The Haunting of Hattie Hastings Part 3 by Audrey Davis blogblitz Promo Post

 

the haunting of Hattie Hastings part 3

The Haunting of Hattie Hastings Part Three written and self-published by Audrey Davis is available in ebook format from today, 30th July 2018.  The ebook is also included in the kindleunlimited scheme.

To buy link:   https://amzn.to/2LOUs8j

Product Details (as per amazon page)

Nothing lasts forever … Gary’s time on earth seems to be coming to an end. His visits are less frequent and his visibility is fading fast. But he still has a mission to accomplish, which involves Hattie and her ability to pass on a heart-rending message.

Best friend Cat’s ex-husband is determined to prove that he deserves another chance, but do leopards really change their spots?

Times are tough for Hattie’s mother Rachel, but where there’s life, there’s hope …
Meanwhile, is there someone already in Hattie’s life who can help her move on when it’s finally time to say goodbye?

Get your tissues at the ready – both for laughter and tears – with the final instalment of a trilogy that has been hailed ‘brilliant’, ‘hilarious’, and ‘a great feel-good read’.

The Haunting of Hattie Hastings Part 3

I’m so pleased to be involved in the Publication Day blogblitz for Audrey Davis and her third instalment in The Haunting of Hattie Hastings series.  Happy Publication Day Audrey Davis.

About the Author – Audrey Davis

Audrey Davis survived secondary school on the West coast of Scotland. Rubbish at science but not too bad at English, she originally wanted to be an actress but was persuaded that journalism was a safer option. Probably wise. She studied at Napier College in Edinburgh, the only place in Scotland at that time to offer a journalism course.

Her first foray into the hard-nosed newspaper world was as a junior reporter in Dumfriesshire. Duties included interviewing farmers about the prize-winning heifers to reporting on family tragedies. She persuaded her editor to let her launch an entertainment column which meant meeting the odd celebrity – or just the downright odd. From there, she moved to the loftier rank of senior reporter back in her home patch. Slightly more money, fewer farm animals but a higher crime rate. As Taggart would say: ‘There’s been a murrrrder!’

After a stint in London on a video magazine – yes, she is that old – Audrey moved to Singapore with her fiancé. She tried valiantly to embrace the stinking heat, humidity and lack of jobs, although she did work briefly on a magazine which was banned by the government for ‘artistic’ use of naked men’s bottoms.

Next on her adventures was a land Down Under where her main focus was raising Cost Centre One (aka firstborn) and coming to terms with the imminent arrival of Number Two. Still, she loved the Aussie way of life – BBQs, beaches and bring your own booze to restaurants – so it came as a blow when OH announced a move back to the UK. Not a job between them, the climate a possible deal breaker and an Exorcist-style vomiting infant on the flight home didn’t bode well …

Always a survivor, Audrey sought out similar-minded friends (i.e. slightly bonkers), got the children into a good school and thought about taking up writing again. Sadly, thinking about it was as far as she got, unless you count shopping lists. Then, hubby drops another bombshell. Switzerland. As in – it’s packing time again. Off to the land of cheese, chocolate, scarily efficient trains and a couple of teeny, tiny issues. Like driving on the ‘wrong’ side of the road and speaking a foreign language (French). The former was conquered fairly quickly (we’ll skip over the wall demolition in week two), the latter remains an ongoing battle of the hopeful against the hopeless. At least she provides amusement for the local workforce.
It wasn’t until 2016 that Audrey rediscovered her writing mojo with an online Writing Fiction course. From there, her first novel – A Clean Sweep – was born, although it took a bit longer than nine months from conception. A short, darker prequel – A Clean Break – followed, and in November 2017 she published the first in a novella trilogy, The Haunting of Hattie Hastings Part One. Part Two is published on 21 March 2018, with the conclusion following in July. After which she might have a wee lie down …

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/audreydavisbooks
Twitter-  https://twitter.com/audbyname

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*Price Drop Promo* One Endless Summer by Laurie Ellingham

 

One Endless Summer FINAL_v2

One Endless Summer written by Laurie Ellingham, publisher HQ, is available in ebook, paperback and audiobook format.

