The Llama Farm on New Moon Lane - Laura Biggs

 

Young and quiet, Lucy Granger leads an introverted life in Reading, living in a flat and working in design at a graphics company—until it is upended when she both sells her idea for a mobile game and suffers an unexpected medical diagnosis shortly afterwards.

Facing a mandated medical rest period, she decides to use her windfall earnings to take a year's holiday, renting a farm on New Moon Lane in a country village in Yorkshire. As Lucy settles into her holiday home for some tranquility, she soon learns that she is not the only tenant, when a llama named Llarry strolls out of the farm's supposedly-derelict barn. He is shortly followed by others in a menagerie of abandoned animals left behind—from a sickly donkey who likes eating crisps to a flirtatious cockerel sleeping in the back garden.

To Lucy's consternation, no one is willing or able to take them on, leaving her with a strange mix of furry and feathered friends to find homes for. Reluctantly adapting to her circumstances in order to deal with this problem, Lucy will discover other surprises about the animals in her care, and the place she is temporarily calling home. About herself, as well.

Will her ordinary life ever be the same after her experience on New Moon Lane? More importantly, should she really want it to be?

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

My Review:

I was expecting something quirky and different, that’s what I read. Introverted Lucy, who I initially didn’t think I’d gel with, needs a change following the successful sale of an app and a serious medical diagnosis.

Settling into her new countryside, temporary, abode she is met with creatures – great and small. A poorly donkey, a noisy cockerel, some llama to the mice in the kitchen, she seems to be stuck with them and to give her credit she does what she can for them. Local postie is always around to provide advice or spread information, soon the vet is popping in to check on the donkey as well as the mother and son who seem to stop by and enjoy the animals whenever they get chance.

Lucys world seems to be busier then ever, but in all the best ways. As the donkeys gets better, we notice Lucy has a brand new lease of life. It looks like the move was possibly the best thing for her.

Her stay is only supposed to be temporary but as each day passes it looks unlikely Lucy could return to life as it was.

A very sweet read, I enjoyed Lucy discovering parts of herself she’d hidden and was blossoming thanks to this “new life.” I wanted to know more about her, see how her fledgling friendships develop and how life with the animals continues.

A short, but well written read. 

Author Bio:

Laura Briggs is the author of several feel-good romance reads, including the Top 100 Amazon UK seller 'A Wedding in Cornwall'. She has a fondness for vintage style dresses (especially ones with polka dots), and reads everything from Jane Austen to modern day mysteries. When she's not writing, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, caring for her pets, gardening, and seeing the occasional movie or play.

Social Media Links –

Author Facebook: http://on.fb.me/1JjeMoI

Author Twitter: http://bit.ly/1ME9ivJ

Giveaway – Win an e-copy of The Llama Farm on New Moon Lane (Open Internationally)

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

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We Are Family - Beth Moran

 

Thirty-three-year-old Ruth Henderson and her daughter Maggie have some hard choices to make. Following the tragic death of Maggie’s father, they are left with a mountain of debt and broken hearts. So, despite her vow never to return home after the fall-out from her teenage pregnancy, Ruth can’t see any option other than for the two of them to move back in with her parents.

Going home means many things – finally confronting her estranged father, navigating her mother’s desperate need to make everything ok despite the wobbles in her own marriage, not to mention helping a still-grieving Maggie to settle into a new school, find new friends, and stop expressing her emotions through her ever-changing hair colour.

What Ruth needs are friends, but she abandoned her childhood ones when she left all those years ago. Luckily for Ruth, they haven’t abandoned her. Slowly she lets herself be embraced by a group of women who have always had her back – even when she didn’t know it. And as the grief and shock recede, Ruth can even begin to imagine sharing her life with someone other than just Maggie – if Maggie will let her.

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

My Review:

Reading Beth Moran books is a treat, always enjoyable and as they are set around where I live, I feel a special connection to them.. almost as if I am within them all.

Widow Ruth must move back in with her parents with her teenage daughter Maggie due to her late husband amassing debts she was unaware of. It is not what anyone was expecting and it’s difficult as the relationship with her parents is difficult, at best.

Also, moving back to the place where her first love and heartbreak took place is overwhelming, (especially given his new celebrity status) her lack of skills or qualifications leads to a struggle with work and her teenage daughter needs her.

Slowly but surely, we see Ruth’s life start to change, her outlook become more positive and she allows herself to become part of the community she once left behind. She meets a group of friends and sees that nobody has the perfect life, everyone is struggling and it’s fine to need the help and support of others.

Shocks, revelations, ups and downs along the way; I thoroughly enjoyed We Are Family and how Beth wrote a story full of heart, laughs and lows, where we see importance of friendships but also rediscovering yourself.

I always look forward to another Beth Moran book, but I highly recommend every book so far!

