Hard Times For The East End Library Girls - Patricia McBride

 

As the war hits London, they’ll band together…

War strikes close to home for chief librarian Cordelia when her flat is bombed, and her beloved Robert is called up and sent abroad. Fortunately, her colleagues Mavis and Jane can help see her through hard times.

The three friends find purpose in making the Silvertown library a friendly sanctuary for their deprived and devastated community. But sinister forces, from callous bureaucrats to crafty criminals, still lurk among the stacks. Worse, Jane’s soldier husband is injured and suffers both physically and mentally.

With so many struggles Cordelia and her friends might need more than books to survive war's shadow. Can they find light in the darkness?

A captivating tale of resilience and determination, perfect for fans of Lizzie Lane, Elaine Roberts and Lesley Eames

 

My Review:

Having thoroughly enjoyed the first book of the series, I had been looking forward to this next instalment.

Whilst I love the characters, their spirit and the storylines; I enjoy how we learn more about life in the East end at the worst of times, enjoy is possibly the wrong word but this period fascinates me and no matter how much you read of the atrocities and how awful things were, you cannot helped but be moved by reading stories depicting how peoples lives were affected.

The book takes us through a year; and we see just how important the library was within the community. The characters are all brilliant, I love how they are so different but compliment each other. Each has their story to tell but are so dedicated their jobs. We have a fourth member of staff this time around, Tom, who is a welcome addition to the team. Whilst the concerns about his beliefs worry some, he is a great asset to the library and proves this time and time again.

Patricia McBride has created characters we truly care about and has delicately balanced the devastation and difficulties, written with great care, with heartfelt moments.

A brilliant read, and the fact it only spans one year gives me hope for further books in the series. I shall look forward to seeing the characters again and learning more about East End spirit. 

Purchase Link - https://mybook.to/hardtimeseastendsocial

Author Bio:

Patricia McBride is an author of heartwarming World War II sagas featuring fierce female friendships. She resides in Cambridge, England with her husband. When not writing, Patricia enjoys curling up with a cup of tea and books about strong woman in war time. Patricia's latest series follows the adventures of three librarians living and working in London's impoverished East End during the Blitz. The first book, The Library Girls of the East End, introduces posh Lady Cordelia Carmichael, bold Mavis and more timid Jane. Despite their differences, the three band together to keep their beloved library running amidst food rationing, air raids, and family troubles. And of course, romance.

Social Media Links

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Making Memories at the Cornish Cove - Kim Nash

 

Making Memories at the Cornish Cove

It’s never too late…

After five husbands and five broken hearts, Lydia feels like she’s always been chasing something. But now she’s found her purpose, and having moved to Driftwood Bay to spend more time with her daughter Meredith, she’s happier than ever. 

But there’s still life in these old bones yet! With her newfound sense of identity, she’s keen to re-explore the things that made her happy as a younger person. Lydia’s passion was dancing – she used to compete in her younger years, and there’s no place she’s more at home than on the dancefloor. 

So when widower and antiques restorer Martin tells her about a big dance competition, she’s ready and raring to bring more joy into her life. But while making memories with Martin, the more she realises that both of their hearts need restoring too...

Purchase Link - https://mybook.to/memoriescornishsocial

My Review: 

The third book in the Cornish Cove series, and what a great return to Driftwood Bay. Whilst each can be read as a standalone, I highly recommend reading all in this series, you will enjoy getting to learn about this wonderful community and the variety of interesting, interconnected characters that provide such interesting stories.

Kim Nash has created one of those wonderful, fictional places where I would love to visit (and lets face it, I’d want some rom-com style romance that would mean I stay forever!)

This book focuses on Lydia, a five times married woman in advancing years, who is keen to build a better relationship with her daughter, Meredith. She is looking to find herself, a version of herself that doesn’t need a man or the complication of romance.

Opportunities arise that help her reconnect with passions from her past, dancing. She could have made something of her talent, but life got in the way. Being in Driftwood Bay and the memories being unearthed whilst reconnecting with Meredith provides a chance to relive her youth and enter a dancing competition with Clems Dad and local repairer, and friend, Martin. With a new friend next door, Dianne, providing some light relief and support, Lydia’s time in Driftwood Bay is going well until an accident threatens to ruin everything.

Serious issues are threaded throughout the story but it’s feel-good, heartfelt and a wonderful read. I love Lydia’s character now – at one time I wasn’t that fond of the impression we got of her if I’m honest, so I’m pleased this book changed that.

A book that made me laugh, made me feel emotional and hopeful for all characters; it’s lovely to see how characters are getting on despite it being Lydias story.