To buy link:  https://amzn.to/2NG7C82

Product Details (as per amazon page)

How long can you keep a secret?
Three best friends are embarking on an all-expenses paid trip of their dreams. The only catch? Every moment will be documented on film.
Lizzie is finally ready to embrace adventure for the very first time. It’s their last three months together, but it is Lizzie’s time to finally start living!
Jaddi is known for her stunning looks, flirtatious attitude and many conquests. But Jaddi has a secret and on this last trip together she needs to decide whether her best friends will ever know the real her.
Samantha has always been the ‘grown up’ of the group, the one with a five year plan. What Lizzie and Jaddi don’t know is that Sam is trapped, and her perfect life isn’t quite what it seems…
As they trek across the globe Lizzie, Jaddi and Samantha must come to terms with loss, love and trusting one another. But will it all be too late…

‘Speechless at just how breathtaking this book really is.’ – Rachel Gilbey
’Mind-blowing, enchanting, heart-breaking, moving, spell-binding and emotional.’ – The Writing Garnet

One Endless Summer

I am so pleased to be involved in the blogtour highlighting the incredible PRICE DROP of this top-rated Contemporary Romance … the ebook is currently at the price of 99 pence until 31st August 2018.  Fill your kindle with a new summer read.

About the Author – Laurie Ellingham

Laurie Small photoWhen I am not running around after my two children, my husband, our cockerpoo Rodney, or just plain running, I love nothing more than disappearing into the fictional world of my characters, preferably with a large coffee and a slab of chocolate cake to hand.

I have a degree in Psychology and a background in Public relations, both of which help me in everything I do.

Social Media Links –

Twitter: @LaurieEllingham
Facebook: @LaurieEllinghamAuthor

The Little Cornish Kitchen by Jane Linfoot blogtour book review

 

the little cornish kitchen

The Little Cornish Kitchen written by Jane Linfoot, publisher HarperImpulse, is available NOW in ebook and paperback format.

The paperback is available from all good book retailers and the ebook is available to download for amazon kindle, kobo, Google Play and Apple iBooks.

To buy link (amazon UK):  https://amzn.to/2LENgP6

Product Details (as per amazon page)

It’s time to come home to Cornwall
With an exiting new life in Paris, Clemmie Hamilton isn’t looking forward to heading home to the picturesque but sleepy village of St Aidan, Cornwall. However, when she discovers that the cosy apartment by the sea, which her grandmother left to her, is under threat from neighbour and property developer, Charlie Hobson, Clemmie realises she can’t abandon her home in its time of need.
With her childhood friends encouraging her, Clemmie decides to turn the apartment into ‘The Little Cornish Kitchen’ – a boutique pop up pudding club raising money for the repairs to the building in an effort to stop Charlie once and for all. But when Charlie and his easy charm won’t seem to go away, everything soon becomes even messier than the state of Clemmie’s Cornish kitchen…

The Little Cornish Kitchen Full Tour Banner

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.

I am so pleased to be involved in the blogtour celebrating and promoting Jane Linfoot’s latest romcom; The Little Cornish Kitchen.

This was such a delicious read that I greedily devoured.  I’ve loved Jane Linfoot’s The Little Wedding Shop series and I didn’t think the author could top this series but I think this new nugget of loveliness may be the best part of any dessert stand 🙂

We are back in the idyllic Cornish coastal village of St Aidan’s and have four new friends to discover along with a whole host of sub-characters and especially a handsome, brooding man who comes with a loyal dog and a disloyal cat … and he can also bake!!!

