Christmas at Conwenna Cove by Darcie Boleyn book review

Christmas at Conwenna Cove, written by Darcie Boleyn, publisher Canelo, is available NOW in ebook format.

To buy link:  http://amzn.to/2z89VdB

Product Details (as per amazon page)

A heartwarming, romantic and Christmassy novel set in the gorgeous Cornish village of Conwenna Cove.

When Grace Phillips travels to Conwenna Cove to help her parents move there 30 years after their honeymoon in the village, she sees why they fell in love with the place. The festive decorations, carols in the air and constant supply of delicious mince pies certainly make it hard to leave. Grace soon meets local vet Oli Davenport and initially finds him rude, but learning about his passion for animals and how much he cares for his two kids helps Grace to see a softer side to Oli.

It’s been two years since Oli lost his wife to cancer. Though he loves eleven-year-old Amy and five-year-old Tom more than anything it’s hard to be mum and dad. He has no interest in romance until he crosses paths with beautiful and kind-hearted Grace. The sparks fly but both Oli and Grace are holding onto fear about letting someone into their heart.

As the snow falls and Christmas wishes come true can Conwenna Cove work its magic and help Grace and Oli find the happiness they both deserve?

This was such a delightful read.  It was a treat to return to Conwenna Cove and I was completely romanticised again by the landscape.  The fictional coastal village that the author has created sounds so idyllic with its quaint cottages and the little independent shops together with the beachside ambience but what makes this story more heartfelt is the occupants of the village.  There is a real sense of community in the village from those that were born in the village to those that have sort solace and have been welcomed with open arms to this wonderful seaside location.  I feel like I want to pack my case and have my own Conwenna Cove hug.

This story focuses on Grace Phillips who has travelled down to Cornwall from her home in Cardiff to help her parents settle in their new cottage in the Cove.  Grace and her parents have suffered such a terrible loss and her parents are hoping that this new start will bring a new perspective to their life, a chance to reflect and a chance to embrace what life throws at them.  Grace is an author so staying with her parents for a short while is no hardship to her career as she can work from anywhere.  When Grace meets the village vet Oli Davenport she is struck by his handsome features but his aloof persona doesn’t help him win friends too easily.  However, given time Grace discovers more about Oli and with his huge commitment to the health and welfare of animals and to his devotion to his children, eleven year old Amy and five year old Tom, Grace appreciates this side to Oli.

Oli Davenport loves his children and loves his job but he is still grieving for his wife who sadly passed away two years ago.  When he first meets Grace he is struck by her beauty but this sets off a chain reaction of confused emotions in him.  His first priority is his children and he also feels like he shouldn’t be having any feelings for any woman since becoming a widower.  However, the more Oli and Grace get to know each other the more they understand that they each are holding a heartache and are still grieving.

Will the beautiful landscape, the wonderful honesty in children and the sad plight of the animals in need that Oli faces daily help these two people learn to love again?

A wonderful, heartfelt, festive read that left me sighing with contentment.

To learn more about Darcie Boleyn and her work please visit the following pages:

Website:  https://darcieboleyn.wordpress.com/

Twiter:  http://www.twitter.com/DarcieBoleyn

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/darcieboleyn/

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Escape to the Cotswolds blogtour – Q & A with author Natalie Kleinman

 

Escape to the Cotswolds written by Natalie Kleinman, publisher HQ digital is available NOW in ebook format.

To buy link:  http://amzn.to/2tFbywN

Product Details (as per amazon page)

Can love blossom in the countryside?

Artist Holly Hunter is turning her life upside-down! She’s leaving the bright lights of London (and a cheating husband) behind her and hoping for a fresh start as she escapes to the peaceful Cotswolds countryside.

Men are off the cards for Holly. Instead, she’s focusing on her little gallery and adopting an adorable Border Collie puppy named Tubs. Or so she thought…

Because no matter how hard she tries to resist him, local vet Adam Whitney is utterly gorgeous. And in a village as small as this one, Holly can only avoid Adam for so long!

 

 

I am so pleased to be involved in the blogtour celebrating and promoting the launch of Natalie Kleinman’s new novel, Escape to the Cotswolds.  I’d like to welcome Natalie to my blog today:

Thank you so much for hosting me today, Adele

When did you decide to become a writer?

