BLOGTOUR: Four Christmases and a Secret - Zara Stoneley

Four Christmases and a Secret

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…

Except for Daisy Christmas means another of Uncle T’s dreaded Christmas parties, complete with Christmas jumper and flashing antlers.  And Oliver Cartwright.  Gorgeous Oliver Cartwright. Who she hates.

Every year Daisy has to face insufferable Ollie and hear all about how BRILLIANT he is.  Whereas Daisy has no job, no man and no idea how to fix things.

This Christmas however Daisy is determined things will be different.  There will be no snogging Ollie under the mistletoe like when they were teenagers.  No, this year she’ll show Ollie that she’s a Responsible Adult too.

But as the champagne corks pop, and the tinsel sparkles, Uncle T has news of his own to share…and it could change Daisy's life forever…

Purchase Links

UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07QRTC5JC/

US – https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07QRTC5JC/

 

My Review:

A delightful read that gives us more than your typical festive feel-good frolic.

Although we have a lot of festive cheer through the annual Christmas party held by Uncle Terrance (in a bookshop – how amazing does that sound by the way!?!) a lot of this story is based throughout several points throughout the year in between each party. Moved along nicely and timely so the pace is good, if you aren’t a huge Christmas fan then this is perfect as it isn’t all festive all the time.

I think Daisy is a lovely character, although perhaps it took me a bit of time to get used to her, she grows on you and she develops as a character throughout. I liked the fact she loved books, she was funny and caring and the way she cared for Stanley. I laughed so much at the rescue mission she went on with Ollie.

Ollie is the enigmatic, successful and gorgeous doctor – he has always been in Daisy’s life, but could now me the time they are more than friends, or will Daisy’s interesting, confident colleague get in their first?

The thing with secrets is that they do come out and honestly this book took me on a rollercoaster of revelation. Some secrets and just heartbreakingly sad and emotional. I didn’t necessarily expect everything this book gave me, but it made the story more enjoyable.

I’m a big fan of Zara Stoneley’s style of writing, managing to engage you in the lives of her characters without it being too much.  A beautiful look at relationships, family, friendships and moving on from the past.

About the Author: 

Zara Stoneley is the USA Today bestselling author of 'The Wedding Date'.

She lives in a Cheshire village with her family, a lively cockapoo called Harry, and a very bossy (and slightly evil) cat called Saffron.

Born in a small village in the UK, Zara wanted to be a female James Herriot, a spy, or an author when she grew up. After many (many) years, and many different jobs, her dream of writing a bestseller came true. She now writes about friendship, dreams, love, and happy ever afters, and hopes that her tales make you laugh a lot, cry a little, and occasionally say 'ahhh'.

Zara’s bestselling novels include 'Bridesmaids', 'No One Cancels Christmas', 'The Wedding Date', 'The Holiday Swap', 'Summer with the Country Village Vet', 'Blackberry Picking at Jasmine Cottage' and the popular Tippermere series - 'Stable Mates', 'Country Affairs' and 'Country Rivals'.

Social Media Links –

Website: http://www.zarastoneley.com
Twitter: @ZaraStoneley
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ZaraStoneley

Instagram: zarastoneley

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/zara-stoneley?follow=true

Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B007WK307G

BLOGTOUR: Magic Under the Mistletoe - Lucy Coleman

About the book:

Christmas and romance are in the air...

 

It's December 23rd and while everyone else is rushing home for the holidays, workaholic Leesa Oliver is dreading switching on her out-of-office for the festive season. And it seems her equally driven boss, Cary Anderson, isn't relishing spending Christmas at his family's country estate either.

So together, they draft an unexpected Christmas contract: They'll spend half of the holidays with each other's families, pretending to be a couple. Leesa knows the insufferably good-looking Cary will make her Christmas more bearable, but what happens after the last of the mince pies have been eaten...?

Leesa signed off on a sensible business agreement, but somewhere, amongst the fairy lights and carols something seems to have changed... It seems there might just be some magic under the mistletoe this Christmas!

My Review:     

Woah, what a festive treat! For festive fans and those romance lovers.

Leesa on a long-haul flight with Cary – a workaholic, picky man who has deserted her back in economy. They are colleagues but only really start get to know each other better on this flight back from Sydney. With bad weather stalling her original plans, Leesa finds herself heading to his family for the night; both characters do not seem enthralled with having a festive filled Christmas though – will this change?

I must admit Cary seemed like a right idiot at first and it put me off. I didn’t want to like him at all…but… I guess by the end he may have won me round a fair bit, I couldn’t help it.. I got swept along with all the characters and even him! I was all for Leesa from the opening page, she seemed like my kind of girl and if it was a hallmark movie, she’d be the character everyone loves – the girl who has been through so much and is scared, the girl who has readers on side from the start.

