Friday, 30 December 2022
Wednesday, 28 December 2022
Tuesday, 27 December 2022
Top Ten Tuesday: Most Recent Additions to My Book Collection
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.
I did receive some books for xmas and I did buy some books in the sales online with some birthday money so here are my latest additions... I've also included a couple of new audiobooks I've bought and a couple of review books that I've got as well!
Monday, 26 December 2022
Saturday, 24 December 2022
Wednesday, 21 December 2022
Monday, 19 December 2022
Sunday, 18 December 2022
Friday, 16 December 2022
Thursday, 15 December 2022
Guest Review: Family Secrets at the Inglenook Inn by Helen Rolfe
Welcome back to the Inglenook Inn, a cosy and welcoming place that instantly feels like home.
Rupert has been the chef at the Inglenook Inn for years. He loves working at the boutique hotel, crafting exquisite meals and fantastic desserts for each and every guest. When his boss, who is practically family, is called away on an emergency, Rupert has to step up and run the place. That would be challenge enough, but when his sister Natalie shows up, she brings a whole lot more baggage than her belongings.
Katy is out of a job and out of luck until she lands a temporary job at the Inglenook Inn. With her years of experience, helping to manage a hotel is a challenge she relishes. But there’s more drama under the one roof than she ever expected and on top of that she’s worried her dad might be making a major decision he’ll regret.
Rupert and Katy have their hands full, but there’s magic in the air at the Inglenook Inn, and as they work side by side they discover something new and unexpected.
Is it possible to fall in love in just a few short days?
This is the seventh book in the New York Ever After series from this author. For readers acquainted with the series, the storyline in this book takes us back to the boutique Inglenook Inn, housed in a Manhattan brownstone, and to some characters who appeared in earlier parts of the series as a whole. I have enjoyed all the other books in this series, and looked forward to being reacquainted with some familiar faces as well as meet some new ones. However, it is not necessary to have read the other books in the series to fully enjoy this story.
As this story begins, the owner of the Inglenook Inn, Sofia, is called away by a family emergency, leaving the chef, Rupert, in charge and looking for someone to help him run things in her absence. He is lucky to find Katy, a young lady with years of experience in the hotel industry, who could step into the job immediately as she had just left her previous position. For her part, she is glad to find a live-in job that means she will not have to share an apartment with her dad and his girlfriend. All is going well until Rupert’s sister, Natalie, turns up at the hotel, acting strangely and causing Rupert and Katy extra stress and work. In spite of everything, as time passes, Katy begins to realise that she is developing feelings for Rupert and that perhaps they are reciprocated.
I very much enjoyed this story; I quickly became immersed in events at the Inglenook Inn and finished the book all too soon. Like the other books in this series, I can positively recommend this one, and if you haven’t read the others, they are worth seeking out as well. I liked all of the well-formed characters in this story. They were all dealing with worrying issues in one way or another, each of which was dealt sensitively by the author. Natalie’s behaviour made me want to dislike her, but I was sure that there was more going on than the others realised. The descriptions of Inglenook Inn once more had me longing to visit. The staff went to amazing lengths in order to make everyone’s stay perfect; who wouldn’t want to visit?
Wednesday, 14 December 2022
Tuesday, 13 December 2022
Top Ten Tuesday: Books on my Winter TBR
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.
Sunday, 11 December 2022
Friday, 9 December 2022
Thursday, 8 December 2022
Wednesday, 7 December 2022
Guest Review: Under an Italian Sky by Lisa Hobman
Global box office sensation, Ruby Locke, is a long way from her Yorkshire roots. Together with her fiancé, movie heartthrob Tyler Harrison, they are Hollywood’s new glitterati.
Overnight, Ruby’s life implodes when her social media accounts are hacked with a multitude of vile posts, turning her into an international pariah. Even Tyler breaks off their engagement.
Confused and heartbroken, Ruby escapes to the beautiful island of Sicily to avoid the media scrutiny. With only a Yorkshire Terrier to comfort her, Ruby is befriended by a handsome, mysterious neighbour and slowly begins to heal. But are his inentions true?
When her Sicilian hideaway is compromised, Ruby is once again forced to relocate, this time to the stunning Isle of Skye, off the West Coast of Scotland. Here Ruby is left to question who wants to destroy her career, and also if the celebrity lifestyle is really for her...
This is the second in a collection of books from Lisa Hobman featuring the Scottish island of Skye. As the title suggests, the story in this case is not set exclusively on Skye, but also on another lovely island, hence the book’s striking cover featuring a Mediterranean view. As with the previous book in this collection, I listened to the audio version, and was amazed by the talents of the narrator, a lady skilled in accents. There are a number of returning characters who I enjoyed meeting again in this story, but it is not necessary to have read the first book in the collection to follow the action in this one. This book is known alternatively as Under a Sicilian Sky.
