Review: Preloved by Lauren Bravo

 Gwen is coasting through life. She’s in her mid-thirties, perpetually single, her friends are busy procreating in the countryside and conversations with her parents seem to revolve entirely around the council’s wheelie-bin timetable.

 

And she’s lonely. But then, isn’t everyone?

 

When she’s made redundant from a job she hardly cares about, she takes herself out for a fancy dinner. There she has the best sticky toffee pudding of her life and realises she has no one to tell. She vows to begin living her life fully, reconnect with her friends and family, and finally book that dentist’s appointment. 

 

Gwen decides to start where all things get a second chance: her local charity shop. There, with the help of the weird and wonderful people and donated items bursting with untold stories, Gwen will find a way to move forward with bravery, tenacity, and more regular dental care.

Review:This was such an interesting take for a story, especially in the age of sustainability. I love the idea that Gwen is trying to get her life on track by not only giving up her time but working somewhere where people literally give up their possessions to live another life. It feels very meta but it just works in the context of this novel. 

Gwen is a great character because she is a little on the prickly side, some of her thinking is quite rigid and yet she is very easy to identify with and very easy to get behind. I love following her through her renaissance and getting to know her story one little detail at a time. Because the structure of this book is such that we get to learn a little about Gwen and then we get the story of an object that is sent to the shop in which she works. 

I think the structure of the novel was my favourite thing about this book. We have a Gwen chapter followed by an object’s story. We don’t know if this is something Gwen will come into direct contact with or if this is something entirely unrelated to her but it is so interesting to think about each item that comes into a charity shop and the life that object might have had before it found its way there. I was also really blown away by how these object chapters help to feed into the mood or directly into the plot of the next step of Gwen’s journey. 

Parts of this book are very real and there were definitely some emotional moments for me but because it was so real I definitely enjoyed it. Gwen is honest about her feelings, including her sexual and romantic feelings. The aspect of her character I enjoyed most was about how honest she was when it came to ‘getting back to work’ and how this was something she didn’t feel ready for yet, she had a financial plan that would last her as long as it did and in the meantime she was free to focus on herself and her own relationships whether they were family or friends. I loved that she stood up for what she believed in, even if that was saying no to things and it helped make this book what it was-a pleasure to read!

To order your copy now, just click here!

A Very Very Late New Year TBR: 23 Books I Will Definitely Read in 2023

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Guest Review: Summer at the Ice Cream Cafe by Jo Thomas

A dream home

Beca Valentino is ready to escape the city. When she sees the perfect house for sale in her hometown, it seems like fate. Is this her chance to build the foster family she dreams of, on the beautiful Pembrokeshire coast?

A big mistake?

Returning home isn't as easy as she thought, however. Her family's beloved ice cream café is gone - turned into a soulless wine bar by her hateful ex-boyfriend. Reconnecting with her oldest friend, fisherman Griff, isn't straightforward either. And when, instead of the children she expected to take in, two wary teenage boys appear on her doorstep, Beca fears she's made a terrible mistake.

A recipe for change

But an old family recipe book is just the inspiration she needs. Soon, with a little help from friends old and new, Beca is selling mouth-watering homemade gelato from a pop-up café on the beach.

Then disaster strikes. Will the Valentino family legacy be lost forever? Or can Beca create a new recipe for happiness?

Review: I have been looking forward to reading this new book from Jo Thomas. Her stories never fail to pull me in and fire my imagination as I am transported to a new location and usually learn about a craft on the way. This book is set in Wales and, as the title would suggest, taught me something about making ice cream, or, as I learned, gelato. 

The narrative centres on Beca Valentino, who is returning to the Welsh seaside town she left over twenty years ago, tired of the gossip following a painful break-up. She has made enough money from her successful business in London to buy the farmhouse that she always dreamed of owning. Her ambition is to settle there and foster children in need of a home. A lot has changed in the town, but most important for her is that her beloved grandparents’ ice cream parlour has been bought by her former boyfriend and turned into an upmarket bistro. Fortunately, her childhood friend Griff is still living in the town and they rekindle their friendship. When her first charges turn up, they are not quite what he had envisaged. Instead of younger children, she is presented with two unrelated teenage boys who have been in the system for some time and each have their own problems. When sorting out some of her grandparents’ possessions, Beca comes across their gelato recipes, giving her the idea of recreating the delicious products they used to sell in their parlour. She, Griff and the boys set out to perfect the gelato and add some interesting new flavours, turning an old boathouse into a pop-up ice cream cafe by the beach. However, it appears that somebody in the town doesn’t want Beca to succeed, and even the weather is against her. Can she and her friends bring the old Valentino’s gelato back to the town against all the odds?

