Guest Review: Tomorrow Starts Today by Jessica Redland

It's never too late to find yourself... 💫

When she unexpectedly loses her husband, Yvonne Kellerman's world turns quiet and grey. Five years on, her days are filled with the gentle chatter of her loyal parrot, Trevor, and the comfort of her crafting table—but she can’t shake the feeling that life is slipping her by and Yvonne feels lost and lonelier than ever.

When she joins the local crafting club at Willowdale Village Hall, Yvonne expects nothing more than a few afternoons of sewing. Instead, amongst the other local crafters, she discovers friendship, laughter and a renewed appreciation for her gorgeous Lake District home. It’s a reminder that she isn’t alone and, with each new stitch, her confidence returns, and so does her belief that it's never too late for fresh starts and new beginnings.

When a familiar face from her past reappears, Yvonne finds herself standing at a crossroads: will she protect her heart, or embrace the chance to love—and truly live—again?

A heartwarming story of friendship, courage, and second chances by the million copy bestseller Jessica Redland.

Guest Review: This is the fifth book in the author’s Escape to the Lakes series, with all stories set near to Derwent Water, one of the many lakes in this beautiful area of England. Although there are some recurring characters in this and the other books in the series, each title can be read as a standalone. The author has included a helpful list of characters who have appeared in previous books at the beginning of this one. Once again, the attractive cover of this book shows a scene typical of the area.

This story centres on Yvonne Kellerman, who, approaching her sixtieth birthday, realises that it’s time to get more out of life. She has been living on her own apart from her chatty parrot for the past five years, following the death of her husband. As a keen crafter, her eye is caught by an advert for a crafting club that meets in a local village hall, and she decides to give it a try. Suddenly, she has a group of wonderful friends who, like her, have found the club an invaluable lifeline. Then, one day, she comes face to face with someone from the past who she thought she would never see again but has never forgotten. Having found friendship and a renewed confidence through her hobbies, she wonders whether she could also find love again and complete her ambitions for her future.

I can highly recommend this truly heartwarming story. Yvonne is a character in a situation that will be recognised by many, men as well as women, who have become lost and lonely, particularly after the departure of a partner. How marvellous that she had the courage to step outside her world and find friendship as well as opening up to the possibility of a second chance at love. I loved the new friends that Yvonne discovered through the crafting club, and I especially liked that they all had their own stories going on. It was also nice to bump into one or two familiar faces. As with the other books in this series, the author gives the reader the chance to picture the wonderful scenery of the Lake District. I’m already looking forward to the next book in this series and perhaps catching up with Yvonne and her friends.

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Top Ten Books I Read in 2025

 

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

Always a massively difficult list to make but actually slightly easier now I read less books in a year!

As always, this list is in no particular order...

26 Books I Want to Read in 2026

 I love making these lists every year and it's ncie to look back at the end of the year as to what I didn't get to from the previous year and make plans to read it. In fact I am doing this right now. 

I've roughly ordered into publication months but as always, these dates are subject to change..

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

2025 Q4 Reading Wrap Up

 Here's everything I read in October, November and Devember of 2025. I have enjoyed doing these wrap ups in quarters like this rather than in months but I don't know whether to go back to months in 2026, what do you think? 

Again I really like the balance of fiction, non-fiction and adult romance vs YA vs Thriller here!

Guest Review: The Forest Hideaway by Sharon Gosling

Saskia is building a home for herself out of the ruins of an old castle. Surrounded by forest, hidden away from everyone and everything, the place is special - it’s the only connection she has left to her father and it’s a hard-won chance to escape from her difficult past and create a new future. She’s spent her whole life trying to find a way to make this project work and finding someone to help her realise her dream has been almost impossible.

When local builder Owen finally signs up to manage the construction, things get off to a very bad start. But forced to find a way to work together, both realise that first impressions aren’t always the right ones, and when Owen discovers the forest is hiding a secret that could bring work to a halt, he realises he’s much more invested in the project – and Saskia – than he thought . . .

Review: I have been an avid reader of Sharon Gosling’s books since reading her compelling story The House Beneath the Cliffs, enjoying each of her novels since then. Her well-written stories feature family, community and romance in stunning settings. This latest book is set in a remote part of Cumbria and sounds to contain an element of mystery.

The story centres on Saskia Tilbury-Martin’s attempts to fulfil her ambition to restore ruined Gair Castle, located in an isolated part of Cumbria, into a home. She has loved the castle and surrounding forest since visiting there as a child with her father and experiencing the area’s magical quality. Having followed in her father’s footsteps and qualified as an architect, she has made plans for the castle ruins that are sympathetic to its surroundings. The problem is finding a builder who will agree to undertake the ambitious project. Finally, she meets Owen Elliott who, despite misgivings, takes on the contract. Unfortunately, their relationship gets off to a very rocky start, adding to the difficulties she has encountered due to local opposition to her plans. Both of them are surprised when, once the work begins, they discover a secret that the surrounding forest has been hiding for years. Owen also finds himself surprised to find that he would be disappointed to leave the project, and Saskia, behind if work has to stop as a consequence of their discovery.