When Clemmie Hamilton returns to her home town of St Aidan’s to visit her late grandmother’s apartment that has been left to her Clemmie is feeling a little apprehensive.  Clemmie’s current life is living and working in the city of Paris so St Aidan has a very different vibe to the very chic and bustling city.  One thing St Aidan’s has that Paris doesn’t is her lifelong friends Sophie, Nell and Plum.  The girls have been friends since childhood and have shared many highs and lows together.  Clemmie doesn’t think she could live full-time in St Aidan’s but when she opens the door to her late Gran’s apartment that has a stunning sea view location nostalgic feelings come flooding back and Clemmie is filled with warmth and joy.  Bit by bit each item of crockery and piece of furniture is giving Clemmie such wonderful memories that she is starting to feel a pull to the place.

When Clemmie literally bumps into her neighbour Charlie, Diesel his dog and Pancake the cat, that pull is becoming stronger as new feelings emerge.  As equally handsome that Charlie is he holds a grumpiness to his character and is quite aloof.  However, underneath it all there is a sadness within Charlie that St Aidan’s and his dog and the beautiful, tranquil settings of the apartments can only bring warmth back to his heart.  But meeting his new neighbour Clemmie has startled his heart and has kickstarted it beating again.

The Little Cornish Kitchen is a gorgeous feel-good summery read that will have you salivating over the delicious delights that Clemmie produces and you’ll be swooning over a love story were the pets have no worries or qualms about declaring their true feelings.

The author Jane Linfoot has put together a lovely giveaway.  Win a signed copy of The Little Cornish Kitchen, Mermaid Notebook and Sugar Unicorns (Open Internationally)

Giveaway Prize*Terms and Conditions – Worldwide entries welcome.

Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then I reserve the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time I will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/33c69494114/

To learn more about the author Jane Linfoot please visit the following pages:

Website:  http://www.janelinfoot.co.uk/

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/JaneLinfoot

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/JaneLinfoot2

 

 

Forgive Me Not by Samantha Tonge Publication Day blogblitz book review

 

Forgive Me Not 2

Forgive Me Not written by Samantha Tonge, publisher Canelo, is available NOW in ebook format.

The ebook is available to download on amazon kindle, kobo, Google Play and Apple iBooks.

To buy link (amazon UK):  https://amzn.to/2Ld2Z8O

Product Details (as per amazon page)

How far would you go to make amends?
When Emma fled her home at Foxglove Farm, she’d let down and hurt those who cared for her most. But now, two years later, she’s ready to face up to her past; she’s ready to go back.
But Emma’s unannounced return causes more problems than she could have foreseen. The people she knew and loved aren’t ready to forget, let alone forgive. And the one person she wants to reconnect with the most, her mother, can’t remember who she is.
Just as Emma starts to rebuild trust, an uncovered family secret and a shocking past crime threaten her newly forged future…
Sometimes simply saying sorry isn’t enough.

Forgive Me Not Header 2 (1)

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.

I am so pleased to be able to share my review on the Publication Day blitz for Samantha Tonge’s latest novel:  Forgive Me Not.

Forgive Me Not is Samantha Tonge’s first departure away from her well loved romcoms.  This story sees the author tackling serious subjects and also issues that some areas of society still struggle to talk about.

We all at times draw a conclusion to someone on their first appearances but when you actually sit down and talk openly to that person and understand the reasoning behind their current situation you start to open your eyes and mind and appreciate that their character is far more in depth than their current situation.

Young Emma’s life had been slowly spiralling out of control; disobeying her mum and her sister’s wishes she was constantly out partying, had turned to stealing to fuel her lust for her addiction and believed her wild ways made great insta-feed.  However, one Christmas Eve her foolish ways became too much and Emma was forced to move out of the family home.  Emma thought she’d hit rock bottom then but worse was to come.  Now homeless, shunned from her family Emma sought solace in the streets of the city.  A total contrast to her home on the farm.  She soon adjusted and became accustomed to days rolling into nights and back again looking for her next addictive fix.  Her rock bottom came a little later, when not only her life was at risk but the life of another.  Eventually Emma had no choice but to ask for help.