Lots going on in this story, it kept me interested and I do love when fate seems to have a plan that ensures our main characters get what they deserve, even if they aren’t expecting (or wanting) it at all. Thought it brilliant that the timing of the book takes us on a journey, not just a quick glimpse in time. We see throughout the book there are complete misunderstandings, drama and family issues that save this being what you typically expect.

Lucy Coleman gives us emotion, heartache and sincerity – such an emotional read, that will give you a cosy warm glow.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           About the author

Lucy lives in the Forest of Dean in the UK with her lovely husband and Bengal cat, Ziggy. Her novels have been short-listed in the UK's Festival of Romance and the eFestival of Words Book Awards. Lucy won the 2013 UK Festival of Romance: Innovation in Romantic Fiction award.

Follow Lucy:  

Twitter: @LucyColemanAuth

Facebook: @LinnBHaltonAuthor

Buy links:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2YIPik8

Kobo: https://bit.ly/2YQx4NZ

Google Play: https://bit.ly/2YPcspf

iBooks: https://apple.co/2YCcMeg

COVER REVEAL: One Week til Christmas - Belinda Missen

Two people. One chance meeting. Seven days to Christmas.
Isobel Bennett is waiting for the number 11 bus when a man quite literally falls into her lap. Snow is falling, Christmas lights are twinkling, and a gorgeous man with dark brown hair has just slipped on ice and is now pressed against Isobel.

Isobel knows she’s not imagining the chemistry between them. But then his ride arrives and, embarrassed, he beats a hasty retreat, murmuring apologies – and Isobel realises only too late that she didn’t manage to catch his name…

When she runs into him again the next morning, she decides it’s fate.

It’s a second chance for Isobel and Tom – but there’s only one week until she’s leaving London for good. Seven days of enjoying all the festive delights the city has to offer: ice-skating at Somerset House, mulled wine on the Southbank, Christmas shopping at Liberty.
There’s magic in the air and mistletoe in the trees – but what will happen when the week is over?

For fans of Josie Silver, Lucy Diamond and Marian Keyes, this is one Christmas romance you don’t want to miss!

Pre-order Links: 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07VXLVLJW/ https://www.amazon.com.au/One-Week-Christmas-Belinda-Missen-ebook/dp/B07VXLVLJW

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07VXLVLJW https://books.apple.com/us/book/one-week-til-christmas/id1475077464?ign-mpt=uo%3D4

https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Belinda_Missen_One_Week_Til_Christmas?id=W4CmDwAAQBAJ https://www.kobo.com/au/en/ebook/one-week-til-christmas

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/one-week-til-christmas-belinda-missen/1132755266?ean=9780008296933

Author Bio –
Author and sometimes foodie, Belinda is a ridiculous romantic who met her husband after being set up by a friend two states away.
Residing in country Victoria, surrounded by books, cat-fur, and half-eaten cake, Belinda divides her days between writing rom-coms, baking, and indulging her love of comic books.

Social Media Links –

www.belindamissen.com

facebook.com/BelindaMissen 

twitter.com/belinda_missen 

Instagram @belinda_missen

BLOGTOUR: Nadine - John Steinberg

Nadine

London 1974 – and Peter Greenberg is riding high. Thanks to his magic touch, every play he puts on in Theatreland is a hit and the money is rolling in. The young man’s empire feels secure – but then everything changes. One evening, he calls in to see a rival’s musical and falls head over heels in love.

The beautiful Paris-born dancer who catches his eye is Nadine – a major star in the making. Like Greenberg, the young dancer too is in love – but with someone else. The eternal triangle is complicated by the birth of a child, and by tragic secrets that go back before World War Two; slowly, those secrets reveal themselves in a drama that out-performs anything on the West End stage or Broadway.

Nadine is a poignant story of unrequited love, a love that will one day be returned – and in a most unexpected way…

Purchase Links:

UK  - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Nadine-John-Steinberg/dp/1912014289/

US  - https://www.amazon.com/Nadine-John-Steinberg/dp/1912014289/

 My Review: 

I’m not usually overly emotional as a person, it takes something special to make me cry but this beauty ALMOST got me.

It’s a great storyline, John Steinberg’s tale really draws you in and keeps you invested throughout. A wide range of emotions pour from the page and hit you; such intense love, betrayal. The drama will have you hooked and the characters, well you will love them – realistic, easy to read and without a shadow of a doubt you will identify with them in some way or another.