This was a really enjoyable read, filled with interesting characters and situations. Jo Thomas’s wonderful descriptive writing once again captivated me as I was carried off to Beca’s farmhouse where I could hear the sea lapping on the shore but also the whispers of the local people wary of the newcomer and her charges. I felt for the teenagers who turned up at Beca’s door, fearful of being moved on again at a moment’s notice. They were indeed lucky to have landed at a home where they were to be included in a new venture where their input was valued. Of course, as an ice cream lover, I was intrigued to learn about the process of making gelato, and my mouth was watering at the mention of some, but not all, of the flavours. All was not plain sailing for Beca in this book, the twists and turns introduced by the author adding even more interest to the story. I think it is a mark of a really good story when you miss the characters once the book is finished. That is certainly the case here; I would love to know what happened next for Beca, Griff and the boys. This is definitely a book I would recommend, preferably read with ice cream!

To order your copy now, just click the here!

Guest Post: The Forgotten Garden by Sharon Gosling

Budding landscape architect Luisa MacGregor is stuck in a rut - she hates her boss, she lives with her sister, and she is still mourning the loss of her husband many years ago. So when she is given the opportunity to take on a parcel of land in a deprived area, she sees the chance to build a garden that can make the area bloom.

 

Arriving in the rundown seaside town of Collaton on the north-west coast of Cumbria, she realises that her work is going to be cut out for her. But, along with Cas, a local PE teacher, and Harper, a teen whose life has taken a wrong turn, she is determined to get the garden up and running.

 

So when the community comes together and the garden starts to grow, she feels her luck might have changed. Can she grow good things on this rocky ground? And might love blossom along the way…?

Review: Sharon Gosling is a writer of both children’s and adult fiction. I have read and immensely enjoyed her first two adult novels, both of which were set in Scotland. This new book is set in the north west of England and, as with the previous two novels, features a woman struggling to find her way in the world.

The story centres on Luisa MacGregor, who is still grieving for the husband who died in a tragic accident many years ago. She is unhappy stuck working in a job where she can’t fully use her undoubted talents as a landscape gardener and is taken for granted by her boss. When she is thrown a lifeline in the shape of a piece of land that once contained a factory and that she can develop as a community garden, she grabs it and begins a project that was originally dreamt up by her husband. In the small rundown seaside town of Collaton, she is helped in her efforts by local teacher Cas and reluctant teenager Harley. Even with their help, all is not plain sailing. However, bit by bit, she involves the initially resistant community in her project to turn the derelict plot into a thriving garden filled with colour and bounty. In the process, she also begins to come back to life herself and may even have found love once again.

I very much enjoyed this well-written and moving book and would definitely recommend it. The characters were all believable, even if I did not like some of them; I think that those guys will be obvious if you read the book. I was drawn to Luisa and admired her courage in starting a project with little initial support, wishing to fulfil her late husband’s dream. She had many obstacles to overcome and their were some tear-jerking moments in her story. However, to watch as things literally grew and the community came together was truly heartwarming. In my opinion, this is another triumph from this author and I shall be looking out for her next book.

To order your copy now, just click here!

Review: Only Love Can Hurt Like This by Paige Toon

 Neither of them expected to fall in love. But sometimes life has other plans.

When Wren realises her fiancé is in love with someone else, she thinks her heart will never recover.

On the other side of the world, Anders lost his wife four years ago and is still struggling to move on.

Wren hopes that spending the summer with her dad and step-family on their farm in Indiana will help her to heal. There, amid the cornfields and fireflies, she and Anders cross paths and their worlds are turned upside-down again.

But Wren doesn't know that Anders is harbouring a secret, and if he acts on any feelings he has for Wren it will have serious fall-out for everyone.

Walking away would hurt Wren more than she can imagine. But, knowing the truth, how can she possibly stay?

Review: Review: I loved this journey to Indiana for what turned out to be an epic love story. This book gave me serious movie vibes and I loved every minute of it. Thankfully I read this alongside my lovely friend Hayley and that meant we could discuss what was happening at every turn. It has it all-a heroine you love to love, an evil villain you love to hate, travel, intrigue and of course, a hero you love to love.