Nearly a year and a half had lapsed since Emma’s rock bottom and she felt ready to return home.  We follow Emma on her journey back home to seek forgiveness from so many, we also travel back to her dark days when times were tough.  Would Emma’s family, friends and neighbours welcome her back with open arms or would old wounds of the hurt and damage she had caused still be too deep a wound to have healed over?

I was totally absorbed in this story that opened my eyes to situations that people sometimes find themselves, through no fault of their own, in.  It was quite thought provoking at times but the author has woven some lovely inspirational, endearing moments into the story.  However, there a few twists in the tale that shake your emotions in to a tailspin  The story also makes you take a look at yourself in a different light and learning to accept yourself is the first step to any chance of acceptance.

Totally absorbing, thought provoking but filled with a sense of hopefulness.

To learn more about the author Samantha Tonge please visit the following pages:

Website:  http://samanthatonge.co.uk/

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/SamTongeWriter

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

 

Confetti & Confusion by Daisy James blogtour book review

 

Confetti and Confusion

Confetti & Confusion: The Paradise Cookery School book 2 written by Daisy James, publisher Canelo, is available NOW in ebook format.

The ebook is available to download via amazon kindle, kobo, iBooks and Google Play.

To buy link (amazon UK):  https://amzn.to/2mmmb59

Product Details (as per amazon page)

Stepping in for a celebrity chef, Millie Harper is feeling the pressure to make the first ever Paradise Cookery School classes a dazzling success and ensure that bride-to-be Imogen and friends have an unforgettable experience.
Meanwhile, Millie is trying to play it cool around handsome estate manager Zach Barker. But whenever he is near Millie cannot fail to notice the chemistry between them – until someone from Zach’s past arrives and any potential romance seems out of the question.
When disaster strikes and the wedding is in jeopardy, Millie realises she may have to go above and beyond to make sure the school is a success. Can Millie manage to create a day that dreams are made of, and will she find a way to tell Zach how she feels?

CONFETTI & CONFUSION BLOG TOUR BANNER (1)

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.

I am so pleased to be involved in the blogtour celebrating and promoting the launch of book two in The Paradise Cookery School series; Confetti & Confusion.

Sometimes in life you want to curl up with a book that takes you on a gorgeous sun-filled journey filled with warmth, heart and charm.  This is were Daisy James new mini series fits in perfectly as she whisks you away to a tropical paradise in St Lucia were the enticing aromas of the local produce and cuisine is almost as intoxicating as the stunning vistas around the island.

I adored book one, Sunshine & Secrets, you can find my review here.  Confetti & Confusion takes us back to St Lucia and to Millie who’s temporarily working for celeb Chef Claudia at her Paradise Cooking School.  This story starts us off at the beginning of a hen week filled with culinary cocoa inspired delights for the bride-to-be and her entourage.  However, there’s a mystery surrounding the wedding planner and when carefully planned details are at risk Millie and her new friends come to the rescue for the wedding party of the year on the island.

Amongst the mishaps and mayhem leading up to the wedding Millie’s friendship with Zach is blooming but also her date for leaving the island and going back home to London is getting more imminent.  Will Millie open her heart to a tropical romance?

Another gorgeous romantic instalment from Daisy James that brings a smile to your face and a beat to your heart.  I was disappointed to reach the end as I want to know what lies ahead for Millie and for Zach.  It looks like I don’t have to wait too long as a third instalment of The Paradise Cookery School is due out in September, yay!

To learn more about the author Daisy James please visit the following pages:

Publisher’s Author page:  https://www.canelo.co/authors/daisy-james/

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/daisyjamesbooks

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

This Could Change Everything by Jill Mansell blogtour book review

 

This Could Change Everything Cover

This Could Change Everything written by Jill Mansell, publisher Headline, is available NOW in ebook, paperback, hardcover, audiobook and audio CD format.

