The Perfect Christmas Village - Bella Osborne

 

When Christmas-hating Sam moves to Holly Cross, he thinks he's found the perfect home, until he discovers that, each year, Holly Cross transforms into the most Christmassy village in the whole country...

Blythe is just one sale away from being Real Estate Agent of the Month, so she twists the truth to sell a home to city boy Sam, who is looking for the perfect house in the perfect location. Little does he know he's just bought a cottage in the middle of the most Christmassy village in the country. And if there's one thing Sam loathes, it's Christmas.

Sam's arrival puts Holly Cross's chance to win the title of Britain's Most Perfect Christmas Village now in jeopardy, and the villagers are soon up in arms. Meanwhile, Sam is in his own personal hell surrounded by fairy lights and everyone is looking to Blythe to fix things.

But as the festive season looms, maybe there's more than just Christmas in Holly Cross for Sam to fall in love with...

Purchase Links:

Amazon UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Perfect-Christmas-Village-Bella-Osborne-ebook/dp/B0BM2DP2PK

KoBo - https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/the-perfect-christmas-village-1

Apple - https://books.apple.com/gb/book/the-perfect-christmas-village/id6448858762

My Review:

I genuinely look forward to each of Bella’s books as I know it will be quality, entertaining and a blooming great story. The Perfect Village Christmas is wonderful – I was enthralled with each page I sat and devoured. It is a Perfect Christmas book and will leave you feeling festive fuzzies.

The village of Holly Cross is my kind of place and yet again I wish I lived in such a brilliant community. I think each character was brilliant, even Leonora who was perhaps a bit full on (but for the right reasons really!) Reading about their efforts to become the ‘Perfect Christmas village’ had me laughing and feeling all sentimental.

Blythe is desperate to prove herself and sells a house in her local village to Sam, unaware that he is harbouring some secrets. Sam moves to Holly Cross and is not a fan of Christmas, in fact he hates it – which proves challenging in this village. Soon regretting his choices, he is determined to ignore everyone’s, especially Blythe’s, efforts this festive season.

Blythe is determined to make him see the good in Christmas no matter what. On many occasions she pushes her festive agenda and in my opinion really pushes her luck with him. I’m amazed he tolerated as much as he did! There is something about their connection though and it is clear to see the spark between them.

A story full of shenanigans, pumpkin picking, fireworks and festive fun at the sexy Santa dinner; a whole community pulling together and being there for each other. All have very different reasons for being so involved in the village activities but it’s clear everyone cares for one another too. Fun characters, heart warming moments, comedy and charm – what more do you need this time of year.

I cannot recommend this one enough. It’s a must read this Christmas, I suggest you ask Santa very nicely and get a copy!

Author Bio:

Bella has been jotting down stories as far back as she can remember but decided that 2013 would be the year that she finished a full length novel. Since then she’s written nine best-selling romantic comedies, two best-selling bookclub reads and won the RNA Romantic Comedy Novel of the Year Award.

Bella's stories are about friendship, love and coping with what life throws at you. She lives in Warwickshire, UK with her husband, daughter and a cat who thinks she’s a dog. When not writing Bella is usually eating custard creams and planning holidays.

For more about Bella, visit her website at www.bellaosborne.com or follow her on social media.

Social Media Links:

Twitter - https://twitter.com/osborne_bella 

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

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/bellaosborneauthor/

TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@bellaosborneauthor

New Beginnings on Railway Lane - Alison Sherlock

 

When high flying, workaholic Katy Smith is suddenly made redundant, she needs to find a job fast!

After mistakenly answering an advert online, she quickly realises that the rundown railway station in sleepy Cranfield isn’t the 5-star London hotels she’s used to working in!

But a job’s a job. Right?

Chef Ryan Connelly is having a crisis of confidence after his Italian dream turns sour.

Returning home to try to pick up the pieces of his parents broken marriage, he soon discovers that his family home, the railway station, is close to financial ruin

Can Katy use all of her skills and find a way to save the railway station?

And can Ryan rediscover his passion of cooking once more?

As winter in Cranfield begins to sprinkle its magic, perhaps Katy and Ryan can find their very own new beginning on Railway Lane.