I really enjoyed the fact that this book was in a completely different setting. Paige Toon is the queen of jetting you off to some interesting places for her novels. I’ve learned a lot about places I have never travelled to through her writing, this time it was set somewhere I had been but not just the city, rural farmland too-very hallmark movie! I can picture the farm and the heat of the summer now just thinking about it, it was all described so vividly.

Anders is definitely a brooding main character and in true Paige Toon style he has a career in motorsport-I loved this aspect of him. He is complicated and he is unpredictable, a winning combo in a love story. He has a deeper emotional side though and this story definitely confronts men opening up and sharing their emotions, sharing their worries and taking care of their mental health too which is so important in today's world.

Wren is a great main character to share the story with. She has a complex relationship with her father and especially her father other daughter, her half sister Bailey,. It was wonderful watching their relationship grow over the course of the book and the relationship between Wren and her Dad really added to the meaning of the title, Only Love Can Hurt Like This. I always loved a Paige Toon novel but I loved this one for the characters, the setting and the love that was at the heart of everything!

To order your copy now, just click here!

Movie Review: Did Air Blow Me Away?

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Guest Review: One Enchanted Evening by Katie Fforde

Ever since she can remember, Meg has wanted to be a professional cook.

But it's 1966, and in restaurant kitchens all over England it is still a man's world.

Then she gets a call from her mother who is running a small hotel in Dorset.

There's an important banqueting event coming up. She needs help and she needs it now!

When Meg arrives, the hotel seems stuck in the past. But she loves a challenge, and sets to work.

Then Justin, the son of the hotel owner, appears, determined to take over the running of the kitchen.

Infuriated, Meg is determined to keep cooking - and soon sparks between them begin to fly.

Will their differences be a recipe for disaster? After all, the course of true love never did run smooth...

Review: As soon as I became aware that this new title from Katie Fforde was on its way, I preordered the audiobook and began listening on publication day. This story is linked to some of her previous books featuring a group of friends who met through a cookery course, but I feel that it can still be read as a standalone; although there are many returning characters, the relationships to each other and to the central characters in this book are well established. This story is set in Dorset in the 1960s when attitudes towards women working as chefs were different from those held today. 

The story concerns 22-year-old Meg, a trainee chef who has ambitions to become an accomplished pastry chef. When her mother asks her to come and help in the country house hotel she is running, Meg arrives to find a charming but rundown establishment in dire need of someone to cater an impending formal lunch for a large group of local people. Despite interference from Justin, son of the hotel’s absentee owner, Meg uses her initiative in producing a meal that is well received using the available resources. She then begins to come up with ideas for modernisation of the hotel’s practices and facilities without sacrificing its charm. Initially, she has to fight Justin at every turn, but he begins to appreciate her abilities. If the two can work together, could the ailing hotel be saved after all and could they become friends, and more?

I found this an entertaining read full of friendship and romance. Having read the other books featuring some of the main characters, it was nice to catch up with them while meeting some new faces. I loved the setting of the story. The rather tired hotel sounded so cosy and the staff so welcoming, at least once a rather temperamental chef had left. Meg was a gentle character until roused, when she was a formidable force. I really enjoyed the interactions between her and Justin; he found more than he bargained for from this female interloper. I would recommend this book to fans of this author and newcomers to her work alike. It’s not necessary to have read the previous titles featuring Meg and her friends, but you may want to go back and read them if you enjoy this story. 

To order your copy now, just click here!

Movie Review: How To Blow Up a Pipeline!

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Blog Tour: Review of The Book Lovers' Retreat by Heidi Swain

Today is my stop on the blog tour for The Book Lovers' Retreat by Heidi Swain. I have a review for you today and the book just came out on Thursday so you can order it by clicking here. Don't forget to check out the other stops on the tour for more reviews and other content. Here's what this new novel is all about:

One long summer. One perfect setting. Can fiction inspire real life…?
 
Sometimes a book grabs you by the heart and grows to mean everything to you. That’s what Hope Falls is to friends Emily, Rachel and Tori. So, when they get the chance to spend a whole summer at the cottage in Lakeside where the film adaptation was located, they know it is going to be the holiday of a lifetime.

Spending six weeks away will give them a chance to re-evaluate their life choices. For Emily to decide which way her career will go – the safe route, or the more risky creative option? And for Rachel to decide whether to move in with her partner Jeremy. Then Tori has to drop out at the last moment, and her space is offered to another Hope Falls afficionado, Alex. 

But when Alex turns out not to be who they expected, the holiday takes an unforeseen turn. And as the summer develops, so does their friendship. Could this be where they uncover their future selves, find love in all its forms and where their lives will change course forever…?

