Life Begins at the Cornish Cottage - Kim Nash

About the book… 

Set against the sparkling shores of Cornwall☀️, this BRAND NEW heartwarming, uplifting and gorgeously romantic tale of second chances is perfect for fans of Veronica Henry, Trisha Ashley and Cathy Bramley. ✨ When life gives you heartbreak 💔, sometimes it also gives you a second chance… 💕 When Tom Sullivan returns to the quiet village of Sandpiper Shore, Emma can hardly believe her eyes. She hasn’t seen him since they played Romeo and Juliet in their school play – a lifetime ago, before real heartbreak, and long before she ever imagined life as a widow. The last thing she wants is to relive the past, especially with someone who once made her teenage heart flutter. But when Emma agrees to put on a charity pantomime to raise money for the air ambulance service that helped her late husband, she’s thrown firmly back into Tom’s path. As rehearsals begin and the local community rallies around her, Emma finds unexpected joy in bringing people together – and a surprising connection with Tom that feels far too real to ignore. Maybe it’s time for Emma to become the leading lady in her own life, not just for the show, but for herself. Full of warmth, humour and heart, this is a story about letting go and discovering that it’s never too late to take a chance on love. While this novel is set in the same village as the other books in the Sandpiper Shore series, it can be read as a STANDALONE

Buy Links: 

Amazon: https://amzn.eu/d/gPd5uXC

About the author… 

Kim Nash is the bestselling author of uplifting, heartwarming, romantic, feel-good fiction. She has wanted to write books since she was a little girl. Her other dream, is to live in a home that has a view of a golden sandy beach and the sea sparkling in the sunlight. Until that dream comes true, she’ll continue to write second chance romances about women who live or move to the seaside on her behalf. She is published by Boldwood Books.

One of her greatest writing achievements is to be nominated for the Kindle Storyteller Award in 2020, and she was delighted when Claudia Winkleman had read her book and said it was 'Totally warm and absolutely lovely.'

She lives in Staffordshire with her son Ollie and English Setter rescue dog Roni, is Author Community Director for publisher Bookouture (a division of Hachette UK) and, as an avid reader, started her career in the publishing industry as a book blogger.

When she's not working or writing, Kim can be found walking her dog at Cannock Chase, reading and binge-watching TV. She's also quite partial to a spa day, lemon drizzle cake and a gin and tonic (not all at the same time!)

Kim also runs a book club in Staffordshire and organises local and national reader/author events.

Contact Links: 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kim.nash.10

Twitter https://twitter.com/KimTheBookworm

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

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

Bookbub profile: Kim Nash Books - BookBub

My thoughts…

Kim Nash is in the wrong job! She should be an Estate Agent! This is the second book in the Sandpiper series and yet again I found myself scouring Rightmove - the settings for all of her books are in the sorts of places that you know would be absolutely perfect to live in, all with strong communities at the heart of them.

This book centres around Emma, she is recently widowed and has tucked herself away in her little cottage by the sea and is trying to slowly rebuild her life. She has new friends Jo and Michelle and it’s on a night out with them that finds her unexpectedly facing her past in more ways than one. She’s somehow roped into directing the local pantomime, at the same time she unexpectedly crosses paths with her ex. An experience that seems more painful than the recent death of her partner.

The importance of female friendship and community spirit is never more powerful than in Life Begins at the Cornish Cottage. We see Jo and Michelle and a whole community - well all bar one cantankerous wee soul, stepping in to support and prop her up , wrap her in cotton wool and then deliver tough love, to drive her forward and discover what makes her tick. This truly is a heart warming, up beat novel that strives to show the power of friendship and community - its them that gets Emma through on her darkest days.

This was a positive feel good book that I’m glad I had the opportunity to read, in a busy world it was a perfect little bit of escapism.
There is a feeling that is common with each of Kim’s books, it’s that feeling of sadness as you reach the last few pages, not wanting the story to end, then wanting to go straight back to the beginning after you’ve turned the final page to re-live it all again.

There really is nothing worse than asking an author whose new book you’ve just read when I can get my hands on the next one but……….. Kim, come on - when can I get my hands on the next one!!!

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Bea’s Book Wagon - Julie Haworth

About the book… 

Set in the fictional Sussex village of Blossom Heath, and featuring characters you will know and love from Julie Haworth’s RNA Katie Fforde Debut of the Year Always By Your Side and follow up New Beginnings at The Cosy Cat Café, Bea’s Book Wagon is a cosy, uplifting and comforting romance that tells the story of two love interest hero’s vying for Bea’s heart – her artisan cheesemaking childhood sweetheart and a knock-you-off-your-feet property developer.

