Autumn Skies over Ruby Falls - Holly Martin

 

Get swept away to the sparkling Cornish coast with the stunning new novel from bestselling author Holly Martin. Autumn Skies Over Ruby Falls is the perfect romantic treat to snuggle up with this autumn.

Clover Philips is exactly where she’s meant to be – back home on Jewel Island teaching dance to the guests at the beautiful Sapphire Bay Hotel that she co-owns with her sisters Skye and Aria. Her life is complete, except for one thing…

When Clover left London she also left behind a devastating betrayal. She hasn’t been able to date anyone since, let alone allow herself to fall in love. What she needs is a casual fling to ease herself back into romance. And as luck would have it, the very handsome Angel Mazzeo is back in town.

The chemistry between Clover and Angel has been undeniable ever since Angel first arrived on Jewel Island six months ago. And though content to be her friend till now, Angel is more than willing to help Clover find her dating feet again.

It should be easy to keep things carefree when love is off the table, but when every moment is magical what started as casual soon becomes something much deeper. Will Clover and Angel find the courage to tell each other how they really feel? And is Clover ready to do the one thing she swore she’d never do again, fall in love?

My Review:
A complete joy to be on Jewel Island again, especially at the Sapphire Bay hotel. I enjoyed meeting the characters previously and was happy that this time we focus more on Clover. The setting sounds absolutely stunning, I wish we could take a holiday right here!
Clover co-owns the hotel with her sisters and is now back on the island teaching some dance classes. She is a loveable character and we know she has been badly treated by an ex, which has left her damaged and reluctant to trust again especially romantically.
We do, however, know she really likes a certain someone and that its entirely possible the feeling is mutual. Angel is full of wanderlust, loving to travel and see as much as the world as he possible can, he doesn’t tend to commit which sounds ideal to Clover when the sparks start flying between the pair. Angel knows her history and is perfect – he is patient, caring, understanding and just dreamy if you ask me.
Holly Martin gives us the romance, to warm and fuzzies but also a bit of drama to add some excitement. I love all Holly Martin books, they are wonderful and charming, with characters you get to understand and take to your heart.
We see Clover really come into her own in this book, she understands herself and her feelings and allows herself to be open to change. I didn’t necessarily bank on the happy ending or fairy-tale romance ending for this one (although hoped for it because Angel sounds perfect) but I think the most important part of this story was how she learned to trust again.
You can read this as a standalone but please treat yourself to all of Holly’s books too, never disappoints and perfect for snuggling up to read.

Available to purchase HERE

Just My Luck - Adele Parks

It's the stuff dreams are made of - a lottery win so big, it changes everything.

For fifteen years, Lexi and Jake have played the same six numbers with their friends, the Pearsons and the Heathcotes. Over dinner parties, fish & chip suppers and summer barbecues, they've discussed the important stuff - the kids, marriages, jobs and houses - and they've laughed off their disappointment when they failed to win anything more than a tenner.

But then, one Saturday night, the unthinkable happens. There's a rift in the group. Someone doesn't tell the truth. And soon after, six numbers come up which change everything forever.

Lexi and Jake have a ticket worth £18 million. And their friends are determined to claim a share of it.

Sunday Times bestseller Adele Parks returns with a riveting look at the dark side of wealth in this gripping take on friendship, money and betrayal, and good luck gone bad...

My Review:

They say, ‘be careful what you wish for’ and this book encapsulates that perfectly. This twisted tale of greed and betrayal will have you on the edge of your seat, highlighting the appalling lows that some people would stoop to because of greed.

You would thinking hitting the jackpot would bring you endless happiness and you wouldn’t have to worry about a thing ever again – how wrong this can be,

Full of backstabbing, this group of characters are willing to pay each other off, lie, cheat and steal to get their hands on what they believe is rightly theirs; years of friendship and loyalty goes out the window and leaves some wondering who they can actually trust anymore. I enjoyed how it made you think, asking yourself those moral questions that if you were in this position how you would cope.