Author Bio:

Beth Moran is the award winning author of ten contemporary fiction novels, including the top ten bestseller Just the Way You Are and #1 bestseller Let It Snow. Her books are set in and around Sherwood Forest, where she can be found most mornings walking with her spaniel Murphy. She has the privilege of also being a foster carer to teenagers, and enjoys nothing better than curling up with a pot of tea and a good story.

Social Media Links:

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

Twitter https://twitter.com/bethcmoran

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

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

Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/beth-moran

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

The Recipe for Happiness - Jane Lovering

 

When Seren’s brother Andrew signs her up to Yorkshire Dating, only for them to recommend that she ‘gets a life’ before they find her a match, Seren has to admit that they may have a point. 

She loves her job cooking at an elder day centre and her little flat, but it’s fair to say her life is a little short of hobbies and friends. Since she was young Seren has felt safer close to home, but now she’s a thirty-something divorcee, it’s time for a change.

Change arrives in the shape of alarmingly clever collie Kez, who Seren offers to take in ‘temporarily’, and kind but mysterious new colleague Ned. But as Ned and Kez tempt Seren out of her shell, it means facing her fears. And when Andrew finally reveals the secrets of their childhood, Seren’s need for safety suddenly makes sense.

A problem shared is a problem halved, and with friends by her side, Seren might be able to get a life that she loves at last.

My Review:

A first for me, being a newbie to Jane Lovering books I was excited to see how this read would pan out and I was not disappointed at all.

I loved it from start to finish, a book that I was reluctant to put down.

The characters are ‘normal’ and by that I mean, relatable and comfortable. They are they type of people I’d love to be around and I really liked them. Seren is a creature of comfort, seeking what she knows and being home over challenge but she decides it could be time for a change. Change comes initially in the form of Kez, a super clever Collie and Ned.

The more we learn about Seren, the more we understand her reluctance to face her fears and put herself out there. With the right support around her, can she finally be the Seren she longs to be and potentially find romance where she hopes she will find it.

Warm, tender and a read that gives your emotions a big squeeze. I really loved the added recipes too!  It may be my first but it won’t be my last. 

Purchase Link:

https://mybook.to/recipehappinesssocial

Author Bio:

Jane Lovering is the bestselling and award-winning romantic comedy writer who won the RNA Contemporary Romance Novel Award in 2023 with A Cottage Full of Secrets. She lives in Yorkshire and has a cat and a bonkers terrier, as well as five children who have now left home.

Social Media Links –   

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Jane-Lovering-Author-106404969412833

Twitter https://twitter.com/janelovering

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

Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jane-lovering

The Woman in my Home - Diana Wilkinson

 

It was all meant to be so easy. Payback with a difference.

I’d stay in Ballyholme, Northern Ireland, to decide whether to forgive my cheating husband, Ryan. Ciara, my new best friend, would stay in our London home, free of charge, until I made up my mind.

The ruse certainly had its plus points: Ciara’s unexpected appearance would freak Ryan out, and my disappearance should make him regret his roving eye.

But now I learn Ciara has evidence … evidence that my husband has committed murder. And she’s no longer answering my texts and calls. Is it some sort of blackmail plot? More worrying, if Ryan is indeed a killer, could he strike again?

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

My Review:

A twisted story of revenge, plotting to get exactly what you want and doing whatever it takes, or going wherever needed, to put your plans into action.

Full of suspense and intrigue, I was keen to read on and get to the end, finding out what happened to certain characters that fully deserved whatever came their way. I have to admit there are no characters I absolutely loved, even Flo wasn’t my cup of tea really. I wasn’t convinced about some of the things she did or the relationships she forged. Her connection with Ciara’s brother was interesting, I was expecting more from his character by the end as well.

Some twists and turns along the way but nothing that completely surprised me, I could work out what was going to happen and that’s ok, I enjoyed it. Sometimes too many red herrings/plot twists can be off putting. I liked that this went where I hoped it would.

This was an entertaining read, paced and well written. I would definitely recommend. 

Author Bio:

Diana Wilkinson is a graduate of Durham University, spending a short spell in teaching before taking up a full-time career in tennis development. A former Irish international player, she finally stepped off the tennis court to become a full-time writer.

Social Media Links:

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DiWilkinson2020

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dianakennett37/

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

Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/diana-wilkinso

Summer Nights at the Starfish Café - Jessica Redland

Welcome back to The Starfish Café for a glorious summer, but with a few dark clouds on the horizon... A new beginning...

As her summer wedding to Jake approaches, Hollie is excited for their new beginning as a family. But when some unexpected news threatens the future she and Jake had hoped for, Hollie will need to find the strength to overcome heartache once more.

 A fragile heart….

Single mum, Kerry, loves her job at The Starfish Café, but behind the brave smiles and laughter with customers there is a sadness deep within. So when someone from her past re-appears in her life, Kerry can either hide away or face her demons and try to finally move on from her heartbreak.

A summer to remember…

For Hollie and Kerry it promises to be an emotional rollercoaster of a summer, but the community at The Starfish Café will always be there to help them through - after all, with courage nothing is impossible…

Join top 10 bestseller Jessica Redland for a wonderful summer at the seaside, full of love, friendship and community spirit.