I believe this book will be so much more than people will presume, I don’t want to say too much as I really want people to read for themselves and enjoy the world John has created but just to say I was surprised.

A well-crafted tale from John Steinberg, a delightful read that I highly recommend to all. I’ve never read anything by the author before but will look forward to rectifying that.

About the Author:  

https://steinbergstories.com

John Steinberg was born in 1952 and spent many years in business before becoming a writer in 2007. Since then, he has co-written and produced comedies for the stage and has created a series of books for children. Nadine is his third novel. He is married with three children and lives in North London.

Social Media Links –

https://www.facebook.com/Steinberg-Stories-1477024492517726/ 

https://twitter.com/@SteinbergStory/

BLOGTOUR: The Summer of Going Topless - Liz Davies

The Summer of Going Topless

Candice Summerville is invisible. No one seems to notice her - not really. Heck, she often doesn’t notice herself, except for her monthly scrutiny in the mirror to check on her body’s steady slide towards middle age.

But when her ancient, practical estate car is consigned to the scrap heap, Candice falls in love with a cute, purple convertible, and from that moment on her life begins to take on a whole new meaning. Strangers wave at her and people stop to talk, and suddenly she isn’t invisible any longer.

Life seems to be looking up, especially when she meets silver fox and handy-man, Paul. There’s just one fly in the ointment, one thing she that has her second-guessing herself.

Is it the car that Paul sees - or is it her?

Purchase Links:

UK -  https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07V72XKWP 

US - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07V72XKWP

My Review: 

The title of this book is fun and quirky, a play on the fact that our main character – Candice – buys herself a convertible when she needs a new car. After her husband left her for a newer model, she’s taken time to move on and the purchase of this car (which she names jellybean) is just what she needs to give her a new lease of life. It certainly does that!

We see Candice start to spread her wings and claw back some independence, doing things for her own good instead of for someone else.

She starts doing yoga, finds romance, has a makeover and starts becoming more than the woman we initially met. I found her very soft; yes, very caring but really the love for that car was perhaps a little over the top for me. I get that it just represented something new for her, a change and the push she needed to become a different version of herself but there was so much emphasis on Jelly Bean.

It was nicely written, fast paced and an easy read. It’s amusing and will have you chuckling. For people in the same position it will be a fun glimpse into how a little bit of effort can really change your outlook on life.  There were no big twists or surprises, I could tell what would happen but that’s ok.

An enjoyable read, light hearted and fun - something quick for the last of the summer. 

About the Author: 

Liz Davies writes feel-good, light-hearted stories with a hefty dose of romance, a smattering of humour, and a great deal of love.

She’s married to her best friend, has one grown-up daughter, and when she isn’t scribbling away in the notepad she carries with her everywhere (just in case inspiration strikes), you’ll find her searching for that perfect pair of shoes. She loves to cook but isn’t very good at it, and loves to eat - she’s much better at that! Liz also enjoys walking (preferably on the flat), cycling (also on the flat), and lots of sitting around in the garden on warm, sunny days.

She currently lives with her family in Wales, but would ideally love to buy a camper van and travel the world in it. 

Social Media Links:

Twitter https://twitter.com/lizdaviesauthor

Recent Read Round-up

The Rumour - Lesley Kara
Published 25 July 2019 by Corgi 

The Rumour is a gripping, psychological thriller that really gives you something to think about. The theme is based around something most people are guilty of at some point – gossiping and/or sharing a rumour.

Main character Joanna is trying to fit in, she’s moved back to the quiet town and wants to fit herself but more so for her son Alfie. With a rumour rife about a child killer living in the community, Jo uses this to garner attention with the other school Mums.

With rumours snowballing and innocent people being victimised, Jo finds herself at the centre of some unwanted and scary attention. With threats to her son, Jo wishes she could find a way to stop the rumour mill before disaster strikes.

I have to say I was hooked from the start, I read it in one sitting. It had some interesting twists, along with some classic misdirection that really kept me on my toes. I thought I had it nailed early on, I’m usually pretty good at generally figuring things out but I was surprised this time.

It is a thought provoking read, the tension slowly builds throughout culminating in a fantastic turn of events.  I enjoyed the writing style and the characters presented; at the beginning I was a little overwhelmed with the amount of different characters being introduced but it worked out fine as I continued to read.

If you enjoy a good thriller than I would recommend. I will look forward to more by the author.

The Night You Left - Emma Curtis
Published July 22nd 2019 by Transworld Digital

Nick disappears just hours after proposing to Grace. She goes through the motions but slowly starts to realise everything may not be as it seems – will her secrets be kept whilst she’s uncovering those of the people around her?!

