Christmas by the Coast - Mandy Baggot

 

A Christmas romance set in the Hamptons. Can love letters from the past pave the way to a brand-new future between Harriet and ex-soldier Mack? 

As snowflakes fall, romance blossoms across open fires, ice skating rinks, and a tiki bar. Harriet Cookson knows exactly what she wants from life. She has a plan, she has ambition and she knows she has to keep busy. But when her beloved Nana Lorna passes away, Harriet has to put everything on hold as she flies out to the Hamptons to say goodbye and be with her Grandfather. Whilst across the Atlantic, over a plate of canapes, Harriet’s eyes connect with ex-soldier Mack's – the one that got away, the person she least expected to see – and everything begins to change. Mack is determined to win back Harriet’s heart, and prove to her that Christmas, and a future, in the Hamptons could be just what she’s looking for. He'll show her that the plan she’s so carefully cultivated might not be what she wants. This Christmas, find out if love letters from the past can pave the way to a brand-new future…

My review:

Fancy a festive trip to the Hamptons? Let Mandy Baggot take you there with ‘Christmas by the Coast.’

Harriet hasn’t been to visit her grandparents for a while when a tragic event means she must take the journey back to their Tiki Bar in Montauk. Whilst her reason for having to travel is sad, it was a real treat to hear about traditions for the festive season. It sounds so much fun, I’d love to experience them.

Whilst she is visiting and supporting her Grandfather again, fate plays it’s hand and when a blast from the past throws her life into turmoil, Harriet must take a look at what is most important to her and her dreams. Is Harriet ready to make big life changes?

Harriet’s boyfriend, Iain, isn’t the most endearing character you could meet, and in my opinion she could do so much better.

There are moments of sadness, grief, loss and despair but also moments of absolute joy, humour and happiness. It’s festive, romance and a story of self discovery all rolled into one. You will have all the warm and fuzzies with this read. Mandy Baggot never fails to whisk you away or give you a story full of heart and charm. With a cast of interesting and highly amusing characters, you will be laughing one minute, and feeling nostalgic for your own festive traditions the next.

An absolute treat and highly recommended. 

Purchase links:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3EcHITE

Waterstones: https://bit.ly/3pBJ6LF

About the Author:

Mandy Baggot is an international bestselling and award-winning romance writer.

The winner of the Innovation in Romantic Fiction award at the UK’s Festival of Romance, her romantic comedy novel, One Wish in Manhattan, was also shortlisted for the Romantic Novelists’ Association Romantic Comedy Novel of the Year award in 2016. Mandy’s books have so far been translated into German, Italian, Czech and Hungarian.

Mandy loves the Greek island of Corfu, white wine, country music and handbags. Also a singer, she has taken part in ITV1’s Who Dares Sings and The X-Factor. Mandy lives near Salisbury, Wiltshire, UK with her husband and two daughters.

Follow Mandy:

Twitter: @mandybaggot

Facebook: @mandybaggotauthor  

Instagram: mandybaggot

#ChristmasByTheCoast

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Summer Kisses at Mermaids Point - Sarah Bennett

 

‘Delightfully romantic and touching.’ Phillipa Ashley

Laurie Morgan runs a café in the small seaside community of Mermaids Point, named after the beauties rumoured to live in the waters a few miles off the top of the point. When a hazy image is posted online of what appears to be a mermaid, the café and the village are soon full to bursting with curious sightseers. 

The most eye-catching of the new arrivals is handsome author, Jake Smith, who has rented a cottage for the summer while he works on his new book. Or so he says. In fact, he is a journalist, burned out and disillusioned with life, whose editor has sent him on a crack-pot hunt for mermaids...

Jake quickly finds himself drawn to village life, and to the gorgeous woman who runs the local café. But he soon suspects there’s trouble lurking beneath the idyllic façade, and when it looks like Laurie’s family might be involved, Jake faces a difficult choice. Pursue the truth, or protect the woman he’s beginning to fall in love with…

Warm, escapist, feel-good and altogether brilliant story-telling from bestselling author Sarah Bennett. Perfect for all fans of Trisha Ashley and Milly Johnson.

Purchase Link - https://amzn.to/2Lokynf

My Review:

I love books that involve cute cafes, seaside communities and a little bit of romance. This first in a new series by Sarah Bennett has really got me hooked and already looking forward to more.