The paperback is available at all good book retailers.

The ebook is available to download via kindle, iBooks, kobo and Google.

To buy link (amazon UK):  https://amzn.to/2uskVlv

Product Details (as per amazon page)

One little mistake and nothing will ever be the same again!
On the one hand, if Essie hadn’t written that letter – the one that only her best friend was meant to see – then she’d still be living like an actual proper grown-up, tucked up with Paul in his picture-perfect cottage, maybe even planning their wedding…
On the other hand (if her true feelings hadn’t accidentally taken the internet by storm, that is) she wouldn’t have moved into the attic flat on the square. She would never have met Conor. Or got to know Lucas…
And she wouldn’t have found herself falling in love with someone she really, really shouldn’t fall in love with…

This Could Change Everything Blog Tour Poster

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.

I am so pleased to be involved in the blogtour celebrating and promoting the release of the paperback version of Jill Mansell’s latest novel; This Could Change Everything.

This Could Change Everything is Jill Mansell’s 29th novel.  When you pick up a Jill Mansell book you know you are in for a glorious treat of a read.

I simply adored this novel and just didn’t want the story to end.  I felt lots of emotions; it was uplifting, very poignant, charming, romantic, beautiful and utterly magical.

This is a wonderful story of life and the journeys and decisions we make that guide us to a whole host of new opportunities, new directions and the chance of new beginnings.  Sometimes fate plays a hand in our lives but in This Could Change Everything a little area in Bath has it’s own Fairy Godmother that is 83 year old Zillah.  Zillah is flamboyantly dressed, can read people and work out what they need, she tirelessly helps many, many people at a time when life has cruelly taken away many choices.  However, Zillah cannot help these people on her own and this is where her new friends Esse and Conor come in.

Lot’s of unfortunate events brought Esse and Conor to Zillah’s door and since Zillah joined their lives both Esse and Conor have found a new outlook in life.

A story filled with so much inspiration, optimism and humanity, I was completely moved by Esse, Conor and Zillah.  I felt like Zillah was more than Queen of the Square, she was like a mystical octogenarian with a vivid past that was full of guilt, regrets but also full of adventure and passion.  You simply can’t help wanting to hear more from Zillah, her past and her life’s work now.  I loved the rapport she had with Esse and Conor.

The romance was beautifully woven within the storyline and it filled my heart with warmth and joy.

It’s a story I believe that you’d want to read again and again.  Glorious, uplifting and so heart warming.

To learn more about the author Jill Mansell please visit the following pages:

Website:  https://jillmansell.co.uk/

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/JillMansell

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

 

Paris By The Book by Liam Callanan book review

 

paris by the book

Paris by the Book written by Liam Callanan, publisher HQ, is available NOW in ebook, paperback and audiobook format.

To buy link:  https://amzn.to/2JuodJE

Product Details (as per amazon page)

Some stories are still waiting to be found.
In a city of millions, it’s easy to lose someone…
Twelve weeks before Leah Eady arrived in France, her husband disappeared. Early one morning, he walked out the door and never came back. All he left behind was a scrumpled note in a cereal box, leading her to the bustling streets of Paris.
Once she arrives, she discovers a mysterious unfinished manuscript written by her husband, and set in the very same city. Hoping to uncover more clues, Leah takes over a crumbling bookshop with her two young daughters, only to realise that he might just be closer than any of them ever imagined…
…but what if he doesn’t want to be found?

 

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.

When clues to her husband’s disappearance leads to Paris, Leah with her two daughter’s Ellie and Daphne decide to take their lives and move temporarily to France.  With their love of the fictional character Madeline and the book The Red Balloon, Leah and her girls had witnessed through the pages of their beloved stories many areas of the city and now at last they could walk these sights that had so often appeared on a page.  Wherever, they went they hoped to come across Robert the husband and father.

