Showing posts with label compassion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label compassion. Show all posts

Monday, 28 October 2019

BLOGTOUR: Notting Hill in the Snow - Jules Wake




It's mayhem in Bethlehem…unless they can work together!
Viola Smith plays the viola in an orchestra (yes really!), but this year she's been asked to stretch her musical talents to organising Notting Hill's local nativity.

Nate Williams isn't looking forward to Christmas but as his small daughter, Grace, has the starring role in the show, he's forced to stop being a Grinch and volunteer with Viola.
With the sparks between them hotter than the chestnuts roasting in Portobello market, Nate and Viola can't deny their feelings. And as the snow starts to fall over London, they find themselves trapped together in more ways than one…


My Review:
Genuinely, I am not sure anything I could write would do this beauty justice. I read it days ago (and have read a couple of books since) and I just can’t shake this book from my mind and my feelings. I have THE biggest book hangover from Notting Hill in the Snow.

I am such a huge fan of Jules Wake in every guise, I know that any time I open her books I will be transported to an amazing place with gorgeous characters who will imprint on my heart.  This book is not an exception, it will be one of my annual festive reads for sure, there is no way I can forget Viola, Nate and the adorable Grace.

Grace is the lynch pin that completely ties this story together; older than her years and so vulnerable, the relationship that develops between her and Viola is heart-warming to say the least. I enjoyed how that was the most prominent and important relationship – leaving the relationship with Nate as a complete slow burn. I wanted that to happen, don’t get me wrong but for me, what won my weary heart round was that lovely little girl finding someone she could truly rely on.

Jules writes such warm, cosy stories that are both full of emotion and amusing wit, with a patchwork of characters who will charm, some who will annoy and some who mean well but often miss the mark. Viola is a gorgeous leading lady; she’s a bit of a doormat at first and her family take advantage of her massively but as the book progressed and she got herself sorted I was cheering her on to stand up to them and say something. She is smart, funny and has an incredible heart.

Even though I had a sneaky feeling what may happen, I found it to be far more emotional that I anticipated, and I admit it nearly got me a little teary and that NEVER happens.
With a lot of really laugh out loud funny moments, gorgeous festive shenanigans and wonderfully developed relationships Jules Wake has given us something very special.


I couldn’t recommend this more if I tried. Absolutely wonderful. 



Purchase Links


Author Bio: 

Jules Wake announced at the age of ten that she planned to be a writer. Along the way she was diverted by the glamorous world of PR and worked on many luxury brands and not so luxury brands. This proved fabulous training for writing novels as it provided her with the opportunity to hone her writing and creative skills penning copy on a vast range of subjects from pig farming and watches, sunglasses and skincare through to beer and stationery. 
She writes best-selling warm-hearted contemporary fiction for One More Chapter as Jules Wake and under her pen name Julie Caplin, she writes the Romantic Escapes series. 
Between them, the two Js have written twelve novels, Notting Hill in the Snow being the latest.

Social Media Links –
Twitter: @Juleswake
Instagram: juleswakeauthor

Wednesday, 2 October 2019

One Day in Winter - Shari Low


About the book

On a cold December's morning...
Caro sets off to find the truth: has her relationship with her father been based on a lifetime of lies?
Cammy can't wait to surprise the woman he loves with a proposal. All he needs is the perfect ring.
Lila can no longer hide her secret. She has to tell her lover's wife about their affair.
After thirty years, Bernadette knows it's time. She's ready to leave her controlling husband... and never look back.
Over the course of twenty-four hours, four lives are about to change forever...



My Review:


A captivating story with themes built around trust, betrayal, family values and friendship. The story is told over the period of one day, which I found interesting and although at first, I thought the pace felt slow, it was setting the scene and building up what was to come! We have four characters that are seeming to go about their own lives but bit by bit we see how connected they are and how the smallest of actions can have farther reaching effects.

Whilst not all the main characters are exactly likable – Shari Low gives us circumstances that we can connect with and don’t we all love to hate some characters anyway!  I think many parts of One Day in Winter will be relatable for so many readers.
My advice is not to feel overwhelmed by the long list of characters at the beginning – they soon make themselves known and it is easy to follow. Bernadette is my favourite, out of everyone I wanted her to find the happiness she deserved.

This is an intense, emotional story but it does include many moments that gave me the odd chuckle. I was glad of the light and shade, it made it a book I became deeply engrossed with. I love a book that is deep and meaningful, Shari Low beautifully gives us that with this read.


As the stories develop there is no way you will be able to put this book down! A fantastic read – highly recommended. 



About the author


Shari Low is the No1 best-selling author of over 20 novels, including One Day In Winter, A Life Without You, The Story Of Our Life, With Or Without You, Another Day In Winter and her latest release, This Is Me

And because she likes to over-share toe-curling moments and hapless disasters, she is also the shameless mother behind a collection of parenthood memories called Because Mummy Said So. 

Once upon a time she met a guy, got engaged after a week, and twenty-something years later she lives near Glasgow with her husband, a labradoodle, and two teenagers who think she's fairly embarrassing except when they need a lift. 

Buy links: