BLOG TOUR: Island in the Sun - Janice Horton

Thank you to Janice Horton and Rachel's Random Resources for the opportunity to take part in this wonderful book tour. 

Island in the Sun Blurb:

When successful jewellery designer Isla Ashton unexpectedly inherits her eccentric Aunt Kate’s Caribbean island, she is obligated to return to the place she associates with heartache and regret. To where she grew up and fell in love with her childhood friend, Leo Fernandez. Fully intent on selling the island and finally putting the past behind her, Isla is soon compelled to put together the pieces of what really happened on a fateful night ten-years before. She begins to believe that in going to prison, Leo hadn’t only been shielding her from the same fate. She also starts to suspect that her late Aunt hadn’t been entirely honest in sending her away under the guise of recriminations. Who had they both been protecting and why?

Purchase HERE

My Review:

I have to start off by mentioning the cover - isn't it wonderful. As soon as I saw it I wanted to dive into the book - and book a holiday! I think the cover really does set the scene really well. As a fan of the Caribbean, Pearl Island sounds exactly like my kind of place and I loved the descriptions of the island as well the community it homes.

Janice Horton's well written, descriptions really had me dreaming of sun kissed, white sands, luscious seas, exotic gardens - it was easy to imagine being right there with all of the lovely characters she creates; Kate, Isla, Leo, Jack and Grace (who is my favourite because I have a soft spot for the kindly, care giving types!)

Island in the Sun moves between the current day and from periods in Kate's history to the events of ten years previous, it's is clearly structured and written so that it doesn't get confusing. Given that secrets and memories all thrown into the mix, I loved discovering what had happened so long ago that had kept Isla feeling so angry towards Leo.

At first, I felt that Isla had really held on to her anger for far too long and I wasn't sure I would like her but as she learned the truth of the past I grew to like her more. I saw things from her perspective and realised she'd been kept in the dark for so many reasons. 
I liked Leo's character - he made mistakes but he was young and took the punishment that he didn't necessarily deserve. He has worked hard over the past 10 years, determined to prove himself - especially to Isla. I liked how he was persistent in getting her to actually listen, to see him as the man he had become but that he wouldn't stand for her being cruel and hard toward him.

As we learn more, the characters evolve, grow together through their own reasons of grief - loss of those they loved as well as the time they have lost. It's often said the path of true love never does run smooth and that is very true for Leo and Isla, I was riveted at the end and hoping for the best outcome.


A gorgeous, sun filled romance, full of surprise and emotion - this book will take you to paradise. A wonderful read. 

Comfy Rating: 👍👍👍👍👍

About the Author: Janice Horton

Janice Horton, also affectionately known as the backpacking housewife, writes contemporary romantic fiction with a dash of humour and a sense of adventure. Once her three children had grown up, Janice and her backpacking husband sold their empty nest in Scotland UK along with almost everything they owned and set off to travel the world. Since then they have been traveling full-time and have explored over 50 countries, living out of an apartment, a hut, or wherever they happen to find themselves.

Janice works as a writer wherever she is in the world. When not writing bestselling romantic adventure novels, she writes lifestyle and travel features for her website and her work has featured in national and international magazines like ‘Prima’ in the UK and ‘Friday’ in Dubai. She has also been involved in BBC Scotland’s Write Here Write Now project and has been interviewed on many podcasts and radio shows including Loose Women’s Kaye Adams’ prime time BBC Radio Scotland Show.

Social Media Links –

Website: https://thebackpackinghousewife.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JaniceHorton

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

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

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/janice-horton

FIRST CHAPTER REVIEW: After the Green Withered by Kristin Ward

After the Green Withered: Blurb

They tell me the country looked different back then. 
They talk of open borders and flowing rivers. 
They say the world was green. 
But drought swept across the globe and the United States of the past disappeared under a burning sky.
Enora Byrnes lives in the aftermath, a barren world where water has become the global currency. In a life dominated by duty to family and community, Enora is offered a role within an entity that controls everything from water credits to borders. But it becomes clear that not all is as it seems. From the wasted confines of her small town to the bowels of a hidden city, Enora will uncover buried secrets that hide an unthinkable reality. As truth reveals the brutal face of what she has become, she must ask herself: how far will she go to retain her humanity?