The girls soon adapted to this new Parisian lifestyle and were learning fast but behind their smiles was a sadness.  For all the encouragement of a new temporary life in Paris Leah could only achieve so much brightness in to her daughter’s lives.  There was an ever present cloud hanging over them, or a shadow or an imagined sighting.

Leah and Robert found each other through the love of books and then lost each other with their hearts and souls etched out between the pages.  Will these same pages bring Leah and Robert back together?

Walking through the streets of Paris with the characters that the author Liam Callanan had created was quite captivating and I loved hearing about the significance of different sights that related to stories set in Paris.  This part of the story made me envious and I wanted to open the pages of these books and take my own literal steps.

I did find the story a little slow to start and there was a certain melancholy about it.  But I felt an overall feeling of strength, of hope and of belief.  By the end I was overcome with emotion and was still full of hope for this young American family struggling with loss, grief and the uncertainty of new beginnings.  A book for lovers, a book for admirers of Paris and a book for literary fans.

To learn more about the author Liam Callanan please visit the following pages:

Website:  https://www.liamcallanan.com/

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/liamcallanan

 

 

 

The Things We Need to Say by Rachel Burton book review

 

the things we need to say

The Things We Need to Say written by Rachel Burton, publisher HQ Digital, is available NOW in ebook and audiobook.

To buy link: https://amzn.to/2JsO5Fy

Product Details (as per amazon page)

Sometimes the things we never say are the most important.
Fran loves Will with all her heart. They had a whirlwind romance, a perfect marriage and a wonderful life. Until everything changed. Now Fran needs to find her way again and teaching a yoga retreat in Spain offers her just that. Leaving behind a broken marriage she has some very important decisions to make.
Will needs his wife, he needs her to open up to him if they’re to ever return to the way things once were. But he may have damaged any possibility he had of mending their relationship and now Fran is in Spain and Will is alone.
As both Fran and Will begin to let go of a life that could have been, fate may just find a way of bringing them back together.

blue swirly lineI 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.

The Things We Need to Say is Rachel Burton’s second novel and it’s also my first introduction to her work. Even though this is only the author’s second novel Rachel Burton is already showing signs of a seasoned author.  This was superb storytelling and the writing flowed throughout the story. I was drawn into the characters’ lives instantly and felt their emotions whenever they peaked high or low.  The Things We Need to Say is a story that would resonate to many, it’s a story with real, raw, heart wrenching moments that leave scars permanently etched on your heart but with time these scars would fade.  It’s a story that pulls at the heart strings and leaves you pondering the decisions made that ultimately change the focus and direction of the characters lives.

I felt pain and anguish for both Fran and Will who both had so many silent thoughts and fears in their heads but were afraid to let their voices be heard, resulting in a pain that was almost unbearable.

Fran and Will had been through so much turmoil in their lives, their dreams and hopes for the future had been shattered more than once.  Could they continue with this one goal?

With Fran’s pre-arranged yoga retreat looming it was an opportune moment to take stock of where she is now, make acceptance of what has been before and free her mind to the fear of what may lay ahead.  With another scar forcing it’s way onto Fran’s heart teaching yoga at the retreat in Spain couldn’t have come at a better time.  Teaching students to relax and free their minds helps Fran refocus and regroup her own feelings.

Back home in Sussex Will is fighting his own demons and is struggling with so much.

The Things We Need to Say is a story about grief, about loss, about love and about acceptance.  It’s so beautifully told and I felt that the author truly wrote from the heart and the research she undertook for certain scenes was well accomplished.  Rachel Burton is an author to watch; she tugs at your heart and captures you into the lives of the characters so well drawn out amongst the pages.  I loved how the chapters were short and from different POV, I felt myself finishing one chapter and eager to read on to the next.  Stunning story.

