The Inaugural Meeting of the Fairvale Ladies Book Club by Sophie Green book review

The Inaugural Meeting of the Fairvale Ladies Book Club written by Sophie Green, publisher Sphere is available in ebook format on 1st March 2018.

To pre-order/buy link:  https://goo.gl/cJjqRU

Product Details (as per amazon page)

In 1978 in Australia’s Northern Territory, life is hard and people are isolated. Telephones are not yet a common fixture. But five women find a way to connect.

Sybil, the matriarch of Fairvale Station, misses her eldest son and is looking for a distraction, while Kate, Sybil’s daughter-in-law, is thousands of miles away from home and finding it difficult to adjust to life at Fairvale.

Sallyanne, mother of three, dreams of a life far removed from the dusty town where she lives with her difficult husband.

Rita, Sybil’s oldest friend, is living far away in Alice Springs and working for the Royal Flying Doctor Service.

And Della, who left Texas for Australia looking for adventure and work on the land, needs some purpose in her life.

Sybil comes up with a way to give them all companionship: they all love to read, and she starts a book club. As these five women bond over their love of books, they form friendships that will last a lifetime.

I voluntarily reviewed an arc of  this book.  All opinions are my own and no content may be copied.  However, authors and publishers may use elements of my reviews for quotes.

This was a wonderfully warm, uplifting story about five different women with diverse backgrounds, professing differing strengths, ages but all with a shared love of books and reading.

The women lived and worked in the Northern Territory of Australia.  An area so vast your nearest neighbour could be 25km away.  An area that had natural beauty with it’s deep earthy colours but the locality experienced two diverse seasons; a wet season that cut off families and friends for months on end and a dry season that could be equally as harsh to the livelihoods of the farmers.

Sybil had created the Fairvale Reading Club initially with the intention on introducing new friends to her daughter-in-law who had recently moved in to Fairvale with her husband, Sybil’s youngest son Ben.  Kate had travelled thousands of miles away from her family in England to start a new life with her husband.  A very daunting experience lay ahead for Kate as she had never met her husband’s family and hadn’t visited Australia before.  Sybil is the head of the household of Fairvale and I felt like she had a huge weight on her shoulders keeping the family and workers of the estate happy and healthy as well as sharing the load of running the farm with her husband Joe.  Sybil had this in-built knack of finding certain individuals that she believed needed help of some sort or other and bringing them together to learn and gain strength as a collective of women and this is were the book club came into it’s own.  Little did Sybil know at the time of founding the club that each member would be a valuable asset to each and every one of them.

The friendships that developed would give the ladies a strength, encouragement and love to face many hurdles that would fall their way. The ladies would also feel a community of overwhelming comfort from each other when times were rough.  With life’s hurdles challenges were faced and the ladies found a way of coping and moving on.

I really enjoyed the landscape of this story.  A landscape I wasn’t familiar with but the author soon made me feel like I was there.  The strength of all the women living in the outback and the small isolated towns was evident and I felt that the women were the glue that held many families and businesses together.

A wonderful tale of friendships, of love, of grief and of life.

To learn more about the author Sophie Green please visit the following pages:

Publisher Website:  https://www.hachette.com.au/sophie-green/

Twitter:  http://www.twitter.com/sophiegreenauth

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

 

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Lord Ravenscar’s Inconvenient Betrothal by Lara Temple blogtour book review

Lord Ravenscar’s Inconvenient Betrothal written by Lara Temple, publisher Mills & Boon Historical, is available NOW in ebook and paperback format.

To buy link:  https://goo.gl/Xyt4bk

Product Details (as per amazon page)

Alan Rothwell, Marquess of Ravenscar, is furious when unconventional heiress Lily Wallace refuses him purchase of her property. He can’t even win her over with his infamous charm. But when fever seizes him and they’re trapped together, horrified, Alan realizes Lily’s attentions will compromise them both! His solution: take Lily as his betrothed before desire consumes them completely…

Wild Lords and Innocent Ladies miniseries

Book 1 — Lord Hunter’s Cinderella Heiress

Book 2 — Lord Ravenscar’s Inconvenient Betrothal

Book 3 —  Lord Stanton’s Last Mistress

I am so pleased to be involved in the blogtour celebrating and promoting the launch of Lara Temple’s second book in the Wild Lords and Innocent Ladies series.

