Friday, 27 October 2023

The Perfect Christmas Village - Bella Osborne



About the book… 

When Christmas-hating Sam moves to Holly Cross, he thinks he's found the perfect home, until he discovers that, each year, Holly Cross transforms into the most Christmassy village in the whole country...

Blythe is just one sale away from being Real Estate Agent of the Month, so she twists the truth to sell a home to city boy Sam, who is looking for the perfect house in the perfect location. Little does he know he's just bought a cottage in the middle of the most Christmassy village in the country. And if there's one thing Sam loathes, it's Christmas.

Sam's arrival puts Holly Cross's chance to win the title of Britain's Most Perfect Christmas Village now in jeopardy, and the villagers are soon up in arms. Meanwhile, Sam is in his own personal hell surrounded by fairy lights and everyone is looking to Blythe to fix things.

But as the festive season looms, maybe there's more than just Christmas in Holly Cross for Sam to fall in love with...
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About the author… 

Bella has been jotting down stories as far back as she can remember but decided that 2013 would be the year that she finished a full length novel. Since then she’s written nine best-selling romantic comedies, two best-selling bookclub reads and won the RNA Romantic Comedy Novel of the Year Award.

Bella's stories are about friendship, love and coping with what life throws at you. She lives in Warwickshire, UK with her husband, daughter and a cat who thinks she’s a dog. When not writing Bella is usually eating custard creams and planning holidays.

For more about Bella, visit her website at www.bellaosborne.com or follow her on social media.

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My thoughts…

The Perfect Christmas Village is exactly what it says on the cover - PERFECT!!! 

With the Summer we haven’t had and the wet dreary weather I was ready for a cheery read. The setting was PERFECT, Holly Cross and its inhabitants are Christmas mad.  Think of the most magical Christmassy setting you can and dial it up ten notches.

Imagine someone moving into the village who doesn’t ‘DO’ Christmas in any way shape or form - meet Sam, who bought a cottage from Blythe who works at Happy Homes Estate Agents.  

Blythe was on track to have secured the most sales month on month in the company’s 34 year history, a title she was desperate to win that was until the final month when her colleague Amir went ahead of her by one sale! Everything was on the line, Blythe was determined to win, for reasons we don’t find out about until later in the story.  

This was an absolute delight of a book.  From the get go we had sweet, gorgeous Blythe in one corner facing off with Amir in the other.  I knew which opponent I was backing.  If only that wasn’t her only sparring partner - in her quest for the ‘sales’ title she finds herself at odds with friends, family, newcomer Sam and the inevitable Leonora of chair of the Holly Cross Christmas Committee.

There are several mysteries and half told stories wrapped around both Blythe and newcomer Sam and as a reader it was funny, sad, endearing and frustrating watching their encounters unfold in equal measures.  They say opposite attract and in this case they definitely did. Blythe loved Christmas and everything about it, Sam hated it and everything about it.  The more Blythe pried and questioned, the more closed up and moody Sam got.  Yet still they were drawn to each other, in madcap situations that inevitably ended up with one of them combusting and them going their separate ways again until one of them needed rescuing. 

All in all this is a joyful, funny, festive read, that has several tender heartfelt storylines running below the surface that gave the characters depth and a more than an edge of realism. I loved it and Holy Cross brought back memories of visiting a village fairly local to me where all the houses decorate and light up their houses at Christmas too.  Add to that a blossoming romance that was funny and endearing - what’s not to love about this book, it was an utter joy to read that had me drooling after mince pies, mulled wine and hot chocolate. 

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Thursday, 5 October 2023

Finding Family at the Cornish Cove - Kim Nash



About the book… 

Family is everything…

In the years since her death, Gemma has been running her late mother’s café with devotion, and when an opportunity comes to buy out her next-door neighbour and expand, she jumps at the chance.

She knows she will do her mother proud – keep her legacy going strong – but deep down she knows there’s still something missing. With her mum in her mind more than ever, and the knowledge that she may never start a family of her own, she can’t stop thinking about what life has in store for her.

But sometimes family are those you choose, or those who choose you! And with a growing community of supporters cheering Gemma on – including some new faces at her blossoming bistro – and maybe one in particular, will she really spend the rest of her life alone?
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About the author… 

Kim Nash is an author of uplifting, romantic, feel-good fiction, having wanted to write books since she was a little girl. She works as both Digital Publicity Director for publisher Bookouture and a book blogger at www.kimthebookworm.co.uk. She lives in Staffordshire with her son Ollie and English Setter rescue dog Roni. When she's not working or writing, Kim can be found walking her dog and reading, as well as running a book club in Staffordshire and organising local and national reader/author events.

Contact Links: 

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

My thoughts…

This is Kim Nash’s second book set in an idyllic Cornish cove, with a community so lush you hanker after upping sticks and moving there, just as Meredith did when she bought a lighthouse to live in, in the first book Hopeful Hearts at the Cornish Cove.

Imagine how delighted I was to be taking a trip back there with Gemma as the central character this time. Gemma is running the local cafe with plans to expand into the building next door.  She wants to build upon the legacy left by her mum who ran the cafe at the heart of community and make her proud. Her mum managed the business as well as bringing up Gemma and her sister Lucy single handed and had made the cafe a haven for people of all ages, everyone welcome as she dished out comfort in the form of food and a listening ear.  Gemma is quite anxious about living up to her mums legacy, she’s anxious about changing things and hasn’t really changed anything up to now, not wanting to let go of what her mum created. 