It had never been my ambition to become a writer. I didn’t actually decide at all. It decided for me. At a loose end and with far too much spare time I enrolled in a ten week council run course in creative writing. It could just as well have been painting, craftwork, French or dressmaking. Actually it never would have been dressmaking. After weeks of being told to unpick something at school I was turned off for life. But writing was the one I opted for and it grabbed from day one. Something that was intended as a hobby almost immediately became an obsession. Spare time has eluded me ever since.

Your new book is set in the Cotswolds, why did you choose the Cotswolds?

Warm honey-coloured buildings. Quaint villages and quintessentially English country market towns. A feeling of peace every time I visit the area. A wonderful romantic setting. That isn’t to say there isn’t plenty going on. And with access to major towns and cities such as Oxford and Bath, Cirencester and Stratford-upon-Avon, and too many castles to mention, there’s never a shortage of things to do. For me, though, it’s the countryside that generates such a pull. I’ve been visiting the Cotswolds for many years and I have to say it draws me back like a magnet. A Londoner all my life, if I could live in the country that’s where it would be.

I love stories with animals in, I feel they bring charm and warmth to the storyline.  Did you know from the start that a puppy would be included in the story?

Not from the word go but fairly quickly. After all, my hero Adam is a vet so animals were bound to be part of the mix. But as a pet for Holly, no, it wasn’t until her encounter with Old Meg that I thought she might have a puppy of her own. Having in my time met many new litters with their wonderful rounded tummies, I didn’t even have to look for a name for Tubs. I could see her in my mind’s eye as soon as the thought occurred to me. She is just as real to me as any of my other characters.

Do you have a work in process?  If so, can you give us any brief clues?

Not so much a work in progress as an outline for my next book and yes, there is a dog involved that has a critical role. It’s also set in the Cotswolds but this time in one of the many amazing historical (fictional) country houses that the area is dotted with. And there’s a bit of a mystery as well!

There’s been some amazing books out in recent years, what has been one of your favourite books from the last couple of years?

That’s always a difficult question, isn’t it? Jojo Moyes’ Me Before You had a profound effect on me when I read it a few months ago. Most recently I read a book my daughter gave me to take on holiday. It’s her childhood much read and cherished copy of Robinsheugh by Eileen Dunlop, set in Scotland in a semi-isolated house shrouded in mystery. I loved it! It was the outline of my next book that prompted her to lend it to me.

If you were given an all expenses paid budget for your book launch what would be on your shopping list?

Dinner with Eddie Redmayne on the set of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, complete with suitcase from which he would pull copy after copy of my book clutched in the paws of Holly’s dog, Tubs.

About the author:

Natalie, a born and bred Londoner, has a not-so-secret wish to live in the area she so enjoys writing about. While this isn’t practical at the moment she stills allows herself to dream of honey-coloured stone cottages, quaint villages and rippling brooks. Maybe one day.

A late-comer to writing, she has two published novels prior to Escape to the Cotswolds and many short stories to her name. She attributes her success to a determination to improving her craft, attending any and every writing event she can. All that and a weekly attendance at The Write Place Creative School in Dartford where cream cakes are frequently on the agenda.

Natalie lives with her husband, Louis, in Blackheath, south-east London – except when she’s tripping off to The Cotswolds in the name of research. Somebody has to do it!

To find out more about Natalie Kleinman and her work please visit the following pages:

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

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

 

Holiday in the Hamptons by Sarah Morgan book review

Holiday in the Hamptons written by Sarah Morgan, publisher HQ, is available in ebook, paperback and audio download format from Thursday 15th June 2017.

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Product Details (as per amazon page)

She’s moved on…

Felicity Knight loves New York. But when she spots her ex-husband in the city, Fliss is desperate to escape!

He’s moved back…

Vet Set Carlyle is back from California to establish his own practice and settle down. When he learns that his ex Fliss still lives close by, that future is looking a whole lot brighter…

Will a perfect escape bring them back together?

With the help of his adorable dog Lulu, and a sprinkling of beachside magic, Seth is determined to make Fliss see he’s never stopped loving her!

Sarah Morgan’s stories never disappoint, each story wraps itself around my heart caressing it with it’s delicious storyline of love finding it’s way.  I absolutely adored this story; Holiday in the Hamptons is the perfect antidote to a wet English summer’s day.  Sarah Morgan takes us on a beautiful journey to an idyllic coastal setting of the Hamptons.  I could hear the distinct sounds of the waves and the call of the sea birds and felt the light breeze in the air.  I was there sat on the beach with Fliss, the leading lady in this story.