I liked Lexi; she is calm, not wanting to be extravagant and mindful of others. She wants to use the money to help others, selfless and not at all greedy unlike those around her who get carried away very quickly. Jake seems to change for the worse instantly, flashing the cash and showing off.

There is so much to this story, I had some ideas of what could happen as I read through, but I wasn’t expecting the darker twists along the way, with some dramatic, emotional scenes.

As with all of Adele Parks’ books the writing keeps you engaged, it’s full of emotion with characters you feel strongly about. I think at times you get swept away with the lavish lifestyle that the money can create, so the inclusion of Toma and his story balances perfectly. He is suffering, handling loss and grief, desperate to find justice for his wife and child.

A surprisingly dark tale spun from what many may dream to be the best moment of their lives. I recommend this one completely. An Adele Parks fan, I never fail to enjoy her writing, this is her 20^th book in 20 years – an amazing achievement and testament to her storytelling skills. I look forward to what will come next.

BLOGTOUR: Foxglove Farm - Christie Barlow

Return to Love Heart Lane for friendship, romance and a community who will be be there for you no matter what…

Isla and Drew Allaway appear to have the perfect life – a strong marriage, two beautiful children and their picture-perfect home, Foxglove Farm.

But, new mum Isla is struggling.  She loves her little family but with Drew working all hours on the farm, Isla’s lonely.

When she discovers that Drew has been keeping secrets from her, Isla has to face losing the home they all love.
Can the Love Heart Lane community pull together once more to help save Foxglove Farm?  And can Isla save her home…and her marriage?

My Review:

I’ll happily tell you I adored ‘Love Heart Lane’ – this first book in this series so I could not wait to read this. Saying that, if you haven’t had chance to read that brilliant book rest assured you can read this as a standalone too.

Foxglove Farm focuses on Isla and Drew, married with a family and their farm; I was a big fan of these characters in Love Heart Lane so was really pleased that they were the focus of this book. What seems to be a perfect relationship and a perfect life slowly starts to unravel around Isla and she must rely on the support and guidance of the community, her friends and family to make sure she doesn’t lose everything.

This is a wonderful story based around a gorgeous sounding, close knit community. It’s so endearing to read this and feel part of a community that rallies around each other, Christie Barlow has created such warm, funny and caring characters that I genuinely cannot wait to read more about them all. (I’m so pleased to hear there will be a return visit!)

I feel like Isla and Drew had a mountain of hurdles to overcome in this one; just when I thought everything was ok there was another sucker punch that threatened everything. Honestly, how much could two people go through in one book. It held my interest and had be gasping, talking out loud at parts. As if my ‘telling off’ Drew would do something. What impressed me was how such serious topics were introduced and handled – encouraging people to talk about problems, reach out for help and trust in the ones who love us.

In this book we meet the crazy but kind, Martha. What a whirlwind she seems and it’s a breath of fresh air that balances some of the tougher parts of the book. I’m glad she came back to the village when she did, Isla needed her and what a rock she turned out to be.

I was totally absorbed by Christie’s wonderful writing, a beautiful style that will fully engage you in this story. I adored Love Heart Lane and Foxglove Farm is probably even better – I think the more we discover about this place and its characters there more we will enjoy.

I highly recommend this romantic, funny yet sensitive book. Thank you to all involved for the chance to read and review. 

Purchase Links:

UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Foxglove-Farm-romantic-comedy-again-ebook/dp/B07L21WV71

US - https://www.amazon.com/Foxglove-Farm-romantic-comedy-again-ebook/dp/B07L21WV71

 

Author Bio:

Christie Barlow is the author of A Year in the Life of a Playground Mother, The

Misadventures of a Playground Mother, Kitty's Countryside Dream, Lizzie's Christmas Escape, Evie's Year of Taking Chances, The Cosy Canal Boat Dream, A Home at Honeysuckle Farm, Love Heart Lane and Foxglove Farm. Her writing career came as somewhat a surprise when she decided to write a book to teach her children a valuable life lesson and show them that they are capable of achieving their dreams. The book she wrote to prove a point is now a #1 bestseller in the UK, USA & Australia. 

