Fire and Fury for the Tobacco Girls by Lizzie Lane @baywriterallat1 @BoldwoodBooks @rararesources #boldwoodbloggers #bookreview

Fire and Fury for the Tobacco Girls written by Lizzie Lane, publisher Boldwood Books, is available NOW in ebook, kindleunlimited and paperback format.

Book Blurb

As war rages, everyone has to do their bit…

Bristol 1941

As the clouds of war grow bleaker both at home and abroad, the Tobacco Girls are determined to do their bit for King and Country. To that end Maisie Miles and Bridget Milligan become voluntary ambulance drivers.

As well as coping with the frequent air raids, Maisie is kept on her toes with three new junior employees one of whom is particularly testing.

Bridget’s heart becomes torn between family loyalty and American tobacco tycoon Lyndon O’Neill III, the man she loves.

Meanwhile Phyllis Harvey has joined the WAAF, opting to serve overseas whilst trying to escape her past. Her letters home are upbeat and her friends are initially envious of descriptions of sunshine and blue sea. The truth she hides is that life on the island of Malta is fraught with extreme food shortages, daily air raids and the fear that tomorrow might never come.

The future appears far less certain as the reality of war bites into The Tobacco Girls’ lives.

Purchase Link – https://amzn.to/3h2JrSZ

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 my first introduction to the work of Lizzie Lane and I had contemplated purchasing and reading the first two books in the series prior to reading this but then I thought no I’m going to review with fresh eyes and treat this just as it was and experience the author’s words as a complete newcomer.

Even though this is book 3 in the series I didn’t feel lost at all as the author instantly made me feel welcomed by the characters and the time and place felt very relevant to the era. I did have to smile to my face when opening the book as the first chapter starts on my birthdate, a mere 27 years prior to my birth. It made me think of how much life has changed for us all since 1941 but especially the role of a woman.

Who are the Tobacco Girls? They are 3 young women who found friendship whilst working at the tobacco factory in Bristol at the start of WWII. Bridget and Maisie still work at the factory but Phyliss has signed up and joined the WAAF following so many personal events in her life which have left her shattered and in need for a complete change. Bridget and Maisie as well as working at the factory also volunteer as first aiders helping with the war effort.

This third instalment in the WWII saga follows the girls coping with their work, volunteer and personal life balance. There is a real sense of camaraderie within the factory and with all the volunteers as they tirelessly help those in need during the darker days and nights of the war. The grit and determination in these young women shines through but at times as war shows it’s ugly side the cracks in the girls emotions show.

The story takes us from the streets of Bristol to the shores of the Mediterranean as Phyliss sees a different side to life within a warzone.

I thoroughly enjoyed this saga it was such a captivating read making me feel like history was brought to life with the author’s words. I was gutted when I got to the end as it leaves the reader with so many concerns about the future for many. I am pleased to learn that The Tobacco Girls is a six book series so I have 3 more instalments to read which makes me so happy as I thought I had started at the end of a trilogy but in fact I’d started near the middle!

Author Bio –  Lizzie Lane is the author of over 50 books, a number of which have been bestsellers.  She was born and bred in Bristol where many of her family worked in the cigarette and cigar factories.  This has inspired her new saga series for Boldwood The Tobacco Girls.

Social Media Links

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

Twitter https://twitter.com/baywriterallat1

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

Newsletter Sign Up Link http://bit.ly/LizzieLaneNewsletter

Bookbub profile https://www.bookbub.com/authors/lizzie-lane

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How Not to Chaperon a Lady by Virginia Heath @VirginiaHeath_ @MillsandBoon @rararesources #HowNottoChaperonaLady #bookreview #RegencyRomance

How Not to Chaperon a Lady written by Virginia Heath, publisher Mills & Boon, is available NOW in ebook and paperback format.

Book Blurb

His childhood nemesis…is the woman he can’t resist!

Chaperoning Charity Brookes while she’s on a singing tour should be easy for Griffith Philpot—he’s spent his whole life sparring with her over her flighty ways! But as he discovers that she’s much more than the impetuous girl he thought he knew, a passion ignites between them… Sharing a steamy kiss leaves him torn – he’s supposed to be responsible for guarding her virtue!

