The Holiday Escape by Heidi Swain – Blog Tour/Book Review

About the book:

Her dream holiday is his everyday life. His dream holiday is her normal life. What happens when they collide?   Ally and her dad, Geoff, run the family business, a creative retreat, from their home Hollyhock Cottage in picturesque Kittiwake Cove. They give their guests their dream break, but Ally hankers after glamourous city living, fancy restaurants and art galleries. Ally’s survival strategy is to escape out of season, take a break abroad and pretend to be the person she always imagined she would be. She meets Logan while she’s away and he turns out to be exactly the kind of distraction she’s looking for. With her spirits restored, Ally returns home, picks up the reins again and sets her sights on another successful season, but when Logan unexpectedly arrives on the scene, she soon realises she’s in for a summer that’s going to be far from straightforward…  A story about bringing a holiday home – and what happens when what goes on on holiday comes back to bite you… Your favourite authors love Heidi Swain’s ‘A summer delight!’ SARAH MORGAN ‘A delightfully sunny read with added intrigue and secrets’ BELLA OSBORNE ‘A ray of reading sunshine!’ LAURA KEMP ‘A lovely, sweet, summery read’ MILLY JOHNSON ‘An absolutely gorgeous summer tale of love and secrets’ RACHAEL LUCAS  

My review:

Reading a book written by Heidi Swain is like meeting new friends that you instantly bond with, become completely connected to them, and making you want to be with them all the time! From the outset of the story, when we first meet Logan and Ally, who inadvertently uses her best friend Flora’s name as a pseudonym, we are drawn to their characters and their instant attraction, with a little help from a friendly nun!

I adored their brief connection in Barcelona, but when Ally runs out on Logan she never expected to come face to face with him in Kittiwake Cove. I loved the fictional location of Kittiwake Cove in Dorset, with the hidden spot on the beach, the swimming platform, and the house and gardens Ally’s parents inherited. I think one of Heidi Swain’s many talents is her ability to world-build so effortlessly that I have always fallen in love with her locations and wanted to be there every time. As idyllic as the house and gardens were, Ally simply saw her life in the cove being limited by her parent’s dream and her dream of a life in Barcelona was held ransom, and it clouded her judgement.

Duty was a strong thread to the story, with Ally feeling she should help her father achieve the dream he had with her mother, at the expense of her own dreams. I loved Ally’s dad Geoff, her best friend Flora and Flora’s twin brother Freddie but I was unsure and unsettled by Tara, returning to the area after several years. Still, life would be boring if we loved everyone, right?

The Holiday Escape was a perfect holiday read. I read it while on holiday in South Korea, and it made me want to spend time in my hotel room when I really needed to explore! There was a delightful balance of romance, community and the conflict between duty and desire at its’ core.

Many thanks to Team BATC, Simon & Schuster UK and Heidi Swain for my invitation to take part in the blog tour. I received a copy of the book following my honest review. Please check out the other stops on the blog tour below:

Purchase links:

https://www.simonandschuster.co.uk/books/The-Holiday-Escape/Heidi-Swain/9781398519572/

Starting Over at the Crafty Bee Barn by Margaret Amatt – Blog Tour/Book Review

About the book:

Luckless Lilah Clarke needs a big break, but getting caught wrecking a stall at the Glenbriar Fair was not what she had in mind – especially when the man who catches her is as hot as a summer’s day and sends her heart racing.

Charity campaigner Aidan McBride has returned to Glenbriar after a long absence to discover the love of his life dating his cousin, his cottage in tatters, and his beloved bees gone. When he catches Lilah destroying his mum’s stall and discovers the reason, he sees something in her he can’t explain – or resist.

Feeling sorry for her, he offers her a job, and she reluctantly accepts. What other options does she have? Now, it isn’t just Aidan’s new bees that are buzzing. Lilah dreams of Aidan being hers, but for someone with a background like hers, he’s well out of her reach.

Still stung by the loss of his ex, Aidan struggles with his ever-growing attraction to Lilah. But if he doesn’t spit out exactly how he feels about her before her past catches up with her, he stands to lose the real love of his life.