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

 

My Review:

Having enjoyed Alisons previous books, I couldn’t wait to read New Beginnings on Railway Lane. Whilst you can read as a standalone, there are crossovers with previous books in terms of village and some of the characters. I am a huge fan of books that have strong friendships, welcoming communities and books where you can feel like you are part of things. If you have read previous books you will revisit old friends and catch up with their lives, but this time we focus on newcomer, Katy, who drunkenly takes on a position without actually realising what it entails.

A typical city girl, she is so far removed from her comfort zone, I admire her tenacity at agreeing to stick things out. As the story progresses and she gets involved with the railway station, makes friends and builds on connections, Katy soon finds the countryside might be more worthwhile than she ever imagines.

 A story about family, or creating your own family, supporting those who are in need and accepting support right back. I enjoyed the transformation in Katy, how much she changed but how much it was really what she needed. I thought it was clever that she didn’t quite lose sight of herself so much and that she brought her passion to the projects she aimed to create.

 It is warm, cosy and uplifting. A real feel good romance, that draws us in from the start and has us engrossed right until the very end. Characters who feel like friends, a village setting that I wish I could visit.

As always, I will keenly await another book, and another catch up with wonderful book friends. 

Author Bio:

Alison Sherlock is the author of the bestselling Willow Tree Hall books. Alison enjoyed reading and writing stories from an early age and gave up office life to follow her dream. Her series for Boldwood is set in a fictional Cotswold village.

Social Media Links: 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alison.sherlock.73

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AlisonSherlock

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

Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/alison-sherlock

Jingle Bells in June, Little Duck Pond Café - Rosie Green

 

Mackenzie Morris, newest recruit at the Little Duck Pond Café, is the perfect addition to the team. But beneath her smiles, Kenzie is hiding a dark secret. It’s the reason she fled to Sunnybrook, desperate for a fresh start that would help to lay the ghosts that haunt her.

The challenge of turning her hobby into a business is a welcome distraction, and to her relief, she finds that her range of quirky pottery mugs and vases appear to be in demand. Alone and scared when she arrived, she’s slowly making friends and starting to feel as if she belongs. Meeting a lovely guy called Aidan seems to confirm this and it looks as if love might be on the horizon.
But then Kenzie makes a devastating discovery that threatens to crush her new-found happiness. Aidan is the one person she yearns to confide in. He’s also the one person who can never know the truth . . .

Purchase Link - https://amzn.to/3jDyibP

My Review:
A series I wait for with baited breath – I always look forward to a return visit to our old friends at the Little Duck Pond Café. Rosie has created such a wonderful array of characters, it’s a pleasure to meet a new character and discover their story.

In this visit to Sunnybrook we meet Mackenzie, and it’s not an exaggeration to say I was hooked from the moment I started reading to the end (in a very short time!) Kenzie’s story is interesting, I was behind her from the start and was hoping all would go well for her, even if she didn’t have the confidence in herself at all.

This story has some serious, deeper plot points that shocked me when revealed but work really well as part of the overall story. Rosie writes with empathy and sensitivity, as always, and it really warmed my heart when everything starts to work out.

Shocks, drama, heart wrenching trauma but still someone finding their place, someone believing in themselves again and finding support in unexpected places.

I don’t want to give anything away for this one but I will add that don’t expect this to be a festive story, the title is clever but isn’t an indication of when this story is set.

Another hit, unputdownable book from Rosie, I will always champion anyone to read this series, I simply love it.

Author Bio:

Rosie’s series of novellas is centred around life in a country village cafe. Look out for ‘Sun, Sea & Strawberry Shortcake’, a sunshine-filled drama full of fun and mystery, out in June 2022 and including the return of character favourites, Ruby and Hudson.

Follow Rosie on Twitter - https://twitter.com/Rosie_Green88

The Sweet Shop of Second Chances - Hannah Lynn

"A delightful, well written tale, full of wonderful characters in a charming setting. I loved it!" - Katie Fforde

Starting over never tasted so good

Holly Berry has it all; a good corporate career, a steady boyfriend, and enough savings that they will soon be able to buy a nice little house. But when she finds out her boyfriend has been cheating on her, she decides to retreat to the Cotswolds and a place full of far sweeter memories.