After impulsively jacking in her dead-end temp job and investing her life savings in a ramshackle old horsebox, Bea sets about turning her dream of running a bookshop into a reality, and opens Bea’s Book Wagon. But it’s not all smooth sailing, and as Bea struggles with the challenges of running of her own small business, she can only hope that her love of literature and the power of reading can help transform the lives of her friends, her community and herself in the process.

Buy Links: 

Amazon: https://amzn.eu/d/iBC2oP8

About the author… 

With a degree in English and American Literature, Julie Haworth worked as an English teacher for a number of years, specialising in working with learners with literacy difficulties, before launching her own freelance copywriting business. She is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, and her debut novel, Always By Your Side, which she wrote whilst recovering from Covid in 2020, won the Katie Fforde Debut Romantic Novel Award.

I write uplifting stories about friendship and
community, bursting with romance and charm
from my home in the bustling city of Chelmsford,
Essex. I’m still pinching myself that I’ve realised
my lifelong dream of becoming an author!

When I’m  since that fabulous night where Julie and the other authors read from their up coming new books!not busy writing, I can mainly be found
shopping, drinking ridiculous amounts of coffee
and hanging out with my two rescue cats. I’m
also a member of the Romantic Novelists’
the Society of Authors.

I love to hear from readers and you can find me
on Instagram @juliehaworthauthor or on X at
@jhaworthauthor

Contact Links: 

Instagram: @JulieHaworthAuthor

X: @JHaworthauthor

My thoughts…

I was fortunate to attend the Simon & Schuster - author/blogger event back in February this year and be given an early copy of Bea’s Book Wagon.  I cannot believe it’s been seven months and it’s finally publication day this week on Thursday 9th of October.  It was a privilege to hear Julie and the other authors reading from their up coming new books.

Bea’s Book Wagon is a dream of a read set back in Blossom Heath where the author Julie Haworth had set her previous books, debut and second book.  Bea finds herself the proud owner of a horse box bought from eBay after a night spent drinking too many tequilas after quitting her latest temping job. Veering from exhilarated to regret in the space of a night - what had she done now!

Somehow she has the vision of turning her passion for books, knights in shining armour and villains of the peace into a reality. She with the help of friends converts the horse box into a mobile book shop and sets about setting up a business.

Like any good romance there’s a twist and Bea doesn’t see beyond the solid friendship and kindness of long ago childhood beau Nathan, who is always there for her, supporting and kind, he is a heart on legs with zero expectations.  Fast track second love interest Lachlan, he’s the polar opposite.  Where Nathan has zero expections and does things out of absolute kindness and love, Lachlan is all about the show, everything is really about him and his ego. As the saying goes ‘there’s no show without punch’ and for Lachlan this is true but of course Bea doesn’t see this.  

I absolutely loved the concept of this book and totally bought into the dream of the ‘Book Wagon’, I joined her friends and family in cheer leading from the sidelines - this was the perfect tonic, read wrapped up in a blanket with my coffee and cake. Another fab read from Julie Haworth that had me smiling throughout - except of course when I was cussing Lachlan and his superficial charm!

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My Loving Husband - Sheryl Browne

About the book… 

Can I really trust the man I married?

I take a sip of coffee as I plan my day. My surgeon husband, Cole, slept at work last night, so I had to get the kids ready on my own, again. I can’t complain, though, I’ve loved him ever since we met, long before he became a famous surgeon and the papers started calling him the pride of the hospital.

Our latest family photo hangs on the kitchen wall and I remember that day so clearly. Cole screamed at me over nothing, then apologised saying he was stressed at work. My heart pounded with fear, but I plastered a smile on my face for the sake of my children.

Now, as my phone buzzes on the glossy white kitchen island, I read the message from a withheld number, and nothing could have prepared me for what it says. Your husband is planning to kill you…

You might think you know what I do next, but you’ll be wrong, because Cole isn’t the most dangerous person in this family…

Buy Links: 

Amazon: https://geni.us/B0DV5D96TQsocial

About the author… 

Bestselling Author, Sheryl Browne, writes taut, twisty psychological thriller. Sheryl’s latest book publishing with fabulous Bookouture is MY LOVING HUSBAND. Her previous works include several psychological thrillers with Bookouture, the DI Matthew Adams Crime Thriller series and contemporary fiction novels The Rest of My Life and Learning to Love published with Joffe Books. A member of the Crime Writers’ Association and the Romantic Novelists’ Association, she also has short stories in Birmingham City University anthologies where she completed her MA in Creative Writing. Sheryl has obtained a Certificate of Achievement in Forensic Science and – according to readers – she makes an excellent psychopath.

