The Summer Fair - Heidi Swain

 

Join Heidi Swain back in Nightingale Square for a sunshine and celebration filled summer....

Beth loves her job working in a care home, looking after its elderly residents, but she doesn’t love the cramped and dirty house-share she currently lives in. So, when she gets the opportunity to move to Nightingale Square, sharing a house with the lovely Eli, she jumps at the chance.

The community at Nightingale Square welcomes Beth with open arms, and when she needs help to organise a fundraiser for the care home they rally round. Then she discovers The Arches, a local creative arts centre, has closed and the venture to replace it needs their help too – but this opens old wounds and past secrets for Beth.

Music was always an important part of her life, but now she has closed the door on all that. Will her friends at the care home and the people of Nightingale Square help her find a way to learn to love it once more.?

My Review:

Heidi Swain stole my book heart many moons ago with her fantastic characters, wonderful communities and stories that warm even the coldest of hearts. With each book we fall more in love with one of her fictional settings and have another character to adore.

A little biased you may presume, but honestly, Heidi never delivers a book I don’t love. I know exactly how I feel by the end – like I’ve spent time with a really good friend.

The Summer Fair is fantastic, another trip to Nightingale Square and back to catch up with friends of old. We also meet Beth, who has shut her beloved music out of her life as it is too painful to hear. She is a broken woman who is desperate to forget her passion for music because it brings back memories. She wants to move on from the past but her arrival in Nightingale Square might mean that is going to be more difficult than she ever thought.

Oh how I felt for Beth, I was willing her on at every opportunity – at work, getting away from awful housemates and once she settled into Nightingale Square. I could empathise with her aversion to shut out parts of her past, but she didn’t make it easy for herself at all.

As Beth works in a care home (you may recognise a certain someone there) and what a brilliant, often funny, inclusion – full of funny, quirky characters. This is also where we see Beth come into her own and blossom.

Eli is a great character and although he had his own thing going on, he helps Beth more than he realises ay first. He is an important part of helping Beth heal and believe in herself again.

Music is such a powerful and emotional tool in terms of mental health. It can break us down or build us up and this is a theme that is woven into this story.

Heartwarming, charming and probably one of Heidi’s best, I cannot recommend The Summer Fair enough. What a treat!

Until next time Nightingale Square….

Treat yourself with a copy of 'The Summer Fair' - Available - HERE!

 

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

A Taste of Greek Summer - Mandy Baggot

 

Next summer, on the Greek island of Corfu, sparks will fly as dreams come true...

Lydia Broom is living her second-best life. With her dreams of being a chef left in the dust she instead finds solace writing about the dishes she wished she created. When Lydia's sent to Corfu on an assignment, she's excited to see what culinary delights the island has to offer, but nothing seems to tickle her fancy - until she tastes the creations of local cook, Thanos Nicolaidis.

After one sizzling afternoon in the kitchen together, Lydia and Thanos both allow themselves to dream of the futures they desperately want. And as they grow closer, sharing secret ingredients and family recipes, Thanos begins to realise he has to show Lydia the parts of him he's done so well to hide..

My Review:

Just when I needed a sunshine filled escape along comes Mandy to whisk me away to sunny skies at Corfu. Perfect reading by the pool, or for those just wishing they could be. Any book by this author is guaranteed to take you to sun drenched villas, with mouth watering and local food descriptions, atmospheric and exotic – an armchair holiday for all.

Enchanting and a foodies delight, A Taste of Greek Summer was full of comedy, adventure and of course romance.

This book includes an interesting mix of characters, some wonderful and some very frustrating; Lydia is a little bit lost, after losing her mentor and realising she had a relationship built of lies; she has become disillusioned with her passion. Thanos is skilled and could go far as a chef but has certain responsibilities he will not relinquish. He doesn’t know what to do or believe he is able to achieve his dreams. A meeting of minds in many ways their chemistry is instant and leaps from the page.

Follow the rocky ups and downs that come their way. A gorgeous summer read that will entertain and bring the sunshine into grey miserable skies!

PUBLICATION DAY: The Wednesday Morning Wild Swim - Jules Wake

 The Wednesday Morning Wild Swim

She’s trying to figure out her future.