Each book in the Wild Lords and Innocent Ladies series I believe can be read as a standalone but to be honest you’d be missing out on a delicious treat of a read if you don’t get the chance to read about all the Wild Lords!

Alan Rothwell, Lord Ravenscar, is a tall, dark, handsome moody rake and one third of the Wild Lords who are part of the Wild Hunt Club with a reputation known throughout the land and society.  However, Alan Rothwell has a kindness to him especially with his work around the Hope House, a refuge home for war veterans.  He also hides a vulnerability about him which comes with a sadness and guilt surrounding tragedies in his past.

Lily Wallace is now a wealthy heiress following the death of her cousin who bequeathed her the property of Hollywell House.  A house that Alan Rothwell has set his sights on buying for the use of Hope House.

When Alan and Lily first meet sparks certainly fly but a different emotion is soon felt between them.  However, Lily is almost promised to another but now her heart and mind is becoming confused with this rather arrogant gentleman who has unsettled her.

Lily has also suffered with tragedies in her past and Hollywell House at the moment is giving her an escape and a time to reflect on her future.

This was another glorious regency romp from Lara Temple filled with heat and emotion and a love that surprises the recipients.

I’d like to share one of my favourite quotes from the novel:

That kiss had been a curse, a snatching of her soul and will – right now she could not imagine anyone kissing her again but him.

To learn more about Lara Temple please do visit the following pages:

Website:  https://www.laratemple.com/

Twitter:  http://www.twitter.com/laratemple1

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

 

 

The Perfectly Imperfect Woman by Milly Johnson book review

The Perfectly Imperfect Woman written by Milly Johnson, publisher Simon & Schuster UK is available NOW in ebook, hardcover and audiobook format.

To buy link:  https://goo.gl/F7UPYp

Product Details (as per amazon page)

Marnie Salt has made so many mistakes in her life that she fears she will never get on the right track. But when she ‘meets’ an old lady on a baking chatroom and begins confiding in her, little does she know how her life will change.

Arranging to see each other for lunch, Marnie finds discovers that Lilian is every bit as mad and delightful as she’d hoped – and that she owns a whole village in the Yorkshire Dales, which has been passed down through generations. And when Marnie needs a refuge after a crisis, she ups sticks and heads for Wychwell – a temporary measure, so she thinks.

But soon Marnie finds that Wychwell has claimed her as its own and she is duty bound not to leave. Even if what she has to do makes her as unpopular as a force 12 gale in a confetti factory! But everyone has imperfections, as Marnie comes to realise, and that is not such a bad thing – after all, your flaws are perfect for the heart that is meant to love you.

This latest novel by Milly Johnson was perfectly perfect!

Once again Yorkshire lass Milly Johnson has injected her warmth, humour and charm into the words spelled out across the pages.  Whether you are a fellow Yorkshire lass or lover of a story that injects so much of the cultural charm of the locality in a story you can fully appreciate the author’s love of her county.  Recognising locations brings a feeling of home and also helps the story come to life.

Marnie Salt has always felt different all her life, from an early age the feeling of her love not being reciprocated has stayed with her from childhood to her adult life, with a string of failed relationships behind her.  When the office heartthrob pays her some attention she feels her luck in love is about to change.

Marnie loves baking, especially cheesecakes from memories she shared as a child with a dear old lady. When Marnie gets chatting to a fellow cheesecake fan on a website forum she builds up a budding friendship with Lillian.  Little does she realise that this new friendship is the start of something new to happen in her life.

Milly Johnson has filled this heartwarming tale with a touch of mystery with hints of myths and legends from centuries ago that left a curse on a small village in the Yorkshire Dales.  I could feel the sparkles of magic amongst the delightful charm of the storyline.  The characters were easily recognisable and written with such warmth and you soon wanted to champion Marnie and all that was dealt her way.  The storyline had many twists and turns and was very poignant and emotive at times but there was a wonderful warm undercurrent of inspiration, fun, love and community spirit.  I was romantised by the charm of this quaint Yorkshire village and I fell in love with The Perfectly Imperfect Woman.