Review: A book about book lovers set in the lake district? Yes please! Even before I knew the setting of this one I knew it was going to be special. Heidi Swain is an autobuy author for me but I was extra excited about this book because this is her first standalone. Her Wynbridge series and her Nightingale Square series as well as her Wynmouth series all tie in together in some way and so I was excited what she would do with all new characters, a new setting and it doesn’;t hurt that one of those characters was named after me!

I loved getting to meet Emily, Rachel, Tori and Alex. They were all such well-rounded characters in themselves, I really hope we get to hear more from them in the future. I need a spin off to find out what happens next for Tori for sure! Emily is our main character and so we get to find out about her thoughts and feelings about her retreat as things progress and we get to see the other characters through her eyes too. Her best friends are Rachel and Tori and I had a special connection with Rachel because she is a tired teacher just starting her summer holidays. I will admit that I was jealous because it was already summer for her and just Easter holidays for me. Heidi always writes about people who work in education so well and as an educator I always appreciate that!

Tori was a really interesting character for me because I think she is the character who is hardest to empathise with because she comes from money. She reminded me a little of Sophie Kinsella’s Becky Bloomwood because she might like to spend but she always has her friends' best interests at heart. Then the wildcard in the group is Alex. Part of the story is getting to know Alex and finding out how this new person adds to the dynamic and mixes things up with the plot of the book. Now the premise behind this onel, going away for the summer to retrace the steps of a famous book and its movie adaptation might sound a little on the slow side but believe me there is plenty of action in this book, plenty to laugh at and plenty to keep you turning the pages.

The best thing about this book is that it takes our characters out of their routine, out of their comfort zones and places them somewhere with no wifi, somewhere that demands introspection and reflection and what better place to do that than the lake district? I adored the setting. It made for some wild weather, some unpredictable moments and of course some beautiful evernings around a fire with a glass of wine. I defy anyone to pick up this book and not come away wanting to jump right into the pages and snuggle up with their own book or watch a movie under a cosy blanket-such hygge vibes! I loved the story, I loved the characters and most of all I loved the setting. I flew through this latest release from Heidi Swain and I know you’re going to love it too!

To order your copy now, just click here!

Review: Losing Hope by Colleen Hoover

#1 Sunday Times bestselling author of It Ends with Us held readers spellbound with her novel Hopeless, the story of what happened when a troubled girl named Sky encountered a long-lost childhood friend, Dean. Now, in Losing Hope, we finally learn the truth about Dean Holder.

Haunted by the little girl he couldn’t save from imminent danger, Holder’s life has been overshadowed by feelings of guilt and remorse. He has never stopped searching for her, believing that finding her would bring him the peace he needs to move on. However, Holder could not have anticipated that he would be faced with even greater pain the moment they reconnected.

In Losing Hope, Holder reveals the way in which the events of Sky’s youth affected him and his family, leading him to seek his own redemption in the act of saving her. But it is only in loving Sky that he can finally begin to heal himself.

Review: The Losing Hope/Hopeless series is the first Colleen Hoover I have read and I have been meaning to read it for ages. I’m not going to lie-it took me a little while to get into the previous book, Hopeless, because I thought it was just another YA romance with a little too much silliness and not enough substance. Now I will say that it was a slow start to the book and I was ready to give up hope until the twist that I didn’t see coming happened. Now I might have been naive not to have seen this twist coming but I was in  the car listening to the audio and I gasped and I had to the listen to the rest of the book in one big chunk after that just to try and find out what was going to happen. 

I didn’t know, going into book 2 that it was going to be the same story but from the male point of view and when I started listening, I was so here for it. We get to go even deeper into the story and really see the other side of it and the pain that Holder (Dean) has to go through when he loses hope and when he loses others close to him too. It is here that we really get to bond with him and find out what makes him tick and we get to meet his best friend the same way we get to meet Skye's best friend in book one. I really appreciated seeing the other side of the first story and although we didn’t get to find out what happened next for these two, we did get to find out more and go deeper into their story. 

I appreciated hearing this story from Dean’s point of view and really going behind the rumours that we hear about him in book one, especially those surrounding the kind of person that he is. One thing that I had heard that this author does well, but hadn’t seen first hand until now was the way she handles consent in relationships. We get to hear Dean thinking that he wants to take things further with Skye but knowing that it isn’t the right time, or getting carried away but reassuring us that he will stop if he feels it is too much for her or if she tells him too. I think this is so important to read about in any romantic fiction but especially YA romance and especially one that deals with young people who have been through so much! I really enjoyed this book and I can’t wait to read more of the novellas and finally read more Colleen Hoover!