Purchase Link – https://books2read.com/talkofbeaumonde3 

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 Publication Day Push for Virginia Heath’s latest novel: How Not to Chaperon a Lady. This is the 3rd book in The Talk of the Beau Monde series and I have adored seeing Regency London via the streets of Bloomsbury. I would wholeheartedly recommend reading all the books in the series in order as quite frankly they are such a treat.

Once again the author Virginia Heath has given her readers a great partnership within the lead characters and this one has been sparring with each other for nearly two decades since when they met as children.

Charity Brookes is the youngest daughter and the most vivacious, rebellious, strong-willed, ambitious of the 3 but she is also generous, hardworking and thoughtful. With highly successful parents and sisters Charity is trying to make her own distinctive mark on the world and her forte is operatic singing. When Charity’s latest show takes her on tour around theatres in the north long time family friend Griff takes the role of chaperon. Griff takes this role very seriously as he knows and has read about Charity’s antics in the society press so he aims to keep her on the right path as much for his own sanity as Griff cares for Charity, more than he acknowledges.

Charity and Griff have bickered since they were children but there’s a friendly banter beneath it all and this closeness whilst away on tour gives them the chance to learn more about each other. There’s also the matter of the magnetic pull between them whether this is through annoyance or something else?

Emotions between them have been building up over the years and when this results in an explosion of feelings that take them both by surprise Charity and Griff have reached a hurdle in their relationship that now appears higher to climb over.

I really enjoyed this Regency romance by Virginia Heath that was filled with a bubbling chemistry between two main characters that fought hard to accept. The banter between them was perfect and Charity and Griff’s personalities blended well with the rest of the family. There is one particular scene when the men of the family take centre stage and it’s both funny and charming.

Gorgeous, romantic, funny and irresistible.

Author Bio – When Virginia Heath was a little girl it took her ages to fall asleep, so she made up stories in her head to help pass the time while she was staring at the ceiling. As she got older, the stories became more complicated, sometimes taking weeks to get to the happy ending. Then one day, she decided to embrace the insomnia and start writing them down. Twenty books and two Romantic Novel of the Year Award nominations later, and it still takes her forever to fall asleep.

Social Media Links –

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/VirginiaHeath_

Giveaway to Win 2 x e-copies of How Not to Chaperon a Lady (Open INT)

*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 Rachel’s Random Resources reserves 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 Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

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Daughters of War by Dinah Jefferies @DinahJefferies @fictionpubteam @RandomTTours #DaughtersofWar #bookreview #WWIIfiction

Daughters of War written by Dinah Jefferies, publisher HarperCollins, is available NOW in ebook, audiobook and paperback format.

Book Blurb

France, 1944. Deep in the river valley of the Dordogne, in an old stone cottage on the edge of a beautiful
village, three sisters long for the end of the war. Hélène, the eldest, is trying her hardest to steer her family
to safety, even as the Nazi occupation becomes more threatening. Elise, the rebel, is determined to help
the Resistance, whatever the cost. And Florence, the dreamer, just yearns for a world where France is
free. Then, one dark night, the Allies come knocking for help. And Hélène knows that she cannot sit on
the sidelines any longer. But bravery comes at a cost, and soon the sisters’ lives become even more
perilous as they fight for what is right. And secrets from their own mysterious past threaten to unravel
everything they hold most dear…
The first in an epic new series from the No.1 Sunday Times bestseller, Daughters of War is a stunning tale
of sisters, secrets and bravery in the darkness of war-torn France…

To buy links

The paperback is available from all good book retailers including Waterstones, WH Smith, Foyles and independent bookstores. It is also available online at amazon, wordery, bookshop.org, hive.

https://amzn.to/3Co1vyG

https://uk.bookshop.org/books/daughters-of-war-9780008427023/9780008427023

https://www.waterstones.com/book/daughters-of-war/dinah-jefferies/9780008427023

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 Dinah Jefferies latest novel: Daughters of War. Daughter’s of War is the first book in a new historical trilogy from the author.

What I love about Dinah Jefferies work is that she evokes plenty of atmosphere in her stories and this was portrayed beautifully and sensitively with Daughters of War. In this latest historical novel we are in a small village in France occupied by the Nazi, it’s 1944 and the Germans are wreaking havoc across France but the hearts and minds of the French are not forgotten as the Resistance builds up momentum.