To learn more about the author Milly Johnson please visit the following pages:

Website:  http://millyjohnson.co.uk/

Twitter:  http://www.twitter.com/millyjohnson

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

Prosecco and Promises by A. L. Michael blogtour book review

Prosecco and Promises (Martini Club book 2) written by A. L. Michael, publisher Canelo, is available NOW in ebook format.

To buy link:  https://goo.gl/TjTW1o

Product Details (as per amazon page)

Mia’s dad has always been her idol. Now, she faces losing him and he is insisting that she leave England to visit her mother’s family on the Italian island of Ischia.
Arriving on the island, Mia is embraced by the warm, crazy relatives she hardly knows. Despite her doubts about the trip, it is in Italy that Mia discovers connections to a part of her life that’s been missing, and during the sun-soaked days and steamy nights Mia falls for handsome local Salvatore. But as the day of her departure draws nearer can she risk having her heart broken twice in one summer?

I am so pleased to be involved in the blogtour promoting and celebrating the launch of Prosecco and Promises, book two in the Martini Club series by A. L. Michael.  I haven’t yet had the chance to read book one in the Martini Club series but I honestly felt that Prosecco and Promises could easily be read as a standalone.  However, after learning about the characters and their friendships around the Martini Club I’m hoping to read Cocktails and Dreams (book one) soon.

From the highly emotive first chapter that draws you in to Mia’s life and sets up this beautiful heartrending story I was captivated.  You can physically feel the pain that Mia is feeling with accepting her father’s wishes to visit Ischia in Italy where her late mother was born and her Italian family live.  That moment when Mia closes her father’s front door knowing that the next time she opens it will be when her life as she knows it now would have changed considerably and an emptiness will be felt.  Mia’s father expressed his wishes for her to experience the beautiful village her mother was born in and he wanted Mia to get to know her long lost family.  Mia hasn’t been to Italy since her mother passed away many years ago and it still holds many sad memories for her.

Going to stay with family that Mia hasn’t seen for a long time was very daunting for her but the Italian love of families and their generous spirit was evident when Mia entered her aunt’s home.  Trying to put the emotion of why she was in Italy behind her Mia was hoping for distractions and she got this from a very grouchy but rather handsome Italian man who was the grandson to the local antique shop owner.

This antique shop brought back a fond memory to Mia, a memory that at the time had brought a glimmer of brightness to a very sad, dark time.  Mia’s interest and her university degree was in archaeology and she was fascinated with the history surrounding many of the objects in the antique shop that held many stories from long ago to the historical Mediterranean area.

Although there is sadness in this story there is a real sense of inspiration, warmth and feel-good factor enveloping you.  During Mia’s time of exploring Italy and getting to know her family and making new friends Mia starts to feel like she is making positive memories and a sense of home.

A beautiful, poignant and gorgeously romantic read.

To learn more about the author A. L. Michael please visit the following pages:

Website:  https://almichael.com/

Twitter:  http://www.twitter.com/ALMichael_

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/A.L.Michael.writer

eteaket 7 Day Detox Tea Collection review

eteaket are a looseleaf tea merchant based in Edinburgh.  Founded in 2008 Erica Moore and her team are passionate about tea and love to spread their knowledge and enthusiasm at their Tea Room on Frederick Street, Edinburgh and at their Concept Store on Rose Street, Edinburgh.  Their website is also a great place for tea talk and has an online store to top up your tea caddies with your favourite brew or a new one; which leads me on to my review of their new 7 Day Detox Tea Collection.

I was kindly sent a 7 Day Detox Tea Collection to try and as per my love of books I am keen to share my love of tea.

7 Day Detox Collection is a collection of 7 packs of loose leaf black, green, white, herbal and fruit teas.  In each pack there is enough loose leaf tea to make roughly 2/3 cups.  The collection is an ideal introduction to new blends of tea, tea that is naturally decaf free or low in caffeine. This collection is perfect if you are introducing yourself to a healthier lifestyle.  You could take the #teatoxchallenge or swap one or two of your regular hot drinks to one of the blends in this collection.