Purchase Link - https://amzn.to/3GxA5dk

My Review:

Summer Nights at the Starfish Café is the third and final book in the Starfish Café Series and what a way to go. This whole series has been brilliant – drama, emotion, ups and downs; a host of great characters (and not so great of course) but at the root of it is love, determination, over coming adversity and being surrounded by the best people. This third book sums this all up nicely, with old faces making a not so welcome return, heartbreak and strength playing a massive part in every characters story in some way.

Emotional rollercoaster doesn’t really do this one justice; prepare yourselves and get hankies ready. Hollie and Jake have been through so much, individually and together, happy endings, wedded bliss and a rosy future for book three? Well…. Not quite, not right away at least. I won’t say more but these guys are made of tough stuff.

Kerry and her brood are in for some surprises, a blast of the past returns to seek something they believe they should have and this reveals a whole history that causes pain and anguish. I think Kerry is amazing in this situation though, classy and putting those she loves most first every time. A dramatic rollercoaster tinged with healing hearts, new starts and interesting developments.

I didn’t think I would be so ok with this series ending but feel this book really did them all justice, I liked the cameos from Castle Street friends and love that there is always that nod to previous stories in other series.  I will miss them all and wish I could go visit though – for goodies and seals if nothing else.

Great writing as always by Jessica Redland, a go to author for great settings and loveable characters.

Looking forward to what is coming next!

 

Author Bio:
Jessica Redland writes emotional but uplifting stories of love, friendship, family and community. Her Whitsborough Bay books transport readers to the stunning North Yorkshire Coast where she lives with her husband, daughter and sprocker spaniel. Her Hedgehog Hollow series, set in a hedgehog rescue centre, takes readers into the beautiful rolling countryside of the Yorkshire Wolds.

Social Media Links

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100004465368404

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JessicaRedland

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

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

Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jessica-redland

The Last Party at Silverton Hall - Rachel Burton

 

A gripping and heartbreaking tale of family, duty and the secrets we keep from those we love most. Perfect for fans of Rachel Hore, Lorna Cook and Kathryn Hughes.

Two women. Two centuries. A life-changing night...

1952: Vivien and Max collide in the thick London smog. Within a few years, their whirlwind romance sees them living a quiet life on the Norfolk coast, blissfully happy with their beautiful daughter – at least, that's how it appears...

2019: Isobel is hoping for a fresh start when she inherits her beloved grandmother Vivien's house in Silverton Bay. But when she discovers an old photograph of Vivien at one of the infamous parties held at Silverton Hall in the 1950s, Isobel is forced to question how well she really knew her grandmother. Silverton Hall is a place Vivien swore she never went and never would – but why would she lie? And what other secrets was she keeping?

Together with an old friend, Isobel searches for answers. But is she prepared for the truth?

'I was absolutely transported to Silverton Bay... I loved it and wanted to savour every page.' Kathleen McGurl

My Review:

Enchanted by this story from start to finish. I think a combination of setting and characters won me over and I was reluctant to put it down!

I think for a dual timeline to work, both elements have to be captivating, whether by character or storyline but this was written perfectly, the “older” timeline playing out in clever ways, hinting at what was to come, drip feeding tasty titbits. I was fully investing in both stories, although they are both part of one. Vivien and Isobel are both strong women in difficult or uncomfortable circumstances. Vivien promised one life but presented with something she never anticipated; Isobel finding herself at a point where she can reassess her life and reconnect with those she holds close in her heart.

A beautiful story of secrets, choices and opportunities; it highlights the importance of being honest, open and willing to see things from another point of view.

With great writing, strong and likeable characters. I wishes it continued on a little longer; a must read for fiction fans. 

Praise for Rachel Burton:

'Enticing and atmospheric... Packed with love and mystery that will keep you wanting more from the first page to the last' Lauren North, author of Safe at Home

'A wonderful escape... I adored the characters, the headiness of their first loves, and vulnerabilities as they hoped for their own happily-ever-afters'  Jenny Ashcroft

'With her signature nostalgia, swoon-worthy hero and wistful setting, this is a romance to whisk you away any time of the year' Victoria Cooke

About Rachel:

 Rachel Burton has been making up stories for as long as she can remember and always dreamed of being a writer until life somehow got in the way. After reading for a degree in Classics and another in English Literature she accidentally fell into a career in law, but eventually managed to write her first book on her lunch breaks. She loves words, Shakespeare, tea, The Beatles, dresses with pockets and very tall romantic heroes (not necessarily in that order) and lives with her husband in Yorkshire. Find her on Instagram and Twitter @RachelBWriter

Follow Rachel:

On Twitter: @RachelBWriter

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Rachelburton74

On Instagram: @rachelbwriter

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Buy links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Last-Party-Silverton-Hall-ebook/dp/B0B3SCGXYF/

Waterstones: https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-last-party-at-silverton-hall/rachel-burton/9781803287256