A perfect read for a couple of hours light relief and escape. Mermaids Point sounds like a brilliant community and a picturesque seaside town, would be lovely if we could visit and spot some mermaids for ourselves.

Here we have Jake, a burned-out journalist that finds himself in Mermaids Point following the story of recent mermaid sightings. It’s a definite change of pace for him and he isn’t exactly upfront about his reasons for being there.

Laurie runs the local café and is keen for trade to pick up. She’s had her heartbroken so is focusing her attention on the business and supporting her family. When Jake and Laurie meet there is an instant attraction, but will their pasts come back to ruin any chance of romance? How will Laurie feel when she discovers the truth about Jake’s stay.

In this will they/won’t they romance, there is fun and laughter alongside mystery and intrigue -thanks to a couple of possible mermaid sightings.  

Nicely paced and a brilliant writing style meant I flew through this book in one indulgently lazy sitting. I was swept up in the lives of the characters. I am really pleased there will be chance to go back to Mermaids Point, and I hope we get to see a few of these characters again and catch up with how things are.

Fans of Sarah will love this latest release, if this is the first time you have read anything by this author I highly recommend her other book series. 

Author Bio:

Sarah Bennett is the bestselling author of several romantic fiction trilogies including those set in Butterfly Cove and Lavender Bay. Born and raised in a military family she is happily married to her own Officer and when not reading or writing enjoys sailing the high seas. The first book in her new Mermaids Point trilogy for Boldwood will be published in Spring 2021. 

Social Media Links:

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Sarahlou_writes

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

Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/sarah-bennett-b4a48ebb-a5c3-4c39-b59a-09aa91dc7cfa

The Spark - Jules Wake

 

Jess is falling for Sam.

Sam is falling for Jess.

But it seems life will do whatever it takes to make them fall apart.

When Jess and Sam lock eyes at a party, a spark ignites. The spark. But love at first sight isn’t like the movies, especially when Sam’s ex, Victoria, is determined to make their honeymoon period a living hell.

Is love at first sight enough?

My Review:
A fantastically emotive book. I was engrossed from the moment I started in reading. I loved the connection between the lead characters, the instant spark between them was almost jumping from the page, it was evident to see how much these characters were drawn to each other yet were still both trying to do the "right" thing whilst also following their own happiness.

I liked Jess; a gutsy girl who had experienced a lot but used that to her advantage in many ways. She did absolutely nothing wrong yet was seen as a baddie by some. She was careful, delicate and sensitive yet determined and passionate. I really liked her relationship with her Aunt and Uncle, although the struggle with her Mum was very clear and almost awkward to read.

Sam sounds like a dream guy who tried to do the best for everyone. I think he sounds brilliant and I loved the relationship between him and Jess, it was clear they should be the perfect couple.

On the face of it a simple, romantic tale of meeting your soul mate and doing what is needed to be together but again Jules Wake delivers something with layers of complexity and showing the fragility of perception in relationships. Families and memories can be something different from what we think we know.

I adore all books from Jules, her ability to take us into her characters world is outstanding. I was consumed by The Spark and I read it in a few glorious hours one Saturday afternoon. Brilliant.

Purchase Links

🇬🇧 amzn.to/36wkD0N
🌎 mybook.to/TheSparkJW

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 and not so luxury brands. This proved fabulous training for writing novels as it provided her with the opportunity to hone her creative writing skills.

She writes best-selling warm-hearted romantic contemporary fiction for One More Chapter as Jules Wake and was shortlisted for Romantic Novel of the Year 2019 with Notting Hill in the Snow.

Under her pen name Julie Caplin, she also writes the warm and witty Romantic Escapes series. 

Between them, the two Js have written sixteen novels, The Spark being the latest.

Social Media Links:

Twitter: @Juleswake

https://www.facebook.com/juleswakewrites/

Instagram: juleswakeauthor

Dear Emmie Blue - Lia Louis

“A delightful story about how the things we imagine to be best for us usually aren’t. The reason you will love Dear Emmie Blue is because you’ve probably *lived* Dear Emmie Blue, in some small part of your own journey to adulthood.” —Jodi Picoult, #1 New York Times bestselling author

In this charming and poignant novel, teenager Emmie Blue releases a balloon with her email address and a big secret into the sky, only to fall head-over-heels for the boy who finds it; now, fourteen years later, the one thing Emmie has been counting on is gone for good, and everything she planned is up in the air.