My review:

Starting Over at the Crafty Bee Barn is the seventh book in the Glenbriar series by Margaret Amatt. Although there are characters familiar to those who have read the previous books, you can easily read this story as a standalone. Having said that, I do recommend that you check out the other books in the series because they are all completely wonderful.

In this story, we meet Lilah, a 23 year old who has had the toughest of starts in life, with unreliable family. Not wanting to be like her errant family, Lilah desperately needs a break and someone to realise her capabilities. We also meet Aidan who left Glenbriar to go on a charity walk in memory of his father when he was still grieving. He left his girlfriend behind, but when he returned he found that she had moved on and was now engaged to his cousin. When Aidan meets Lilah, he feels something for her but dismisses it because there is a ten year age gap, and he sets out to give her opportunities that may previously have passed her by.

I loved the dynamic between the two main characters, in particular how much of an old soul Lilah was, mature and keen to better herself. On paper their relationship should not have worked, and both of them agreed that, but their mutual love of nature and their location brought them together in a way neither could have imagined. The doubt they both had initially affected their relationship, but with communication they were able to form a close bond.

I loved their character progression as they both found strength from one another to help them achieve goals and battle their own personal demons. Already likeable, I found as Aidan and Lilah grew I warmed to them even more.

Through every book in the series, and this was no exception, I have adored the location of Glenbriar. The Scottish Highlands have always meant a lot to me, and this book exudes the sense of space and greenery synonymous with the Highlands, providing me with an armchair escape to a region I love.

Starting Over at the Crafty Bee Barn is a gentle romance in a stunning location, that made me want to keep bees, and do crafts, and maybe even have a barn filled with home made gifts to sell to the public!

Many thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources, and Margaret Amatt for my invitation to take part in the blog tour. I received an electronic proof of the book, and I provided my no-obligation honest review. Please check out the other stops on the tour below:

Purchase link:

https://mybook.to/craftybee

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 on-going series with more books coming in 2024.

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.

Social media:

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The Match Faker by Olivia Spring – Blog Tour/Book Review

About the book:

Fake dating my enemy was never supposed to feel so real…

MIA
My ex-boyfriend screwed me over and now the future of my matchmaking agency is in danger. I’d do anything to save it. Even if it involves fake dating my childhood best friend, hot Hollywood action movie star Liam Stone.

With his good looks, charm and acting skills, he’d be ideal.

There’s just one problem. We hate each other.

But the arrangement would help me win the Matchmaker of the Year award (being single doesn’t exactly work in my favour) and scoop the cash prize and publicity that would save my business.

It’s purely professional. Two months and we’re done.

Except when Liam kisses me, nothing about the fireworks between us feels fake…

LIAM
I’m no stranger to kiss-and-tell stories. But when I get caught up in a sex scandal that threatens to end my career, I fly to London to escape the drama.

I never expected to bump into her.

Yeah, Mia’s smart and annoyingly attractive, but when she asks me to be her fake boyfriend, my first thought is hell no. Not after what happened before.

Then I realise pairing up with her would help shake off my playboy image and restore my reputation.

Dating Mia will be a challenge, but pretending is my forte.

Except when we’re forced to share a bed, the feelings that are supposed to be pretend become all too real…

—

Get ready to stay up all night! Once you start reading this steamy, dual POV, fake-dating, enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy, you won’t be able to stop!

Swoon-worthy happy ending guaranteed. 

Tropes

• Fake dating
• Enemies-to-lovers
• Forced proximity
• Only one bed
• Celebrity romance
• Reformed playboy

My review:

I have adored all of Olivia Spring’s previous books, and The Match Faker has definitely become my new favourite. I loved the dynamic between Mia, a stunning professional matchmaker, and Liam, the British answer to the Hemsworths, an action movie Hollywood superstar. Having been best friends from a very early age, falling out as teenagers left them both keeping track of one another as their lives took very different turns. When they reunite in circumstances that are not ideal for either of them, both still holding resentment from their teenage years, it quickly becomes clear that sparks are going to fly!

I loved the slow burn as the enemies to lovers trope came into the storyline. There was a sweetness to their personalities, but the spicy scenes which Olivia Spring is so good at writing really amplified the connection between both characters.

I loved the way in which both Mia and Liam were champions for one another, being selfless cheerleaders for each other and both being fully prepared to sacrifice their own needs.

I enjoyed the links to previous characters but there is absolutely no detriment if you have not previously read any of the books written by the author. I do think that some of the characters in the story deserve their own story, and hope that the author has this planned for the future.

The Match Faker was a funny, endearing romcom with equal parts humour and romance, with some spicy moments too.

Many thanks to Olivia Spring for inviting me to take part in the blog tour, and providing me with an advanced copy of the book. I voluntarily provided my honest review for the blog tour.

Purchase links:

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3LLWqr0

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3F2mE4H

Amazon Universal Link: https://mybook.to/TheMatchFaker

Social media:

Facebook/Twitter/Instagram: @ospringauthor #TheMatchFaker 

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@oliviaspringauthor 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/199358168-the-match-faker 

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/the-match-faker-a-fake-dating-romantic-comedy-by-olivia-spring

A Villa with a View by Julie Caplin – Blog Tour/Book Review

About the book:

Escape to the Amalfi Coast and feel the warmth of the Italian sun on your face, hear the sound of the turquoise waves crashing on the beach and fall in love with a new enemies to lovers romance!

Lia Bathurst had always dreamed of escaping to the white sandy beaches and turquoise blue seas of the Amalfi coast – but that dream hadn’t included meeting her real father. A father she had never even known about until a few weeks ago! Yet here she was, standing outside the gates of a gorgeous pink villa being refused entry by the insufferable – and insufferably handsome – Raphael Knight, her father’s business manager.

When an old black and white photo proves Lia’s claim to be true, Raph is determined to make sure this stranger, with her long caramel waves and infectious smile, doesn’t have an ulterior motive. Even if that means not letting her out of his sight.

As temperatures rise, and not just from the heat of the Mediterranean sun, could Lia and Raph’s forced proximity lead to something more like… amore?

My review:

If you love romance, and you love to travel, the Romantic Escapes series by Julie Caplin is definitely the book series you need in your life. A Villa with a View is set on the Amalfi coast and the warmth and scent of lemons practically jumps out of the pages as you read. I am a huge fan of armchair travel via the medium of books, and this is sheer perfection.

The characters of Lia and Raph had so many similarities, both completely focused on their careers, and both very much felt like the outsiders in their respective families. I really loved the way they tried not to like one another, because they both had a level of distrust caused by the situation they found themselves in.

I loved Ernesto’s slightly chaotic family, and his wonderfully welcoming wife Aurelia, who was a homely and caring person who was exactly what Lia needed while she navigated through her feelings about her old and her new families.

A Villa with a View is a fabulous Italian romantic escape that had me rooting for Lia and Raph from the moment they met in the book. With this romance in a beautiful setting, it is the perfect holiday read, and if you’re stuck in a grey and rainy location it will bring the sunshine to you.

Many thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources. One More Chapter and Julie Caplin for my invitation to take part in this blog tour. Please check out the other stops on the tour, below:

Purchase link:

https://bit.ly/47kOw0a

About the author:

Julie caplin, formerly a PR director, swanned around Europe for many years taking top food and drink writers on press trips (junkets) sampling the gastronomic delights of various cities in Italy, France, Belgium, Spain, Copenhagen and Switzerland. It was a tough job but someone had to do it. 

These trips have provided the inspiration and settings for the highly successful Romantic Escapes series which have hit the best seller charts in Italy, Germany and the Czech Republic and have sold over two million copies worldwide.

The first book in the nine strong series,The Little Café in Copenhagen, was shortlisted for a Romantic Novel of the Year Award.

Social media:

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/JulieCaplinAuthor

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/juliecaplinauthor/

The Bookshop by the Loch by Julie Shackman – Blog Tour/Book Review

About the book:

Lexie Dunbar is a book lover. And her favourite place in the world is her local bookstore, Book Ends.  So when she hears that it’s going to be sold, Lexie decides she needs to do something to help.

