October 27, 2024

EDEN’S COMFORT KITCHEN

MY THOUGHTS:

Eden returns to Four Winds Cottage after recently losing her mother.  She has so many great memories there especially past holidays.  Seaglass Bay was always such a comfort for her so she is hoping that it will be now, when she needs it the most.  Her mother always helped the local villagers during the holiday visitors go home.  Eden wants to continue her mother’s legacy so she opens a community kitchen, where friends and families can have a home cooked meal.  The villagers enjoy spending time with each other while enjoying Eden’s wonderful heartwarming meals.  Cam arrives in Seaglass Bay and he is determined to purchase the land that Eden’s new kitchen is sitting on.  She won’t go down without a fight and so she challenges Cam to a cooking challenge.  But when Cam up and leaves without warning Eden wonders if she failed to win over his heart and save her comfort kitchen that has given her a new purpose?


Eden’s Comfort Kitchen, written by author Tilly Tennant is a wonderful story of reminiscing on the past and making a new beginning while meeting new friends along the way.  I absolutely loved the story of Eden, she had such a great heart and wanted to help all those around her.  Seaglass Bay sounds like such a lovely place to visit.  Tennant is so great at transporting the reader from wherever they are in the world to the location in the story.  I loved Seaglass Bay and the villagers felt like family.  This story hits all the feels and I loved it, so I highly recommend it!


⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


DESCRIPTION:

EDEN’S COMFORT KITCHEN
Author:  Tilly Tennant 
Publisher: Bookouture 
Publication Date: October 23, 2024
Pages: 369 

Run away to Seaglass Bay where the waves crash against ivory cliffs, the beach is a perfect golden ribbon of sand, and a little café is about to change Eden’s life forever… 

When Eden turns the key in the red door of Four Winds Cottage, the clifftop house where she used to holiday as a child, she is overwhelmed with bittersweet memories. She lost her mother recently, and she’s hoping Seaglass Bay will heal her broken heart.

The villagers welcome Eden with open arms, but she can’t help but notice that life is tough for them when the holidaymakers go home. Her mother always gave so much to those around her, and Eden is determined to follow in her footsteps. She sets up a community kitchen where her new friends can enjoy a homecooked meal, and as she watches people chatting over delicious stews, she feels sure that her mum would be a little bit proud of her.

But Eden’s happiness doesn’t last long. An unwelcome visitor arrives in Seaglass Bay in the form of handsome, chiselled Cam, who wants to buy the land the kitchen stands on. Eden is determined to save it and challenges Cam to a fortnight working with her so he can see how much would be lost if it closed.

As Cam rolls up his shirtsleeves and whips up his famous roast chicken, sparks fly and Eden feels a sense of triumph – he clearly can’t resist a challenge. The heat rises as they mess around in the kitchen, Cam’s dark hair dishevelled and his blue eyes shining with fun, and she realises that maybe he doesn’t have a heart of stone after all…

But just as she begins to let her guard down, Cam disappears without warning. Has she failed to win over the man she swore she’d never catch feelings for? And can she save the place that’s helped save her?

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

October 26, 2024

SNOW GOING BACK

MY THOUGHTS:

Lance proposed to Kate unexpectedly and in front of her entire family.  After she ran away she needed a break and was happy that a last minute trip to Boston popped up at work.  Perfect timing and a perfect escape it is exactly what she needed.  With the city filled with twinkle lights and the streets covered in fresh fallen snow she feels right at home.  After a mix up at work she finds Sam standing in her kitchen.  How could this happen?  But with it being Christmas there is no place else for either of them to go, so they decide to work it out.  It doesn’t take long for them to dislike each other and their horrible and annoying living habits.  As they lighten up on each other they actually decide they may have more in common with each other than they thought.  Lance unexpectedly arrives to visit Kate and now Kate must decide, does she return home with Lance or could Sam be the one?


Snow Going Back, written by author Emma Tallon is a wonderful and festive rom-com that had me laughing out loud.  I loved the banter between Kate and Sam.  They were so funny and I really liked them.  Kate wasn’t a fan of surprises so when lance proposed and then surprised her in Boston, I immediately thought “awe, poor Kate”.  I was completely entertained from cover to cover.  I really enjoyed this cute story and I look forward to more books from this author.  I highly recommend this book.


⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rating: 5 out of 5.

DESCRIPTION:

SNOW GOING BACK

Author:  Emma Tallon 
Publisher: Bookouture 
Publication Date: October 24, 2024
Pages: 365 
Buy on Amazon

Everyone is heading home for the holidays. Everyone except Kate. Having just run away her boyfriend Lance’s unexpected proposal (in front of her entire family), Kate was the only person in her office happy to take an unexpected last-minute work trip posting to Boston.