The gorgeous Clem who we met in the first book in this series renovated the lighthouse and is now in a relationship with its owner Meredith, is doing the building works, sharing his vision and guiding Gemma through the inevitable disruption, doing the work in an order that the disruption is minimised until the very last moment. Bringing in firefighter Jude to inspect and an advise on fire safety, sets off a few sparks. 

Gemma knows she is going to need more help in the cafe in readiness for the expansion and that comes in the form of Occy who literally crashed through the door.  This was a delightful relationship that as a reader was a joy to read,  It turns out Occy is Judes daughter and has an almost Jekyll and Hyde appearance - sweetness and light with Gemma but obnoxious and rude with her dad.  Gemma finds herself becoming the shoulder to lean on for Occy just as her mum had been for many others.

Gemma and Lucy share a close bond, each of them there for each other, I’d have loved to have had a sister, the depth of their bond was a delight to read. Lucy is there for Gemma whenever she needs her but Gemma is conscious of the fact her sister has enough to do with the bed and breakfast she runs as well as being heavily present. 

The pages of this delightful story are peppered with emotion, anxiety, sadness, humour, love and hope  - as well as what you always find in a Kim Nash book, a hearty helping of truth and reality.  I absolutely loved it.  Strong friendships both old and new are formed. Kim Nash always weaves characters in her books in such a way that you can’t help but form an instant bond and sit quietly in the corner sending good vibes and wishes for the inevitable romance.  This book has a depth that is greater than a fledgling romance, it digs deep into relationships both past and present and seeing the main cast of this story Gemma, Occy and Jude grow and develop was very moving, each having their own back story and all supported by the cast of the community.  What’s presented on the outside isn’t always what it seems, each of them had built protective shells that were peeled away as the pages were turned.

I have loved all of Kim’s books but this one is another level, I said her last book, the first in the series, was her best yet but this is another level!!  It is her BEST YET and I can’t wait for the next one. This was a truly, heart warming story, Kim Nash has nailed it as a Romance author, having got the cocktail of reality and dreams just right.

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Sunday, 1 October 2023

The Guest House by the Sea - Faith Hogan


About the book…

People come to the guest house for fresh air and views across the Atlantic. But if they're lucky, they might just leave with the second chance they didn't know they needed...

Esme has run the guest house for as long as anyone in Ballycove can remember. But in her declining years, her sight is failing, and when she has a fall on the eve of the summer season, she is forced to take a back seat for the first time in her life.

From her chair in the entry hall, not much passes Esme by. There's Cora, the wife visiting indefinitely... without her husband; Niamh, the city professional with a life-changing decision to make; and Phyllie, the grandmother whose family is slipping away from her.

Esme's guests provide the colour that helps her keep her grip on the world. All of them have something they want to escape – or to hold on to. But can Esme can help them find their way before the summer is over?

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About the author… 

Faith Hogan is an Irish award-winning and bestselling author of five contemporary fiction novels. Her books have featured as Book Club Favorites, Net Galley Hot Reads and Summer Must Reads. 

She writes grown up women's fiction which is unashamedly uplifting, feel good and inspiring.She is currently working on her next novel. 

She lives in the west of Ireland with her husband, four children and a very busy Labrador named Penny. She's a writer, reader, enthusiastic dog walker and reluctant jogger -except of course when it is raining.

Contact Links: 

Website: www.faithhogan.com
Facebook: www.Facebook/FaithHogan.com
Twitter: @gerhogan

My thoughts…

The Guest House by the Sea is a dream of a book, set in the wonderful Irish coastal town of Ballycove, home to the Midnight Ladies Swimming Club - what an absolute treat to be back.

The Willows guesthouse and owner Esme are the heartbeat of this story. They wrap their arms around a whole host of visitors, some on a nostalgic return visit, back to a time in their past lives, trying to recreate the happy memories and put perspective into their lives. 

Esme was devoted to the running of the guesthouse just like her family had been for the previous 200 years.  She was virtually blind and her frustrations with her lack of sight and her immobility having broken her foot in an accident was hard to read.  She knew that she was naturally nearing the end of her life and the fact she wasn’t able to give her all to the running of the guest house was heart breaking, she hated being reliant on life long friend Marta who not only had to run the guesthouse but also take care of Esme too, I just wanted to wrap her in a big hug.

Esme was just so lush, banished to an observation, meet and greet role because of her broken foot she inadvertently finds herself in the perfect spot to observe, listen and offer insightful advice just when it was needed the most. She did it mainly by listening and asking questions - letting each and even guest find their own way. 

As in all Faith Hogan novels, the story ebbs and flows, with emotions rising and falling like the tide for the characters and the reader.  All of the guests were seeking solace and a safe space to breathe, to think and find their way. The Willows was a safe haven for each of them.  I loved how all of the guests made their own connections with each other too, friendships formed and support given to each other. From Cora and Niamh looking to make life changing decisions. To Phyllis trying to find a happy place for her family before a life changing illness in the family would change each of their lives. Not forgetting Esme and Marta, each giving each other the support the other needed even if it was always visible to them - their friendship ran deep and was a joy to unpick.

As for The Willows, when can I check in?  This was such a fab read, my heart melted time and again - I loved it.


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