 Lexie’s plan to save the ailing shop is fully underway until gorgeous-but-grouchy artist Tobias Black arrives on the scene determined to turn the bookstore into an art gallery. Lexie is horrified; the last thing the quaint town of Bracken Way needs is a pretentious artist, even if he does seem to charm everyone but her.

 Tensions continue to rise until Tobias discovers a shocking secret that shows they might have more in common than they realise. As sparks fly, can Lexie and Tobias work together, or will opposing ideas get in the way of them finding their very own happy ever after…

My review:

I have read a few books now by Julie Shackman, all within her Scottish Escapes series, and I have to say, Scottish escapes were something I didn’t know I needed, but they make me seriously hanker for the Scottish highlands.

In The Bookshop by the Loch, it combines two of my loves, Scotland and a bookshop! I loved that Lexie, when she needed to review her career choices, found herself back with her mother and grandfather, and considering a complete change from being a book editor. I know I’m not the only bookworm who has dreamed frequently of running a bookshop. The description of the bookshop was simply beautiful, and the idea of looking out of the window of the bookshop to see the shimmering loch on the other side of the road sounded just idyllic.

I loved the tension between Lexie and Tobias, who both prejudged one another. The fact that the tension/chemistry between them was palpable to everyone before they realised themselves. I loved the descriptions of the art created by Tobias, and could almost visualise some of the paintings.

The additional storylines with Lexie’s father and with care home resident Celeste were sensitive stories handled in a beautiful manner by the author, as Lexie’s errant father returns to the family after many years absence when he receives a diagnosis of dementia, and Celeste is reaching the end of a vibrant and exciting life with a couple of items on her bucket list that can be assisted by Tobias and Lexie.

This was such a warm romance, with some poignant moments relating to Celeste and her story. I felt so invested in this enemies to lovers romance, which also considered family dynamics, and changes within those families. It also looked at adoption, and childlessness, and what constitutes a family.

Many thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources, One More Chapter and Julie Shackman for my invitation to take part in the blog tour. I received an electronic proof in exchange for my honest review. Please check out the other stops on the blog tour below:

Purchase links:

UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bookshop-Loch-brand-escapist-romance-ebook/dp/B0CCXFV6GK/

US – https://www.amazon.com/Bookshop-Loch-brand-escapist-romance-ebook/dp/B0CCXFV6GK/

About the author:

Julie Shackman is a former journalist from Scotland, who has always wanted to write feel-good romance. As well as being an author, Julie also writes verses and captions for greetings card companies. Julie admits to having an obsession with stationery and handbags. She is married, has two sons and a Romanian rescue pup, Cooper. The Bookshop by the Loch is Julie’s tenth novel.

Social media:

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Julie Shackman (@G13Julie) / Twitter

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(2) Julie Georgina Shackman | Facebook

My Heart is in Venice by Helga Jensen – Blog Tour/Book Review

About the book:

Venice was where it all began…

Libby and Will spent a glorious honeymoon in this magical city. They didn’t have much money, but they had a whole lot of love and a bright future ahead of them.

And Venice was where it all went wrong…

Two kids and twenty-five years later, they are struggling with money problems but somehow Will manages to fulfil his promise to Libby to take her back to Venice for their anniversary. This time, they are doing it in style and a masked ball awaits. But among the beautiful buildings and romantic canals, Libby learns that her husband has a secret that breaks her heart.

The trust is broken and the marriage is over. But there are decades of love and two grown sons between them.

Can they ever find their way back to each other or have they missed their chance forever?

A funny and heartwarming second-chance romance, perfect for fans of Milly Johnson and Julie Caplin.

My review:

I love the novels that Helga Jensen writes because they are about women of a certain age, so I feel that I can identify with the characters in some way as they have similar life experiences to my own. My Heart is in Venice by Helga Jensen is a story of love, family, betrayal and forgiveness.

I found Libby such a refreshing character. When her husband crossed a line that should not be crossed she set out to organise her life, including stepping outside her comfort zone by skydiving, which I always wanted to do but never did it before my health deteriorated too much. Don’t put things off if you want to do them! Anyway, in spite of believing that Will had moved on, deep down, Libby still loved Will but she could not get past his actions that amounted to a betrayal on a grand scale. I found Will hard to like, given his betrayal. I loved the way in which Libby found someone for her sister when she was supposed to be considering herself, but given her inability to move on it was right for her to focus on what would be a perfect solution for her sister.