Arriving in the snow-covered, fairy-light-filled city, Kate feels immediately at home. That is until she meets 
Sam, a cross between a lumberjack and an Abercrombie model standing in the kitchen of her new place. Which also happens to be his home thanks to a work mix-up. Given that it’s Christmas and there is nowhere else to stay, they agree to make it work.

But pretty soon it’s clear that Sam is not the ideal house mate. From drinking all the milk, turning the hot water off whilst she’s showering, and insisting she stay in her room for the entirety of ‘game night’ with the boys, Kate thinks Sam is the absolute worst. And he thinks the same of her.

When Sam surprisingly comes to her rescue, his frosty exterior finally thaws and when they open up to each other, they realise they have more in common than they thought. But when Lance unexpectedly arrives, Kate’s heart is torn. Go home with Lance or spend the holidays with a man she hardly knows, but who could turn out to be the one…

ABOUT EMMA TALLON

Emma Tallon is a British author of gripping, gritty, organized-crime thrillers and mother of two. 
Having started her writing career as a freelance ghostwriter, Emma finished her first novel,  Runaway Girl, in 2016, and became an author full time. Since then she has written several other novels for her publisher and has carved out a successful career for herself from her home in Milton Keynes, where she can usually be found typing away in her office surrounded by large stacks of books and Post-it Notes full of ideas for future stories. 

October 23, 2024

THE PARIS INHERITANCE

MY THOUGHTS:


Hope Granger has begun a new life in France, after recently losing her beloved father.  She inherited from him a beautiful silver dove-shaped brooch.  It had been in his family for years.  But the only thing she knows about her ancestors is that they were all separated during World War II.  As she is wandering the through an antique store, an old picture of a young girl with a silver dove brooch pinned to her dress, catches her eye.  Who is the young girl and how could it be that Hope has the brooch all these years later?  Hope doesn’t waste any time, and she immediately begins to find out everything she can about her father and his family.  Is what she uncovers about her family, something she wants to know or is it what she should leave in the past.


The Paris Inheritance, written by author Natalie Meg Evans is a wonderful time slip story of family, wartime secrets and uncovering the truth.  This was a fabulous story from cover to cover.  Evans did a phenomenal job of research to make the reader feel like they were walking through the pages.  I was heartbroken as I read this story and I was cheering for Hope to find the answers to all the questions she had about her family.  This emotional read was well written, well researched, captivating and very inspiring.  I highly recommend it.


⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rating: 5 out of 5.

DESCRIPTION:

THE PARIS INHERITANCE

Author:  Natalie Meg Evans 
Publisher: Bookouture 
Publication Date: October 22, 2024
Pages: 426 
Buy on Amazon 

A family heirloom, handmade in Paris. A wartime sacrifice that changed everything. And a secret kept for generations.

Paris, 1940. Clutching a delicate silver dove-shaped brooch – the last gift from her beloved Otto, with a message of love engraved in the back – Lally flees her home in Paris. With her closest friend by her side, she dodges the Nazi gunfire echoing all around the city streets. But as they become more and more desperate during the darkest days Europe has ever known, one must make a terrible sacrifice for them both to survive…

France, 2014. After her father’s death, grieving Hope starts a new life in France. All she knows of her father’s family is that they were separated in World War Two. And her only inheritance is a unique, dove-shaped brooch.

Exploring an antique market one day, Hope’s breath catches in her throat at what she finds. A wartime picture of a green-eyed girl, a silver brooch pinned to her dress, shaped like a dove in flight. Hope has only ever seen one like it before.

Certain it’s her family heirloom, Hope is desperate to find the woman in the portrait. But it soon becomes clear that some wartime secrets are dangerous to uncover…

Will Hope’s discoveries change everything she ever believed about her father? And even if she does find the truth, will it bring her healing – or tear her apart?

ABOUT NATALIE MEG EVANS

Natalie Meg Evans has been an art student, actor, PR copywriter, book-keeper and bar tender but always wanted to write. A USA Today best-seller and RITA nominee, she is author of four published novels which follow the fortunes of strong-minded women during the 1930s and 40s. Fashion, manners and art are the glass through which her characters’ lives are viewed. Each novel is laced with passion, romance and desire. Mystery is never far away.

An avid absorber of history – for her sixth birthday she got a toy Arthurian castle with plastic knights – Natalie views historical fiction as theatre for the imagination. Her novels delve behind the scenes of a prestige industry: high fashion, millinery, theatre, wine making. Rich arenas for love and conflict. Most at home in the English countryside, Natalie lives in rural Suffolk. She has one son.