He’s trying to forget his past.

But with the help of some unlikely friends, young and old, and a scruffy dog who just can’t help getting into trouble, a new community is formed – just when they all need each other the most.

Purchase Link - http://mybook.to/WednesdayWildS

My Review:

There isn’t a Jules Wake book that I don’t rave about – I can’t help it; I genuinely love them all. Jules has such a great style of writing, realistic and combining humour and wit with a down to earth feel. This allows us to relate to the characters, love them and take them to our hearts.

The Wednesday Morning Wild Swim is quirky, jam packed with great characters and a heart felt story of acceptance. Accepting who you are, accepting the challenge of moving past your fears and accepting that you are enough.

If you are a fan of Jules’ books, you may remember (one of all time favourite old ladies) – Hilda. She was a force to be reckoned with in The Saturday Morning Park Run and here she is again, being her fabulous self.

Ettie, our dynamic main character, has stumbled from career to career, not fully settling. When her latest job blows up she returns home, back to her family. Finding work locally at a soon to open hotel, Ettie soon finds the pull of the lake calling her. Swimming helps her mentally and she soon discovers that others have that same desire too. Wild swimming is new to Ettie but soon becomes something she craves – and she isn’t the only one. Unfortunately, it’s banned and the owner is absolutely against anyone swimming in his lake.

As Ettie settles into her new role she finds herself getting closer to her new boss, she starts to understand why he doesn’t want anyone near the water. Will Ettie and her new friends be able to curb their desires or will Ettie make him change his mind. When Dominic discovers the biggest lies are the ones told by those close to him, he really sees no way back to trusting them again.

Ettie is a breath of fresh air; funny, random and really not afraid to put herself out there. She is a little economical with the truth, but not in a malicious way, in fact it’s usually to help others. She learns a lot about herself as the story progresses, but she is also instrumental in helping others do the same. She is kind, considerate and a little bit sassy.

Dominic sounds dishy, he’s been through a lot and doesn’t suffer fools. He isn’t overly impressed with Ettie but her confidence and charm win him round to giving her a chance. Ettie surprises him a lot, it’s clear he struggles to hide how entertaining he finds her but he is holding back some truths of his own. I loved seeing him start to open up and I always believed he would end up doing the right thing by everyone around him.

Reading this book has been the highlight of my week – its full of friendship, romance and humour. A feel good story that will leave you with a smile on your face. Great characters and superb writing, I highly recommend to all.

Author Bio:

Jules Wake is the internationally bestselling author of over ten books including The Saturday Morning Park Run. She also writes as Julie Caplin and her Romantic Escapes series has hit the bestseller charts around the world.

After reading English at the University of East Anglia, Jules Wake worked in PR where she honed her fiction writing skills on press releases.  She’s now a full-time author and what better job is there than making stuff up! It certainly beats housework.

Social Media Links – @Juleswake Twitter

https://www.facebook.com/juleswakewrites/

Instagram: juleswakeauthor

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

A Year of Mr Maybes - Judy Leigh

 

Never say never to falling in love…

Val didn’t expect to be starting again in her seventies, but when life gives her lemons, Val is determined to make lemonade.

Settled into her new home – a picture-perfect fisherman’s cottage in the small Cornish seaside town of Lowenstowe – Val is ready to start a new chapter. And with her son due to get married next Christmas, there’s also the little job of finding herself a plus-one to help her face her ex-husband and his new girlfriend.

With the support of her neighbour Connie, and after decades of married life, Val takes the plunge back into the world of dating with trepidation and excitement. But can she remember how the single life works, let alone what her type is? There seem to be plenty of Mr Maybes, but no sign of Mr Right.

As the year passes, and as friendships and community life flourish, Val begins to blossom. And as Christmas approach, she might just decide she doesn’t need that plus-one after all - although never say never... 

Judy Leigh is back with her trademark promise of laughter, love and friendship. The perfect feel-good novel for all fans of Dawn French, Dee Macdonald and Cathy Hopkins.