The story features Ruby Locke, a successful actress whose social media accounts have been hacked and some toxic comments placed on them that have turned the public against her. In an attempt to escape the adverse reactions, she flees to the island of Sicily, where she hides away in a large villa. However, when her location is made public by someone she met there and thought she could trust, she is moved by the villa’s Scottish owner, Mitch, to his home in the village of Glentorrin on the island of Skye. Here she begins to make real friends and, with Mitch’s help, works to clear her name. She also has time to consider her future and whether her career should take a new path.
I really enjoyed this exciting and romantic story, following Ruby as she tried to escape the attention of the media and her so-called fans, all too ready to believe the worst of her. The unfortunate circumstances Ruby found herself in were actually advantageous for the reader who is treated to a trip to two magnificent, if very different, islands. The writing is so good that I could quite imagine in detail what each location was like. I loved the way in which tension builds as the story progresses and the identity of the hacker gets closer to being revealed. Having read the first book in this series, it was great to be reunited with familiar characters on Skye and to meet new ones, in particular the strong and handsome Mitch. Lisa Hobman is obviously a dog lover since all her books that I have read feature at least one dog; Ruby was lucky enough to have several canine companions in this story. I can recommend this book of friendship and love to all. I can also recommend reading all of the books in this Skye collection .
To order your copy now, just click the link: UK
Monday, 5 December 2022
November 2022 Reading Wrap Up: Netgalley and Nonfiction November
November wasn't a bad reading month for me but everything I read seemed to be very long and so in terms of getting to the things that were actually on my TBR it wasn't great but in terms of reading Netgalley and Nonfiction reads it was great!
Physical Books
Audiobooks
Sunday, 4 December 2022
Thursday, 1 December 2022
December 2022 TBR
I will be honest with you, 2 weeks into December I am going on a trip where I know I will have zero reading time, I don't anticipate reading a lot after Christmas and it's also the last couple of weeks of a VERY busy term so I'm not feeling too hopeful about the amount of reading I will get done.
However, I do have a couple of long haul flights to read so there's a book or 2 and I still listen to audiobooks on my commute so here's hoping they will add anothe couple into the mix.
I have 1 buddy read I am definitely going to read and then another couple of books to choose from in this very low key, low pressure, final TBR of the year!
Buddy Read
Short Reads
Other audiobooks
Wednesday, 30 November 2022
Guest Review: Dreaming Under an Island Skye by Lisa Hobman
After three wonderful years of marriage, librarian Juliette Fairhurst’s heart is shattered when her husband, Laurie, is taken from her much too soon.
Devasted, Juliette decides to take a sabbatical and reconnect with her mother’s birthplace, the village of Glentorrin on the picturesque Isle of Skye.
Welcomed by most of the villagers, Juliette throws herself into an idyllic community life, taking on the role of temporary summer guardian at The Lifeboat House Museum; a role that offers her the perfect escape from the tragedy of her real life.
During her time on the island, Juliette clashes with brooding single dad and artist, Reid Mackinnon and is befriended by his son Evin and dog Chewie. It’s clear that divorced Reid is struggling and scarred by his own painful experiences.
Can these two lost souls find a lifeline to rescue each other?
Or will their pasts scupper their second chance at real happiness?
Review: This is the first in a collection of books by this author set on the beautiful island of Skye, just off the west coast of Scotland. Even though I was unfamiliar with the author, I was drawn to the book by its lovely cover that promises a trip to a hauntingly beautiful setting by the sea. I listened to the audio format of the story and very much enjoyed the presentation by the narrator, who had me captivated by the tale from start to finish.
The central female character in the book is university librarian Juliette, who has lost her beloved husband, Laurie, after a painfully short marriage. After struggling to come to terms with her loss, she eventually decides to take a sabbatical and spend some time on the island of Skye, visiting the village of Glentorrin where her mother was born. Having been welcomed by the locals, Juliette volunteers to take over running the small village museum, a post that comes with a charming cottage where she can live for the season. Her idyllic life in the village is rather spoiled by some run-ins with local artist Reid MacKinnon, although his young son Evin and huge hairy dog Chewie become her firm friends. As she learns more about Reid, she begins to understand his moody behaviour and think that maybe they can help each other recover, and perhaps she could even learn to love again.
This is a marvellous story of friendship and love helping two lost and damaged individuals to find a way forward. I loved all the characters in the book and was drawn to the peaceful island setting. Everything there was so well described that I could envisage myself strolling through the village and into the shops and the welcoming atmosphere of the pub. Reid was lucky to find somebody willing to put in the effort required to help him escape from his depression. Equally, Juliette was lucky to find an environment where she could heal. For me, the star of the story was Evin and his dog; what a lovely lad. I am now looking forward to meeting some of these characters again in the next story in this collection.
To order your copy now, just click here!
Tuesday, 29 November 2022
Top Ten Tuesday: Books With Cozy Vibes
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.
I know I did something very simillar last top 10 that I did but I can do cozy vibes until the cows come home!
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