Fliss 10 years ago had an intense hot summer in the Hamptons with Seth Carlyle.  The chemistry shared between the couple was to remain and a decade later when Fliss finds out he is in her neighbourhood, the city of New York suddenly feels like a very small space and Fliss is afraid of bumping into him so she escapes to stay with her gran in the Hamptons.  Her escape route doesn’t go to plan when the first person she meets is non other than her ex Seth Carlyle.  She is left almost speechless and goes to extreme lengths to keep her closely guarded feelings to herself.

Fliss together with her twin sister Harriet and older brother Daniel have had a difficult upbringing.  The trio have remained protective of each other and the insecurities they held as children are still felt in the background.  Seth’s upbringing was the total opposite to Fliss his family were loving and open with each other.  Can the shared love of the sea and dogs bring the couple back together?  Will the warmth from the setting melt away Fliss’ barriers?  A gorgeous, heart stopping romance that I didn’t want to end.  5/5*

To find out more about Sarah Morgan and her books please visit the following pages:

Website:  http://sarahmorgan.com/

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

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/AuthorSarahMorgan

 

Summer at the Little Wedding Shop by Jane Linfoot book review

Summer at the Little Wedding Shop written by Jane Linfoot, publisher Harper Impulse, is available in ebook format from 18th May 2017 and in paperback on 29th June 2017.

To pre-order/buy link:

Product Details (as per amazon page)

The third book in the bestselling series, ‘The Little Wedding Shop by the Sea’.

When the owner of Brides by the Sea, Cornwall’s cutest little wedding shop, offers Lily a job as their new wedding stylist, her first thought is – can she possibly pull it off?

Before she’s even sourced a fairy light or tasted a cupcake, Kip Penryn hires her services – but he’s opened an exclusive wedding venue in direct competition to her friend Poppy!

Lily feels like a traitor working for Kip, only everyone knows Penryn men are gorgeous but unreliable. All she has to do is sit back and watch him mess it up…doesn’t she?

Love is in the Cornish sea breeze this summer as the girls tackle their busiest wedding season yet. There’s plenty of bunting, bubbly and baking – but who is going to catch the bouquet?

This is the third and final book in The Little Wedding Shop by the Sea series.  Each book can be read as a standalone but to fully appreciate all the characters and the storyline setting I would recommend reading them all in order as follows:

• The Little Wedding Shop by the Sea (you can find my review here)
• Christmas at the Little Wedding Shop (you can find my review here)
• Summer at the Little Wedding Shop

Jane Linfoot has created the most delightful and delicious book series.  I have simply fallen in love with the characters in each story and have drooled over the delicious sounding cakes that Poppy makes.  The stories leave you with a warm glow of happiness, hope and belief.  You want to grab the creativity, spark, charisma and love from each individual character and bottle it up to be released when you are in need of book comfort.

This story focuses on Lily, whose left with no self-confidence and her belief in marriage is non-existent following her failed marriage.  However, she’s returned to the Brides by the Sea shop in St Aiden’s Bay, Cornwall, her former workplace as a florist, to attend the wedding of one of her friends and former colleagues.

Love is in the air this Valentine’s Day with loved up couples proposing live on air on the local radio station.  Lily gets a shock when she listens to one of the happy couples; her own mother has just been proposed to!  Lily is furious and upset, her father died years ago but she is still devastated to hear her mother is moving on.

Lily loves being back with her friends at the wedding and her own woes of being single and now jobless are pushed to the back of her mind.  Lily soon catches the attention of two men; Fred a local builder and Kip one of the Penryn boys who she remembers from her childhood when the Penryn brothers spent each summer at their uncles’s mansion.  The Penryns were known as bad boys, unreliable with love them and leave them attitudes.  Kip was now living at his uncle’s mansion turning it into a wedding venue in direct opposition to her best friend Poppy’s venue of weddings at the farm with Rafe.

Lily if offered work as a stylist at the bridal emporium and she is soon in demand with weddings planned at both local venues.  With wedding wars amongst the brides to be and venue proprietors life gets a little complicated for Lily as she’s left working for both teams.  With mishaps and major bridezilla demands Lily and the girls at Brides by the Sea have just a few months to prepare and organise weddings for the summer season including their friend Immie and Lily’s mother.