Included in the 7 Day Detox Collection are the following blends:

Blueberry Rooibos (about 10g) – a bright fresh fruity Rooibos with the character of fresh wild blueberries and a sweet and tangy aroma. High quality Rooibos is blended with blueberry, elderberry, raisins, apple, cornflowers and hibiscus to create this colourful cup.

I haven’t had the chance to try this blend yet …

Perfect Peppermint – a cool and invigorating herbal infusion  Peppermint tea helps to cleanse your palate and aid digestion and is perfect for those with a caffeine intolerance, and like the Prince of Bel-Air our Perfect Peppermint is most definitely Fresh!

This is a perfect take time-out drink.  Its refreshing with a cool minty taste.

Lemon & Ginger (about 10g)– this herbal infusion is like a hug in a mug. Fragrant lemongrass is expertly blended with lemon peel, ginger peel and just a hint of liquorice. Fabulous as a cold buster in winter but makes a truly remarkable iced tea in the summer!

I do enjoy a Lemon and Ginger tea especially when it’s cold and you are feeling a little run down but I did find this blend just a little sweet for my taste.

Cranberry Apple Riot (about 10g) – Our Cranberry Apple Riot fruit infusion is quite simply a superlative blend of cranberry and apple pieces that produces a riotous fruity taste! The apple creates a beautifully sweet taste with the  cranberry pieces adding a slightly tart finish. An absolute riot in a tea cup.

I enjoyed sampling this fruity infusion whilst watching a movie.  It was a welcome alternative to a sugary soft drink.

Decaffeinated Breakfast Blend (about 10g) – this tea hails from Sri Lanka and has all the good bits of a strong hearty black tea blend but without the caffeine. Even though it’s a decaf, we have managed to retain all the taste because the leaves were decaffeinated naturally at origin whilst in the green leaf state – that’s right, no nasty chemical processing.  Our Decaf Breakfast Tea is a true guilt-free pleasure.

I really enjoyed this decaffeinated breakfast blend; it was warming, comforting and tasty.  I could drink it all day.

Gyokuro (about 10g) – Our Gyokuro is our favourite green tea here at eteaket HQ, deep, dark and mysterious… just how we like our men. The bushes used for this rare and much coveted Gyokuro tea are shaded for the first 3 weeks of May while the first flush develops. This decreases the bitterness and results in a sweet, flavourful cup. Gyokuro is considered Japan’s best tea. Raise a cup and show your appreciation.

This was a completely new blend of green tea for me.  I’m not a big green tea drinker but this was a perfect drink to enjoy at lunchtime and in the afternoon.  This tea was light, refreshing and had a subtle sweetness.

White Peony (about 5g) – this white tea is made from the buds and leaves that remain after the more famous Silver Needle has been harvested. This tea is a winner in its own right without stealing all the limelight. The fresh and mellow brew has notes of melon and is very good for you.

This is a beautiful mellow cup of white tea.

This is an endorsement of a product/service and all views are my own.

eteaket have kindly offered a prize of a Detox Tea Collection for one of my readers.  To enter the giveaway please click on the rafflecopter link below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

To learn more about eteaket Leaf Tea Experts please visit the following pages:

Website:  https://www.eteaket.co.uk/

Twitter:  http://www.twitter.com/eteaket

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

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

Surprise Me by Sophie Kinsella book review

Surprise Me written by Sophie Kinsella, publisher Bantam Press, is available NOW in ebook, hardcover, audiobook and audio cd format.

To buy link:  https://goo.gl/fZ4JM5

Product Details (as per amazon page)

After being together for ten years, Sylvie and Dan have a comfortable home, fulfilling jobs, beautiful twin girls, and communicate so seamlessly, they finish each other’s sentences. They have a happy marriage and believe they know everything there is to know about each other. Until it’s casually mentioned to them that they could be together for another sixty-eight years… and panic sets in.

They quickly decide to create little surprises for each other, to keep their relationship fresh and fun. But in their pursuit of Project Surprise Me – anything from unexpected gifts to restaurant dates to photo shoots – mishaps arise with disastrous and comical results.

Gradually, the surprises turn to shocking discoveries. And when a scandal from the past is uncovered, they begin to wonder if they ever really knew each other after all…

I voluntarily reviewed an arc of  this book.  All opinions are my own and no content may be copied.  However, authors and publishers may use elements of my reviews for quotes.