Sheryl lives in Worcestershire UK with her husband and her rescue dogs, Brie and Pablo.

Contact Links: 

To find out more about Sheryl, go to www.sherylbrowne.com

https://www.instagram.com/sheryl.browne

https://x.com/sherylbrowne

My thoughts…

Thank goodness I read this book in the sunshine, which was the perfect antidote to Sheryl Browne’s latest psychological thriller.

Sheryl is a go to author for me and I jumped at the chance of an early read without reading anything about the book beforehand.

Imagine you’re part of a happily married couple and then every moral and value you’ve based your family life on is tried and tested - the very foundation of family life rocked on its axis.

This was an absolutely intense read that pulled at the heart strings, it is a multi-faceted story that centres around the family. Maddie props up the family, wife of Cole and mother to three gorgeous children - Ellie and twins Jayden and Lucas. They are used to the long and unpredictable hours that Cole works as a neurosurgeon, it is the norm, the status quo of their lives, accepted and never questioned until Maddie starts to get some very strange messages at the same time as Ellie starts to retreat into herself both of which makes Maddie begin to question everything she thought was true.

Sheryl Browne has pitched the tempo of this book like a storm rising in the ocean with the waves gently rolling in until they are crashing the beach in the wildest storm imaginable. It was ironic that I was sat in the sun near a surfers beach whilst reading this book! My opinion of the characters alternated between loving them to disliking them immensely and everything inbetween. there are so many twists and turns with the characters and their lives inter-twined, some obvious, others I had no clue about. It was definitely an adrenaline rush read for me,

This is another book that built momentum, I found myself reading quicker wanting to get to the end in order to get to the truth! Another Sheryl Browne story where a happy, connected family become separate entities repelled from each other like magnets. A twisted story that has reality at the heart of it - so many incidents and things that makes everyone question the truth. Keyboard warriors tapping out their poison, through and lies so intrinsically entwined it was impossible to know who to trust or what to belief.

Thank you so much Sheryl for writing another totally absorbing read that fully engaged my vivid imagination and sense of judgement - a story that once again shook my values to the core. Oh to open up your mind and look inside, I’m not sure where you get your inspiration and I think I probably don’t want to know either.

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Make Yourself at Home - Wendy Clarke

About the book… 

‘You don’t really know your husband,’ my sister-in-law whispers, and a chill goes up my spine. ‘Can you really trust the man you married?’

Gary and I have always been happy. Our fridge is covered in the love notes I leave him every morning, we always start the day on the doorstep with a goodbye kiss, and I make sure we never, ever fight. But since Gary’s sister Lisa moved in, things have been different…

The day Lisa arrived at the school where I work, asking for help, I knew we had to welcome her into our home. Gary hasn’t spoken to his parents in years, and his childhood was far from perfect. But now every time Lisa enters a room, I watch him sneak out the door. He’s no longer home for dinners, spending more and more time at the office. It’s me who’s chatting to Lisa all night as we cook. Learning more and more about the family Gary told me nothing about.

And then I spot them through the front window on my way home from work. Arguing. Shouting. Gary thrusts an envelope into Lisa’s hand. He looks nothing like my sweet, caring husband. Lisa won’t tell me what’s going on, but she whispers to me that I shouldn’t trust the man I married.

When I met Gary, I thought I was finally safe. But Lisa’s arrival in Roosevelt Avenue is forcing my husband’s secrets to surface. She thinks I’m innocent, that my own past is picture-perfect, but she has no idea how far I’ll go to protect the ones I love.

A rollercoaster psychological thriller full of twists and turns that will have you gasping for breath. Perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell, Shari Lapena and The Housemaid.

Buy Links: 

Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Make-Yourself-Home-unputdownable-psychological/dp/183618607X?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&ref_=fplfs&psc=1&smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE

About the author… 

Wendy Clarke was a teacher until the small primary school where she worked closed down. Now she is a writer of psychological suspense but is also well known for her short stories and serials which regularly appear in national women’s magazines.

Wendy has two children and three step-children and lives with her husband, cat and step-dog in Sussex. When not writing, she is usually indulging in her passion for dancing, singing or watching any programme that involves food!