To learn more about Rachel Burton please visit the following pages:

Amazon Author Page: https://amzn.to/2L3ESt2

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/bookish_yogi

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/Rachel-Burton-353151308524664/

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

The Road to Newgate by Kate Braithwaite excerpt

the road to newgate

The Road to Newgate written by Kate Braithwaite, publisher Crooked Cat Books, is available NOW in ebook and paperback format. The ebook is also included in the kindleunlimited scheme.

To buy link:  https://amzn.to/2NadaHB

Product Details (as per amazon page)

What price justice?

London 1678.

Titus Oates, an unknown preacher, creates panic with wild stories of a Catholic uprising against Charles II. The murder of a prominent Protestant magistrate appears to confirm that the Popish Plot is real.

Only Nathaniel Thompson, writer and Licenser of the Presses, instinctively doubts Oates’s revelations. Even his young wife, Anne, is not so sure. And neither know that their friend William Smith has personal history with Titus Oates.

When Nathaniel takes a public stand, questioning the plot and Oates’s integrity, the consequences threaten them all.


The Road to Newgate is Kate Braithwaite’s second novel.  Her first novel, CHARLATAN, was long-listed for the Mslexia New Novel Award and the Historical Novel Society Novel Award in 2015.  You can find my review for Charlatan here.

On the publication day for the ebook for The Road to Newgate I am so pleased to share with you an excerpt from Kate Braithwaite’s latest novel.

Her sister comes. They confer upstairs. I’m sent to call the midwife and Anne’s mother, who arrives but will not even catch my eye. A succession of women flow in and out, upstairs and down, while I stand in the dining room listening to their footsteps overhead but without any way of knowing how things are progressing either for good or for bad. I hang around the bottom of the stairs, straining my ears, for what? A child’s cry? Anne’s cry? I hardly know what I want to happen, except for this thing to be over. Eventually, Sarah comes down.
“Go out, Nat.”
“What? Why? Shouldn’t I stay? Do something?”
She shakes her head and gives me a withering look. “It will be a while. The first always is.”
“But what if something happens?”
“Nat. She will be fine. God willing, they will both be fine. Go to Sam’s Coffee House. I will send a boy if there is any change. Trust me.”
“I…” What do I want to say? That I love my wife. That I might lose her. Or the child. Or both.
Sarah puts her hand to my cheek. “Go. But drink coffee. No ale and no wine. It will be hours Nat. When she needs you, I will have you fetched.”
*
Sam’s Coffee House has its usual midday mix of tradesmen, the odd lawyer, a few fellow scribblers I know. I avoid meeting anyone’s eye and sit down on an empty bench with a copy of the Gazette. The coffee-boy brings me a dish and pours my drink, slipping my penny in the pocket of his long apron. At any other time, the familiar mix of roasting berries and tobacco, the loud exchanges, even the touch of the tables and the smooth glaze of the coffee cup, would ease my mind. But not today. I stare at the Gazette but read nothing. Instead, I conjure up disasters.
Anne will die. I’m suspicious of the midwife. She’s a Quaker, which is, Anne has assured me, a good thing. But is she clean? Does she know her work? I chew on my cheek, thinking I should have been more involved in choosing this woman. After all, horror stories about midwives abound. If a child dies before being born, they often cut off limbs to facilitate removing the poor thing from the mother’s body. I imagine blood: Anne’s; the baby’s. A few years ago, a woman and her child died out in the street, slap in the middle of Threadneedle Street, after one so-called midwife held the woman by the shoulders while another witch ripped the child out of her body, killing them both. Images of Anne fighting for her life have me almost on my feet ready to run back home, but the thought of Sarah’s sensible face stops me.
To divert my mind, I brood on Anne’s family. That Anne threw herself away by marrying me is an accepted fact. My line of work, even when I was the Licenser, is viewed with derision. My haunting of coffee shops, as I believe her mother terms it, shows a tendency to gossip and idleness that they find particularly disappointing. Perhaps if I was haunting Will’s Coffee Shop, rather than Sam’s; perhaps if I was a proper writer, like Mr. Dryden, they might think differently. Dryden, famous, popular, and wealthy, keeps his own chair at Will’s, surrounded by literary wits. That’s Anne’s family’s idea of what a writer should be. Not the rather grubby news-gatherers, the cartoonists, lampoonists, and sharp-tongued opportunists I consort with. Only my loyalty to the Crown brings me any measure of approval. Sarah’s husband supposedly reads all my pamphlets, and Anne hopes that one day her younger brother and I might meet and get along. But even when the child is born, I don’t expect to be invited to dinner. A thoroughly bad mood settles on me, as thickly persistent as the coffee sticking to my teeth. Time crawls. It’s the longest day of my life.