Sophie Kinsella is one of the top bestselling women’s fiction authors around at the moment.  You can always guarantee a read to bring out many emotions in you and Surprise Me didn’t disappoint.

Dan and Sylvie are happily married with their five year old twin daughters.  When their Dr gives them a clean bill of health during their routine insurance renewal he also gives them another diagnosis which alarms Dan and Sylvie slightly and makes them re-evaluate their marriage.  A mutual agreement is made and Project Surprise Me is born!  However, not all surprises are suitable, appropriate, some are quite unorthodox.  With both Dan and Sylvie competing to think up the best surprise for their respective spouse the project soon starts to get out of control.

Whilst project surprise me is in full swing Sylvie’s job is at risk.  Sylvie works at a stately home in London that is open to the public.  Sylvie and her colleagues soon realise they have to bring the administration of the stately home to the 21st century and funds need to be found swiftly to keep the house open.

When Dan becomes very distant Sylvie’s imagination runs wild and she is very concerned for the future.

This was a lovely story about love, life and relationships.  A story that is full of fun and is highly entertaining.  However, when the storyline takes some twists and turns and the surprises leave Sylvie with a dread, a dread that makes you question your past and a dread that makes you question the person you trusted and respected the most.  Life takes on a new direction for Sylvie, one that she can’t turn back on and one that fills her with renewed vigour.

Entertaining, enthralling and Sophie Kinsella certainly surprises you!

To learn more about Sophie Kinsella and her work please do visit the following pages:

Website:  https://www.sophiekinsella.co.uk/

Twitter:  http://www.twitter.com/KinsellaSophie

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

 

Izzy As Is by Tracie Banister book review

Izzy As Is written and self-published by Tracie Banister is available NOW in ebook and paperback format.  The ebook is also included in the kindleunlimited scheme.

To buy link:  https://goo.gl/xFAZrj

Product Details (as per amazon page)

The party is over for bikini model Izzy Alvarez. For six years she’s made a good living by flaunting her God-given assets on runways and in front of cameras, but now as she approaches the big 3-0, the bodacious Latina is shocked to learn she’s aged out of the profession that’s kept her in mojitos, mani/pedis, and designer thongs. What’s a girl with a taste for the finer things in life and no marketable skills to do?

Getting a regular job is too boring to even consider, so Izzy decides to follow in the footsteps of her newly-engaged frenemy and become a trophy wife. Although she’s desperate and too broke to get a chipped nail fixed, Izzy still has standards for her future husband, which means no uggos, no vertically-challenged guys, and no geezers who need to pop a blue pill to perform in the bedroom. Enlisting the aid of her computer whiz nephew and her closest pals, Izzy goes on the prowl for a rich, marriage-minded man, encountering likely candidates in a lot of unlikely places.

The high life she’s dreamed of may be within reach when Izzy meets a charming, successful man who’s not only hotter than a steamy summer night in Miami, but ready to settle down. Now all Izzy has to do is make sure her loud, crazy Cuban family doesn’t scare off el hombre perfecto—oh, yeah, and squelch those pesky, romantic feelings she keeps having for the sweet, cash-strapped guy she’s known forever.

Will Izzy’s hunger for money win out, or will her fiery heart demand to be heard?

I voluntarily reviewed an arc of  this book.  All opinions are my own and no content may be copied.  However, authors and publishers may use elements of my reviews for quotes.

This is a fabulous romcom and perfect material to cheer up a cold winter’s day.  With the setting in colourful Miami and with a vivacious character like Izadora Alvarez you can’t help but smile.  We first met Izzy as a sub-character from In Need of Therapy.  I haven’t had the pleasure of reading this novel so I didn’t have any back history regarding her character however, this did not impair me at all as the author clearly described the setting of the story and the character so well and I soon slotted into the Cuban mayhem that befits Izzy.

The bright, beautiful, sexy Izzy has been blessed by her looks and curvaceous body.  For so long these attributes have earned her a good living modelling but now Izzy is approaching 30 modelling agencies are not insensitive with Izzy’s fast approaching birthday.  With decent jobs being given to the younger models Izzy now needs to find new work fast to keep her in the lifestyle she is accustomed to.  Izzy feels that the only option she has is to find herself a rich husband pronto!