Quite literally.

However when Holly discovers the quaint village sweet shop that she worked in as a teenager is starting to crumble she decides that maybe the sensible life isn’t what she wants after all. Putting all her chocolate eggs in one basket, she says goodbye to the city, and sets her sights on Just One More.

After all, how hard can running a sweet shop be?

With charismatic Giles, ready to rescue her at every turn and the local bureaucrats breathing down her neck, it certainly isn’t the quiet life she expected. Can Holly really save the place from the the wicked developers, or will she be the reason Just One More closes its doors for good?

Full of laughter, sweet clean romance and cozy village life, The Sweet Shop of Second Chances will make you believe that the best things in life really are worth fighting for.

Purchase Link -  mybook.to/hollyberrybook1

My Review:

A mouth watering, sweet treat of a book – and a pleasure to know it’s the first in a series! Finishing this story left me with a smile on my face, a hankering for some treats and dreaming of a little trip to the glorious sounding Cotswalds.

Our main character, Holly, is a sensible young woman. Years if seeing her Mum ans Dad struggling to get by has left her working hard to save money and make sure she can invest in her future. Finding her partner in bed with another woman, Holly flees and goes back to the village in which she grew up. Holly needs to make some decisions about her future so when she’s revisiting her past, Holly looks to her former teenage place of work, Just One More; the village sweet shop. Her arrival is just in time– developers want to buy it. Holly uses those savings to try and save the sweet shop – can she turn things around for both herself and the sweet shop?

Holly has the support of friends, both old and new who help her every step of the way but for all those that want to help there is someone very keen to see her fail. Can she stop them ruining her plans and can she discover who doesn’t have her best interests at heart.  

This is funny, heart warming and enjoyable from start to finish. Holly is a really likeable character who I wanted everything to work out for.

I am really pleased there are more to follow as I’d love to know what happens next. 

Win one of Five Signed Paperbacks - https://www.subscribepage.com/hannahlynncomp

Author Bio:

Hannah Lynn is a multi award winning novelist. Publishing her first book, Amendments – a dark, dystopian speculative fiction novel, in 2015. Her second book, The Afterlife of Walter Augustus – a contemporary fiction novel with a supernatural twist – went on to win the 2018 Kindle Storyteller Award and the Independent Publishers Gold Medal for Best Adult Ebook.

Born in 1984, Hannah grew up in the Cotswolds, UK. After graduating from university, she spent 15 years as a teacher of physics, first in the UK and then Thailand, Malaysia, Austria and Jordan. It was during this time, inspired by the imaginations of the young people she taught, she began writing short stories for children, and later adult fiction.

Now settled back in the UK with her husband, daughter and horde of cats, she spends her days writing romantic comedies and historical fiction. Her first historical fiction novel, Athena's Child, was also a 2020 Gold Medalist at the Independent Publishers Awards.

Social Media Links:

https://www.instagram.com/hannahlynnwrites/

https://www.tiktok.com/@hannahlynnwrites/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/HannahLynnAuthor/
Twitter @HMLynnauthor
Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13830772.Hannah_M_Lynn
Bookbub - https://www.bookbub.com/profile/hannah-lynn

The Village of Happy Ever Afters - Alison Sherlock

 

Molly Hopkins has happily watched all of her friends’ dreams come true on Riverside Lane.

Deciding to follow her passion for baking, Molly with the help of her friends takes the plunge and opens a Tea Garden in the village hoping to make it a summer to remember!

Meanwhile, after a rather public end of his marriage, Logan Armstrong trusts no one but his beloved Grandad. He just wants his brief stay in Cranbridge to be as quiet as possible. But his Grandad has other ideas; he dreams of seeing the old watermill working again which might just mean Logan has to ask the village for help.

Can Molly finally overcome her lack of confidence and believe in her abilities to make the tea garden a success?

Will Logan discover that Molly might just be the one to mend his broken heart? And will both of them realise that life is for living and loving?