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

My Review:

A lovely read by Judy Leigh. A Year of Mr Maybes is a fictional celebration of the older generation really proving you are never too old for a fresh start. A story about rediscovering fun, hobbies, finding new friends and even a little bit of romance.

Catching her husband cheating at Christmas, Val decides to leave him and make a new start. A move to a small Cornish town brings about a host of new friends and opportunities. When her son announces he is to be married the following year, she decides to have a go at dating again and find someone who will be the perfect plus one. She really wants to avoid being alone and facing her cheating ex!

The book contains a strong environmental theme – shown by how she helps the local community, keeping the beaches clean. Through the various activities and people she meets, Val encounters many “Mr Maybes” but realises that she doesn’t really need her “Mr Right” and is very happy within herself – the person she has become and the life she has created for herself.

I was really entertained, I didn’t know what to expect but this was a nice surprise, I enjoyed the read and think many others will too. Not your normal “cosy” or chick lit read, and it was lovely to see the main character was an older lady. I think many readers will find it inspiring.

Entertaining and empowering for the older generation, great stuff!

Author Bio:

Judy Leigh is the bestselling author of Five French Hens, A Grand Old Time and The Age of Misadventure and the doyenne of the ‘it’s never too late’ genre of women’s fiction. She has lived all over the UK from Liverpool to Cornwall, but currently resides in Somerset.

Social Media Links:

Website http://judyleigh.com

Twitter https://twitter.com/judyleighwriter

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

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

Bookbub profile https://www.bookbub.com/authors/judy-leigh

An Escape to Remember - T.A. Williams

 

She needed a getaway. What she found was a home.

When Louise surprises her boyfriend by returning early from a work trip, safe to say she wasn’t expecting to see him in flagrante delicto with another woman. Heart-torn and vowing to stay away from men, when Louise’s next project involves restoring an ageing hotel in Italy, she leaps at the chance to get away.

Managed by a crew of sextagenarians, the Grand Hotel del Monferrato needs all the love and care Louise can give it. But it’s hard to stay focused on the job when her thoughts keep straying to Vito, the reclusive and mysterious neighbour.

With his tragic past and her no-romance policy, Louise knows they can’t have a future. Yet something keeps pulling the two together…

A beautiful romance set in the hills of Turin.

My Review:

Oh to be under warm Italian skies right now..

T.A. Williams is a master at whisking readers away to glorious locations; I long to jump on a plane every time I get chance to read of his books. Set just outside Turin, this rural, descriptive setting is a wonderful backdrop for this heartwarming romance.

Our main character, Louise heads to a run down, old hotel with the mission to revive and turn it around. She heads there nursing a broken heart and is looking to find her rightful place in life. She isn’t looking for romance at all but when she is knocked off her feet, quite literally, her heart is soon taken. Leo may just be the key to her rediscovering herself.

Local Vito is living a secluded life, he is content at already finding his true love and he needs nothing or nobody else. Highly sought after in his field, an opportunity arises that he cannot turn down but there is one thing holding him back. Can he find a solution?

Oh I was engrossed from the start, it has all the elements to make a gorgeous, head well and truly stuck in, read. Romance, scenery, mouth-watering food descriptions, characters with heart that are very likeable and a brilliant storyline that will keep you cheering on your favourites and hoping it all turns out for the best.

Perfect for the armchair traveller or those who are looking for a great beach read!

Purchase Link - mybook.to/AnEscape

Author Bio:

I’m a man. And a pretty old man as well. I did languages at university a long time ago and then lived and worked in France and Switzerland before going to Italy for seven years as a teacher of English. My Italian wife and I then came back to the UK with our little daughter (now long-since grown up) where I ran a big English language school for many years. We now live in a sleepy little village in Devonshire. I’ve been writing almost all my life but it was only seven years ago that I finally managed to find a publisher who liked my work enough to offer me my first contract.

The fact that I am now writing escapist romance is something I still find hard to explain. My early books were thrillers and historical novels. Maybe it’s because there are so many horrible things happening in the world today that I feel I need to do my best to provide something to cheer my readers up. My books provide escapism to some gorgeous locations, even if travel to them is currently difficult.

Social Media Links:

Website: www.tawilliamsbooks.com

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/tawilliamsbooks

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