My Review: As this book genre is not one I would typically ever choose, I will be reviewing the first chapter. 

I didn't know what to expect. This is a genre so far removed from what I would usually read I have to admit the thought of even reading a small part of it didn't excite me. In fact I put it off for a long time. 

The book is a YA, imaginative, dystopian view of a future America where the the world is a mess, and is scarily perceivable as a future possibility. Currency is water and the key to survival. 

I was impressed by the prologue, well written and engaging, I was surprised at how interested I'd already become. Setting the scene isn't always easy, writers have to do enough to get your interest without giving too much away or making the story seemed rushed. I think the prologue and chapter 1 is really well thought out; she explains the scenario well. After the prologue I was definitely keen at jumping into the first chapter and actually meeting the characters involved. 

I definitely enjoyed the first chapter, I found it very descriptive and set a scene nicely. I liked the introduction to Enora, the teenage main character, she is interesting and I liked hearing her perspective on a world she had grown up in. A world that is far removed from what I know yet can entirely imagine in a future many years from now. Scary thought maybe. 

As fresh eyes to this genre and type of book, I enjoyed what I read. I didn't read on... yet. I think I will read some more at some point as I would like to see how it goes but I haven't the urgency to read it right now. I shall finish it eventually, I think it will make a nice change. 

I liked the writing and think that fans of the genre and this author will really enjoy this book. 


About the Author:

Kristin Ward has loved writing since middle school but took thirty years to do something serious about it. The result is her Best Indie Book Award-winning novel, After the Green Withered, followed by the sequel, Burden of Truth. She lives in a small town in Connecticut with her husband, three sons, and many furry and feathered friends. A SciFi geek to the core, she is fueled by dark chocolate and coffee and can be heard quoting eighties movies on a regular basis.

Twitter   Website


Purchase Links:
After the Green Withered on AMAZON
Also: https://books2read.com/after-the-green-withered

Thank you Kristin Ward and especially to The Write Reads (@the_writereads) for organising this Ultimate Blog Tour and providing me with the opportunity to take part. 

How many books - Target or Pressure?

New Years Eve 2018 and it's about that time, you know what I'm talking about - the time each year where we all rack our brains, think back over the past 12 months and forward to a brand spanking 365 days of gleaming, new opportunities. Many of us make resolutions; to lose weight, stop smoking, save money etc etc. Half hearted attempts at self improvement that generally don't last until the end of January let alone the year. It's also the time book lovers gather together their lists of 'best reads' or 'ones to watch.' 

I've previously spoken about the self imposed book buying ban (The Book Buying Ban - How to tackle the TBR pile) and how sticking that out for January would never be repeated, but there is something I have done this year as I did in 2018 - set a Goodreads reading challenge target. 

I started late in 2018 - around July time - and set what I thought was a ridiculous number of 50 books. My intention was to add the books I'd read before July, as many as I could remember anyway. I was thrilled as I saw the count go up and up, it really spurred me on. The more I read, the higher it got and the more I wanted to consume any old book I could get my hands on (not hard when you have what seems to be a TBR mountain in your bedroom). 

I completed the challenge - people that know me say I did it easily - and at the end of 2018 I'd finished up reading 69 books. To be honest I thought it was a bit of a fluke.

Deciding my target for 2019 was probably more difficult than it needed to be. 

I didn't want to set it too high as I would hate not to achieve it but then I didn't want to set to too low and it seem silly.

When I had a figure in mind I asked the opinion of my sister and my Mum. They watch me read, they think my book buying habits are hilarious. They have a wonderful ability to know what I think of a book as I am reading it - usually by the pace at which I am reading, the face I pull or the fact that when they speak to me it doesn't register and they have to repeatedly call my name to get my attention.

