A Cosy Candlelit Christmas - Tilly Tennant

About the book…

All singleton Isla wants for Christmas is to be left in peace, but a surprise trip to the Alps means there’s a chance for romance in every snowflake that falls…

It’s the week before Christmas and Isla McCoy has just received an unexpected gift: a letter announcing she is due a life-changing inheritance, but only if she’s willing to make amends with the father who abandoned her. 

She has absolutely no intention of forgiving him, but who could resist an all-expenses-paid trip to the French resort of St Martin-de-Belleville? 

There she meets smooth-talking Justin and nerdy glaciologist Sebastian; two very different men, with two very different agendas. Torn between her head and her heart, Isla finds herself utterly lost in a winter wonderland of her own feelings. 

Surrounded by twinkling candles and roaring log-fires, Isla’s resolve finally begins to melt. But will she learn how to reconnect, not only with a whole new family, but with herself and her heart?

A gorgeously heart-warming festive read to help spark a little romance in those long winter nights. Perfect for fans of Jane Linfoot, Debbie Johnson and Jenny Colgan.

Buy Links: 

UK 🇬🇧 http://amzn.to/2vYdYri 

US 🇺🇸 http://amzn.to/2f1wRpk

About the author… 

Tilly Tennant was born in Dorset, the oldest of four children, but now lives in Staffordshire with a family of her own. After years of dismal and disastrous jobs, including paper plate stacking, shop girl, newspaper promotions and waitressing (she never could carry a bowl of soup without spilling a bit), she decided to indulge her passion for the written word by embarking on a degree in English and creative writing. She wrote a novel in 2007 during her first summer break at university and has not stopped writing since. She also works as a freelance fiction editor, and considers herself very lucky that this enables her to read many wonderful books before the rest of the world gets them.

Hopelessly Devoted to Holden Finn was her debut novel; published in 2014 it was an Amazon bestseller in both the UK and Australia. In 2016 she signed to the hugely successful Bookouture and is currently working on her tenth Tilly Tennant novel. She also writes as Sharon Sant, where she explores the darker side of life, and Poppy Galbraith, where things get a little crazier. Find out more about Tilly and how to join her mailing list for news and exclusives at www.tillytennant.com

Contact Links: 

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TillyTenWriter

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tillytennant6000/

Website: www.tillytennant.com

My thoughts…

I was given an ecopy of this book by Bookouture, Tilly Tennant's publisher in exchange for an honest review.  This is something I am more than happy to do.

It's no secret I love Tilly Tennant books, each one is like a returning friend that makes me smile the whole way through.  Add to that that this is a Christmas read, I couldn't have been happier.

Isla was brought up in a single parent family from a very young age with just her mum.  Throughout her life her mum painted her dad in such a bad light, abandoning them bot that when an unexpected heritance arrives with a condition attached  - Isla is torn.  Her dad wants to meet her and make amends.  If she is prepared to go to the snowy, french alps and reconcile with her father she gets the inheritance.

Tilly did a fantastic job of setting the scene and the tension and anguish Isla feels is palpable as her mum puts pressure on her to ignore the request.  The emotional tug of love was so very life like.  Isla loves her mum and hates her dad but wants to hear face to face why he so callously abandoned her and left her to grow up without a father.

As ever Tilly adds romance for our leading lady in not just one but two suitors - their characters as different as chalk and cheese.  My heart melted one one page and was fired up, inwardly shouting out to her as the story unfolded.

A perfect read about family relationships, love, friendship and characters that are multi-faceted set in the perfect location of St Martin-de-Belleville in the French Alps - I so wish I was going there for Christmas.

I highly recommend that everyone puts this engaging, realistic book at the top of their Christmas reads - it's not all fluffy snow, hearts and romance it has depth, warmth and character.  Huge thanks to Noelle at Bookouture for my copy.

A Wedding in Italy - Tilly Tennant

About the book… 

Sun, spaghetti and sparkling prosecco. When it comes to finding love, there’s no place like Rome…  

Kate is living the dream with her gorgeous boyfriend Alessandro in his native city, but the reality is sometimes a little less romantic than she’d hoped. Every day in her new home is a fight against leaking pipes, her cantankerous landlord and her less-than-perfect grasp of the Italian lingo.  

All around her there is talk of weddings, but when a secret from her past is thrust out into the open, Kate must fight to prove to Alessandro’s Mamma – and the rest of his formidable family — that she truly is Italian marriage material.  

With the women in Alessandro’s life on a mission to break them apart, the cracks begin to show and Kate starts to question if Alessandro really is the man of her dreams. Can love and the city of romance conquer all, or is that just a fairy-tale? 

Let Rome steal your heart this summer in this gorgeously romantic escapist read. Perfect for fans of Jo Thomas and Abby Clements.

Buy Links: 

UK http://amzn.to/2kN7O7k 
US http://amzn.to/2kN1UmF

About the author… 

From a young age, Tilly Tennant was convinced that she was destined for the stage.  Once she realised she wasn’t actually very good at anything that would put her on the stage, she started to write stories instead. There were lots of terrible ones, like The Pet Rescue Gang (aged eight), which definitely should not see the light of day ever again. Thankfully, her debut novel, Hopelessly Devoted to Holden Finn was not one of those, and since it hit the Amazon best seller lists she hasn’t looked back. Born in Dorset, she currently lives in Staffordshire with her husband, two daughters, three guitars, four ukuleles, two violins and a kazoo.

Contact Links: 

www.tillytennant.com

https://www.facebook.com/TillyTennant/

https://twitter.com/TillyTenWriter

My thoughts…

A Wedding in Italy is the second book in this series and sees Kate returning to Rome to take a chance on love with Alessandro the dishy, Italian policeman whom we met in Rome in Where the Heart Is.  A Wedding in Italy has all the dream like qualities we encountered in book one, good food, home, friends and family everything should be perfect.