Highly recommended! 

Author Bio:

Kim Nash is an author of uplifting, funny, heartwarming, romantic, feel-good fiction and has wanted to write books since she was a little girl. The Cornish Cove series is set in the fictional seaside village of Driftwood Bay in Cornwall and is published by Boldwood Books. She lives in Staffordshire with her son Ollie and English Setter rescue dog Roni, is Digital Publicity Director for publisher Bookouture (a division of Hachette UK) and is a book blogger.

Social Media Links –  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kim.nash.10

Twitter https://twitter.com/KimTheBookworm

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

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Summer at the Santorini Bookshop - Rebecca Raisin

 

A Greek island holiday. A fake-dating pact. A chance at true love?

After losing her job as a book scout, hopeless romantic Evie needs a fresh start. So when she hears that her eccentric grandmother has just taken on a small bookshop in Santorini, Evie jumps at the chance to visit her.

But life on the island is not as idyllic as it first seems. Gran has a tempestuous relationship with her landlord and he’s threatening to take the bookshop away from her. So when Gran asks Evie to fake a romance with her landlord’s Greek God of a grandson, Georgios, to keep the family on side, she reluctantly agrees.

As the sun sets on Evie’s Greek holiday, can she save the bookshop – and fake date her way to love?

Purchase Links

US: amzn.to/40rvToW

UK: amzn.to/3u4QJOY

Aust: amzn.to/3QOc6x1

My Review:

Sunshine, books, a dreamy love interest? What more could any book lover need – Summer at the Santorini Bookshop is a brilliant way of escaping the not-so-great weather here.

Rebecca Raisin always gives us a great read, brilliant characters and excellent settings and this one couldn’t sound more idyllic. I loved the descriptions of the bookshop, the characters are funny but also relatable in many ways. The bookshop sounds like my perfect holiday destination!

Evie suddenly finds herself at a loose end when she loses her job and so is sent to keep an eye on her Gran, who is on husband number nine and a cause for concern (to Evie’s Mum and sister). Evie finds herself in quite the situation as soon as she arrives and is determined to do all it takes to support her Gran – even if that means getting close to Georgios (the landlords grandson).

With some ups and downs, can Evie keep her Grans antics from her Mum as well as make the bookshop a success and keep Georgios onside whilst also figuring out what she actually wants to do next.

There are some really funny moments, the man with the donkey, the rescue dogs, the subtle hints about what happens to each husband.

Funny, heartwarming and entertaining. Perfect read for this summer, whether on a glorious beach or from a comfy chair!

 Author Bio:

 Rebecca Raisin writes heartwarming romance from her home in sunny Perth, Australia. Her heroines tend to be on the quirky side and her books are usually set in exotic locations so her readers can armchair travel any day of the week. The only downfall about writing about gorgeous heroes who have brains as well as brawn, is falling in love with them – just as well they’re fictional. Rebecca aims to write characters you can see yourself being friends with. People with big hearts who care about relationships and believe in true, once in a lifetime love. Her bestselling novel Rosie’s Travelling Tea Shop has been optioned for film with MRC studios and Frolic Media.

Social Media Links –

https://www.facebook.com/RebeccaRaisinAuthor

www.twitter.com/jaxandwillsmum

https://www.instagram.com/rebeccaraisinwrites2/

https://signup.harpercollins.co.uk/join/signup-hq-rebeccaraisin

Finding Friends at the Cornish Country Hospital - Jo Bartlett

 

A fresh beginning…

Esther Hamilton, is finally finding her feet after her split with her horrible ex, and is looking forward to her new single life. She has a job she loves in the busy Accident and Emergency department, a new home and for the first time ever, a chance to just have fun with her good friends. Love is very much off the cards…

An old friend…

Until the arrival of Joe Carter – the brother of Esther’s best friend, Danni. Joe is also newly single and still as gorgeous as ever, but Esther can’t lose her heart to Joe. If it all went wrong, she’d lose two of her best friends.

A second chance at love?

But working together over a troubled patient, the connection between them is undeniable. And when Esther's parents' marriage hits trouble, Joe is there for her, offering her support, and Esther knows she's fallen hard.

Are they brave enough to take a risk on love, or are they destined to remain friends forever?

Purchase Link - https://mybook.to/friendshospitalsocial

My Review:

As a fully fledged fan of Jo Bartlett books, I couldn’t wait to return to The Cornish Country Hospital for the second book in her latest series. Whist I am a lover of reading a series in order where possible, you could happily read this as a standalone ( I do recommend all books by Jo anyway though!)