Contact Links: 

https://www.facebook.com/WendyClarkeAuthor/

https://www.instagram.com/wendyclarke99/

https://twitter.com/WendyClarke99

My thoughts…

It’s not often you pick up a book that feels heavy and oppressive but Make Yourself at Home by Wendy Clarke did that to me. The prologue written to raise tension and heartbeat that for me didn’t drop for most of the book.

The prologue at odds with the first chapter where we meet Catherine and she describes her relationship with husband Gary - pretty damn perfect in her eyes by all accounts but the words on the pages hint at this possibly being a veneer, how hard to crack would be found out soon enough! 

This book moved at a terrific pace, that made me feel a little bit anxious, finding myself reading faster to get past the multiple plot twist - some that didn’t even appear relevant until the end.  So many hints and clues dropped like confetti but impossible to catch.  Imagine finding out after ten years of marriage that your husband had a sister, a person you’d tucked under your wing - supporting her in her new teaching role and offering her somewhere to stay whilst she found a place for herself when you discovered she was homeless.

This is a book that won’t fail to touch your heart, it will make you gasp and bite hard on your back teeth with the tension, the sheer emotion leaps from the pages with Catherine and Gary’s lives teetering on the edge, when past meets present. When actions are driven by emotion and that emotion is fear and with revenge anything is possible. I'm sure I stopped breathing several times as I read Make Yourself at Home - a title that speaks comfort, happiness and welcoming that proves to be anything but, it is gritty and unexpectedly perfect for the emotions and feelings evoked for both the characters and readers alike.

I highly recommend this adrenalin filled book.

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Same Time Next Week - Milly Johnson

About the book… 

Welcome to Spring Hill, home to a parade of independent shops and cafes and a thriving local community.

Amanda is primary carer to her elderly mother and one of the only women employed by a male-dominated company. Used to being second-best all her life, is this her time to finally break ranks and shine?

Sky works at the repair shop, patching up old teddy bears, and their owners’ hearts. But her heart beats only for the one man who is strictly off-limits.

Mel has been a loyal and loving wife to Steve for thirty years. But when he goes to his old school reunion, life as she knows it will never be the same again.

Erin is trying to get over a traumatic loss where her guilt weighs more than her grief. Unable to move forward, can she find the first step to healing lies in sharing an hour with strangers once a week?

Astrid is feeling unsettled, lonely and in need of change and challenge. But when a fantastic opportunity presents itself to her that would bring her what she wants, who is around to convince her she is worthy enough to take the risk?

These five women of different ages and backgrounds are drawn together in a friendship group in the back room of Ray’s Diner every Tuesday. Over a cup of something warming, could they find the answers to their worries, acceptance, courage, support – and laughter here…?

Buy Links: 

Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Same-Time-Next-Milly-Johnson/dp/1398523577

About the author… 

Milly Johnson was born, raised and still lives in Barnsley, South Yorkshire. A Sunday Times bestseller, she is one of the Top 10 Female Fiction authors in the UK, and has sold millions of copies of her books sold across the world. The Happiest Ever After is her twenty-first novel.

Milly’s writing highlights the importance of community spirit and the magic of kindness. Her books inspire and uplift but she packs a punch and never shies away from the hard realities of life and the complexities of relationships in her stories. Her books champion women, their strength and resilience, and celebrate love, friendship and the possibility and joy of second chances and renaissances. She writes stories about ordinary women and the extraordinary things that happen in their ordinary lives.

Contact Links: 

Milly's website: www.millyjohnson.co.uk. 

Twitter: @millyjohnson

Instagram: @themillyjohnson

TikTok: @millyjohnsonauthor 

Facebook: @MillyJohnsonAuthor

My thoughts…

Oh my goodness where do I begin.  Same Time Next Week is a powerful, uplifting, read that took me on a journey, that saw me shedding tears, at both ends of the emotional spectrum and sitting nodding like some deranged dog in the corner, muttering yes - this!!  Exactly this as I turned the pages, absorbing myself into the lives of the many characters.

Milly Johnson really has crafted her story telling to perfection. She tempers real life scenarios and presents relatable characters to the reader with her dry northern wit. Honest, upfront, what you see is what you get and so very real. Same Time Next Week is a story that traverses the ages but sits perfectly with who I, and who most of my friends are right now, approaching, at,or just past that age!  It hit the spot perfectly, landing in a Same Time Next Week shaped hole I didn’t know existed until I did.