 

About the Author

Kate Braithwaite was born and grew up in Edinburgh, Scotland. Her first novel, Charlatan, was longlisted for the Mslexia New Novel Award and the Historical Novel Society Award. Kate lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and three children.

Website:  https://kate-braithwaite.com/

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/KMBraithwaite

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

 

 

Summer at the Little Duck Pond Café by Rosie Green blogtour book review

summer at the little duck pond cafe

Summer at the Little Duck Pond Café written and self-published by Rosie Green is available NOW in ebook format.  The ebook is also included in the kindleunlimited scheme.

To buy link:  https://amzn.to/2KGe4ih

Product Details (as per amazon page)

Jaz Winters stuck a pin in a map and fled to the village of Sunnybrook, looking for a brand new life – and after a rocky start, it’s beginning to look as if she made the right decision. Her blossoming friendship with Ellie and Fen has seen her through some dark times, and she’s managed to land two jobs – waitressing at The Little Duck Pond Café and working as a weekend tour guide at Brambleberry Manor, the country house that’s been in Fen’s family for generations.

Sure, life isn’t totally perfect. There’s the irritating know-it-all guy who keeps popping up on her manor tours, for a start. He seems determined to get under Jaz’s skin whether she likes it or not. But she supposes he’s a small price to pay for the relative peace she’s found, living in Sunnybrook.

But just as Jaz is beginning to think rosier times are on the horizon, a shock encounter looks set to shatter her fragile happiness.

Will she be forced to flee from Sunnybrook and everyone she’s grown so fond of? Or will she find the strength to stand her ground and finally face up to the nightmares of the past?

Summer at the Little Duck Pond Cafe Full Banner

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.

I am so pleased to be involved in the blogtour celebrating and promoting the next instalment in the new mini series by Rosie Green.  This novella is part of a trilogy, the books in the series are:

  • Spring at The Little Duck Pond Café (you can find my review here
  • Summer at The Little Duck Pond Café
  • Winter at The Little Duck Pond Café

I felt truly welcomed back to the village of Sunnybrook and especially to The Little Duck Pond Café.  It was lovely to rekindle our reading relationships with the friends we made back in Book One: Spring at The Little Duck Pond Café.  We catch up with their comings and goings in the village that sounds so pretty and idyllic.  Book Two is Jaz Winter’s story.  Each book is novella in size and I would thoroughly recommend reading each story in the series in order to experience the full enjoyment from the trilogy.

After her relationship with Grant dramatically falls apart Jaz has to find a new home and she randomly decides on the village of Sunnybrook.  Keeping her past a secret isn’t easy but she feels it’s the only way to protect something she holds dear to her.  Her new life in the village is going well with new friends and work at the café and with the possibility of a change in career direction on the horizon Jaz is feeling a little more settled.

However, her past cannot be kept hidden forever and when Jaz fears for the wellbeing of someone in her past she has no option to step back into her old life.  With the help of her new friends Jaz tries to keep control of her old life.

Another lovely instalment in this heart warming mini series by Rosie Green.  A story filled with endearing comical moments, blossoming friendships and romance.

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

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/Rosie_Green1988