This time we focus on Esther and how she is coping following her recent break up from (the awful) cheating Lucas. As she is Danni’s best friend we also get to see how her romance with Charlie is progressing from the first book in the series.

I love Esther’s characters, I did in book one and even more so now. She’s lucky to be near family, but doesn’t necessarily see that things are not exactly rosy there either. Caroline, Esther’s Mum, was looking forward to having a fun filled retirement with her husband, but he no longer seems bothered by her or anything she tries to do.

We also meet Joe, Danni’s brother, who sounds swoon worthy in every way. He and Esther have always got along but Esther has always fancied him, could a close friendship be in jeopardy if romance takes hold?

Fantastic, as always. I loved finding out more about each character, they have ups and downs, things aren’t smooth sailing for anyone. A traumatic event brings Esther and Joe closer together, but in her eagerness to help others Esther also puts herself at risk.

A engaging story about friendship, kindness and being there for those you love. Things are not always going to be simple but with some support you can make your way through any difficulty. It has brilliant storylines, drama, tension, romance as well as humour at times (Good old Gwen!)

I really like this new hospital setting and look forward to reading what’s next. 

Author Bio:

Jo Bartlett was born a stone’s throw from the English Channel and still lives near the sea in Kent. Jo has had numerous bestsellers in the UK, Australia and Canada, including a UK Top 10. Since joining Boldwood Books in 2021, Jo has had a further eight bestselling novels in The Cornish Midwife series.

Social Media Links:

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/J_B_Writer 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jo_bartlett123/

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BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jo-bartlett

The Clarks Factory Girls at War - May Ellis

 

Can love blossom in times of trouble?

Life-long friends Louisa, Jeannie and Kate are following in the footsteps of their families, working at the Clarks shoe factory.

But when Britain declares war on Germany, the Somerset village of Street is shaken to its core. The Clarks factory is at the heart of life in the village, but the Clark family are Quakers and pacifists. Before long, there are fierce debates amongst the workers and tensions between those who oppose the war and those who believe the village men should go to fight.

Each of the girls must decide her own position but as brothers and sweethearts leave for France, Louisa is relieved that her sweetheart Mattie, a Quaker, who won’t be signing up. But she’ll soon find that they face fierce opposition at home as well as across the Channel.

Will the girls’ friendship be enough to keep them together, as everything around them falls apart?

A heartwarming and gripping new saga series perfect for fans of Elaine Everest and Rosie Clarke.

Purchase Link - https://mybook.to/clarksfactorysocial

My Review:

As a fan of a good historical saga, especially set around war times, I was intrigued by this especially as I haven’t read anything from this author before.

I have to admit, even with as much reading as I do, and being a history fan, I had limited knowledge of the Quakers (Friends) and their ideas around war (life). I love reading a story that gives me something to learn as well as entertaining.

Clarks is such a well known name, this was also something that had grabbed my attention initially. Reading about the community it created within the workplace, and the wider area was also interesting even though the characters are fictional.

At first, I struggled with the book, I found it a little slow going but it did pick up pace as it progressed. The characters are nice and likeable. Louisa, Jeannie, and Kate become firm friends through their work despite coming from different backgrounds.

There are many strands to the storyline, and as this is the first in a series, I presume we will see how each develop over the coming books.

A historical glimpse into factory and community life at this time, it references believes and ideas at the time which may surprise readers to learn, highlighting the issues with inequalities in gender, age, religious beliefs etc.

An interesting start to this series!

Author Bio:

Alison lives in Somerset, within sight of Glastonbury Tor, volunteering at her local library and for the Alfred Gillett Trust (custodians of the Clark’s archives). Her first book, a contemporary romance, was published in 2014. Since then she has had five more novels published, including another romance and a YA time travel adventure. Her current series, based on the factory workers at Clark’s Shoes was inspired by her move to the area and her love of social history (and the treasure trove in the archives!).

Social Media Links –  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alison.knight.942

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Alison_Knight59

Lean On Me - Beth Moran

 

Lean On Me

From No. 1 bestselling author Beth Moran comes a story about family, friendship and community.

As Faith tries on her future mother-in-law’s wedding dress in preparation for her own wedding, her tears are not of joy. The hideous frock is nicknamed ‘The Ghost Web’ by Faith’s best friend Marilyn, who can’t understand why Faith would even consider wearing it. But there’s a lot Marilyn doesn’t know about Faith – not the least of which is that Faith is just the latest of the names she has called herself.

Faith and her brother Sam survived a traumatic childhood which included having to change their names to hide from the past, but surviving has left scars. Faith’s generous fiancé Perry doesn’t just promise to be a partner, he offers freedom and security, and enough kindness to keep Faith squashing down any doubts on what ‘being in love’ really means.