We follow the story of three young women who have been left in the family’s holiday home in France whilst their mother remained in England. The sisters; Helene a nurse working with the local doctor, Elise using her work in the cafe to cover up her resistance work and Florence the youngest. They are all very different in personality, Helene feels a great responsibility since their mother left and worries about her younger sisters. Elise is strong-willed, brave and a little impetuous. Florence is a gentle, almost whimsical young woman loving nature, gardening, cooking and puts her trust in all.

When Florence trusts an unknown young man who appears distressed, malnourished she inadvertently brings trouble to their door and when another unexpected visitor turns up the sisters’ lives are put at risk. It’s a small village, everyone knows each other, secrets are hard to hide during this turbulent time and doubts begin to cross people’s minds. As the occupation of France rages on and the Allies prepare to make a strategic move the girls lives and those near them are put in danger.

Dinah Jefferies has written a captivating historical novel that puts you right near the end of what we know as WWII. Life is so different to post war when the countryside was beautiful, idyllic and an escape for all but there was no escape during this terrible conflict.. At times the storyline was raw and brutally honest and was hard to read about the cruelty of war. There were also times of an inner strength within the girls and the community that felt inspirational. The author blended fact with fiction with ease and grace and made me aware of an event in France I hadn’t hear about. As war rages on the beauty of love doesn’t disappear and this brings light to dark times.

I have to admit there is a scene with one particular character that took me by surprise as I felt it was quite out of place with their personality but I’m hoping this will all fit in to the storyline in later books.

When I reached the end of the novel it left me longing to read the next instalment. So many unanswered questions to a story that I feel is just the beginning for these three young women.

Atmospheric, captivating and emotive.

About the Author

Dinah Jefferies began her career with The Separation, followed by the number 1
Sunday Times and Richard and Judy bestseller, The Tea-Planter’s Wife. Born in
Malaysia, she moved to England at the age of nine. As a teenager she missed the
heat of Malaysia, which left her with a kind of restlessness that led to quite an
unusual life. She studied fashion design, went to live in Tuscany where she
worked as an au-pair for an Italian countess, and there was even a time when
Dinah lived with a rock band in a ‘hippie’ commune in Suffolk.
In 1985, the death of her fourteen-year-old son changed everything and she now
draws on the experience of loss in her writing. She started writing novels in her
sixties and sets her books abroad, aiming to infuse love, loss and danger with the
extremely seductive beauty of her locations. Dinah and her husband spent five wonderful years living in a small 16th Century village in the Sierra de Aracena in Northern Andalusia, she’s now lives close to her family in Gloucestershire. She is published in
29 languages and over 30 countries.

Twitter: @DinahJefferies

Website: https://www.dinahjefferies.com/

Falling for a French Dream by Jennifer Bohnet @jenniewriter @BoldwoodBooks @rararesources #Boldwoodbloggers #bookreview #FallingforaFrenchDream

Falling for a French Dream written by Jennifer Bohnet, publisher Boldwood Books, is available NOW in ebook, kindleunlimited, audiobook and paperback format.

Book Blurb

Escape to hills high above the French Riviera with international bestseller Jennifer Bohnet.

After tragically losing her husband, Nicola Jacques and her teenage son Oliver relocate to his father’s family’s Olive Farm in the hills above the French Riviera.

Due a family feud, Oliver has never known his fathers’ side of the family and Grandpapa Henri is intent that Oliver will take over the reins of the ancestral farm and his rightful inheritance.

Determined to keep her independence from a rather controlling Grandpapa, Nicola buys a run-down cottage on the edge of the family’s Olive Farm and sets to work renovating their new home and providing an income by cultivating the small holding that came with the Cottage.

As the summer months roll by, Nicola and Oliver begin to settle happily into their new way of life with the help of Aunts Josephine and Odette, Henri’s twin sisters and local property developer Gilles Bongars.

But the arrival of some unexpected news and guests at the farm, force Nicole and Aunt Josephine to assess what and where their futures lie.

This book was previously published as The French Legacy.

Purchase Link  – https://amzn.to/35Z7KdX

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 Jennifer Bohnet’s latest novel: Falling for a French Dream.

I adore stories set in France, they have that idyllic dreamlike quality to them with the stunning locations whether they are in the countryside or the hustle bustle of the city. I love the cafe culture, the chic and bohemian fashion and art scenes. The simplistic lifestyles that revolve around family and food.