I loved the descriptions of Venice. It has always been somewhere I have wanted to visit but have never made it there. I adored the imagery of the masked balls and loved the romance of them. The mysterious highwayman was a lovely addition to the romance of the balls.

There were some incredibly poignant moments as Libby and Will faced empty nest syndrome coinciding with them needing to sell the family home to be able to provide accommodation for them both after the end of their marriage.

My Heart is in Venice by Helga Jensen is a moving second chance romance which will probably make you want to head off to Venice, and maybe just maybe leap out of a plane for charity! Many thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources, Hera Books and Helga Jensen for my invitation to take part in the blog tour. I received an electronic proof in exchange for my honest review. Please check out the other stops on the blog tour below:

Purchase link:

https://geni.us/757PQB

About the author:

Helga Jensen is an award-winning British/Danish best selling author and journalist. Helga holds a BA Hons in English Literature and Creative Writing, along with a Creative Writing MA from Bath Spa University. She is currently working on a PhD.

Social media:

www.twitter.com/HelgaJensenF

www.facebook.com/helgajensenfordeauthor

www.instgram.com/helgajensenauthor

Shadows in the Ashes by Christina Courtenay – Blog Tour/Book Review

About the book:

Brimming with romance, adventure and vivid historical detail, Christina Courtenay’s gripping dual-time novel travels from the present day to the fires of ancient Pompeii.

The sunlight caught her gold bracelet, sending a flash that almost blinded her.

She closed her eyes, but jumped when the earth started shaking and there was an almighty boom behind her.

Present Day
Finally escaping an abusive marriage, Caterina Rossi takes her three-year-old daughter and flees to Italy. There she’s drawn to research scientist Connor, who needs her translation help for his work on volcanology. Together they visit the ruins of Pompeii and, standing where Mount Vesuvius unleashed its fire on the city centuries before, Cat begins to see startling visions. Visions that appear to come from the antique bracelet handed down through her family’s generations…

AD 79
Sold by his half-brother and enslaved as a gladiator in Roman Pompeii, Raedwald dreams only of surviving each fight, making the coin needed to return to his homeland and taking his revenge. That is, until he is hired to guard beautiful Aemilia. As their forbidden love grows, Raedwald’s dreams shift like the ever more violent tremors of the earth beneath his feet.

The present starts eerily to mirror the past as Cat must fight to protect her safety, and to forge a new path from the ashes of her old life…

My review:

I have always loved dual timeline/time slip novels, and Shadows in the Ashes really captured my imagination. As a child I was obsessed with the history surrounding Pompeii and the eruption of Vesuvius in AD79, and I was fascinated by the bodies of those caught by the eruption. Having read this novel, Pompeii is firmly back on my bucket list.

In 2022 we meet Caterina, who escapes her violent husband and flees to Italy for the protection from her mother’s family with her young daughter. She supports herself by working in a hotel in Sorrento where she meets Connor. Undertaking some translation work for him, they become much closer and when they go to Pompeii together she has a series of visions of a man who looks very much like Connor but in a significantly distant time.

In AD79 Raedwaldis a gladiator and slave who is employed as a body guard who falls in love with the wife of his employer. Raedwald and Aemilia, with her young daughter resemble Cat and Connor, linked by the ancient bracelet Cat wears on her arm.

Both couples face similar issues, with Aemilia’s husband wanting to keep Aemilia and their daughter in Pompeii when he does not actually want her any more, and with Cat’s husband managing to track her and their daughter down in Italy, and has no intention of relinquishing the control he had before they ran away from him.

I found myself transported to ancient Pompeii, and modern day Pompeii and Sorrento so effortlessly by the prose. At times when I had to put the book down I was thinking about the story and the characters almost obsessively.