It’s not until she meets an extraordinary group of women at the Grace Chapel choir, that things start to become crystal clear. As choir-leader extraordinaire, the indomitable Hester, holds a mirror up to her ragtag group of singers, all with their own burdens and insecurities, and teaches them to see how magnificent they are, so Faith can dare to dream of a future where she and Sam can stop running and she might even be ready to accept the love that she deserves.

Number 1 bestselling author Beth Moran is back with her trademark ingredients of wisdom and warmth, heartbreak and hearts soaring. Perfect for fans of Jill Mansell, Philippa Ashley and Jenny Colgan.

Purchase Link - https://mybook.to/leanonmesocial

My Review:

I have enjoyed Beth Moran’s books previously; all have been well written, interesting, and often culminate in a story with deep, meaningful themes alongside moments of light relief. Quite a combination to pull together but Beth Moran does so successfully every time. Also helps they are set locally too. 

Lean on Me was a good read, interesting characters, descriptive settings that really triggered my imagination.

Faith’s history was tough to learn about, so much hurt and pain, coupled with the difficulties and support she needed to provide for her brother. No wonder she sought out stability, someone that could be solid and dependable. I enjoyed her friendship with Marilyn – everyone needs a Marilyn – but also the blossoming friendships formed via the choir; for me that was the best part of the story, more so than any romantic element. Everyone in the choir was in need of something, some support or a way of empowering themselves and together as a unit they discovered was the best way of doing that.

There are some awfully sad times within this story which I don’t think I was prepared for but there are some funny, lighter hearted moments thanks to the choir’s antics that provide some balance.

Including themes of addiction, abuse and violence, this is book that explores types of relationships, family we have and family we choose, it incorporates grief, love and being true to yourself.

An eye opening, heartachingly difficult read that will take you through many emotions. Would recommend! 

Author Bio:

Beth Moran initially worked as a biochemist and then taught antenatal classes before becoming an author. She loves to write contemporary women’s fiction set in and around Sherwood Forest, where she lives with her family.

Social Media Links:

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bethcmoran

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

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/BethMoranNews 

Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/beth-moran

Can You Keep a Secret? - Jo Lovett

 

One New Year’s Eve, Georgie James and her friends come up with a genius plan to help them stick to their resolutions… They all write down secrets, seal them in envelopes and then post them to each other. The secrets will be revealed at the end of the year if they haven’t kept their resolutions.

It’s perfect. Except…

Georgie's secret is BIG... and revealing it could destroy their friendships. She has no idea why she chose that one to write down. There are plenty of innocent things she could have said – even admitting she finds newcomer Raf incredibly annoying would have been better.

What she does know is that there’s no way she can let her secret be revealed. Which means she needs to keep her (nightmare) resolutions and, most importantly, get her envelope back before anyone can open it. Which, given she sent her secret to Raf, means spending a lot more time with him than she’d choose to...

A heartwarming romantic comedy for fans of Beth O’Leary and Mhairi McFarlane

Purchase Link - https://mybook.to/keepasecretsocial

My Review:

Can you keep a secret? By Jo Lovett was entertaining and a thoroughly enjoyable read. It includes secrets& lies obviously, but is a story of second chances, righting wrongs, fixing friendship issues and romance – whether that is rekindling it or starting something new.

A drunken plan to share secrets as an incentive to complete resolutions leads to a lot of drama; shocking secrets are out there that could have damaging repercussions. Georgie regrets writing her secret down and sets about getting it back no matter what, she knows it can change the lives of many of those she holds dear. Her plan is to get close to Raf and retrieve it but as with most things, secrets will have a way of coming out no matter what.

I enjoyed the storyline, found it to be original and entertaining. The characters are interesting, each bringing something different to the story. It is emotional at times, I felt for Poppy especially – she has a lot of information to take in at a time where she is struggling herself. I was desperate to see a happy resolution for all but especially for her.

Romance is never far away and it was nice to see Georgie find someone who could put her first for once.

A light hearted, read that entertains and surprises. I didn’t know what to expect but was pleasantly surprised. Would recommend for those who are fans of a rom-com. 

Author Bio:

Jo Lovett writes heart-warming, feel-good romcoms. Her latest book, Another Time, Another Place, published by Boldwood, was released in August 2023. Jo was runner-up in the Good Housekeeping/ Orion First Novel Competition 2018 and shortlisted for the Comedy Women in Print Award 2019.

Social Media Links:  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100067294912972

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoLovettWrites

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Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jo-lovett