Over a long hot summer in Cranbridge, perhaps everyone’s dreams of a happy-ever-after can finally

Purchase Link - https://amzn.to/3rb1z0I

My Review:

I really enjoy this The Riverside Lane Series by Alison Sherlock. This is book4 but if you haven’t enjoyed the series so far you needn’t worry, each book does work as a standalone (I highly recommend reading the others though too).

This book we focus on Molly, one of the friendship group we have come to really love. She has shown many times just how lovely she is, but we see a side to her during this story that is how vulnerable and ‘taken for granted she can feel, that she’s just the one who always does everything for everyone else and nothing for herself.

This is such a good story about putting yourself first, having faith in your abilities, taking a chance, and using some grit, determination, and perseverance to achieve your dreams.

Logan is a great contrasting character to Molly, admittedly at first, I thought he needed a kick up the bum but he has a kind heart, confidence in Molly and does want to help those he cares about. He’s working to get over past hurt and it’s understandable he wants to keep his head down, go about his business without too much of a fuss.

Loved catching up with all the characters within this idyllic sounding village – it sounds such a picturesque setting.  There is some comedy from Del, as always.

A story that captures true friendships, romance and a community who will go out of their way to support their own, welcome new faces and celebrate everyone’s abilities and talents.

Alison Sherlock writes such believable characters in realistic situations; you can’t help but become absorbed in their lives. Highly recommended!

Author Bio: 

Alison Sherlock is the author of the bestselling Willow Tree Hall books. Alison
enjoyed reading and writing stories from an early age and gave up office life to follow
her dream. Her new series for Boldwood is set in a fictional Cotswold Village and the
first title was published in July 2020.

Social Media Links:

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/alison.sherlock.73

Twitter  https://twitter.com/AlisonSherlock

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

Bookbub profile:  https://www.bookbub.com/authors/alison-sherlock

Will They, Won't They? - Portia MacIntosh

 

When life goes off track sometimes the only thing you can do is go back to where it all began...

Emmy Palmer is the star of Bragadon Forest, the biggest fantasy series on TV; adored by the public, living the life of glamour and luxury in London.

But when scandal strikes, Emmy must escape the city and return to her seaside hometown to lie low and wait for the storm to pass.

Emmy's agent decides it would be a good look to star in the community Christmas pantomime, but who else could be playing her leading man but her ex-boyfriend who she may or may not have ditched to move to London a decade ago...

As the show approaches, love and friendships blossom and the real question is - Will they? Won't they?

Purchase Link - https://amzn.to/3x2wjCR

My Review:

Portia MacIntosh is one of my go to authors. Her books are romantic, funny and perfect for some light hearted reading. This latest novel is no exception, I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish. Emmy is a famous actress in a popular fantasy TV programme. Following a few rumours, she has been given the chop (quite literally – her character was beheaded!) and finds herself at a loose end. Following a family tragedy, she returns home to the Yorkshire village she grew up in. Soon immersed in the lives of her crazy family, she finds herself getting roped into a local production as well as renovating a house! Her agent thinks a local pantomime may just save her career and encourages Emmy to take part, although not everyone is happy, she is about to star in the show. She also revisits past relationships and friendships, realising some are happier to see her than she is to see them. With the truth always managing to come out, can Emmy repair her career, or does she realise her priorities are now elsewhere? A crazy bunch of characters, I liked them, although randy Aunty Vee may have been a bit much for me, I felt that I knew each one and they all played a specific part in the story. Plenty of laugh out loud moments in this one and although for once I wasn’t sure who the romantic interest would be, there is plenty of romance too. Highly recommended for a great end of summer read.

Author Bio:
Portia MacIntosh is a bestselling romantic comedy author of 16 novels, including The Plus One Pact and My Great Ex-Scape. Previously a music journalist, Portia writes hilarious stories, drawing on her real life experiences.

Social Media Links

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

Twitter https://twitter.com/PortiaMacIntosh

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

Newsletter Sign Up Link http://bit.ly/PortiaMacIntoshNewsletter

Bookbub profile https://www.bookbub.com/authors/portia-macintosh

We Belong Together - Beth Moran

Eleanor Sharpley has been living a lie...