This was such a gorgeously fun story.  I’d highly recommend this book series for all that love heart warming stories with lots of love and laughter.  The whole series read back to back would be a fantastic holiday treat.

To find out more about Jane Linfoot and her books please visit the following pages:

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

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

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

 

Breaking all the Rules by Rachael Richey book review

Breaking all the Rules written by Rachael Richey, publisher The Wild Rose Press, is available NOW in ebook and paperback format.

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Product Details (as per amazon page)

Kate is getting married in a month. Richard, her fiancé, is a lawyer: rich, successful, and very good-looking. She’s definitely in love with him. No doubt about that.

So when Sam, a good friend and her high school crush, returns after eight years of traveling, she doesn’t care. After all, he never actually asked her out, and then he went traveling without her, contrary to their plans. She only agrees to go to dinner with him in order to hear all his news, so why doesn’t she tell him she’s getting married? And is he still bothered by the tragedy eight years ago?

Sometimes life just gets too complicated, and Kate finds she keeps having Very Bad Ideas, which lead to even more complications. Just three days before her wedding, she finds herself in a situation that demands the biggest decision of her life.

Breaking all the Rules is the new standalone romcom from Rachael Richey.  I adored Rachael’s previous books and was a little worried with this new novel and that I’d be missing my favourite characters Gideon and Abi from Rachael’s The NightHawk series.  However, I needed no fear as I soon fell in love with the characters from this story, especially Sam and was captivated by the storyline.

The story is set in Devon and Kate is 3 weeks away from her wedding to lawyer Richard.  Kate and Richard have been dating 3 years and Kate was so happy when Richard proposed.  However, when Kate bumps into Sam Somerville her life is about to get a whole lot more complicated.  Sam was a good friend of Kate’s at school, secretly she had a massive crush on him.  However, tragedy struck and Sam escaped the country and went travelling.  It was led to believe that the reason Sam fled was due to his broken heart however, eight years on and he is back in the village wanting to catch up with Kate.  Tragic events in the past are brought to the surface which go some way to explain certain directions that were made one fateful night.

Kate is gobsmacked to see Sam and her heart soon starts fluttering and she is left with feelings of nostalgia.  Kate agrees to go for a catch up with him, as friends.  After this catch up Kate is left pondering whether she actually still loves her fiancé Richard.

We follow Kate on her contemplative three week journey leading up to her wedding.  Will her confused mind be clearer on the wedding day?

I loved this romcom.  It was full of fun with some wonderful wit and humour in the storyline.  There was a poignant side to the story full of miscommunicated feelings and it left you with thoughts of “what if.”  Funny, heartwarming and very readable.  A perfect read for fans of Lindsey Kelk, Carmen Reid, Helen Fielding and Sophie Kinsella.

To find out more about Rachael Richey please visit the following pages:

Website:  http://www.rachaelricheybooks.weebly.com/

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

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/RachaelRicheyAuthor

To Rome, With Love by TA Williams book review/blogtour

To Rome, With Love written by TA Williams, publisher HQ Digital, is available NOW in ebook format.

To buy link:

Product Details (as per amazon page)

A summer of second chances…

Just a week before her big day, Sarah returns home to find a note from her husband-to-be – the wedding’s off! So when her boss decides to send her on an epic cycling trip, from Venice to Rome, it seems like the perfect distraction…

Although she never expected the distraction to come in the form of her oh-so-handsome, but slightly serious, cycling companion, Miles. And with still 600 miles of beautiful scenery, mouthwatering food and delicious wine yet to cover, anything could happen!

I’m so pleased to be involved with the blogtour celebrating and promoting the launch of T A Williams latest novel, To Rome, With Love.

This was a really lovely story by T A Williams.  The author not only gave us a wonderful romantic tale with a journey of emotional enlightenment but we were also treated to an epic cycle ride through Italy.

Sarah works for one of the top tourist companies in the country, she was due to get married very soon but her no-good fiancé decides to unceremoniously call off the wedding the week before.  Sarah is devastated, as you can imagine, but life must go on and she has to step in and help host a charity bike ride through Italy.  Sarah is a keen cyclist and with her job she has organised many events in the past so has no worries about this task.  She is hoping the fortnight away from home and her broken heart she can reassess her future and make waves into healing some of the cracks in her personal life.