Emmie Blue is about to learn everything she thinks she knows about life (and love) is just that: what she thinks she knows. Is there such thing as meant to be? Or is it true when they say that life is what happens when you are busy making other plans? A story filled with heart and humor, Dear Emmie Blue is perfect for fans of Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine and Evvie Drake Starts Over.

My Review: 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher and I am so thankful I did. What a gorgeous read. To my detriment I had not read the authors debut book so I went in with anticipation. By the end of that first chapter I knew I would love it and that Emmie would be a character I take to my heart.

Emmie is the kind of character I would imagine being friends with, she puts her all into friendships and relationships of all kind, she has heart and spirit even if life hasn’t always been that kind. I think all the characters are well written and love how they change and develop throughout the book – the ones I thought wouldn’t be good turned out great and the ones I had all my hopes pinned on didn’t really become the characters I initially thought.  

Rosie and Fox are the fun characters bringing some light and perspective for her. I loved their relationship from the start, they are really good friends to Emmie and provide some lovely comedic moments.

It is beautifully written and I sat for hours taking in every page. I could not put it down, wanting to see Emmies journey through and discover that her ending would be.

I think we all have sent secret messages out into the world at some point, haven’t we? Notes on balloons or messages in bottles? What a cute, simple start to this story but a truly significant symbol of following your destiny and that things may happen for a reason.

I loved this one, it’s emotional, endearing and a rollercoaster ride of opinion. An absolute delight of a read that I am so grateful for getting the opportunity to read.

One that will not disappoint. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Purchase here.

One Day in December - Josie Silver

Available on Amazon here 

Goodreads Blurb: A love story about what happens after you meet, or rather, don't meet the one. Laurie is pretty sure love at first sight doesn't exist.But then, through a misted-up bus window one snowy December day, she sees a man who she knows instantly is the one. Their eyes meet, there's a moment of pure magic...and then her bus drives away.

Assured they're fated to find each other again, Laurie spends a year searching for him. She doesn't find him, not when it matters anyway. Instead they "reunite" at a Christmas party, when her best friend introduces her new boyfriend, Jack. 

What follows is ten years of friendship, heartbreak, missed opportunities, roads not taken, and destinies reconsidered.

Review:

One Day in December is one of those books that you start and within a couple of chapters you know you will not be putting it down - not for anything! The further into the book I read, the more involved I got and there was just no way I would, or could,  stop until the very last word.   

The story of Laurie and those she loves is engaging, frustrating yet heartwarming. You can identify the many ways one person can love and be loved - evident through the different relationships developed in this story. If you haven't had one 100% true love yet, or you have had several, if you have lost love or those that you love - you will identify with Laurie at some point in this book and that's what makes it utterly fantastic and will appeal to so many. This is not your typical love story; it isn't as simple as girl meets boy, they fall in love, something happens to break them but within a couple of chapters the book ends with them reconciled. One Day in December is full of love, all consuming and life-changing love but broken down with an interwoven tale of angst, heart break and loss.

I enjoyed the characters and though the focus is really on the situations they put themselves in, the characters are relatable and interesting, with none really pushing my buttons and annoying me like some can in other books. You grow with these characters, the time span of the story is over a decade - an emotional rollercoaster from the perspectives of Laurie and Jack.  You are given their inner most thoughts and feelings and entrusted with their heartbreaking secrets; you know they care deeply for each other as well as the other characters. 

Josie Silver balances angsty, emotional story lines with scenes of humour and light; some quirky moments alongside the ones that have you reaching for the tissues. It's a fairly short read, but it is perfect for a cold day in December; you can get cosy and enjoy the book.

I was happy with how the book ended, but I think I wanted more. I'm only being greedy (often happens when I enjoy a book)... I felt that I had come so far with the characters so the ending just wasn't quite enough , I longed to know how it all worked out - maybe fast forward a year and be given an epilogue of sorts. Maybe it's been left open for a return visit to these characters in the future?

"You tread lightly through life, but you leave deep footprints that are hard for other people to fill.

Thank you Josie Silver for giving us such a gorgeous book, full of heart and soul. I loved reading every word. It was emotional and definitely gave me moments where I could reflect on my own life and events within it that enabled a strong connection with the main character that I haven't had in many books this year. It is no surprise that Reece Witherspoons book club pick for December is One Day in December. It's truly deserved and I can only throw in my support and recommend this as one you definitely need to read.

Comfy Rating: 👍👍👍👍👍