This is my first introduction to the work of Jennifer Bohnet and I felt totally welcomed into the lives of the characters within the pages. Nicola with her thirteen year old son, Oliver, are still coming to terms with the death of Marc, Nicola’s ex-husband and Oliver’s father. An unexpected invitation to Marc’s family farm in France leaves Nicola with renewed emotions and conflicting images of what Marc had told her of his life with his father and aunties on the farm. The visit to France gives Nicole and Oliver a chance to see the life and opportunities that Marc left behind. Oliver instantly loves the outdoor life and relishes helping out on the farm, so when Oliver’s grandfather gives Nicola an ultimatum she feels like she is torn in making plans for her and her son’s future.

Nicola and Marc had a very unorthodox marriage with Marc taking prime position in how his life would run, he gave no consideration to his family left behind. Nicola now feels that she has been given an opportunity to open her box of dreams that she kept locked away. Dreams that could easily include her son. Nicola thought following the breakdown of her marriage she had left complications of the heart behind but they appear to have followed her and now she is feeling confident to unveil her dreams she doesn’t want anyone to dampen her positivity and plans moving forward.

Jennifer Bohnet has created a wonderful story of starting again and daring to let your dreams be free. At times the story felt like a memoir and that the reader was enjoying front row seats of this journey that Nicola takes. I fell in love with the location, the scenery, the culture but I also felt like I was championing Nicola’s new life. At times the story is tragic and emotive as it deals with life’s events then the tone lifts you up.

A thoroughly enjoyable read that leaves you with a glow in your heart. I didn’t want this story to end and would love to know how life is treating the characters we have grown to love.

About the author

Jennifer Bohnet is the bestselling author of over 12 women’s fiction titles, including Villa of Sun and Secrets and A Riviera Retreat. She is originally from the West Country but now lives in the wilds of rural Brittany, France.

Social Media Links –  

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063527178184

Twitter https://twitter.com/jenniewriter

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

Newsletter Sign Up Link http://bit.ly/JenniferBohnet

Bookbub profile https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jennifer-bohnet

The Bookshop of Second Chances by Jackie Fraser @muninnherself @TeamBATC @SimonandSchusterUK #TheBookshopofSecondChances #bookreview

The Bookshop of Second Chances written by Jackie Fraser, publisher Simon & Schuster UK, is available NOW in ebook, audiobook and paperback format.

Book Blurb

Set in a charming little Scottish town, The Bookshop of Second Chances is the most uplifting story you’ll read this year!

Shortlisted for the RNA Katie Fforde Debut Romantic Novel Award 2021.
 
Thea’s having a bad month. Not only has she been made redundant, she’s also discovered her husband of nearly twenty years is sleeping with one of her friends. And he’s not sorry – he’s leaving.
 
Bewildered and lost, Thea doesn’t know what to do. But, when she learns the great-uncle she barely knew has died and left her his huge collection of second-hand books and a house in the Scottish Lowlands, she seems to have been offered a second chance.
 
Running away to a little town where no one knows her seems like exactly what Thea needs. But when she meets the aristocratic Maltravers brothers – grumpy bookshop owner Edward and his estranged brother Charles, Lord Hollinshaw – her new life quickly becomes just as complicated as the life she was running from…

To buy link: https://amzn.to/3yKUFB8

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 paperback launch of Jackie Fraser’s debut novel: The Bookshop of Second Chances.

Redundancy, marriage breakdown Thea fears for what else can go wrong and whether her poor battered heart can take it. But when she unexpectedly inherits a house complete with it’s own vintage book collection from her Great Uncle Thea wonders whether this is a helping hand from her family and is this the second chance she’s been looking for?

The house is located in a small village in the Scottish Lowlands and was once part of the vast estate owned by the local aristocracy. Thea soon learns that the estate would like to purchase the property back but she has no immediate plans for the house or her future. Her first plans are to just enjoy the anonymity of knowing the residents of this small village know nothing about her and accompanied with the glorious landscape the the simplicity of just being her heart feels like it can slowly start to heal.

Charles and Edward Maltravers are the local aristocrats who own the estate nearby. Edward has shunned the limelight and has rebuked his position and the Lordship has gone to his younger brother Charles. There’s much animosity between the brothers stemming back over two decades and it’s made both men very bitter about each other.