The stories and the romances reflected one another with such symmetry that they meshed together so perfectly. I adored both stories equally within the novel, which is the perfect example of the best kind of dual timeline novel. Shadows in the Ashes is a stunning dual timeline romance with tension making the novel both compulsive and tense reading.

Many thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources, and Christina Courtenay for my invitation to take part in the blog tour. I was provided with an electronic proof in exchange for my honest review. Please check out the other stops on the blog tour below:

Purchase links:

About the author:

Christina Courtenay writes historical romance, time slip and time travel stories, and lives in Herefordshire (near the Welsh border) in the UK. Although born in England, she has a Swedish mother and was brought up in Sweden – hence her abiding interest in the Vikings. Christina is a former chairman of the UK’s Romantic Novelists’ Association, now a Vice President, and has won several awards, including the RoNA for Best Historical Romantic Novel twice with Highland Storms (2012) and The Gilded Fan (2014) and the RNA Fantasy Romantic Novel of the year 2021 with Echoes of the Runes.  SHADOWS IN THE ASHES (dual time/timeslip romance published by Headline Review 18th January 2024) is her latest novel. Christina is a keen amateur genealogist and loves history and archaeology (the armchair variety).

Social media:

http://www.christinacourtenay.com

https://www.facebook.com/christinacourtenayauthor?fref=ts

Tweets by PiaCCourtenay

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The Happiest Ever After by Milly Johnson – Blog Tour/Book Review

About the book:

What if you could write your own perfect storyline…?

The heartwarming, feelgood novel from the much-loved Sunday Times bestselling author, Milly Johnson

Polly Potter is surviving, not thriving. She used to love her job – until her mentor died and her new boss decided to make her life hell. She used to love her partner Chris – until he cheated on her, and now she can’t forget. The only place where her life is working is on the pages of the novel she is writing – there she can create a feistier, bolder, more successful version of herself – as the ­fictional Sabrina Anderson.

But what if it was possible to start over again? To leave everything behind, forget all that went before, and live the life you’d always dreamed of?

After a set of unforeseen circumstances, Polly ends up believing she really IS Sabrina, living at the heart of a noisy Italian family restaurant by the sea. Run by Teddy, the son of her new landlady Marielle, it’s a much-loved place, facing threat of closure as a rival restaurant moves in next door. Sabrina can’t remember her life as Polly, but she knows she is living a different life from the one she used to have.

But what if this new life could belong to her after all?

My review:

The Happiest Ever After by Milly Johnson is an uplifting rom com with the perfect balance of romance and comedy. If you are familiar with Milly’s work, you will know that in some of her novels fictional excerpts from a newspaper called The Daily Trumpet, a disastrous paper that was once local to Yorkshire and is now available nationally, which is renowned for crushingly embarassing typos, and provides incredibly funny interjections of perfect northern humour to storylines that may have a more sombre theme, such as the memory loss experienced by the main character in the book.

In this story, Polly Potter, the main character is downtrodden in life, both at home and at work where she is constantly undermined by men who expect and get constant compliance from her. She finds her voice in a creative writing class where she writes a novel where the main character Sabrina is the best parts of her.

When a situation causes her to lose her memory, Polly wakes up and believes that her own name is Sabrina. Living a new life as Sabrina, she is taken in by the Bonetti family. Marielle, a retired nurse, gives her accommodation and Marielle’s son Teddy gives her a job in his restaurant.

Polly could never find the strength to stand up for herself but her inner strength shines through when she is Sabrina. When the pieces of her memory finally recall enough to return her to her old life, she realises that she is stronger than she ever believed and is not going to allow herself to be taken advantage of any longer. I loved her true vibrant nature that had been worn down by misogynistic men in her home and work life. With her memory returned she finds herself needing to choose between pitiful and complacent Chris who expected her to continue to put his needs first, and Teddy who just wanted to make her happy. It really didn’t seem like a difficult decision to me, Italian chef every time!

I loved the corporate espionage story, and the way in which Polly was able to utilise her own skills in order to successfully resolve the matter for the best outcome.

Friendship was at the heart of the novel, in terms of how friends are the family we choose for ourselves, and I loved the intergenerational friendships ‘Sabrina’ had with both older and younger women.

There were some heartbreaking moments within the story, which deal with bereavement and abuse, but friendship and hope as the underlying themes of the story carries the reader through. Friends really can mean more than family at times, and The Happiest Ever After really shows that. I found the book such an inspirational read, and could not have loved Polly as a character more.

The Happiest Ever After, in true Milly Johnson style, is the perfect balance of romance and comedy, set among some truly poignant events and a small but immensely satisfying moment of smashing the patriarchy!

Many thanks to Sara-Jade Virtue, Books and the City and Milly Johnson for my invitation to read this incredible book and take part in the blog tour. I received a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review. Please check out the other stops on the blog tour below:

Purchase links:

https://www.simonandschuster.co.uk/books/The-Happiest-Ever-After/Milly-Johnson/9781398523524

About the author:

Milly Johnson was born, raised and still lives in Barnsley, South Yorkshire. A Sunday Times bestseller, she is one of the Top 10 Female Fiction authors in the UK, and has sold millions of copies of her books sold across the world. The Happiest Ever After is her twenty-first novel.   

Milly’s writing highlights the importance of community spirit and the magic of kindness. Her books inspire and uplift but she packs a punch and never shies away from the hard realities of life and the complexities of relationships in her stories. Her books champion women, their strength and resilience, and celebrate love, friendship and the possibility and joy of second chances and renaissances.

A Scandalous Match by Jane Dunn – Blog Tour/Book Review

About the book:

‘Angelica had always known her lack of high birth, fortune or influence debarred her from being presented as an eligible young woman worthy of marriage. To cap it all, being an actress assured she was utterly beyond the pale of respectability.’

Nightly at the Covent Garden Theatre in London, an enchanting actress is wowing the crowds with her affecting portrayal of Ophelia. Preyed on by rakes and opportunistic young bucks, feted by dukes and earls, even the Prince Regent himself, Angelica Leigh is a sensation.

But in Regency England, beauty and talent are not enough to be considered marriage material, so when the eminently eligible Lord Charles Latimer sets his heart on Angelica, his uncle is sent to intervene.

As a highly respected, hard-working and wealthy lawmaker, The Honourable Ivor Asprey, is himself seen as desirable husband material, but widowed with an eleven-year-old daughter Elinor, he has forsaken all thoughts of romance. Lord Latimer’s mother, the Duchess of Arlington, despairs of her son, despite being reassured by Ivor that his infatuation with the actress will pass. But there is something about Angelica Leigh that demands attention, and even the austere and upstanding Mr Asprey isn’t immune to her charms.

Sunday Times bestselling author Jane Dunn brings the Regency period irresistibly to life. Perfect for fans of Jane Austen. Janice Hadlow, Gill Hornby, and anyone with a Bridgerton-shaped hole in their lives.

My review:

I have adored the characters created in the exquisitely written novels of Jane Dunn since I read her first novel. A Scandalous Match is the third novel in her Regency series, and is crammed to the brim with multidimensional characters who come to life on the page. The majority of recent Regency romance has been moved away from the historical element and been given a modern outlook. In many ways, Jane Dunn’s novels bridge the gap between traditional Regency romance in the style of authors such as Georgette Heyer, and the more modern style of Regency romance novels by authors like Julia Quinn. The result is delightfully faithful to Regency style, location and language, with modern, more open opinions from the characters.

Angelica, the heroine of this story is a talented and exceptionally beautiful actress and the toast of the town. Raised as a lady, by her mother who is a kept woman, Angelica does not fit in, either with the Ton or with the lower classes. She is tenacious and brave, and unlike the women of her day, has a voice and opinions that are valued by the men around her. Although she clearly likes Charles, he is young and impetuous and quite immature in comparison to Angelica, and it does seem that she likes the idea of being married to an heir to a dukedom, rather than being in love with Charles. When she meets his uncle Ivor, she finds herself being torn between Charles and his title, and Ivor who arouses a passion in her that she has never known.

