On the night that Trudy Asp discovers her ex is engaged to the same dental hygienist who’s been picking at her teeth for ten years, her daughter, Madison, suddenly announces that she too is getting married, in Europe.
Frumpy, floundering, and forced to live with her martini-swilling mother, Trudy is swamped by these revelations. And on top of it all, she’ll be wearing the second most scrutinized gown at the wedding.
Having packed on the pounds during the demise of her marriage, the idea of being eyeballed by her ex and his scrawny fiancée Zelda, is truly horrifying. To make matters worse, there’s the paralyzing fear of a transatlantic flight — something Trudy has avoided for decades.
When Zelda offers to stand in for her, Trudy is forced to confront the forces that stole her marriage and threaten to steal her daughter’s wedding too. With three months until the ceremony, Trudy must get to Europe, squeeze herself into a gown, and claim the role she wants more than anything: Mother-of-the-Bride.
Will this Odd Mom Out sink or swim? Or will she drown in a sea of humiliation?
Pre-order Links
Publication Date: 1st January 2024
Author Bio –
Sandy Day is a recovering chatterbox and writer of riveting slice-of-life poetry, memoir, and fiction. She has authored five books to date, with two in the works. A graduate of Glendon College, she studied creative writing under Michael Ondaatje and bp nichol. A lover of cheese, coffee shops, and illustrations, she lives on the shore of Lake Simcoe in Georgina, Ontario, Canada. You can find and follow her on Substack and sandyday.ca – it rhymes!
Ellie Browne, landlady of the Dog & Duck, is looking forward to a relaxing Christmas Day before the arrival of her and Max’s baby in the new year.
But with a snowstorm brewing outside, it seems that things might not go quite to plan. After the dramatic events of the holiday season, Ellie settles into her new life at Max’s huge country mansion, Braithwaite Manor, juggling work and family as best she can.
When she’s asked to help organise a summer wedding for one of her best friends it’s only natural that her mind turns to her own non-existent wedding plans! But with Max decidedly lukewarm on the subject and other family complications threatening to disrupt life further, Ellie fears there’ll never be wedding bells at the Dog & Duck after all.
The perfect feel-good love story for fans of Cathy Bramley, Heidi Swain and Julie Houston.
MY THOUGHTS
This is the third book in the Duck and Dog series. I absolutely LOVED it! It was so much fun to catch up with the characters from the past 2 books and see how they had gotten on in their loves. It was like sharing a cuppa and catching up with old friends. Full of laughs, friendship and family and oh yes, a few rambunctious fun-loving dogs. The wedding descriptions were divine. When Ellie Browne, landlady of The Dog & Duck helps her friend plan her wedding her thoughts turn to planning her own wedding but wait there is no wedding upcoming as she hasn’t accepted her boyfriends’ proposal. Will all the fun summer wedding plans change her mind? Wonderfully fun book to read!
Jill Steeples is the author of many successful women’s fiction titles – most recently the Dog and Duck series – all set in the close communities of picturesque English villages. She lives in Bedfordshire.
A festive, coming-of-age tale about an Oxbridge candidate and a young homeless man who find themselves in the bittersweet predicament of falling in love with exactly the right person at exactly the wrong time.
Well-to-do Jed never imagined he’d end up homeless, but family circumstances have made it his only option. Local vicar, Ben, tries to help him but there’s an element of self-punishment to the homelessness that makes Jed continue to put up with his situation – until disaster leads him to re-consider the vicar’s offer of a place to stay.
Hattie is on the cusp of adulthood, frantically trying to persuade her mum that she doesn’t want to attend an elite university, preferring the idea of pursuing her love of art and textiles. When she meets Jed, she badly wants to understand his circumstances and why, when she has everything at her fingertips, he doesn’t.
Hattie’s mum, Christine, has had a hard life and is desperate for more for her only child. When she meets Ben, the vicar who’s trying to help Jed, she finds an unlikely ally, and the two heartbroken souls find themselves drawn to each other. Until they find their relationship suddenly tested to the limit.
One thing’s for certain: none of these characters is looking forward to Christmas. It’s the worst time of year for each of them, for different reasons. But perhaps this year, the festive season could defy all expectations.
