Sunlight over Crystal Sands - Holly Martin

 

Love is in the air on the sun kissed sands of the Cornish coast, where the sea sparkles and romance sizzles on golden beaches. This stunning new novel by Holly Martin, bestselling author of Ice Creams at Emerald Cove, is guaranteed to steal your heart this summer.

Lyra Thomas has dreamed of living on Jewel Island ever since she first visited its breath-taking shores. And now her dream has come true – she has her own little cottage and a brand new job. But when Lyra sets out for a bike ride to explore her new home, a mishap has her crash-landing at the feet of the very handsome Nix Sanchez.

A true gentleman, Nix comes to Lyra’s rescue. His face is so familiar and yet they are strangers. But the more they talk, Lyra feels as though she has known Nix forever. What follows is the most magical night of Lyra’s life… until the spell is broken when the next morning she finds Nix has gone.

Feeling foolish Lyra vows to be more careful with her heart from now on. She’ll pretend Nix never existed. But destiny has other ideas and in a perfect twist of fate Lyra will discover that Nix Sanchez is impossible to forget…

Escape to sun drenched Jewel Island this summer where love, laughter and the thrill of adventure await. This gorgeous, romantic, feel-good read is perfect for fans of Sophie Kinsella, Jill Mansell and Sue Moorcroft.

My Review:

I adore this series and the fourth visit to Jewel Island is fantastic. Holly Martin has given us yet another heartwarming, entertaining read. My only wish? That I could spend my holidays on Jewel Island and meet all these wonderful sounding characters!

Lyra has dreamed of living and working on Jewel Island since being a small girl. Now she has her chance, moving into a cottage on the island and starting work at the hotel – she is eager to get started but has a little time to explore the island and reminisce.

During this little adventure, she falls for the divine Nix, quite literally and ends up having quite the unexpected evening. A connection is evident for both and the chemistry is undeniable but, after an interesting night Lyra discovers Nix is no where to be seen.

There’s a whole lot more in store for Lyra, and as is Jewel Island style, things aren’t always as straight forward as they could be.

There are ups and downs, laughs and shenanigans but there are more heart wrenching, emotional moments that see island residents facing their past before they can move on. Lyra has to learn to let go, follow the adventure and seek her treasure, whatever that may be, because she does deserve it and is more than entitled to seek her own happiness.

Holly Martin never fails to deliver a story that has me engrossed from start to finish, with each visit we get to see how the lives of our previous reads are progressing. You could read this as a standalone though, but I highly recommend the rest of the series too.

I’m already excited about our next book. 

Available to order - HERE

Just Bea - Deborah Klée

 

Sometimes you have to stop trying to be like everyone else and just be yourself 

Bea Stevens and Ryan O Marley are in danger of falling through the cracks of their own lives; the only difference between them is that Bea doesn’t know it yet.

When her world is shaken like a snow-globe, Bea has to do what she does best; adapt. Homeless man Ryan is the key to unlocking the mystery of her friend Declan’s disappearance but can she and Ryan trust one another enough to work together? 

 As the pieces of her life settle in new and unexpected places, like the first fall of snow, Bea must make a choice: does she try to salvage who she was or embrace who she might become?

Just Bea takes the reader on a heart-warming journey from the glamour of a West End store to the harsh reality of life on the streets and reminds us all that home really is where the heart is.

Purchase Links:

UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Just-Bea-Deborah-Kl%C3%A9e-ebook/dp/B08PDJ2VQD/

US - https://www.amazon.com/Just-Bea-Deborah-Kl%C3%A9e-ebook/dp/B08PDJ2VQD/

My Review:

A charming, raw yet feel good story that tackles important social issues and misconceptions. It is a story of believing in yourself but importantly also about looking past first appearances and not judging a book by its cover, it’s about putting your trust in others as well as yourself.

At first, I wasn’t sure I would be able to warm to Bea, I thought she was cold and awkward but boy was I wrong. Throughout the book she grows as a person, learns to be more open and able to trust in others; she demonstrated a belief in people that many don’t have and displays a can-do attitude when most may have just given up.

She handles things with care and surprised herself, but I love to see this kind of character development. She is a quirky character but by the end she is utterly endearing.

This book does show just how fragile circumstances can be, you may have everything you need one moment but then the next it can all fall away. The relationship between her and Ryan is special, he does as much for her as she does for him and it’s great to see that these two souls can support each other.

Such a clever, emotional read that entertains and informs. I was really impressed by this author and will look forward to reading more. 

Author Bio: 

Deborah has worked as an occupational therapist, a health service manager, a freelance journalist, and management consultant in health and social care.

Her protagonists are often people who exist on the edges of society. Despite the very real, but dark, subject matter her stories are uplifting, combining pathos with humour. They are about self-discovery and the power of friendships and community.

Just Bea is her second novel. Her debut The Borrowed Boy was published last year.

Deborah lives on the Essex coast. When she is not writing she combines her love of baking with trying to burn off the extra calories.