Getting to know the Maltravers brothers individually makes Thea realise they are both very different in personality. Charles is very much the serious one with the responsibility of the estate, he’s also a bit of a womaniser. Edward is very grumpy, hates the aristocracy and all that it entails. Edward does love his books though and setting up a bookshop dealing with rare, second hand, local interest and new books is his escape.

Jackie Fraser has written a gorgeous, heart-warming story filled with hope for new beginnings. There’s a gentle slow building romance that take the recipients by surprise.

I loved the location of this story, who doesn’t dream of escaping to the Scottish Hills? Also, a story based around a book shop is a reader’s idyllic storyline.

Very readable, filled with a warmth and a storyline that you just don’t want to end.

About the Author

Jackie Fraser is a freelance editor and writer. She’s worked for AA Publishing,
Watkins, the Good Food Guide and various self-published writers of fiction, travel
and food guides, recipe books and self-help books since 2012. Prior to that, she
worked as an editor of food and accommodation guides for the AA, including the
B&B Guide, Restaurant Guide and Pub Guide for nearly twenty years, eventually
running the Lifestyle Guides department.
She’s interested in all kind of things, particularly history (and prehistory), art,
food, popular culture and music. She reads a lot (no, really) in multiple genres, and
is fascinated by the Bronze Age. She likes vintage clothes, antique fairs and
photography. She used to be a bit of a goth. She likes cats.

Twitter: @muminnherself

A Christmas Wedding in the Cotswolds by Lucy Coleman @LucyColemanAuth @BoldwoodBooks @rararesources #AChristmasWeddingintheCotswolds #boldwoodbloggers

A Christmas Wedding in the Cotswolds written by Lucy Coleman, publisher Boldwood Books, is available NOW in ebook and kindleunlimited format.

Book Blurb

What could be more festive than a winter wedding in the picturesque English countryside? Join us for Christmas in the Cotswolds with the bestselling Lucy Coleman.

Imogen Tolliman and Gray Adams can’t wait to get married after getting engaged the previous year, when they were stranded by snow in a blizzard. Now they are busy planning their wedding, but when the date slips six months because Gray is working on a huge film project, it seems like fate that after their snowy start, they will end up getting married at Christmas.

The couple are living in Immi’s grandfather’s picturesque lock-keeper’s cottage at the Aysbury marina in the Cotswolds, which they are renovating to become their forever family home. As well as building work, full-time jobs and wedding planning, Immi is in charge of raising money to build a children’s playground, to celebrate the tenth anniversary of The Santa Ahoy Cruises – her grandfather Tollie’s life work.

When Gray is suddenly forced to travel abroad, Immi is left to cope with everything alone, and before long, even the best-laid plans start to wobble. When a terrible betrayal is uncovered, the whole community of Aysbury is left reeling, and Immi is left wondering if there will be a wedding after all…

Let Lucy Coleman transport you away to an unforgettable Cotswolds Christmas full of romance and laughter, friendship and family and much-loved festive traditions. Perfect for all fans of Trisha Ashley, Holly Martin and Sue Moorcroft.

Purchase Link – https://amzn.to/3h5YBFy

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 Lucy Coleman’s latest novel: A Christmas Wedding in the Cotswolds. The story follows on from the bestselling novel: Christmas at Lock Keeper’s Cottage, you can find my review here: https://kraftireader.wordpress.com/2020/09/12/christmas-at-lock-keepers-cottage-by-lucy-coleman-lucycolemanauth-boldwoodbooks-rararesources-festivereading-bookreview/

I loved returning back to the canal side and the Cotswolds with Immi and Gray. What I particularly enjoyed was seeing a progression in the characters, not just the leading lady and gentleman, but a few of the sub-characters that we grew to love in book one: Christmas at Lock Keeper’s Cottage. I often wonder what happens to our ‘book friends’ and author, Lucy Coleman, has given us this wonderful opportunity to learn what happens next.

Immi and Gray are busy renovating Lock Keeper’s Cottage, fundraising for the community play park and they also have a wedding to organise. Life is certainly very busy and as their plans start to crumble around them they have to seek the help of their friends.

Lucy Coleman has written another uplifting, feelgood romance. The Cotswolds are a beautiful area in the UK and this comes across with the authors words and descriptions. There is a real sense of community within the residents and businesses around the canal side and when one of the community needs help the spirit of kindness and generosity shows.