Rebecca Boxall is the award-nominated author of five bestselling novels – Christmas at the Vicarage, Home for Winter, Christmas on the Coast, The Christmas Forest and Christmas by the Lighthouse. She is also the author of Christmas at the Farmhouse and her popular short story, A Winter’s Day.
MY THOUGHTS
Such a warm and lovely book, it was read in a day. The characters are complex individuals which makes the story more realistic.
The characters are there to bolster each other and you will readily like them. You can’t choose when you fall in love but for two couples, the timing is perfect.
This is lighthearted book that easily gets you in the holiday spirit. I recommend this book.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Purchase Links
Author Bio –
Rebecca Boxall was born in East Sussex in 1977 and grew up in a bustling vicarage always filled with family, friends and parishioners. She now lives by the sea in Jersey with her family and Rodney the cat. She read English at the University of Warwick before she trained as a lawyer and more recently worked at a psychiatric unit.
She is the No. 1 bestselling author of Christmas at the Vicarage and Christmas on the Coast as well as the bestselling writer of Home for Winter, The Christmas Forest and Christmas by the Lighthouse, in respect of which she was nominated for the Romantic Novel Awards in 2020. She is also the author of Christmas at the Farmhouse and her popular short story, A Winter’s Day.
People say that it’s hard not to fall in love living on the sunny island of Jersey, but for Bea Philips, still reeling from a divorce and the loss of her beloved godmother, she’s not sure she can find the time. While her soon-to-be-ex-husband is trying to take away the home she grew up in, surly but attractive builder Luke is doing it up. Her old flame Tom has just turned up as her new manager at the office, and she has no idea what the mysterious Jersey Kiss is that her godmother has bequeathed to her…
Is life going to give Bea a break, so she can keep her dream home, and maybe fall in love?
New Beginnings by the Sunflower Cliffs is the first in a gorgeous, romantic series set on the breathtaking island of Jersey. Perfect for fans of Jessica Redland and Phillipa Ashley.
MY THOUGHTS
I read a lot of books that have tough subjects to get through and sometimes I just need an escapist read. A fabulous book to just read in an afternoon, relax and forget about it all. Georgina Troy has books just like this, the afternoon disappeared as I read while sipping tea.
Yes, the characters have problems, just like we all do, and it seems like they won’t be resolved but by the book’s end they are.
I think one of the things I love about reading rom-coms is a guaranteed happy ending. Life is hard so read books that make you happy. I loved the descriptions of the breathtaking island of Jersey.
The book starts out with a bang as we have a hilarious and potential embarrassing scene as we have our main character Bea Phillips, meeting her builders not under the most comfortable circumstances. Getting work done on her grandmother’s house she has been left is not as easy as she had thought it would be with finances strained the way they are and an ex-husband wanting more than his share.
Will Bea get the break she needs to just enjoy life without its stresses and strains, and could a new romance possibly be brewing?
A breathtakingly delightful summer romance you won’t easily forget.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Georgina Troy writes bestselling uplifting romantic escapes and sets her novels on the island of Jersey, where she was born and has lived for most of her life. She has done a twelve-book deal with Boldwood, including backlist titles, and the first book in her Sunshine Island series was published in May 2022.
Autumn is here and the Little Duck Pond Café crew are looking forward to spending a relaxing week in the country. That’s the theory, anyway. Because when they arrive, they quickly become immersed in village life after a power cut, only to find themselves spooked at every turn by mysterious goings-on, all of which seem to be connected to the creepy old house next-door. Is someone playing scary Hallowe’en tricks on them? Or is there something rather more sinister afoot…?
MY THOUGHTS
I am a big fan of Rosie Green’s Little Duck Pond Cafe series.
Each book is a novella length, so you don’t get bogged down with too much reading, but you get a full story in each book that isn’t lacking anything. I enjoy returning to the same characters and after reading quite a few in this series I feel as though the characters are friends to visit and put the kettle on for.
Getting away for a week should leave you relaxed and with no worries except for maybe what types of tasty foods you’ll choose to eat. The Little Duck Pond Cafe crew is on a relaxing getaway in the village.