I told them my target was going to be FIFTY again. I though this was realistic as I work full time and often do things at home, I have a little craft business and attend craft fairs regularly so I am often making stock - I thought fifty would be a great number of books for the year. They laughed - real full on laughter - and just shook their heads in disbelief. Both agreed my target should be 80. I wasn't having it, nope, not with how much of my time is used elsewhere - but I did decide to set my challenge at sixty. 

Four months later and I'm sat questioning if the challenge itself is a good thing or if it is putting pressure on yourself to ensure you meet that number.

I adore Goodreads; I love the way you can keep track of what you've read, what you thought of the books, the authors etc. I enjoy how you can see what you're friends and people with similar book tastes have read, enjoyed and reviewed. It's a great way, for me, of keeping track of what I have read because I didn't really before. I have the intention and would start lists or use address books so I could put them in by author but I used to lose interest or the book.

I mentioned that previously I had felt spurred on, motivated to read knowing it would add to

my tally.. but is actually is it a level of pressure that I don't need adding to my life? Am I really enjoying all the books or just zipping through them for the sake of increasing my number?

So far 2019 has been a lovely year, some AMAZING books, some wonderful ARCs have come my way and I've found some great new authors - would I have come across them regardless of the challenge I've put on myself - yes. Have I had the challenge in my mind with almost every book I've read? Yes. 

I've noticed I don't just read now, I also know which "number book" it is. Should that really be what I care about when reading a book, what it takes my tally to? I've also noticed that I compare my number of reads to that of my friends on Goodreads, I just can't help myself.

I'm not a competitive person by nature, not at all but with this I've woken some kind of weird competitive vibe in me that I dislike. I love that anyone reads any amount, I celebrate when I know people love a good book and when they find an author or genre that they like, I actively go out of my way to share the love of a book, pass books on and make recommendations - so why do I care about the number of books anyone else has read?

As of 7th April my Goodreads Reading Challenge total: 

Not even four full months of the year and I have already reached my target. I have read some incredible books  and genuinely, I don't feel like I have ever read for the sake of my target but I do wonder without it, would I have read this many books by now?! More importantly - would I have cared? 

My sister teases that even her target for me (80) is going to look silly by the end of the year but who knows. The reality is that I could amend that Goodreads target but I know I won't. I'll leave it as it is, hopefully as a reminder that it doesn't really matter.

Reading is loving a book, enjoying the stories that are created, the characters that become friends, finding authors that give us tears, heart break, love and hope - it's why we all stick our head in a book, lose ourselves in a different world and do it over and over again. 

Will I even set Goodreads target next year? Probably.
Will I increase my target next year? Probably not. 

Rosie's Travelling Tea Shop - Rebecca Raisin

AVAILABLE HERE

Goodreads Blurb:

Rosie Lewis has her life together.

A swanky job as a Michelin-Starred Sous Chef, a loving husband and future children scheduled for exactly January 2021.

That’s until she comes home one day to find her husband’s pre-packed bag and a confession that he's had an affair. Heartbroken and devastated, Rosie drowns her sorrows in a glass (or three) of wine, only to discover the following morning that she has spontaneously invested in a bright pink campervan to facilitate her grand plans to travel the country.

Now, Rosie is about to embark on the trip of a lifetime, and the chance to change her life! With Poppy, her new-found travelling tea shop in tow, nothing could go wrong, could it…?

My Review:

What an utterly charming, delightful book! I was fully immersed in Rosie's new adventure after finding herself alone and determined to prove her (quite awful sounding) husband wrong in that she isn't predictable and boring. A travelling tea shop sounds like the perfect idea to me -and I do love a book that makes me drool for the wonderful treats and delights it describes!

Rosie seems like a woman I would be friends with, shes brave, independent and really funny - I laughed out loud several times throughout. She's been pushed out of her comfort zone but she goes with it and makes the best out of each new situation. I think the combination of her and new friend Aria is wonderful.