Social Media Links:

Website: www.abrakdeborah.wordpress.com

Twitter @DeborahKlee

Facebook Deborah Klee Author

Lemon Drizzle Mondays at the Little Duck Pond Cafe - Rosie Green

Lemon Drizzle Mondays at the Little Duck Pond Café


Molly Hooper has a secret. It haunts her dreams and casts a dark shadow over life with her gorgeous three-year-old daughter, Eva. Arriving in Sunnybrook has given her a glimpse of sunshine. The Little Duck Pond Cafe crew seem so welcoming and there's even the chance of a new job. Baking delicious cakes has always taken Molly to a happy place, so the job - at the glorious Brambleberry Manor Cafe - might just be perfect for her. It would mean she and little Eva could finally put down some roots at last. But is Sunnybrook the sanctuary Molly is searching for? Or will the past come back to haunt her, wherever she hides?


Purchase Link - https://amzn.to/2slp10U

My Review:


Love this series. If you haven’t read any of the Little Duck Pond Café series then go treat yourself as they are little gems and this latest visit is just as wonderful.


Each book of the series focuses on someone within the community, or new additions to the community and we see a host of faces and friends and get updates on their stories too. Don’t worry if you haven’t read any before – they work lovely as standalones, you get little catch ups though so you won’t feel lost.


This time we meet Molly, single parent who we met very briefly last time around. She has lots going on, an awful landlord and is in need of some support. Whilst he is horrid you get the sweetest little girl Eva, who is just lovely and Molly’s absolute world.


Molly works hard to turn things around for them and you cannot fault her commitment and determination. As always, we see the community and some of our favourite residents working together to show their support.


It’s a slightly more sombre story at times but there are wonderful moments of sweetness and light, with humour and of course, romance. It’s a great read, full of kindness and community and well as how we do all it takes for the ones we love.


Rosie Green has created this wonderful world for us to keep visiting, I’m never disappointed. This series grows and each instalment is as good as the previous one, I always look forward to reading the next one.


I cannot recommend this enough, one of my favourites and always my go -to reads.
About the Author:


Rosie has been scribbling stories ever since she was little. 

Back then, they were rip-roaring adventure tales with a young heroine in perilous danger of falling off a cliff or being tied up by 'the baddies'.

Thankfully, Rosie has moved on somewhat, and now much prefers to write romantic comedies that melt your heart and make you smile, with really not much perilous danger involved at all - unless you count the heroine losing her heart in love.

Rosie's series of novellas is centred around life in a village cafe. The latest, ‘A Winter Wedding at the Little Duck Pond Cafe', is out now.

Rosie has also written a full-length, standalone book, 'Snowflakes over Moondance Cottage', out now.

Follow Rosie on Twitter - https://twitter.com/Rosie_Green1988

The Northern Lights Lodge - Julie Caplin

Order HERE

Goodreads Blurb:
With a shattered heart and her career completely in tatters, Lucy needs to get away from her life in the UK. But, when she takes a job as hotel manager of the Northern Lights Lodge, she doesn’t quite expect to find herself in the middle of a snowy nowhere, in a land of hot springs and snowflake-dusted glaciers, and in the company of a gorgeous Scot, Alex.
Determined to turn her life around, Lucy sets about restoring the lodge to its former glory as the number one romantic destination in Iceland – even if romance is the last thing she wants or needs. However, as Alex and Lucy grow closer under a blanket of stars and the dancing lights of the aurora, Lucy might just learn how to fall in love again…
My Review:

I could try and play it cool (haha Iceland, cool.. get it?!) but I can't I LOVED this. I've only just stumbled upon this series and have read the previous books in very quick succession so I was thrilled at the chance to head to Iceland on this next adventure. That being said, it works as a standalone (they all do) so you really don't need to have read any of the others. If you have - then you will recognise a few characters!

Alex is one - he's really a secondary character in The Little Paris Patisserie but I liked him then and now he comes into his own - I am so pleased we got to see more of him. The spy/love interest for our main lady Lucy, you are already on his side (even knowing his 'undercover' position) and it is soon clear he is actually falling for Lucy in every way possible.

Lucy has been through a lot, mistakes in her past and awful behaviour by others abusing their power and position have left her needing the job nobody else would take on. She's pretty desperate. You don't really discover what has happened for a while, you see that she is vulnerable, lacking confidence and needs support. If I'm honest, I'd imagined far worse than what we find out but maybe that's just my mind - it isn't a pleasant situation for anyone to go through though.

Various situations arise as she'd getting to grips with running the hotel and Lucy, with a good team of staff/friends, handles everything in a typically unique way and we see her rediscover passion for the job, remembering why she chose the career in the first place. She is hardworking and determined and it shows true spirit that she can bounce back. I like her, I hoped she wouldn't be a weak, sorry for herself kind of character but you see she is quite daring and willing to put herself out there. 

Just like the previous books, the setting sounds incredible. It is well written and moves along at a nice pace, yet again reading one of Julie's books makes me want to book a trip.So thats Copenhagen, Brooklyn, Paris and Iceland on the travel list!!  In fact, Iceland and the Northern Lights has never really appealed to me before but now I could really be tempted.

Julie Caplin gives us a wonderfully romantic escape with characters and places you'll love. I cannot recommend The Northern Lights Lodge enough, perfect for a cosy, snuggled up read. I will eagerly await the next book!

Many thanks to Harper Impulse and Netgalley for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. 

Comfy Rating: 👍👍👍👍👍

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: 👍👍👍👍👍