The weather is cooler, the leaves have turned and it’s close to Halloween. A power outage is unfortunately a pretty common thing in the rural village and just their luck, they’ve encountered one. But hey, life happens and trying to make the best of it they carry on.
When rumors of hauntings associated with the house next door reach their ears and then other strange things start going bump in the night they wonder, are these Halloween pranks or something to become actually concerned about.
There is a mystery to solve and a few dramatic moments with the friends. I’d say my favorite part of the book takes place almost at the very end, a very unexpected and wonderful ending. I am looking forward to more in this series and can’t wait to see what the friends are up to next.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Rosie’s series of Little Duck Pond Café novellas is centred around life in a country village cafe. ‘A Kiss under the Stars’ and ‘A Cosy Cottage Escape’ are out now. Look out for ‘A Winter Wonderland’, a heart-warming will-they-won’t-they romance for Christmas, out in November 2023.
For Iris, each visit to her mother in St Mabon’s Cove, Cornwall has been the same – a serene escape from the city. But today, as she breathes in the salt air on the doorstep of her beloved childhood home, a heavy weight of anticipation settles over her. Iris knows she’s adopted, but any questions about where she came from have always been shut down by her parents, who can’t bear to revisit the past.
Now, Iris can’t stop thinking about what she’s read on the official paperwork: BABY GIRL, FRANCE, 1939 – the year war was declared with Nazi Germany.
When Iris confronts her mother, she hits the same wall of pain and resistance as whenever she mentions the war. That is, until her mother tearfully hands her an old tin of letters, tucked neatly beside a delicate piece of ivory wool.
Retreating to the loft, Iris steels herself to at last learn the truth, however painful it might be. But, as she peels back each layer of history before her, a sensation of dread grows inside her. The past is calling, and its secrets are more intricate and tangled than Iris could ever have imagined.
The year is 1939, and in Paris, France a young woman is about to commit a terrible betrayal…
A beautifully written and addictively compelling historical novel about the terrible choices ordinary people were forced to make in the horrors of World War Two. If you loved The Tattooist of Auschwitz, The Alice Network and The Nightingale, you will devour this book.
What readers are saying about Juliet Greenwood:
“This was fantastic! Perfect for a Kate Morton or Lucinda Riley hangover, this book will draw you in and won’t let go until you’ve read the last page. This book was unputdownable – fascinating characters, excellent writing, and a plot that keeps you turning the pages. I loved every second of it.” Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“I found myself reading chapter after chapter, unable to put it down. A first-time read by this author but certainly not the last.” Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“For readers of Kate Morton and Lucinda Riley, this book will be one of your favorites… A historical novel that will keep you reading until the end.” Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“An absolutely brilliant read. I could not put it down…I loved how the war changed everyone and it was a gripping story… I really loved it. Cannot recommend it enough.” Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Did everything that I was looking for… it left me wanting to read more from Juliet Greenwood.” Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
MY THOUGHTS
After taking a break from the heavy reading of historical fiction I’ve found myself back in the thick of things, reading it again. I was utterly unable to put this down once I started it reading it in a little over a day.
This has all I’m looking for in a book and the story took my breath away. An engrossing time-slip novel I was pulled into the war and the effects it has on everyone long after it is over.
While the men are bravely off fighting the war it’s the women who have the bravery on the home front even making selfless sacrifices just to keep their children safe. I love the author’s books; they are realistic and relatable.
Gripping! As the book progresses the mystery unfolds with surprising twists and turns. All the characters are great but the women with their strength and resilience are the stars. This is one that will be remembered.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Juliet Greenwood is a historical novelist, now published by Storm Publishing. Her first novel was a finalist for The People’s Book Prize and two of her books reached the top 5 in the UK Kindle store. Juliet has always been a bookworm and a storyteller, writing her first novel (a sweeping historical epic) at the age of ten. She lives in a traditional cottage in Snowdonia, North Wales, set between the mountains and the sea, with an overgrown garden (good for insects!) and a surprisingly successful grapevine.
