Always And Forever At Glendale Hall - Victoria Walters

 

What if we’re all just searching for something?

Anna Stewart is lost. After barely surviving a car accident as a teenager, Anna is scared of settling. Flitting between jobs, boyfriends and homes whenever she gets bored, she has no idea what the future holds. Then her brother Brodie, minister of Glendale, suggests she moves to the beautiful Scottish village, lining up a housekeeper job for her at Glendale Hall.

Out of options, Anna agrees to the move, knowing that she can always run away again. Once at the hall, her culinary skills impress everyone, and she agrees to give Hilltop Farm’s new manager, Cameron, cooking lessons. Sparks fly between Anna and the handsome Scot, but Cameron is looking for love - something that Anna definitely isn’t.

But it's wedding season at Glendale Hall, and Anna is about to discover that her new home has a way of working its magic on even the coldest of hearts. Will she really be able to just walk away, or could Anna have finally found a place to belong?

It’s summertime in the beautiful Highlands village of Glendale – pack your bags and come on holiday with this gorgeously uplifting, romantic read. Fans of Milly Johnson, Heidi Swain and Holly Martin will love this charming romcom.

Purchase Links:

AMZ: https://amzn.to/31xhdY0

Kobo: https://bit.ly/3sCeDf8

Apple: https://apple.co/2PJNQi9

My Review:

This is one of my favourite series, and a definite go -to author for me. This is the fourth instalment in the Glendale Hall series and wow, what a smasher! The whole series of books are warm and cosy, returning feels like going back to old friends and being welcomed back in a big comfortable embrace. The books have a strong sense of community, friendship and looking out for those who need extra help or support. You can read this book as a standalone but I highly recommend you do catch up with the others too.

Each book focuses on a different ‘main’ character and this time we meet Anna. A traumatic event in her younger years has scarred her for life, mentally and she doesn’t feel worthy of anything good or that she can deserve a normal life. She is afraid to get close to people, pushing them away and keeping herself at a distance. When things go wrong, she is out of options so contacts her brother – a familiar face for those who have read the previous books – and soon finds herself heading to Glendale Hall to be the housekeeper. Although Anna is adamant this is only temporary, will being around family, a loving community and the connection with the quiet, equally distant Cameron change her perspective and her future plans?

A story about self discovery, self worth and allowing yourself to let go of the past. I adored this book, as I knew I would. Anna is an interesting character who did frustrate me as I could see the good in her, I understood why she felt that way but just wished she could see the potential. I was relieved when she started opening up and talking about things, it seemed that a weight had been lifted from her.

Cameron is a great character and so well suited to her, they both are injured souls but both can help the other.

Victoria writes so well, the story unfolds at a nice pace, and I enjoy that we get to catch up with the character we know and love. A cosy, heart warming read, great to spend a few hours in the sunshine and dreaming of being in Scotland.

I hope there is another visit, I can’t wait to see what more is in store!

Author Bio:

Victoria Walters writes up-lifting and inspiring stories. She's the author of three novels, THE SECOND LOVE OF MY LIFE, SUMMER AT THE KINDNESS CAFÉ, and COMING HOME TO GLENDALE HALL. She has been chosen for WHSmith Fresh Talent and shortlisted for an RNA award. Victoria was also picked as an Amazon Rising Star, and her books have won wide reader acclaim.

Victoria is a full-time author. She lives in Surrey with her cat Harry, and loves books, clothes, music, going out for tea and cake, and posting photos on Instagram.

Find out more about Victoria by following on Instagram at @vickyjwalters, on Twitter at @Vicky_Walters or by visiting her blog at:https://victoria-writes.com/.

The Summer Island Swap - Samantha Tonge

About the book

Sometimes the best holidays are the ones you least expect...

After a long and turbulent year, Sarah is dreaming of the five-star getaway her sister has booked them on. White sands, cocktails, massages, the Caribbean is calling to them.

But the sisters turn up to tatty beaches, basic wooden shacks, a compost toilet and outdoor cold water showers. It turns out that at the last minute Amy decided a conservation project would be much more fun than a luxury resort.

So now Sarah's battling mosquitos, trying to stomach fish soup and praying for a swift escape. Life on a desert island though isn't all doom and gloom. They're at one with nature, learning about each other and making new friends. And Sarah is distracted by the dishy, yet incredibly moody, island leader she's sure is hiding a secret.

Perfect for fans of Holly Martin, Mandy Baggot and Heidi Swain.

My Review:


Summer Island Swap is an easy to read story about Sarah, who is dreaming of the perfect relaxing get-away with her sister. In a twist, she is not going on the all-inclusive, glamourous getaway but instead she is on a conservation trip for the whole month (her sister secretly swapped trips before they were set to go

Will Sarah stick at it or will she decide that it really isn’t her thing and head home?