Armed with her new quest Izzy starts her search for Mr Right.  With some rather interesting applicants along the way can Izzy find the one that has it all?

I loved Izzy’s character.  This Latino lovely was so vivacious, outspoken, sometimes a little unorthodox but she had a heart of gold.  She was eternally loyal to her family and friends.  Her Cuban family were such a myriad of characters and fun to read about.  They were quite overwhelming but lovable all the same.  Initially, Izzy feels that all she has to offer is her looks but the more she learns about herself when she has to step up to the mark helping her loved ones she soon realises that she is more than a pretty face.

A fun, fabulous, frolicking read that had such a lovely romance intertwined within the storyline.  I hope to hear more from this crazy Cuban family from Miami.

To learn more about the author Tracie Banister please do visit the following pages:

Website:  http://traciebanister.blogspot.co.uk/

Twitter:  http://www.twitter.com/traciebanister

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/tracie.banister

The Letter by Ruth Saberton book review

The Letter written by Ruth Saberton, publisher Notting Hill Press, is available NOW in ebook and paperback format.  The ebook is also included in the kindleunlimited scheme.

To buy link:  https://goo.gl/6KDbdJ

Product Details (as per amazon page)

Perfect for fans of Rosamunde Pilcher, Daphne du Maurier and Kate Morton.

A lost love story…

1914: In Cornwall, on the eve of the First World War, eighteen-year-old Kit Rivers has a bright future ahead. As the Lord of the Manor’s heir, Kit knows his duty is to the family estate – even though he longs to become a poet. When he falls passionately in love, Kit is determined not to let his parents’ bitter opposition spoil an idyllic summer. But even before the golden days can fade into autumn, war comes to change Kit’s world and writing forever…

The Present: One century later, widowed Chloe Pencarrow exchanges London for the solitude of a Cornish cliff top house. Haunted by memories, Chloe’s interest in obscure war poet, Kit Rivers, proves a welcome distraction and leads her to piece together a forgotten history. Faced with more questions than answers, her own life soon becomes entwined with Kit’s through love, loss, and the darkest of secrets…

 

I voluntarily reviewed an arc of  this book.  All opinions are my own and no content may be copied.  However, authors and publishers may use elements of my reviews for quotes.

This latest novel by Ruth Saberton is achingly beautiful.  Such strength in a love so tragic.  I believe The Letter is Ruth Saberton’s best story yet and it will certainly be one of my outstanding reads for 2018.

The extensive research that the author must have taken and the love of a lost love story of her Great Aunt clearly shows across the pages.  Scenes were clearly laid out and you could picture them and feel the emotions of the characters.  Many a time emotions took over me and I was swamped with intense reactions to the storyline.

The story begins in 1914 when sixteen year old Daisy Hills has arrived to stay with her godfather at the rectory in a small village off the coast of Cornwall.  Daisy is hoping for the sea air and daily exercise around this beautiful village to bring back her strength following an illness.  What Daisy doesn’t expect is for her life to experience a whole new adventure and for it to change the course of her future entirely.

A century later we meet grieving Chloe Pencarrow, who has escaped her life of so many sad memories in London with wishes to experience peace and tranquility in a Cornish coastal village.  Chloe rents The Old Rectory and unbeknown to her at present the rectory holds many secrets to a past when time was cruelly snatched from many.

This story takes on two different time frames that slowly start unravelling into the present.  Chloe finds interest in fallen war poet Kit Rivers who lived in the great mansion that can be seen from The Old Rectory.  Delving deeper into Kit River’s life with the help of historian Matt Enys and the Kernow Heritage Foundation, Chloe and Matt’s lives are soon captivated by a forgotten time and a forgotten love story.

Truly outstanding storytelling from Ruth Saberton that deals with grief and loss and the hope of light bringing new directions.  To a time when futures of young men and the women they left behind was unknown.  To a time that we will not forget.

A story that is not to be missed.

To learn more about Ruth Saberton and her work please do visit the following pages:

Website:  http://www.ruthsaberton.com/

Twitter:  http://www.twitter.com/RuthSaberton

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