Could she be the secret daughter of the Prince of Wales? In this dazzling novel by the author of Sisters of the Resistance, a young woman seeks to discover the truth about her mysterious past. Perfect for readers of Shana Abe, Bryn Turnbull, and Marie Benedict. Cleo Davenport has heard the whispers: the murmured conversations that end abruptly the second she walks into a room. Told she was an orphan, she knows the rumor—that her father is none other than the Prince of Wales, heir to the British throne. And at her childhood home at Cairo’s Shepheard’s Hotel, where royals, rulers, and the wealthy live, they even called her “The Princess.” But her life is turned upside down when she turns seventeen. Sent to London under the chaperonage of her very proper aunt, she’s told it’s time to learn manners and make her debut. But Cleo’s life can’t be confined to a ballroom. She longs for independence and a career as a jewelry designer for Cartier, but she cannot move forward until she finds out about her past. Determined to unlock the truth, Cleo travels from London, back to Cairo, and then Paris, where her investigations take a shocking turn into the world of the Parisian demi-monde, and a high-class courtesan whose scandalous affair with the young Prince of Wales threatened to bring down the British monarchy long before anyone had heard of Wallis Simpson.
MY THOUGHTS
I am a lover of historical fiction. I love reading it for what I can learn from it as much of it is written based on facts. I have learned so much about life in the past. The author makes the past come vividly alive for me as I read The Royal Windsor Secret. I could perfectly see the book being played out in my mind as it happened. Full of glamour and glitz and scandal. A young woman, known as “The Princess” growing up, told she was an orphan. She grew up in the Cairo’s Shepheard’s Hotel. She’s heard the whispers that end abruptly when she enters the room. A possible secret love child of the Prince of Wales heir to the throne, is it true what they say? The excitement of traveling to Cario, Paris & England, this willful young woman does it all. Diamonds, luxury, scandal, drama and that shocking surprise twist at the end. This book makes for a very intriguing read. I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
VISIT OTHER STOPS ON THE TOUR
THE AUTHOR
Christine Wells writes historical fiction featuring strong, fascinating women. From early childhood, she drank in her father’s tales about the real kings and queens behind popular nursery rhymes and she has been a keen student of history ever since. She began her first novel while working as a corporate lawyer, and has gone on to write about periods ranging from Georgian England to post World War II France. Christine is passionate about helping other writers learn the craft and business of writing fiction and enjoys mentoring and teaching workshops whenever her schedule permits. She loves dogs, running, the beach and fossicking for antiques and lives with her family in Brisbane, Australia
Welcome to Pepper Bay, where you’ll find love, drama, and a happily ever after.
Snuggle down with this cosy, feel-good, comfort read that whisks you away to a beautiful bay on the Isle of Wight – Perfect for fans of Christie Barlow, Alison Sherlock, Rachael Lucas, and Holly Martin.
The Pepper Bay books are standalone stories that intertwine with recurring characters. Best enjoyed when read in order.
Christmas Memories at Waterside Cottage: Charlie and Grace have been together for four years, but when Grace wakes up in hospital after an accident, she doesn’t remember her husband at all. With Christmas just around the corner, and it being their favourite time of year, Charlie pulls out all the festive stops, hoping his wife will remember their relationship or at least fall in love with him all over again, because there is no way he can lose her.
MY THOUGHTS
I have read several books in the Pepper Bay series. They are not long books but believe me, you get a full story. The books are heartwarming and realistic with a little drama and a few things to work through in life.
No one’s idea of fun would be to wake up in a hospital with some of their memory gone, but this is exactly what happens to our main female character. Family is everything in this book. I love seeing the family comradery. She has several sisters and parents giving her support.
Now I just loved her husband’s character. He is incredibly supportive. She doesn’t remember being married to him and I wasn’t sure until very close to the end if she would want to stay with him as memories resurfaced, if she would fall in love with him anew or she wouldn’t feel comfortable staying with him. I could understand if he would become frustrated or mad at her for her lack of memory but he’s so gentle and understanding, not rushing her and her feelings.
I loved the compassion shown to the donkeys at the Donkey Sanctuary. Animals make a story better and bring out the compassion in people. This Christmas book is fun and festive and will put you in the holiday mood with its snowmen, holiday drinks and family time spent at a Christmas tree farm.