Such an enjoyable read, the story moves around from present day to the past and from different characters perspectives. I always enjoy this- when done in the right way and this was good. I never felt confused or not sure whose perspective I was reading. I think the inclusion of different character’ POV and scenes from their old lives really helped move the story along quickly.

Grace is obviously emotional, urgent and wanting answers – this leaps from the page and you feel the frustration in not knowing what has happened and if anyone she knows has got the answer. I must admit I worked out some aspects of the story, but they were quickly addressed and there were plenty of additional twists that took me by surprise. The ending – well, crikey me, I did not anticipate that at all.

This book is well-paced, lots of drama happening throughout to keep you entertained. I enjoyed the elements showing Nicks past – especially as we hadn’t had chance to garner opinion of him before he went missing – and we get to see everything he has had to go through.

This book will grab you from the off, I was engrossed and on the edge of my seat until I finished it. I’ve never read any of Emma’s books but I will definitely be rectifying that.

Highly recommend. 

The Library of Lost and Found- Phaedra Patrick 
Paperback - Published June 27th 2019 by HQ

A gorgeous, charm of a book. Some absolutely beautiful moments throughout this book.

Martha Storm is quite the character; putting everyone else before herself she is unable to say no to anyone and crikey me, they do take such advantage of her.

Her world starts to change after being left a copy of a book; full of familiar stories and a special dedication to her. The dedication comes from someone unexpected and it starts Martha on the quest for answers. This quest gives her answers but more than she bargained for.

A wonderful tale about someone breaking out and becoming the version of herself she was destined to be; of doing something for yourself. Martha is a lovey character and I love how she was written; we were on her side and I know I was frustrated for her at times. I was so sympathetic at all that she sacrificed and the moments she missed out on.

This is a lovely, heart warming read that will restore faith in people. Full of characters – some will annoy, some are funny and some just do the best they can for someone they clearly care about. This isn’t a predictable read at all so you may be surprised at times.

I definitely recommend for a cute, quick read. 

BLOGTOUR: Love, Unscripted - Owen Nicholls

Owen Nicholls’ Love, Unscripted is an uplifting love story, following film projectionist Nick as he tries to understand the difference between love on the silver screen and love in real life. 

Perfect for fans of David Nicholls, Nick Hornby and Laura Barnett. 

For Nick, love should look like it does on the big screen. And when he meets Ellie on the eve of the 2008 presidential election, it finally does. For four blissful years, Nick loved Ellie as much as he loved his job as a film projectionist in his local cinema. Life seemed pictureperfect. But now it’s 2012, Ellie has moved out and Nick’s trying to figure out where it all went wrong. With Ellie gone and his life falling part, Nick wonders if their romance could ever be as perfect as the night they met. Can love really be as it is in the movies?

My Review:

If only our lives were like the films that we all enjoy… if love played out like the iconic scenes we all know so well.

For film enthusiast Nick, we read his struggles, his inner dialogue; we discover his insecurities and what he puts at risk because he cannot see a way by them.

Love, Unscripted is a wonderful take on someone moving through his 20s into his 30s with who is a complicated, worried soul and how he perceives the relationships he has with everyone around him.

I love how the story of Nick meeting Ellie is interspersed throughout the whole book, as parts of his life seem to break down, we get to see more about their first encounter. I remember the excitement and anticipation that surrounded the 2008 US presidential election, the general feelings of hope for a nation which serves here as a good reflection for the hope and anticipation in this blossoming relationship between the two young characters.

Nicks character frustrated me, I liked him and think he was a funny, quirky character but annoying at times. His inability to see anything from another perspective, well yes it makes him who he is, part of the problem I guess but frustratingly selfish. I do like how he is written, very realistic and very relatable to a lot of people nowadays.  I was rooting for him though, I wanted him to be happy and figure out the best ways forward, I was willing him on and wishing he would sort himself out.

I like how this book is very true to life, realistic characters and realistic situations – sometimes we are given characters that just aren’t relatable but here we have plenty. They all have problems; they are all flawed in one way or another; nobody has the perfect life, and all have a rollercoaster of life experiences.

I loved all the film references littered throughout – you are bound to find one from a film you enjoy. I found myself chuckling away as I was reading, it is really amusing and rather witty. Very well structured and wonderfully written, I thoroughly enjoyed this realistic and modern love story. 

About the Author:  

Owen Nicholls is a screenwriter with a Masters in Scriptwriting from the UEA. His work has appeared in Empire and NME, and earlier this year Love, Unscripted was selected for the Escalator Scheme run by Writers' Centre in Norwich.

Follow him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/OwenNicholls