I have to admit, it took me a good while to get into this one… I found it a bit slow at first but once we really got into the project on the island, I was all in. To be honest I was angry for Sarah and would have been fully supportive if she’d had upped and left, by the end though I was so glad she stays to suffer it out.

With a whole cast of interesting characters, all with their own wonderful backgrounds and story, you will laugh out loud, by sympathetic and even be annoyed by people at various parts of the story. Keep an eye out for the fantastic, fun and entertaining Chatty though – my favourite character.

The Summer Island Swap is a sweet book to read and was enjoyable, I definitely saw things from a new point of view. It’s well written and had me dreaming of the next time I can go on holiday!

About the Author

Samantha Tonge lives in Manchester UK with her husband and children. She studied

German and French at university and has worked abroad, including a stint at Disneyland Paris. She has travelled widely.
When not writing she passes her days cycling, baking and drinking coffee. Samantha has sold many dozens of short stories to women's magazines. 
She is represented by the Darley Anderson literary agency. In 2013, she landed a publishing deal for romantic comedy fiction with HQDigital at HarperCollins and in 2014, her bestselling debut, Doubting Abbey, was shortlisted for the Festival of Romantic Fiction best Ebook award. In 2015 her summer novel, Game of Scones, hit #5 in the UK Kindle chart and won the Love Stories Awards Best Romantic Ebook category. In 2018 Forgive Me Not, heralded a new direction into darker women's fiction with publisher Canelo. In 2019 she was shortlisted for the Romantic Novelists' Association romantic comedy award

Follow Samantha

Website: http://samanthatonge.co.uk/

Twitter: @SamTongeWriter

Facebook: @SamanthaTongeAuthor

Buy links:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2AklZNU

Kobo: https://bit.ly/333XuPn

Google Play: https://bit.ly/2IuyI1q

BLOGTOUR - Victory for the East End Angels - Rosie Hendry

Victory for the East End Angels

The war is almost over - and it's up to the East End Angels to keep the home fires burning!

Frankie's fiance, a doctor, is away looking after the troops in Europe - will he return safely home?

Winnie has a happy secret - but can she carry on at Station 75 when she's going to have a baby?

Bella is intrigued by her new friend, a Polish airman.

As the war ends and victory is in sight, what next for the girls of Station 75?

A gorgeously uplifting saga for fans of Ellie Dean and Donna Douglas

My review:

What a charming tale of spirited, strong and determined women doing their best through the trying circumstances of the end of the war.

I read this book having not read any of the previous ones in the series and it does work well as a standalone but I do believe you’d possibly have more of an emotional connection to the characters if you had ‘lived through’ their past. I was truly swept into their world, but I believe if you are a fan of any series you are bound to be closer to the characters.

Bella, Winnie, Rose and Frankie are the East End Angels and they are all part of Station 75, working as ambulance drivers and attendants. They have been through a lot during the war but as the end approaches so do the introduction of the devastating V1 and V2 rockets – causing more destruction and carnage. These are some strong women – testament to what people really did do for the war effort, it really does serve as a reminder to appreciate those that risked everything for us today.

This book gives us highs and lows – love, heartbreak, death, marriage and fresh hope in times of darkness. It’s a rollercoaster of emotions for all involved. We see how, even with the end of the war, lives couldn’t automatically go back to how they were before and for many it was a bittersweet time. I think it was great we saw each of the characters approach the way ending differently; how they had been a solid team, always there for each other and being the ones they relied on and at the end  they all seemed to part (whilst remaining the greatest of friends).

I think the writing is wonderful, very descriptive and emotive – the way the devastation was fully described yet without being too much or not in keeping with the style of the book. The pace was quick, with short chapters and it progressed nicely.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book and will  be interested in catching up on what I missed from earlier in the series. Thank you to Rosie Hendry and Rachels Randoms Reviews. 

Purchase Links:

UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Victory-East-Angels-Rosie-Hendry-ebook/dp/B07N6DVRD4

US  - https://www.amazon.com/Victory-East-Angels-Rosie-Hendry-ebook/dp/B07N6DVRD4

About the Author: 

Rosie Hendry lives by the sea in Norfolk with her husband, two children, chickens and a snake. She's worked in a variety of jobs from fruit picking, waitressing, teaching and as a research scientist but has always loving reading and writing. Starting off writing short stories for women's magazines, her stories have gradually become longer as her children have grown bigger.

Listening to her father's tales of life during the Second World War sparked Rosie's interest in this period and she's especially intrigued by how women’s lives changed during the war years. She loves researching further, searching out gems of real-life events which inspire her writing.

When she's not working, Rosie enjoys walking along the beach, reading and is grateful for the fact that her husband is a much better cook than her.

Website: www.rosiehendry.com

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/RosieHendrybooks/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/hendry_rosie