 Aria is probably my favourite - a mobile book van, come on!! Books and a tea shop is my idea of heaven. Their friendship is so well written, they support each other perfectly. Both need someone to guide them and work through their different problems, which they do as the story progresses. I could really imagine going to some of the festivals mentioned and sitting with a book from Aria coupled with a wonderful tea from Rosie. 

I enjoyed the romantic aspect of the wonderfully annoying, yet gorgeous, Max. I liked how he continued to push Rosie into new, uncomfortable things and yet she found utter pleasure from them. He really healed her heart and confirmed her ability to be happy and push her boundaries. I think their relationship was well written, sweet and gave Rosie the happy ending I know I was hoping for. 

I have never read anything by Rebecca Raisin before - shame on me! I will be rectifying that. I loved this book, I have never felt tempted by camper vans etc but this genuinely made me imagine life on the road, having adventures and meeting new friends. 

I highly recommend - a book full of adventure, self-discovery, friendship and heart. Thank you to HQ Digital UK and Rebecca for an advanced copy of this book via Netgalley.

Love Heart Lane - Christie Barlow

AVAILABLE HERE

Goodreads Blurb:

Welcome to Love Heart Lane…
When Flick Simons returns to the small village of Heartcross she only expected to stay for a few days. The white-washed cottages of Love Heart Lane might be her home, but the place holds too many painful memories, and of one man in particular – Fergus Campbell.
When a winter storm sweeps in, the only bridge connecting the village to the main land is swept away! As the villagers pull together, Flick finds herself welcomed back by the friends she once left behind. And as the snow begins to melt, maybe there is a chance that Fergus’s heart will thaw too…

My Review:

I love a book set in a picturesque village, with a strong community spirit with a great mix of characters that all bring something very different. 'Love Heart Lane' is a wonderful example of this. Set in the small, Scottish village of Heartcross we have the first of what will be a lovely series of books. I definitely think this is a village and group of characters I could really become very fond of!

Felicity (Flick) fled Heartcross 8 years ago and is now back and must face the hurt and upset from those she left behind. When bad weather takes hold and causes a major disaster, Flick seems to be voice of reason and spokesperson for the village - can she fix what is broken - literally and in terms of her relationships/friendships?

I liked Flick, she is strong and very capable. She keeps her head in a crisis and confident in terms of speaking up for herself and others - a couple of times I felt she was a little too full on though; with regards to Fergus, she hardly gives him any space to compose himself now she's back before she's on at him about how she feels and wanting him back. I just felt a bit sorry for him. 

Don't get me wrong, I think Flick is a great character and I really felt for all she had been through, I understood her reasons for leaving Heartcross but didn't think she appreciated that time moves on and everybody would have carried on with their lives too. She is a great heroine, and she does work hard to cement her position back within the community. She does get involved in literally everything that happens from delivering babies to delivering food parcels! 

A lovely tale of renewing friendships, accepting situations beyond our control and fighting hard for those you love. With plenty of drama, some laughs and a long lost romance, I think Heartcross is going to be a fabulous setting for some great stories. I look forward to finding out more about the other characters of Heartcross.

Comfy Rating: 👍👍👍👍.5  

The Survivors - Kate Furnivall

Available here

Goodreads Blurb:

'Directly I saw him, I knew he had to die.’ Germany, 1945. Klara Janowska and her daughter Alicja have walked for weeks to get to Graufeld Displaced Persons camp. In the cramped, dirty, dangerous conditions they, along with 3,200 others, are the lucky ones. They have survived and will do anything to find a way back home.

But when Klara recognises a man in the camp from her past, a deadly game of cat and mouse begins. He knows exactly what she did during the war to save her daughter. She knows his real identity. What will be the price of silence? And will either make it out of the camp alive?

My Review:

This is the first time I've read a book by Kate Furnivall and what a wonderful experience it has been. Kate has written a beautiful, fiercely captivating tale of unwavering love and the bond between mother and child as well as the steely determination to do whatever is needed to survive.  A story of the survivors of war, it is spellbinding and I found it difficult to put down.