October 22, 2024

THE IRISH FAMILY SECRET

MY THOUGHTS:

Ginny Kingston is going back to Roone Bay after being gone for ten years.  After a traumatic event in her life, leaving was necessary.  She took the time away to try to rebuild her life.  She is now returning as an archeologist.  While giving a lecture on Irish history, she sees Rauri Savage in the audience.  The two families, the Kingston and the Savage, have owned neighboring farms for many, many years.  As feuding families, Ginny wants to know the truth as to what the feuds have really been about.  This time Rauri and Ginny find themselves on the same side.  They both want to uncover the past and mend old wounds, but is the truth going to bring them together or keep them apart?


The Irish Family Secret, written by author Daisy O’Shea is a wonderful time slip story of family, friends and reconciliation.  This heartbreaking tale is one that shook me to the core.  I was completely engrossed from the very first page to the end.  I really liked Ginny as she was a strong and determined person.  She was determined to fix her life and then she became an archeologist.  She continually makes sacrifices once again to mend family relationships and build new ones.  She is kind and compassionate and is full of hope.  I absolutely loved this amazing story and I highly recommend this unputdownable rapid read.


⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


DESCRIPTION:


THE IRISH FAMILY SECRET
Author:  Daisy O’Shea
Publisher:  Bookouture
Publication Date: October 22, 2024 
Pages: 307 
Buy on Amazon

The sweeping hills and emerald hedgerows seem to dance in the pale Irish sun. Home after far too long, Ginny takes a deep breath and tries to shake off the past. She’s hidden the truth for years. And when Ruari looks at her, his long lashes shading his green eyes, she knows she can’t reveal it now. Her secret would destroy him, as much as it would her… 

When 
Ginny Kingston returns to Ireland’s windswept Roone Bay after ten years of self-imposed exile, the last person she wants to run into is black-haired Ruari Savage. But there he is, glowering at her from the back of the tiny church hall, as she holds the townsfolk spell-bound throughout her lecture on Irish history.

The Kingstons and the Savages have been neighbours, farmers and bitter rivals for as long as anyone can remember. But, finally drawn home by work, Ginny is determined to discover the truth behind their family feud. And what happened to the first young lovers who tried to mend the rift over fifty years ago. For some strange reason, mechanic Ruari with his practical mind and strong hands, has offered to help…

Ruari’s aid, however, comes at a price: the truth about why Ginny herself left so suddenly. What he doesn’t know is that Ginny’s devastating secret might destroy their families’ new-found peace – and any chance of happiness they have with each other – forever…

Can Ginny and Ruari work together to heal old wounds?
 And will the secrets that have divided their families for generations ever come to light – or tear them all apart?

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.

October 20, 2024

THE GIRL WHO RISKED IT ALL

MY THOUGHTS:

Hannah is a Jewish refugee and arrives in France with her younger sister Lotte.  Hannah has promised to keep her safe, protect her and never be separated from each other.  But with the war looming, Hannah has no choice but to leave Lotte at a children’s home that has offered to take her in.  It’s the only way Hannah can protect her.  Hannah has no where to go and finds herself wandering aimlessly but knows she can’t survive without somewhere to go.  Soon she meets Michel, and he and his parents welcome her into their home.  When Michel is sent to the frontlines, Hannah once again is completely alone.  She joins the Resistance and is determined to keep others alive.   But when Hannah heard of a raid planned on the children’s home where Lotte was living, she knew she had to rescue her sister.  Unsure if she could save her, Hannah wonders where will they go from there to continue to be free, and out of the hands of the Nazis?


The Girl Who Risked it All, written by author Kate Hewitt is an amazing story of courage, strength and never giving up.  I love all the stories of the courageous people, and what they did for each other during the horrific war.  The sacrifices they made for total strangers that soon became family to them.  Each other was all they had and with their massive internal strength they somehow survived.  Hewitt is an amazing author with so much detail in her writing that you can feel the cold night air on your face and the emotions of having to leave family behind to protect them.  My heart was broken into the smallest of pieces during much of this story, but I never lost hope.  This inspiring story is one that I highly recommend.


⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rating: 5 out of 5.