Christie is an ambassador for @ZuriProject raising money/awareness and engaging with impoverished people in Uganda through organisations to improve their well-being.

Website www.christiebarlow.com 

Twitter @ChristieJBarlow 

Facebook page Christie Barlow author

Tell me a Secret - Jane Fallon

Available here 

Goodreads Blurb:
Holly and Roz spend most of their days together. They like the same jokes, loathe the same people and tell each other everything. When single mum Holly gets a shot at her dream job after putting everything on hold to raise her daughter, she assumes her friend will be dying to pop the champagne with her.
But is she just imagining things, or is Roz not quite as happy for her as she should be? As Holly starts to take a closer look at Roz's life outside their friendship, she begins to discover a few things that don't add up. Who is the woman who claims to be her ally? 

My Review:

I am a big fan of Jane Fallon's books; they are easy to read and definitely good for a brilliant binge read on a Sunday Afternoon just like I did. (I sat with a big hot choc and just read it in it's entirety). I've only read a few of Jane's books (the rest I have now quickly ordered) and love her style. I loved how this book wasn't based on romance but on friendships and competition within a work environment. 

Tell me a Secret focuses on office rivalry and sabotaging others to get what you want. We discover how looks can be deceiving and that the friendships we cherish aren't necessarily as solid as they seem. Can you really believe everything you are told and should you always watch your back when promotions are on the table. 

Holly, our main character, is being given the chance to prove herself in a new role and definitely doesn't expect her closest work friend to be trying to sabotage that. Holly is confident and likable, wanting to be liked and determined to do the best job she can. I was relieved she had some common sense and could tell that someone had it in for her, I'd granted her more intelligence and was right - very pleased Fallon didn't portray her as some useless 'victim' that couldn't see what was blatantly in front of her face. I know she came across as nervous at first but her change in job role is bound to affect relationships with colleagues but these nerves are quashed as the book progresses and we do see Holly turn into a confident and well liked manager. This shows how much the character develops throughout the story.

The side characters were fantastic, well written and all adding something important. Roz was a wonderful 'villain' in this piece; I didn't like her from the off. Loud, overbearing and a bully, Roz manipulates others especially if she sees them as weak. Towards the end we learn of a  version of Roz, an explanation as to why she does the things she does - nothing excusing what she has tried to do but an opportunity to see that people may have things happening in their lives they want to keep quiet. 

Although quite a serious take on rivalry between colleagues/friends there are many moments of comedy, especially through Holly's best friend Dee and her husband. They get involved and seem to relish the opportunity to spy on people and go on fact finding missions. Dee is a great character and a brilliant friend.

If you have read Jane's books before you won't be disappointed. If you haven't then you need to brace yourself for laughs, gasps and shocks - I've even been known to shed a tear . It's a fast paced read, Jane doesn't hang around - which I like. It's cleverly written to make you want to keep reading, so make sure you have time as you will not want to put this down!

Comfy Rating: 👍👍👍👍👍

The Little Book Cafe: Tash's story - Georgia Hill

This is the first Georgia Hill book I have read (I'm sure it won't be the last). I read it in one sitting in about an hour and a half so a fairly easy book to pick up when you want something to delve into but maybe not commit a massive amount of time.

I have no prior knowledge of any of previous books so wasn't aware or familiar with the characters but I believe that if you have read previous titles you would be. I don't think it changes your enjoyment of this book, as a standalone it works well too. I didn't feel I'd missed out. This is the first in a set of three new stories and focuses on Tash.