Needing to escape her London life quickly, Eleanor throws her things into the back of her car, and heads to her erstwhile best friend Charlie’s family farm.

But Charlie isn’t there. Instead she finds Charlie’s grieving brother Daniel, her eight-month old daughter Hope (a daughter Eleanor had known nothing about), and a crumbling and unloved Damson Farm.

Damson Farm lies at the edge of the village of Ferrington, with the river Maddon flowing at its heart. But Ferrington is a village divided by more than just a river - it is split in two by an age-old feud – between the Old Side and the New Side. Eleanor has run from her problems, straight into a family and a world that has problems of its own.

But Damson Farm has magic too, and as winter gives way to spring, the old farm starts to come to life under Eleanor’s love and care. The orchard starts to blossom with daffodils and bluebells, and the sound of bees busy in their hives fills the warming air.  Can Eleanor bring Daniel and the feuding village of Ferrington back to life too, or will her secrets catch up with her first?

Purchase Link - https://amzn.to/3g55WF3

My Review:

A jam-packed romance with characters you will love and root for every step of the way! It is a story of personal growth, discovering yourself and dealing with tragedy and adversity. Heartwarming and endearing.

Eleanor is a great character, she is far from perfect, but she is likeable. She faces a lot of challenges and decides to ‘run away.’ Doing so means discovering fresh heartache but also new opportunities and we see how Eleanor makes the most of things, supports herself and takes care of those around her. She builds relationships within the (divided) community in Becky and Alice and makes it her mission to reunite the town and stop all the madness she witnesses during her stay.

Daniel is a brilliant character – he’s grieving and still puts others first. His dedication and love for baby Hope is so sweet. I love the way he helps Eleanor and gently nudges her in the right direction. It isn’t a story about love at first sight by a long way. It’s fair to say things are a little awkward at first but before long Daniel and Eleanor have a lovely bond and easy friendship and have created a great care system for baby Hope. As Eleanor works on making dreams come true, Daniel allows her free reign to do what is needed. How supportive!

When her past starts to catch up with her, Eleanor’s new life may be in jeopardy and the relationships she has nurtured during her stay may be torn apart.

I loved it... and I never read a book set fairly locally (although the town of Ferrington is fictional it is based locally) and there was even a mention for the mighty Mansfield Town FC (Come on you STAGS!)

Cleverly written and nicely paced, there Is so much happening but I felt the story played out in a nice way and I didn’t discover everything all in one go. As a story with multiple threads, they are cleverly woven so that I was always interested and wanted to read more.

I’ve never read anything by this author but I shall be rectifying that pretty quickly. I definitely recommend this fantastic story; romance, drama, humour with a little bit of mystery involved. What’s not to enjoy! 

Author Bio:

Beth Moran is the author of three previous romance novels, including Making Marion. She regularly features on BBC Radio Nottingham and is a trustee of the national women’s network Free Range Chicks. She lives on the outskirts of Sherwood Forest. Beth’s first novel for Boldwood, Christmas Every Day, was published in September 2019.

Social Media Links –

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

Twitter https://twitter.com/bethcmoran

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Summer Secrets at Streamside Cottage by Samantha Tonge

 

A new start can come from the most unexpected places...

It's been years since Lizzie Lockhart spoke to her parents. But she was safe in the knowledge she knew everything about them. Once upon a time, they were as close as could be. Until they weren't.

After receiving the earth-shattering news of their passing, Lizzie decides it's time to unearth some family secrets and find out just who her parents really were... starting with Streamside Cottage. A cottage Lizzie never knew existed, in a place she's never heard of: the beautiful English village of Leafton.

Leaving behind London, and the tattoo parlour she called home, Lizzie finds herself moving to the countryside. Faced with a tight-lipped community, who have secrets of their own, Lizzie is at a loss for what to do, until her rather handsome neighbour, Ben, steps in to help.

As Lizzie finally begins to piece together the puzzle of her family history she realises she has to confront the truth of the past in order to face her future.