To order your copy now, just click here!

March 2023 Reading Wrap Up: an Audiobook, an eBook and a Paperback Walk Into a Bar...

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Guest Review: Date with Evil by Julia Chapman

Evil is stalking the streets of Bruncliffe . . .

From stolen washing to inheritance investigations, Bruncliffe’s Dales Detective Agency is being inundated with cases.

But with Samson O’Brien still in London helping the Met Police clear his name, and the newly appointed member of the investigations team, Ida Capstick, distracted by her brother George’s insistence that their farm is haunted, Delilah Metcalfe is struggling to meet the mounting demands for the agency’s services.

So when the mother of a local estate agent arrives at the offices insisting her son is missing, Delilah is relieved to have Samson return to help.

Little do the detective duo know that several of their cases are about to collide, as what appears to be a simple matter of identifying the whereabouts of the missing man becomes something far more sinister.

Something that will finally expose the network of evil which has been infiltrating the Dales town over the past decade, and in doing so place Delilah in the utmost danger.

Review: This is the eighth book in the Dales Detective series of books by Julia Chapman. The stories are all set in the Yorkshire Dales, in and around the fictional town of Bruncliffe. They feature the activities of detective Samson O’Brien and his business partner Delilah Metcalfe, who also runs the Dales Dating Agency. There is an ongoing storyline running through the series, but each book can still be read as a stand-alone. However, they do make a great story if read in sequence. This book also features a map of Bruncliffe at the beginning, which makes a great reference point while reading the text. In common with the rest of the books in the series, this one has an eye-catching cover featuring a scene connected with the story within.

The story picks up where the previous one in the series, Date with Betrayal, ended. Both the detective agency and the dating agency have more than enough business, and they are in dire need of some extra staff. Friend and cleaner Ida Capstick has stepped up to the mark and is showing herself to be a budding detective. However, she is worried about her brother, George, who is acting strangely, even for him. One of their new cases involves the disappearance of a young local estate agent - did he go of his own accord or is there something more sinister going on? When Delilah realises that most of their cases are in fact linked, the detectives begin to worry that their peaceful little town may be a hub for something serious, even downright dangerous.

It was so good to be back in the lives of Samson and Delilah, and, of course, Tolpuddle the Weimaraner. This story was filled with danger and intrigue, offset by witty interludes, mainly from the elderly residents of the local care home. There was also the promise that, after some false starts, romance may just be blossoming for the detective duo. The story deals in part with the very serious issue of human trafficking, something that is all too present, even in apparently isolated locations such as Bruncliffe. I was pleased to find that the great sense of community was still present in the town, everyone pulling together when it mattered. I can recommend this book and the series to other readers who enjoy a mystery and I am already looking forward to the next title.

To order your copy now, just click here!

Movie Review: Was The Super Mario Bros Movie a Winner?

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Guest Review: How to be an Ex Footballer By Peter Crouch

Often recruited before they've worn long trousers, today's footballers become superstars who earn huge amounts without ever learning much about the world beyond the training ground. Coddled by their support teams, everything is done for them. They live their lives in the glaring media spotlight, yet only really develop one life skill - how to kick a ball better. Then inevitably, when age catches up with them or injury strikes, these

man-children are thrown out into the real world, utterly defenceless apart from their multi-million-pound bank accounts.

So what do these Peter Pans, whose careers end just as most people's are getting going, do with the rest of their lives? Crouch speaks from his own experience and discusses with fellow former professionals too - just how do you safely release a near seven-foot striker back into the wild?

Peter goes in search of the answer to what his second career might be and encounters stories far more bizarre than anything you'll find on the pitch. From the pleasure and pain of management to the lessons we can learn from Jamie Carragher and Joe Cole on not going to seed. From those staying in the sport - the diehard veterans, coaches, managers, owners and of course the legion of pundits, to those moving on to pastures new. Peter talks to entrepreneurs, men of the cloth, eco warriors, artists, private detectives and budding actors, as well as those who've lost their way in addiction, crime and NFTs.

Review: Peter Crouch is a former footballer who, in his 20 year professional career, scored over 100 goals in the Premier League and holds the record for the most headed goals in that League (he may refer to this record once or twice in the book). He also represented England on 42 occasions, scoring 22 goals for his country. He retired from playing at the end of the 2018-2019 season. This book is a natural sequel to his previous two books, “How to be a Footballer” and “How to be Footballer 2”.