Ivor was very different to the stereotypical brooding hero in the novel. He took his work as a politician very seriously in terms of wanting to make a social impact for the benefit of the neediest in society, but was willing to put his social status at risk to assist Angelica or her friends and family. I found his character admirable and refreshing compared to the standard hero in a classic Regency romance, and loved the way in which Angelica unleashed his humorous and light-hearted side.

I loved the relationship between Angelica and Ivor’s 11 year old daughter, who was feisty, inquisitive and a matchmaker in the making. Angelica always made time for Elinor, even for them to spend time alone together.

In addition to the romance which blossomed over time between Angelica and Ivor, Charles diverted his interest to a mutual friend, with Angelica’s blessing. There was a villain in the story, in the form of a fellow member of Parliament who wanted Angelica at all costs, and was jealous of the dedication Ivor had to his position in Parliament and his connection to Angelica, and he manages to cause some trouble, but nothing that the hero cannot manage to handle.

As with her previous novels, Jane Dunn keeps the steamy moments to a minimum, while hinting at it in such a way that it is neither needed nor missed because it leaves a lot to the imagination, with the romance being both modern and tender. A Scandalous Match is a beautiful Regency romance with excellent historical accuracy and the subtlety of modern feminism relating to consent and the treatment of women.

Many thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources, Boldwood Books and Jane Dunn for my invitation to take part in the blog tour. I received an electronic copy of the book in exchange for my honest review. Please check out the rest of the stops today and on the rest of the tour below:

Purchase links:

https://mybook.to/scandalousmatchsocial

About the author:

Jane Dunn is a leading biographer, the author of Moon in Eclipse: A Life of Mary Shelley, A Very Close Conspiracy: Vanessa Bell and Virginia Wolf, and Antonia White: A Life. Elizabeth and Mary: Cousins, Rivals, Queens was published in the spring of 2003 and spent seven weeks in the top ten of the Sunday Times bestseller list. A fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, Dunn lives near Bath with her husband, the linguist and writer Nicholas Ostler. Her third novel with Boldwood Books, the Regency romance A Scandalous Match is published today.

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Bookbub profile: Jane Dunn Books – BookBub

Return to Half Moon Farm by Holly Hepburn – Blog Tour/Book Review

About the book:

When Daisy’s mother falls ill she is forced to return home. With her twin sons in tow, she moves back to Half Moon Farm, her family’s ancient hop farm.

But a new life in the Kent countryside isn’t necessarily as idyllic as it might seem. Daisy’s relationship with her mother is complicated and the tumbledown farm isn’t the only thing that needs rebuilding. Daisy and her sons must adjust to life with estranged family, a leaking roof, and no WiFi.

Luckily for Daisy, she might yet find some distraction in silver fox farmer, Drew, or in the haughty heir to the nearby estate, Kit, who she can’t seem to avoid.

Daisy must learn to juggle her new life, the boys, and the daunting task of updating the farm. But there are secrets lurking in her family’s past that might throw everything into further disarray…

My review:

Return to Half Moon Farm by Holly Hepburn is a lovely story featuring Daisy, who takes her twin sons to live temporarily in her family home because her mother is ill.

Daisy and her mother have had a difficult relationship for a number of years so the return is fraught with tension.

While she is there, she meets two men, Drew a silver fox of a farmer who helps out at the farmhouse, and Kit who she is convinced is an Earl and member of a family her own family have feuded with for generations.

When Daisy finds love letters to her grandmother during war time from someone who was not her grandfather, she sets out to discover who her mystery man was. I loved the way the letters were insterspersed within the chapters and gradually revealed a story of true love.

I loved the friendship Daisy developed with Kit who was not as stuffy as he initially seemed. Their friendship paralled that of the friendship between the twins, and Kit’s daughter.

The references to The Secret Garden, a much loved book I read as a child, really captured my imagination and I loved that there was a similarly walled garden in the grounds of the castle.

This was a compelling book filled with new beginnings, secrets and lost love, and above all hope.

Many thanks to Team BATC, Simon & Schuster and Holly Hepburn for my invitation to take part in the blog tour. I received a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

Please check out the other stops on the blog tour below:

Purchase links:

https://www.simonandschuster.co.uk/books/Return-to-Half-Moon-Farm/Holly-Hepburn/9781398511989