Image working in a male dominated workplace that has its mindset stuck firmly in the dark ages and finding your young, modern, big boss wants you to help him change that, wants to understand things from a woman’s perspective. Amanda gets her chance, gets that voice in a class moment that was so applause worthy.  I’ve been and still am the person who doesn’t even remember her name most days, most days wondering how I got through the day without losing it completely.  

Have I told you how good this book is yet, I can’t remember! It’s AMAZING!

Each and every Milly Johnson novel has characters that get under your skin, some like an itch you can’t wait to stop scratching, like Steve, husband of Mel and Bradley, Amandas brother in this book and then there are others that wrap themselves around your heart, like Amanda, Ray Bon and Sky - I so loved them!  When the story ended I didn’t want to let them go.  

Each and every Milly Johnson novel has hit the spot for me - I’ve loved every one, but Same Time Next Week is the best yet. Strong women, emotive storylines, unexpected friendships, the power and support of women, romance and humour all mixed up like a literary band aid on your heart that I don’t want to pull off - I was sad when I turned the last page on this book, I didn’t want it to end.  Cookies and a weekly catch up proving better than any prescription - where do I sign up! I want to be top of the list to join this group.

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Wife, Mother, Liar - Sue Watson

About the book… 

She’s perfect. Too perfect…

Wife: For twenty-five years, my husband and I have been the ideal couple. I’m shy, but he’s always been the life and soul of the party, a charmer, so I didn’t worry the first time I caught him a little too close to my best friend, Wendy.

Mother: Then our darling son says he’s taking Wendy’s daughter to prom, the girl I never trusted because she’s too much like her mother. As I snap photos of them, I have a smile plastered on my face, but inside my head I’m screaming at him to stay away from her.

Liar: As flashing lights slice the darkness around our home, my worst nightmare comes true with the shocking news that one of our children is dead. And I can tell my husband, my best friend are both lying about where they were. But none of their secrets compares to mine.

And nobody knows just how far I’d go to protect my family…

Buy Links: 

Amazon: https://geni.us/B0DJ93FWFTsocial

About the author… 

Sue Watson was a journalist on national magazines and newspapers before becoming a TV producer with the BBC.

Now a USA Today bestselling author, Sue explores the darker side of life, writing psychological thrillers with big twists.

Originally from Manchester, she now lives with her family in leafy Worcestershire where much of her day is spent writing and procrastinating. Her hobby is eating cake while watching diet and exercise programmes from the sofa, a skill she’s perfected after many years of practice.

Contact Links: 

Follow Sue Watson:

Twitter @suewatsonwriter 

Instagram @suewatsonbooks.

Sign up to be the first to hear about new releases from Sue Watson here: https://www.bookouture.com/sue-watson/

My thoughts…

Oh my, another compelling, heart in the mouth thriller from the amazing Sue Watson, who never fails to amaze me with the dark depths of her imagination. With each new psychological thriller she writes, I’m left slack jawed and wondering where her mind will take me next time.

Wife, Mother, Liar is a compelling read that is both emotional and incredible at the same time. The story focuses on two families, who start off as neighbours and become friends when Jill and husband Tim move into the house next door to Wendy and Robert.  Jill and Wendy are like chalk and cheese, if not for living next door to each other and bringing their children up together they would likely never have gravitated towards each other and formed a friendship. Their lives and that of their children intrinsically linked until suddenly they’re not! 

This was a book that seemed to come with a dark cloud, death, depression and deceit peppering all of their lives. I was totally gripped, and changed my allegiance with each of the characters and throughout - such was the quality of writing, no attempts at second guessing got me anywhere close to working out all of the motives and which camp I should stake my flag. I felt anxious throughout, never quite knowing who to trust and how to sift the truth from the lies that peppered the pages - leaving me open mouthed with wonder when Sue Watson slowly but surely dropped her grenades, the fall out from each ricocheting through my mind. The debris from each shattering my thoughts and taking away the ability to tidily wrap up the story.

Sue thank you for yet another page turning thriller that hooked me in and gripped me tightly, I felt breathless and broken as I walked in the footsteps of the plethora of characters, each of whom stole my heart, some quietly and considered, others boldly without apology. Only to then have me hating them and questioning everything I thought I knew. I should now know to expect the unexpected and realise that the alarm on my Fitbit is going to be triggered by the elevated heart rate from the off.  Which, whilst reading this book, didn’t seem to drop for most of the second half of the book. Nobody and nothing are actually what they seem with Wife, Liar, Mother, having more twists than a helta skelter - a ride I was pleased to have joined!