My Review:

Brilliant! Easily my favourite from this author. I love that we have a really unique main character, and not your standard run-of-the-mill rom com heroine, Lizzie is fabulous and amazingly creative. The book is full of intrigue, sentiment and memories, this story is one to tug on the old heart strings! Lizzie searches for answers, not knowing what or who she may find; this book brings everything you need in – mystery, romance, friendship, and a sense of community. We see the brilliant Lizzie evolve and connect with her past, in more ways than one! I took great pleasure in losing myself in this book for a few hours. I was caught up in what was happening and just wanted the see how things would work out. Let me tell you, everything I expected, or thought didn’t quite work out as I imagined, which I love, I do enjoy being pleasantly surprised. I often say how much I enjoy books set in rural, countryside, smaller communities with fun, locals and this book is exactly the type. Reading them makes me want to up sticks to a village somewhere everyone knows each other and welcomes you with open arms! Pure escapism, what a happy couple of hours reading this book. I highly recommend. Buy links: Amazon: https://amzn.to/31Uuyd2 Kobo: https://bit.ly/3msO5KM Google Play: https://bit.ly/3dCuQdU Bookshop.org: https://bit.ly/3fPAzjm 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: Facebook: @SamanthaTongeAuthor Twitter: @SamTongeWriter Instagram: @samanthatongeauthor

The Secrets of Meadow Farmhouse - Katie Ginger

 

Escape to the countryside with a heart-warming new novel from Katie Ginger, author of Snowflakes at Mistletoe Cottage.

Amelia loves her life in Paris. But with the surprise inheritance of her childhood home, Meadow Farmhouse, she has no choice but to return to the small village of Meadowbank to restore her great-aunt’s old farmhouse. However returning to Meadowbank means she has to confront her past, including old flame Adam.

When Amelia discovers a locket hidden in the farmhouse, containing the picture of a mysterious World War Two soldier, she starts to uncover the secrets of her great-aunt’s past and is drawn further into village life. Shocked by the warm welcome from the villagers and her own surprising feelings for first love Adam, Amelia is suddenly confused as to where she truly belongs.

Can Amelia finally confront her own past and find where her heart truly calls home?

Fans of Rachael Lucas, Cathy Bramley and Jenny Colgan will fall in love with Katie Ginger!

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

My Review:

Looking for a perfect country escape in book form? This is it! Beautiful, scenic location, with kind caring characters who add to the small village like charm. With mystery, intrigue and rediscovering yourself at the heart of this story, I can’t tell you how much I adored this.

I was absolutely enthralled from the start; I didn’t want to put it down for a second. Having read books by Katie before, I was expecting a wonderful storyline and a character I would really take a shine to and she didn’t disappoint.

Amelia hasn’t returned to Meadow Farmhouse for quite some time; and the death of her Great Aunt Vera means she is now the owner. Leaving her home in Paris, Amelia plans on sorting out the bits and pieces before selling it on…to her this isn’t home, just somewhere she grew up. But returning starts to reveal secrets that Amelia had no idea about, soon she’s keen to find answers. Returning to Meadow Farmhouse also means confronting someone from her past, her former love, Adam. Unsure of his reaction or how she may feel, could it be possible she’d manage to avoid him completely.

As she confronts the ghosts of her past, the more she starts to feel that she has come home and maybe it is somewhere she could belong.

Amelia is a lovely character, she is determined, strong willed but has had a difficult upbringing. She feels like she doesn’t belong, and it takes a journey for her to realise the friends she had aren’t the genuine kind and she has to forgive the mistakes people make when they are hurting themselves. She learns that home is always where your heart is.

Warm and cosy, leaving you happy and satisfied – an ideal book for shutting out the world. 

Author Info:

KATIE GINGER lives by the sea in the south-east of England, and apart from holidays to very hot places where you can sit by a pool and drink cocktails as big as your head, she wouldn’t really want to be anywhere else. The Secrets of Meadow Farmhouse  is her seventh novel. She is also the author of the Swallowtail Bay series – Spring Tides at Swallowtail Bay, Summer Strawberries at Swallowtail Bay and Winter Wishes at Swallowtail Bay, Snowflakes at Mistletoe Cottage and the Seafront series – The Little Theatre on the Seafront, shortlisted for the Katie Fforde Debut Novel of the Year award, and Summer Season on the Seafront.