In this book, the author documents how ex footballers move from a high earning and heavily regimented world into one where they have to fend for themselves. He does this by exploring the different opportunities that may lie ahead. The book is divided into chapters covering the various options available, including the more obvious ones of coaching and management to radio and television punditry. There are also chapters covering other career options such as the worlds of finance or politics. There are a number of interviews with former footballers about the path they have followed since retiring and why they chose it, together with the author’s thoughts on how he would cope with that particular choice. As in his previous books, his sense of humour comes through. However, there is a more serious note in one chapter that discusses the struggles that a number of ex players have had with various issues since retiring.

So, if you want to know which ex footballers went on to have careers as: a funeral director; a hedge fund manager; a police detective; a pastor; or even President of Liberia, then this book, which is both humorous and thought provoking, is the one for you.

To order your copy now, just click here!

April 2023 TBR: New Book Releases and Other Audiobooks I Want To Read

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Guest Review: Summer Nights at the Starfish Cafe by Jessica Redland

Welcome back to The Starfish Café for a glorious summer, but with a few dark clouds on the horizon...

A new beginning...

As her summer wedding to Jake approaches, Hollie is excited for their new beginning as a family. But when some unexpected news threatens the future she and Jake had hoped for, Hollie will need to find the strength to overcome heartache once more.

A fragile heart….

Single mum, Kerry, loves her job at The Starfish Café, but behind the brave smiles and laughter with customers there is a sadness deep within. So when someone from her past re-appears in her life, Kerry can either hide away or face her demons and try to finally move on from her heartbreak.

A summer to remember…

For Hollie and Kerry it promises to be an emotional rollercoaster of a summer, but the community at The Starfish Café will always be there to help them through - after all, with courage nothing is impossible…

Review: This is the final book in the Starfish Cafe Series by Jessica Redland. The stories in this series feature the staff and customers of this establishment, which is set on the outskirts of the North Yorkshire coastal town of Whitsburgh Bay, the setting of many of Jessica’s other books. At the beginning of the book there is a very useful list of recurring characters, with details of how they fit into the series. In common with the other books in this series, this one features a striking cover that makes you want to set off for the seaside and enjoy a peaceful evening looking out over the water while enjoying a treat from the cafe. 

This story centres predominantly on Hollie, owner of the Starfish Cafe, and Kerry, a part-time member of staff and single mother of four. Hollie is looking forward to her forthcoming wedding to Jake and a wonderful honeymoon in Italy. However, the couple are dismayed when their happy future is jeopardised by distressing events, including the unwelcome reappearance of a figure from the past. In the case of Kerry, the reader learns about her past and her busy life in the present looking after her four lively children. Someone from her past also makes an appearance, making her worry how this will affect her and her children’s lives. It promises to be an eventful summer for both of the ladies, where they may well need the support of their friends and colleagues.

I very much enjoyed this highly emotional story and am sad to be saying goodbye to the characters I have got to know through the books in this series. I liked that individual chapters were told from either Hollie’s or Kerry’s perspective. It has been wonderful following Hollie and Jake through their growing relationship since book 1. They are both strong characters and deserved a happy future after their previous trials and tribulations. It was frustrating to find that there was more heartache in store for them. I liked learning more about Kerry, and became really immersed in her story to the extent of positively disliking the person from her past who decided to come out from the woodwork. Of course, there are many other familiar faces in the story and one little dog who was central to Hollie and Jake’s relationship. I like the fact that the author rounds off the story with an epilogue that gives the reader a peek into the future for each of the main characters. This book would undoubtedly make a lovely summer read; it could be read as a standalone, but I can recommend the whole 3-book series.

To order your copy now, just click here!

March 2023 Reading Wrap Up

 March was such a weird month. I had a buddy read that took me 2 and a half weeks to get through instead of the week I had planned. I read an ebook in one day and I just didn't seem to have time alone in the car or in the house to listen to the audiobooks I wanted to. 

Nevertheless, unusually I do have something in each category of book. I have an audiobook, an ebook and an paperback to shared with you...and tht's it!

eBook

Paperback

Audiobook

Movie Review: Was 80 For Brady as Cringe as It Looks?

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April 2023 TBR

 Well here we are in a new month again. I am on holiday this month but I am also moving house and when school does start I know it's going to be busy again! I am hopeful that I can get to more books this month than I did last month though so let's jump into yet another ambitious TBR!

April Releases

May Releases

Book Vs Movie

Other Audiobooks I Want to Read