Warm and beautifully written I will now be catching up on the rest of the series.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Visit other blogs on the tour
Purchase Links
Author Bio – Hello, I’m K.T. Dady. I’m the bestselling author of the Pepper Bay series. I’m also a chocolate lover, mum to a grown-up daughter, and a huge fan of a HEA. I was born and raised in the East End of London, and I’ve been happily writing stories since I was a little girl. When I’m not writing, I’m reading, baking cakes, or pottering around in my little garden in Essex, trying not to kill the flowers.
After a difficult break-up, Poppy is keen to put the past behind her and what’s better than some relaxing time with her aunt in the picturesque Cornish village of West Par.
But life at her aunt Flora’s Dogs’ Home is anything but relaxing. When a poor little pup is stranded at the gates, Poppy takes them for a check up at the local vet, hoping against hope they’ll be fine.
And there she meets Mack: the vet who is so charming and experienced with the dogs, but selfish and – dare she say it – money-grabbing with his clients.
But underneath that cold exterior, she’s sure there’s more to the story. If only she could convince him to open up. Because without him, the future of Wagging Tails isn’t so assured…
MY THOUGHTS
After a bad breakup leaves Poppy wishing it was more on than off, she knows just the thing to do. She’ll help her aunt at the Wagging Tails Dogs Home her aunt runs and funds herself with very little financial outside help.
has been there before multiple times helping her aunt at her pet rescue but not recently. The Cornish village of West Par should be the perfect relaxation spot with the dogs and her aunt for Poppy, but it’s not.
When a new vet comes to the practice her aunt has used for many years and won’t give her the same discounts the old vet had it causes problems. When you’re running a dog rescue you need breaks, and lot of breaks. No one can do it on their own.
I really loved Poppy’s aunts’ character, she has a heart of gold for animals and people alike. She tries to hide her financial problems from Poppy but a new pup, one abandoned at the pet rescue needs multiple surgeries and care.
When her sweet aunt has an accident Poppy finds out how bad they are financially and becomes angry with the vet blaming him for not compromising with vet care and discounts. We see Poppy having a bit of a difficult time getting over her ex-boyfriend and carrying baggage. The vet is also hiding a secret that he is ashamed to have known. Very few people know his background and why he can’t offer discounts for pet service even though his veterinarian office is now thriving.
Will Poppy and the vet come to an agreement with vet service?
I absolutely loved this book and the series. So many charming elements in here. The characters are realistic and likable. The plot is well throughout out and I could picture what was happening in the book as I read it.
This book is a warm hug wrapped around me as I read.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
When the ceiling of preloved clothing shop Roseford Reloved falls in at the height of Christmas season, owner Polly Parrott is in despair. She can see her fortunes draining away as quickly as the water is pouring through her roof. What makes it worse is that standing right underneath the deluge is Will Sutherland, sporting hero and new owner of Parson’s Grange, the new modern mansion in Roseford.
Polly and Will’s first meeting is about as far from a success as it can be, but over a festive season of Christmas markets, a Yuletide Ball and inconvenient snowfalls, can they forge a friendship or even more, despite their unpromising beginning? Or will the complications in both of their lives end their romance before it even begins?
I have read the rest of the books in the Roseford series, and they are a pure delight. I am familiar with these characters and it’s like a homecoming to read about them in the additional books in the series.
A pure escapist read, perfect for getting lost in for the afternoon with your cat and cup of tea at your side. Hoping and praying won’t prevent the ceiling from collapsing at Roseford Reloved a used clothing boutique owned by Polly Parrott. With finances low she is afraid she’ll be sued when the ceiling falls on the head of Will Sutherland. He is new in town and the owner of a fabulous mansion in town. Beyond humiliated, she is more than surprised when the upcoming festive holiday season finds them together in a friendly manner. He has two daughters with his ex-wife, and they add to the family dynamics. One accepts her and one not so much, at first. It’s always hard to accept a parent moving on to another relationship. A heartwarming story, I enjoyed the beautiful setting and read the book all in one sitting. The story is so charming, I look forward to being back in Roseford again. I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Visit other blogs on the tour
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Fay Keenan is the author of the bestselling Little Willowbury series of novels. She has led writing workshops with Bristol University and has been a visiting speaker in schools. She is a full-time teacher and lives in Somerset.
Vegan Book Blogger 