Kate desperately loves Alessandro and dearly wants to make a new life in the city she fell in love with but things are not as easy or as simple as she'd like. Struggling for work, the language barrier, missing her sisters, Alessandro's tight knit family and their values plus another woman determined to send Kate running for the plane home to England so she can claim Alessandro for herself all throw up obstacles and cause doubts.

This story focuses very much on family. I loved reading about the different values and traditions within an Italian family in comparison to a British one.  Italy is not far from England but the way of life seems more traditional and appears a bit old fashioned, add to that the language barrier too. Kate has left her family behind in England and misses them dearly, she's hoping to get the same closeness with Alessandro's family that she shares with her own but it doesn't happen instantly something which adds to her insecurities.  She didn't anticipate being out of work for so long either and this is another thing that adds to her worries. Without an income she fears she may have to give up on her dreams and return home. 

Tilly Tennant has created strong characters that demand respect - Respect, trust, honesty and loyalty are very strong values and form the very fabric of Italian family life — the Conti family like and love Kate but don't know her well enough to know she will be the right person for their son and brother Alessandro and initially close ranks to protect him.  It was lovely how Tilly developed the relationship of Kate and Alessandro's family, giving her time to shine and grow, allowing their trust to build to such an extent that when the chips really were down for Kate they closed ranks to protect and support her. 

I lost myself totally in this book and the Italian way of life was sold to me completely — so much so I have booked a touring holiday from Venice to Sicily for next summer.  It is a book that inspires hope, living for today and taking a chance on life.  It's good to dream but sometimes it's even better to live those dreams.

I highly recommend this book, but more importantly this author.  Tilly Tennant is a temptress of the highest order — only she would have me looking at flights and surfing the internet for the nooks and crannies she describes so well.  Please tell me the Gelato shop really exists?!  I so want to live inside her books, they provide the perfect amount of escapism — so a huge thank you to her and her publisher Bookouture.

Rome Is Where The Heart Is - Tilly Tennant

About the book...

Can a holiday romance ever have a happy ending? Escape with Kate to the sun-drenched city of Rome where a love affair is just about to begin …

When Kate’s husband Matt dumps her on Friday 13th she decides enough is enough – it’s time for her to have some fun and so she hops on a plane to Rome. A week of grappa and gelato in pavement cafes under azure blue skies will be just what the doctor ordered.

What she doesn’t count on is meeting and falling for sexy policeman Alessandro. But the course of true love doesn’t run smoothly – Alessandro has five meddling sisters, a fearsome mama and a beautiful ex Orazia. They’re all certain that Kate is not the girl for him.

Can Kate and Alessandro’s love last the distance? Or will she return home with the one souvenir she doesn’t want – a broken heart …

Fall in love with the colourful cafes and the cobbled piazzas of Rome and follow Kate’s dreams and her heart in this enchanting escapist read. Perfect for fans of Debbie Johnson and Carol Matthews.

Buy Links:

🇬🇧 http://amzn.to/2gAClT0 

 🇺🇸http://amzn.to/2hvt0xw

About the author...

From a young age, Tilly Tennant was convinced that she was destined for the stage.  Once she realised she wasn’t actually very good at anything that would put her on the stage, she started to write stories instead. There were lots of terrible ones, like The Pet Rescue Gang (aged eight), which definitely should not see the light of day ever again. Thankfully, her debut novel, Hopelessly Devoted to Holden Finn was not one of those, and since it hit the Amazon best seller lists she hasn’t looked back. Born in Dorset, she currently lives in Staffordshire with her husband, two daughters, three guitars, four ukuleles, two violins and a kazoo.

Connect with Tilly Tennant: 

www.tillytennant.com

https://www.facebook.com/TillyTennant/

https://twitter.com/TillyTenWriter

My thoughts...
I was given an ecopy of Rome is Where the Heart Is by Bookouture, Tilly's publisher in exchange for an honest review, something that I'm more than happy to do.

The main character is Kate, her marriage has suddenly ended and she's bereft. She needs some time out and decides to totally escape her life and embarks on a solo trip to Rome to gather her thoughts and gain some traction on her life.  Her sisters, are seriously worried about her plans and make her promise to keep in touch - something that she finds difficult as she is absorbed into Italian life.

This is such a lovely, feel good book.  Tilly Tennant has the ability to suck you right into the heart of a story and Rome Is Where the Heart Is had me hooked.  It is such a sensory read I so want to go to Rome now and walk the routes Kate trod as she discovered the city, tried new foods, made friends, plans and found love - I felt as though I was there with her the descriptions are so vivid the story just wrapped itself around my heart.

This is ultimately a romantic read.  It couldn't be anything but, the cover just exudes sunshine and happiness and brings a smile to my face every time I look at it.  It isn't all hearts and flowers though and there are a few mysteries to solve along the way too.

I loved the way Tilly provided an instant friend in Italy for Kate, she so deserved some happiness and support.  Arriving in Italy Kate stood out as a tourist and is about to be ripped off when she was rescued by Jamie, larger than life, with an air of mystique that runs throughout the book. My thoughts about him yo-yo'd as he ambushes Kate's holiday and she finds herself in more than one awkward situation - one such incident though brings her face to face with the delicious policeman, Allesandro so all is not bad. He's another man who takes her under her wing and gives her a glimpse of real, Italian life. The instant, romantic connection between the pair fizzed off the page and I silently crossed my fingers for a romantic, happy ending for them.

This was the perfect book to read, it inspires hope, happiness and thoughts of good things to come, a perfect slice of deliciousness that had me oohing and aching through every chapter. A dream like book, that melted my heart and has left me wanting just a little bit more.  I'm off to the travel agents now - Italy here I come.