When she’s not writing, Katie spends her time with her husband and two kids, and their dogs: Wotsit, the King Charles spaniel, and Skips, the three-legged rescue dog. (And yes, they are both named after crisps!)

For more about Katie, you can visit her website: www.keginger.com, find her on Facebook: www.facebook.com/KatieGAuthor, or follow her on Twitter: @KatieGAuthor

One Snowy Week in Springhollow by Lucy Knott

Tomboy Scarlett thought Devon would be her best friend forever. He was the only person in Springhollow who supported her ambitious artist dreams. But then one winter, Devon and his parents disappear without warning to start a new life in NYC and a devastated Scarlett is left alone to face her high-school bullies and overbearing mother.

Fast-forward ten years: Scarlett is playing it safe in her childhood village with a dull PA job and a wardrobe that passes her mother's old-fashioned standards. Meanwhile, Devon is a Hollywood heartthrob, starring in the latest superhero blockbuster. And he's finally coming home for Christmas...

Scarlett can't help blaming her former best friend for the way her life has turned out, but Devon's cheeky charm and gorgeous smile prove difficult to resist. Devon always did make her feel on top of the world, but Scarlett knows her heart isn't racing just because she has her friend back – is it mistletoe madness, or is she seeing Devon in a completely new light?

Scarlett hasn't taken a risk in years... but this Christmas of second chances could finally be her time to shine.

Perfect for fans of Sarah Morgan, Jo Thomas and Holly Martin.

My Review:

Looking for a cosy and heart warming read to snuggle up with this festive season? Then this could do the trick.

Scarlett and Devon are inseparable at 16, best friends bound by the united loves for all things seemingly geeky. Years of hi-jinks and antics are abruptly cut short when Devon moves to New York. After his departure Scarlett can no longer allow herself to find pleasure in the things that connected them – Marvel and superheroes. Years later Devon returns to the village having found fame as a Hollywood actor staring as, yes, you guessed it a new superhero.

Unwilling to forgive her former best friend for abandoning her, will Scar give Devon the chance to be back in her life or has too much time gone by?

Celebrating all things geek – I love it and a real refreshing change for the norm of main characters. I could really feel Scars sense of abandonment and coupled with Mother issues, I could understand her difficulty in moving past it and being able to have any connection to the friendship she felt she had lost.

Devon seems a great character both when he was younger, getting into mischief, and now as a superhero star. I loved the use of flashbacks to demonstrate some of the trouble the pair caused and a glimpse into the special relationship they had.

Of course, there is romance. It wouldn’t be complete without it really and as much as I wanted to see this former friendship restored, I was hoping they would realise what everyone else probably already expected – they were destined to be in love.

With a gorgeous village setting, it’s a great story that also highlights the importance of being true to yourself, owning who you are and never letting anyone or anything change that. Happiness comes in many ways but being yourself is the biggest part in that.

Lucy Knott writes brilliant books, with gorgeous characters and storylines. Check out her other books too, a real treat. 

Purchase links:

 

Amazon: https://amzn.to/32sEaMQ 

Kobo: https://bit.ly/3pf4Ry7 

Google Play: https://bit.ly/2Ikp84y 

iBooks: https://apple.co/35dyPdZ

About Lucy:
Lucy Knott is a former professional wrestler with a passion for storytelling. Now, instead of telling her stories in the ring, she's putting pen to paper, fulfilling another lifelong dream in becoming an Author.

Inspired by her Italian Grandparents, when she is not writing you will most likely find her cooking, baking and devouring Italian food, in addition to learning Italian and daydreaming of trips to Italy.

Along with her twin sister, Kelly, Lucy runs TheBlossomTwins.com, where she enthusiastically shares her love for books, baking and Italy, with daily posts, reviews and recipes.

Follow Lucy:

Twitter: @TheBlossomTwins

Facebook: @TheBlossomTwins 

Instagram: @theblossomtwins