New characters join the group and bring a new dimension which upsets the balance a little. Will time settle these new relationships?

A Christmas Wedding in the Cotswolds is full of warmth, humour, real and relatable characters with the seasons of the year bringing, colours, light and festivity around.

I hope we get to return to Lock Keeper’s Cottage in the future.

Author Bio –  Lucy Coleman is a #1 bestselling romance writer, whose recent novels include Snowflakes over Holly Cove. She also writes under the name Linn B. Halton. She won the 2013 UK Festival of Romance: Innovation in Romantic Fiction award and lives in the Welsh Valleys.

Social Media Links –  

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

Twitter https://twitter.com/LucyColemanAuth

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

Newsletter Sign Up Link http://bit.ly/LucyColemanNewsletter

Bookbub profile https://www.bookbub.com/authors/lucy-coleman

Lil’s Bus Trip by Judy Leigh @JudyLeighWriter @rararesources @BoldwoodBooks #bookreview #Lilsbustrip #boldwoodbloggers

Lil’s Bus Trip written by Judy Leigh, publisher Boldwood Books, is available NOW in ebook format.

Book Blurb

It’s always a good time for a road trip…

When 82-year-old Lil decides to book herself, her 65-year-old daughter, Cassie, and her friend Maggie on a bus trip across Europe, she hopes for a little adventure to counteract the monotony of life in sheltered accommodation.

Along with three members of the Salterley Tennis Club and the Jolly Weaver five-a side football team, whose ideas of a good time are rather different to Lil’s and strikingly at odds with each other’s, the merry band of travelers set out on their great adventure.

From moving moments on the beaches of Normandy, outrageous adventures in Amsterdam, to the beauty of Bruges and gastronomic delights of France, the holiday is just the tonic Lil, Maggie and Cassie needed. 

And as the time approaches for them to head home, Lil makes an unexpected discovery – even in her advancing years, men are like buses – there isn’t one for ages then two come along at once. Is Lil ready to share her golden years, and can the ladies embrace the fresh starts that the trip has given them. Or is it just too late to change… 

Purchase Link – https://amzn.to/3wV7Kr4

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 the first book I’ve ready by author Judy Leigh and I’m delighted to say I’ve found a new author to go on my favourites list. The list is growing 🙂

Lil’s Bus Trip is such a wonderful romp of a read that at times is daft, funny and entertaining and at other times it moves on to serious issues that are thought provoking. However, with the way the author has created her characters the poignant moments are soon lifted. There is a definite heart-warming feeling running throughout the storyline.

Lil is in her early 80’s living in a retirement complex. Lil is full of mischief as she banters with the local cafe owner and has a heart of gold with her random acts of kindness. Lil fell in love very young but this was a short lived romance leaving her heartbroken and many, many years of what-ifs. It also left her with her most precious possession, her daughter Cassie.

Cassie is a poet and has performed and worked all over the world but is happy now settled close to her mum house sharing with her best friend Jamie.

When Lil hears of a trip around Europe a plan starts to spring into action and a little while later Lil with her downtrodden neighbour, Maggie, along with Cassie join a merry band of travellers all excited and a little anxious for the holiday.

What I loved about this merry band of travellers was the diversity in ages and backgrounds. We had 3 octogenarians sharing a minibus with 3 young lads eager for nightlife and football, 3 middle aged travellers looking for culture and good food, local pub landlord on the search for good beer, two other females who are friendly and amiable and Tommy the driver who was an enterprising fellow. With an eventful start to the journey the bus of mismatch travellers was off on an adventure they wouldn’t forget!

I really enjoyed seeing the towns and cities across Europe through the eyes of the characters. Judy Leigh not only took her characters on a trip she also took her readers along with her.

Lil’s Bus Trip is fun, whacky, entertaining, poignant and very readable … I loved it!

Author Bio –  

Judy Leigh is the bestselling author of A Grand Old Time and The Age of Misadventure and the doyenne of the ‘it’s never too late’ genre of women’s fiction. She has lived all over the UK from Liverpool to Cornwall, but currently resides in Somerset.

Social Media Links –  

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

Twitter https://twitter.com/JudyLeighWriter

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

Newsletter Sign Up Link http://bit.ly/JudyLeighNewsletterBookbub profile https://www.bookbub.com/authors/judy-leigh