Thank you to Bookouture for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this novel. I thoroughly loved this deep, dark, tangled story of love, honour, justice, passion and loyalty that was hidden below the surface, that burned brightly when given the oxygen it needed to survive. 

Another outstanding read that will stay with me forever, and another read I have already recommended to so my friends.

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Home for Christmas - Heidi Swain

About the book… 

Bella is living her best life in Wynbridge, with her beloved Spaniel, Tink. She’s found a way to keep the house she inherited from her grandparents while expanding her dream business – Away With the Fairies – and she’s ecstatic that Christmas is on the horizon!

In fact, everything is perfect until family friend, Catherine Connelly asks Bella if she’d be willing to rent part of the house to freelance author, Jude who is researching the history of the Connelly Clan and Wynthorpe Hall ahead of turning his findings into a book. The plan had been for Jude to stay at the hall, but he can’t cope with the chaos and Bella reluctantly agrees to open her door to him.

Initially, the pair clash but then friendlier feelings begin to grow and Bella finds herself wondering if Jude could become more than just another guest before it’s time for him to leave. That is, until he announces he has no time for Christmas!

With her favourite time of the year suddenly in jeopardy, will Bella ever feel like she’s home for Christmas?

Buy Links: 

Amazon: https://amzn.eu/d/aRvkJba

About the author… 

Although passionate about writing from an early age, Heidi Swain gained a degree in Literature, flirted briefly with a newspaper career, married and had two children before she finally plucked up the courage to join a creative writing class and take her literary ambitions seriously.

A lover of Galaxy bars, vintage paraphernalia and the odd bottle of fizz, she now writes contemporary fiction and enjoys the company of a whole host of feisty female characters.

Heidi can be found at the keyboard at all hours of the day and night and quite often scribbling longhand in her car during her lunch break. She lives in stunning south Norfolk with her wonderful son and daughter and a mischievous cat called Storm.

Contact Links: 

Heidi loves to chat with her readers and you can get in touch via 

her website heidiswain.co.uk/ or 

Twitter @Heidi_Swain

My thoughts…

There is nothing more perfect than a Heidi Swain Christmas novel. Home for Christmas was exactly what it said on the cover - I felt right at home, back in Wynbridge, back with familiar characters and once again itching to be part of this perfect community.

The focal character in Home for Christmas is Bella, Bella lives in the house she inherited from her grand-parents, renting the main part of it out for nine months of the year whilst she nestles herself and her business “Away with the Fairies” up into the small upstairs apartment.

I can’t tell you what a delight this book was, Bella and her fairies and her love of all things Christmas warmed my heart from the inside out.  As ever not everything in the village and Bella’s life is rosy and runs quite to plan. As a reader sitting on the periphery whilst Bella handled the unexpected, last minute house guest who threatens to de-rail both her business and Christmas was blood pressure inducing at times and as you’d expect gooey and mushy at others!

Jude was rude, abrupt and the grinch incarnated.  He is the polar opposite to Bella. Whilst she is the full on, bright, sparkly all singing, all dancing kind of Christmas girl that doesn’t understand the phrase ‘too much’, Jude is the opposite, Christmas - whatever is that, it’s not to be embraced in any way, shape or form. He successfully manages to de-rail Bella’s life in an unexpected way.  Thankfully Holly is surrounded by her close friends Holly, Bear and Jeanie as well as the Connolly clan from Wynthorpe Hall who all manage to support, interfere and guide her as she navigates her unexpected encounter with Jude, her pre-Xmas stalls and events making and selling her unique, individual fairies. I soooooooo want one!!

As with every single one of Heidi’s novels the characters stray from one story to another with the layers of their characters stripped back with each, revealing a bit more with every book.  It was an absolute delight to be back amongst the locals, sharing drinks in the pub, tea in the cafe and lunch in the kitchen of Wynthrop Hall.  Have I said before I want to move here - I want to be part of this fabulous community - I already feel I know so much about them all I know I’ll fit right in.

As ever this was the perfect tonic, There is the right balance of angst, love and romance. I loved every single page and was gutted when I turned the last one - Heidi Swain, once again you have brought sunshine and smiles to a very grey day and even got me starting my Christmas shopping! You know how to bring a smile to my face and I’m now wondering if October is too soon to put up the Christmas lights!

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