DESCRIPTION:

THE GIRL WHO RISKED IT ALL
Author:  Kate Hewitt
Publisher: Bookouture 
Publication Date: October 17, 2024
Pages: 425 
Buy on Amazon

“Quickly, you must help me!” Hannah gasps, her hands shaking. “The Nazis are going to take the children at daybreak, and we must find a way to save them…”

France, 1939: When Jewish refugee Hannah Lerner and her beloved younger sister Lotte arrive in a small French town alone, with no family to turn to, Hannah takes her sister’s trembling hands in hers and promises they will not be separated, no matter what…

But when a children’s home offers refuge to Lotte, Hannah has no choice. To keep her sister safe, she has to let her go. And as she leaves Lotte weeping at the gates, she vows that one day they will be together again. Terrified and alone, Hannah is soon rescued by 
Michel, a charming Frenchman who welcomes her into his home. As the weeks pass, his warm smile and deep brown eyes slowly make Hannah trust in kindness again.

But when Michel is sent to the frontlines, Hannah’s heart shatters once more. And when a local Nazi officer identifies her as Jewish, she knows she has precious time to flee. Travelling south, she resolves to fight back against the Nazis. When she is approached by the Resistance, Hannah is determined to do what is right.

Soon Hannah hears of a plot that puts her sister and so many other innocent lives in danger. She knows she must act quickly,
 but with time running out and her own life at risk, how far is Hannah prepared to go to save those she loves most?

ABOUT KATE HEWITT

Kate Hewitt is the bestselling author of many novels of women’s fiction, including the Hartley-by-the-Sea series set in the Lake District, the Willoughby Close a series set in the Cotswolds, and Tales From Goswell written as Katharine Swartz. Her novel A Mother’s Goodbye has been called ‘unputdownable’ and ‘the most emotional book I have ever read’ by readers. Her latest novel, Not My Daughter, is out now, and No Time to Say Goodbye is available for preorder.

She lives in a small market town in Wales with her husband and five young(ish) children, along with their two Golden Retrievers. Join her newsletter for monthly updates and giveaways on her website, or be part of her Facebook groups Kate’s Reads.

October 19, 2024

KEEPSAKES FROM THE COTTAGE BY THE LOCH

MY THOUGHTS:

Tara Ballantyne returns to Loch Cameron to help take care of her mother, Dotty after she falls.  Tara is a teacher and left Loch Cameron after her fiancé Ramsay Fraser left without saying goodbye.  She hasn’t been in a hurry to return home, with so many horrible memories still fresh in her mind.  Running into Ramsay at the farmers market, has Tara on edge.  All the old feelings immediately bubbled up inside.  When she sees Ramsay holding the hand of a little girl, Tara knows that he has moved on and she has lost him forever. But the return trip home is exactly what she needed to have closure on her past and an opportunity for a new beginning and a second chance at the happiness she deserves.


Keepsakes from the Cottage by the Loch, written by author Kennedy Kerr is an amazing story of second chances and new beginnings.  I truly loved the hope and faith that this story portrays.  This book tackles some hard topics but left me  softhearted and empathetic to Tara.  A few tears definitely fell down my face a couple of times.  I loved the flashback to World War II and how Tara’s Aunt Agnes was also a teacher.  It was a very heartwarming part of the story.  I love how the story unfolded in the end as it made me realize that Loch Cameron truly is a magical place. This is book is part of an awesome series, but it can be read as a standalone.  I loved everything about this wonderful story and I highly recommend it.


⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


DESCRIPTION:

Rating: 5 out of 
KEEPSAKES FROM THE COTTAGE BY THE LOCH
Author:  Kennedy Kerr
Publisher: Bookouture 
Publication Date: October 15, 2024
Pages: 272 
Buy on Amazon


Sitting at the edge of the loch, Tara clutches her heart-shaped pendant as the sunset turns the sky pink. The person who gave it to her once danced with her on the shore. But then he left for good. And now she can never share her secret…

Tara Ballantyne hasn’t been home to Loch Cameron since her childhood sweetheart and fiancé Ramsay Fraser suddenly broke her heart. She’s certain the secret she’s kept ever since is why he left without saying goodbye. But when her mother Dotty has a fall, Tara knows she must return to help her family with their guesthouse.

Dotty has never been able to understand why Tara left the village in the first place. And on an errand for her mother at the local farmer’s market after another row, 
Tara is stunned when she runs into Ramsay. His deep, achingly familiar voice sends butterflies spinning through her stomach as they make plans to catch up. Could now be the moment to tell him her secret?

Then Tara sees Ramsay holding the hand of a little girl with a crooked smile just like his. Even if Ramsay still holds on to the other half of Tara’s gold pendant, it looks like he’s moved on for good. And she still can’t confess what she did all those years ago…

But seeing Ramsay again makes her mother light up, and Tara realises Dotty has missed him too. And as she comes to understand her mother more than ever before, Tara wonders if she’s been running away for all the wrong reasons. 
Will Ramsay always be the one who got away? Or if Tara finally opens up, will she find happiness in the village?

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.