I always know a book has had a long lasting effect on me, as I think about it for days afterwards and replay different parts in my mind.  I like to think of it as a 'book hangover' and that's what I feel here. I am fairly ashamed to say I didn't know too much about the DPs Camps but this book has vividly painted a picture, Kate's writing draws you in and makes you feel like you are really there, watching all that takes place.

I felt each characters spirit, they were well written to evoke various emotions - love, despair, fear and even hate. Klara - the lionness protecting her cub. A mother willing to do anything in order to find, protect and free her child, wanting to make the life ahead better -she may have to do and experience truly awful things, but she is such a fantastic character. I loved her attitude, her approach  and intelligence in any situation and I was completely on her side from the moment I started reading. I think the flashbacks to Klara's emphasised what she was capable of, what she was willing to endure and served as a reminder of how far she had come.
 

If I thought Klara was feisty then her daughter, Alicja, is something else! What a testament to Klara; the lengths her daughter would go so to protect her Mum too. True fighting spirit from both women, who feel the need to right a wrong, seek revenge and get what they deserve. 

The delicate relationship between Klara and Davide, a symbol of the fragility of all survivors - their friendship and blossoming romance throughout was a beautiful addition to the story.

An emotional journey of love and survival, showing humanity at it's worst but also at its most special. 

First but definitely not the last book by Kate Furnivall, I highly recommend for all historical fiction fans but if you're looking for something different - this is worth the step out of your comfort zone. 

Comfy Rating: 👍👍👍👍👍

The Little Cafe at the End of the Pier - Helen J Rolfe

Available Here 

Goodreads Blurb:

When Jo's beloved grandparents ask for her help in running their little café at the end of the pier in Salthaven-on-Sea she jumps at the chance.

The café is a hub for many people: the single dad who brings his little boy in on a Saturday morning; the lady who sits alone and stares out to sea; the woman who pops in after her morning run.

Jo soon realises that each of her customers is looking for love  and she goes about setting each of them up on blind dates - each date is held in the café, with a special menu she has designed for the occasion. But Jo has never found love herself. She always held her grandparents' marriage up as her ideal and she hasn't found anything close to that. But could it be that love is right under her nose...?

A quick note:

A Year at the Café at the End of the Pier is the collected Café at the End of the Pier novellas. If you have already read and enjoyed the novellas then you have already read A Year at the Café at the End of the Pier.

My Review:

Rather ashamedly I admit this was my first book from the always lovely Helen (@HJRolfe) but it definitely will not be my last.

When Molly and Arthur realise they need a change of pace, they ask granddaughter Jo to come back to Salthaven-on-Sea and help run the cafe. The book takes us through her first year of running the much loved, community focal point and chronicles the ups and downs of not only Jo's life but also of the friends and regulars at the café.

We see Jo struggle initially - a complete change of pace to her former life of being a teacher, it seems that she may have bitten off more than she can chew. Her fears and doubts are increased by the less than enthusiastic insistence from her Mother that she is wasting her life back in Salthaven. This is all Jo needs to fuel her determination and she sets out to prove her wrong.

As we go through the seasons and special occasions of this first year, we see Jo's character bloom and grow in confidence, this in turn is reflected in the success of the café. I loved Jo's attempts at playing Cupid - she seriously seems to have a knack for match-making. Jo soon realises that she herself has a secret admirer and I for one was as stumped as Jo at who it could be.

I loved the mystery of who had fallen for Jo- as I thought all of the characters set up as potential love interests could have been great matches for her. I couldn't figure out which man it would be - even right to the last few pages and I love that I was kept guessing. I was definitely happy with the end result though (for Jo and for other characters involved).

A great cast of characters with their own little stories created a real sense of community, I loved their individual personalities and what they all added to the book. Written with wonderful detail, including some absolutely mouth watering food descriptions, this book was a real pleasure to read, fun and full of emotion and suspense.

I would highly recommend The Little Café at the End of the Pier for a cosy, snuggle up and binge read book. I look forward to catching up on more by Helen J Rolfe too. 

Comfy Rating:

👍👍👍👍👍