Tash is in a relationship with Adrian and immediately, I realised this was not a woman in a happy relationship. She was off with friends, in a bad mood and really not a happy lady. You come to see how, although she loves the comfortable and lavish lifestyle Adrian can give her, she doesn't love him and in fact she comes to realise he isn't treating her that well at all. Possessive, controlling and demeaning - Adrian is not the type of man Tash wants to be with let alone marry.

Tash meets someone at the new book club in town, becomes friends and with their help, and a series of incidents Tash realises she needs to move on with her life in her own way.
After events take a really dark turn, Tash manages to escape and turns to the one person she knows will treat her well. 

Some aspects of the story annoyed me - the thinly veiled 'fat shaming' vibe of Tash towards Amy, "She could eat the whole picnic" - I felt were just mean and made me dislike her a bit. Not that I think she should go through all she does but it seemed she has turned into the bully she didn't like at school. Maybe projecting her own insecurities on others but I didn't really feel it necessary to be mean towards others.

Overall I liked it and would read all others by the author. There is a darker storyline than the pretty front cover may portray. It is an easy read with some decent characters.

I received a copy of this book from Harper Impulse via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I invited her in - Adele Parks

Available here on Amazon 

Mel hears from a long-lost friend out of the blue; they are in need of help and so lovely Mel  doesn’t hesitate to invite her to stay. Mel and Abi were best friends at Uni, sharing the highs and lows of student life until Mel’s unplanned pregnancy made her drop out .
Seventeen years later, Mel and Abi’s lives couldn’t be more different. Mel is happily married and has a chaotic but happy family home, with three children. Abi married and moved to LA for a glamourous life of celebrity. Everything was perfect, until she discovered her partner had been cheating. Abi needs a true friend to lean on, to share her grief over a glass of wine, and to have some time to heal. Thinking of her dear old friend Mel, she realises there would be no better place to heal than in a family home. 'I invited her in' is a dark tale of the reunion of long-lost friends and is a gripping exploration of wanting what you can’t have, jealousy and revenge. 

This story is predominantly told from Mel’s point of view with occasional chapters focusing on other characters. I enjoyed seeing certain parts from another characters perspective, I think it definitely adds something extra to the story - you get a more well rounded view of events - for good or bad. 

The story line for this book is a good idea, its definitely full of little twists and turns - some may be a little predictable but you are still caught off guard at times - some events in this book are not at all what I imagined.  It isn't always a fault of the writer that we can predict some of the story, all book lovers read enough to be able to do it - the twists that you don't necessarily coming in 'I invited her in' are gripping and well placed. 

It took a few chapters for it to really get going but once it did I was committed in seeing what exactly what happening.I was well and truly invested in finding out exactly what Abi was planning to do and how Mel fit into her scheming.

I thought the characters were good, if frustrating. Mel did come across as a bit of a damp squib in many ways, a bit pathetic - she is very easily led by Abi - for a 'friend' she hadn't seen for a very long time she was soon siding with Abi over Ben and forsaking their relationship for the one she is rebuilding with her friend. You want to like Mel, and I did pity all she went through, but I felt she could have been stronger, she should have listened to her husband Ben. Ben on the whole is a nice man, hard working and can see that Abi is not someone to have around for long but I felt he could've tried harder to pull Mel away from Abi and trusted his gut instinct.  I didn't trust Abi from the beginning, her whole appearance and demeanour put me on edge, early on you realise all is not what it seems with her and soon you see how she enjoys her hold over Mel.

This book will take you on an emotional rollercoaster - experiencing the turmoil of the characters involved. Adele Parks provides a dramatic tale - a story full of revenge and betrayal that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the last page. It gives us a look at how we are so eager to trust, especially if it comes from a place of regret and that you never really know what anyone is willing to do to get exactly what they want. 

I am not 100% sure I would agree with this as just a 'thriller' - perhaps a darker chick-lit with added extras but I enjoyed it anyway. Once I'd got into it I was very eager to see how things progressed and couldn't put it down. I would recommend for a good, well written book by a very popular and respected author.

Comfy Rating: 👍👍👍👍