Sarah is joined on the trip by many other colleagues from the world of travel including Miles and Paul, sons of the owner of the travel company she works for.  Sarah starts to build up a rapport with the gents but is wary of her actions in front of them as they are due to take over the running of the business soon and she wants to make a good impression and keep things on a professional level.  However, the more she gets to know the older of the brothers, Miles, the more she is drawn to him.  Miles is definitely the brains behind the business but holds a grudge against his brother and secretly has his own personal heartache.  Will this journey surrounded by wonderful countryside with epic views and glorious food to tantalise your taste buds go some way to heal the hearts of two lost people?

I loved the mix of characters that went along on this charity cycle ride.  I particularly liked Glynis’ story, a character that was initially misinterpreted but at the end you felt so much respect for this lady.  I felt like the author, TA Williams, had done his research for this novel as there was so much detailed information about the scenic and historic sites along the journey.  I also could feel that TA Williams enjoyed telling us this story and sharing his love for the country, it’s food, culture and history and also his love of cycling.  I personally felt like the story ended abit abruptly and I wanted an epilogue but maybe I’m fussy and don’t like to say goodbye to the characters so soon.  A lovely romance that takes you on a picturesque, life changing journey.

To find out more about T A Williams please do visit the following pages:

Website:  http://www.tawilliamsbooks.com/

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

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/TrevorWilliamsBooks

Englishwoman in Manhattan by Jenny O’Brien book review

Englishwoman in Manhattan written and self-published by Jenny O’Brien is available in ebook format NOW.  The ebook is also included in the kindleunlimited scheme.

To buy link:

Product Details (as per amazon page)

Englishwoman in Manhattan, the stand alone follow-up to Englishwoman in Paris.
Recently widowed Lady Cara Bachmeire has moved away from Paris and the world she once knew to New York in order to escape from the past, a past where she’s lost her husband, her career and nearly her life. She wasn’t expecting much and certainly not the peace and sanctuary of Gramercy Park. Gramercy Park, Manhattan’s best kept secret with its precious keys very much in the style of The Secret Garden.
Lawyer Matti Bianchi, second generation Italian/American is also in possession of a key to Gramercy Park. He’s also in possession of a musically gifted daughter who attends the prestigious academy for gifted musicians, the same academy Lady Cara has run away to when her career is taken away from her. But that’s not all Matti is. He’s also working for an asset stripping company and the next building on the list to be stripped just happens to be Lady Cara’s estranged step-mother’s Manor House in Berkshire.
Can Lady Cara find love for a second time and what about her career as one of the most talented concert pianists of her generation? And what about Matti? Is he just what he seems or…

Lady Care Bachmeire is still grieving for her husband, it’s been two years since his untimely death.  She is also grieving for the life she had and the life she was promised.  The accident that took the life of her husbands has left Cara emotionally and physically scarred.  She is now working in New York as a music tutor in a private girl’s school.

Matti Bianchi is a single parent and lawyer in one of the most prestigious and cut-throat asset stripping firms in the city.  His teenage daughter has started teasing him about middle age spread and Matti starts jogging in Gramercy Park to appease his daughter.  Whilst back in his apartment that overlooks the park he spots a young woman with long auburn hair that he can’t help but be drawn to.  This young woman happens to be Cara and during a music performance at his daughter’s school he sees this mystery girl and makes the connection.

The school is running a trip to London with a select few of the girls and Evelyn, Matti’s daughter is invited.  As Matti has business in London he tags along with the school excursion. Cara and Matti are drawn together through mutual circumstances at first.  These moments give Matti time to get to know Cara but the pain from her past which is still evident is hard to conceal.

Cara is fighting with her emotions over Matti, is it too soon since her husband’s death to find and accept love again?  She is also fighting with her physical scars and what limitations it has left her with.  Can Cara place her belief in someone to help her with her scars both emotionally and physically?  Will Matti’s business involvement in London hinder his developing feelings for Cara?

This was a lovely story that was emotive with all the heart wrenching history from the characters still very evident.  It was also endearing, inspiring and romantic taking you on a journey of self-discovering, encouragement, lust and love.  Englishwoman in Manhattan is a standalone story in the ‘Englishwoman in’ series.  Characters from Englishwoman in Paris do crop up and to fully appreciate and enjoy the series I would encourage you to read both books in order.  You can find my review of an Englishwoman in Paris here.

To find out more about Jenny O’Brien please do visit the following pages:

Website:  http://www.jennyobrienwriter.wordpress.com/

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/JennyOBrienWriter/

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/ScribblerJB