This was a really interesting book. The two main characters showed admirable amounts of perseverance in pushing forward with Saskia’s plans for the ruined castle. As the book progressed, details of her history and reasons for her desire to restore the site were revealed. I loved the idea that Saskia had even designed a special bespoke mini-home to allow her and her gorgeous dog to live on site while the work was completed. Owen became more sympathetic towards Saskia as he learned more of her background and romance began to creep gently into their story. Although there were clues as to mysterious and magical events reported historically in the area, I was still not ready for the discoveries Saskia and Owen made. This book was a little different from other books I have read from this author, but no less enjoyable for that. Readers who like some mystery and even magic with their romance will certainly enjoy this book.

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Guest Review: The Secret Christmas Library by Jenny Colgan

Step into the warmth and the cosy glow of the secret Christmas library...

Mirren Sutherland didn't expect an old book in her great-aunt's attic to change her whole world. But one minute she is staring resentfully at the sparkly London Christmas lights, dreading the thought of another Christmas alone. And the next, she is being whisked away on a secret night train to a grand old house in the highlands...

Jamie McPherson is desperate to save his family home - and he needs Mirren's ability to sniff out an antique to do it. There is a very rare, very valuable, and very lost book somewhere in the nooks and crannies of his family's crumbling estate. And if Mirren can find it, they might just be able to save the McPhersons from financial ruin.

But the house has its secrets, and when a snowstorm traps Mirren and Jamie in along with rival book hunter Theo Palliser, they realise that there is much more than just a book hidden in the halls. With old feelings and new sparks slipping through the cracks, it's a race against time - and snowfall.

With the help of a sprinkle of Christmas magic, will Mirren uncover the clues and find the book - without losing her heart?

Review: This book follows on from Jenny Colgan’s short story, The Christmas Book Hunt. That said, you don’t have to read the short story to appreciate this storyline; this book stands alone very successfully. It is set predominantly in the highlands of Scotland, and contains vivid descriptions of the stunning landscape. The book’s cover is one of the loveliest I have seen in a while.

The main character in the story is quantity surveyor and book obsessive Mirren Sutherland. She gained a reputation as a book finder after she tracked down a very valuable book in her great aunt’s attic after a countrywide search. This fact led Jamie McKinnon to her door to ask if she would come to his house to look for a rare book that might save his debt-ridden estate. Unfortunately for Mirren, Jamie has also invited fellow book hunter Theo Palliser to aid in the search. Mirren has an unhappy history with Theo. The task is complicated by the size and dilapidated state of the large house and by the fact that Jamie’s recently deceased grandfather, fond of puzzles, has left a series of clues as to the whereabouts and identity of the book. Added to these hurdles is the fact that Mirren is attracted to the two men with whom she is sharing the house, which, soon after her arrival, becomes cut off by a heavy fall of snow.

I very much enjoyed this book, and loved joining Mirren in her hunt for Jamie’s grandfather’s valuable book. The journey to Jamie’s estate in the family’s private train carriage featuring all manner of luxuries was magical; if only all rail travel could be like that. However, Mirren’s experiences in the actual house were more frustrating than magical since it was filled with nooks and crannies, crumbling away at points and freezing cold unless you could find a position near to an open fire. The story was very cleverly written, with so many clues to solve and so many wrong turns to take. I was completely immersed in trying to find the answer, as well as wondering which, if either, of the men she would finally choose. This is definitely a book to enjoy by a warm fire while accompanying Mirren on her odyssey.

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Guest Review: Christmas on Fifth Avenue by Julie Caplin

Evie Green's Christmas dream turns into a nightmare when a viral video makes her the laughing stock of the internet. But then a 5 star hotel sees a PR opportunity and invites her to New York for a Christmas she’ll remember forever.

Enter Noah Sanderson, a disgraced soccer star seeking anonymity. Forced to fake a festive romance for the cameras, sparks fly – but not the twinkling Christmas kind!

As Fifth Avenue sparkles in all its holiday glory, can The City that Never Sleeps show these two frosted hearts that, maybe, the best love stories are the ones you never see coming.

Review: Even had I not been a follower of Julie Caplin’s work, I would have been drawn to this book just from the title and cover artwork. Spending the festive season in a snowy New York sounds pretty ideal to me. This is book 1 in the Christmas Escapes series, described as a spin off from Julie’s Romantic Escapes series, which I have enjoyed.

The main characters in this story are financial journalist Evie Green and professional footballer Noah Sanderson, who both find themselves in New York in the run-up to Christmas. Evie has been invited by the management to spend Christmas in the famous Plaza Hotel following a disastrous incident that has seen her ridiculed all over social media. Noah is also on his way to the same hotel to hide from the adverse publicity resulting from an on-field event. Although they hadn’t met before travelling to New York, Evie and Noah manage to rub each other up the wrong way as they keep bumping into each other. When Noah’s agent suggests that a very public fake romance with Evie might smooth things over for both of them, the pair begin to be seen together visiting tourist spots. As they spend more and more time together, it seems as though they have more in common than they thought and perhaps their dating might not actually be quite so fake after all.

I really enjoyed this festive rom-com. The setting was, of course, absolutely wonderful and I loved following along as Noah took Evie to visit so many of the tourist attractions that the Big Apple has on offer, as well as less well known locations. The Plaza Hotel, where I would love to stay one day, was also brought into the limelight, with its staff for whom nothing was too much trouble to please the guests and the amazing decorations everywhere. I really liked both of the main characters, who had been dealt with unfairly by the media. It was heartwarming to see Evie achieve things that she and her late mother had planned to do if ever they had got to New York. At the same time it was rewarding to see Noah unwind and begin to enjoy his enforced holiday. I think this would be a perfect read for those wishing to escape for a while over the Christmas period.

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