THE GATES 
Author: Shari J. Ryan 
Publisher:  Bookouture
Publication Date: May 20, 2024
Pages: 420 
Buy on Amazon 

Dachau, 1942. Emilie has been told she’s here to nurse evil men. But the first patient she sees in the cold, dark room is hauntingly familiar. Her first love is not wicked. He couldn’t be. What is he doing here?

Emilie’s heart stops as she takes in her childhood sweetheart hunched in a tattered prisoner’s uniform, the light lost from his face. Her new husband, Otto, said this was a camp for criminals. He should know, he’s the doctor. But Danner would never have broken the law.

As she looks into Danner’s beautiful brown eyes, she's transported back to their happy childhood in Munich. The friendship they shared. The way her heart once felt like it beat only for him. Before the Jewish laws were enforced and Danner pushed Emilie away to protect her, breaking her heart.

Now, Emilie rushes to find Otto, desperate for answers. But when she discovers him waiting with confidentiality papers for her to sign, she realizes her husband has been lying. This isn’t a place to treat sick criminals, but to murder the innocent. And Otto tells her if she doesn’t help, they'll both die.

Her hands shake as she receives her instructions. But as she rushes back to the sickbay, searching for a way to escape, her gaze lands on Danner once more. In his eyes, she can see something that almost looks like hope…

ABOUT SHARI J. RYAN

Shari J. Ryan is a USA Today Bestselling Historical Fiction writer. Her desire to write stories revolving Jewish livelihood during World War II stems from being a descendant of two Holocaust survivors. After the passing of Shari’s grandmother, she pursued an active interest in learning more about the inherited stories she yearned to understand better.

Shortly after earning a bachelors degree from Johnson & Wales University, Shari began her career as a graphic artist and freelance writer. She then found her passion for writing books in 2012. In 2016, Shari began writing her first Historical Fiction novel, Last Words, a story about a lifelong journey through the eyes of a Holocaust survivor. With two character related books to follow, Shari quickly found a new passion to share untold World War II stories within a fictional setting. 

Shari is a lifelong New England girl who lives to make people laugh. She is happily married with two wonderful sons and a spunky Australian Shepard, who fits right in with the family. 

                                Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon | Instagram 

THE WINTER CHILD

MY THOUGHTS:

Poland, 1943, World War II rages on across Europe.  People take on horrible jobs so that they can provide for their families.  They don’t have a choice.  Irena serves cocktails in the local hotel, to the Nazis that visit often.  Trying to not get noticed by any of the German’s is not easy.  And then when she catches the eye of Richter who is a member of the Gestapo, she knows her life will never be the same.  Her worst fear comes true when she becomes pregnant.  She goes into hiding and knows she must do everything possible to keep her baby safe.  But, Richter is a high ranking officer and it is impossible for Irena to keep her baby a secret.  When she gives birth, the baby is taken from her.  Argentina, 1994 Irena’s husband passes away and she decides to return to Poland, her mission is to avenge her son that was taken from her all those years ago.

The Winter Child written by Carly Schabowski is a phenomenal and heartbreaking story.  There aren’t many storylines like this in the Historical Fiction genre.  This amazing story includes a dual timeline which is a favorite of mine.  I always love stories of history and present day, because they teach historical events and then at the flip of the page, fast forward you to current events.  Schabowski does it again, with a heartfelt, emotional and unputdownable story that will leave you in tears.  This is an absolute must read for every historical fiction fan and I highly recommend it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 5 out of 5.

DESCRIPTION:

THE WINTER CHILD

Author: Carly Schabowski

Publisher:  Bookouture 
Publication Date: May 16, 2024
Pages: 314 
Buy on Amazon

‘Please don’t do this!’ Irena’s shrill cry pierces the night air, her screams breaking the silence of the falling snow. But the man she calls to does not turn, vanishing into the darkness with a child clasped in his arms…

Poland, 1943: Every day, Irena is terrified as she serves the Nazis who drink in her town’s hotel. But with war raging, she has little choice if she is to support her family. She just prays she won’t catch the eye of any of the officers who have invaded her country. If she does, the consequences are unthinkable…

More than anyone she fears Richter, a member of the Gestapo with a reputation as frightening as his vicious smile. Each time she glimpses him across the room, her blood runs cold. But her family must eat, and so she must face her fears each day.

But when Irena is told she must serve Richter personally, she knows she will no longer be able to hide. Trembling, she approaches his table. And when his cold gaze finally settles on her, she realizes that her fate has already been sealed.

When Irena’s worst fears come true and she bears a child, her baby is a small glimmer of hope in an otherwise dark world. But when the baby is taken from her one winter night, she swears that she will stop at nothing to avenge her child’s life…

But is Irena prepared for revenge to cost her everything? And even if she is, will she recover from the truth she is about to uncover?

ABOUT CARLY SCHABOWSKI

Carly Schabowski worked as a journalist in both North   Cyprus and Australia before returning to Oxford, where she studied for an MA and then a PhD in creative writing at Oxford Brookes University. Carly now teaches at Oxford Brookes University as an associate lecturer in Creative Writing for first and second-year English literature students.

Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon | Instagram | Book Bub