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Secret Keepers of Old Depot Grocery 

336 pages Publisher Revell Publication date September 7, 2021

ABOUT THE BOOK

Present Day. Sarah Ashby returns to her childhood home, determined to finally follow her dream of running the family business alongside her mother and grandmother. So when her mother, Rosemary, announces to her that Old Depot Grocery is closing, Sarah and her grandmother, Glory Ann, make a plan to save the store. But Rosemary has worked her entire life to make sure her daughter never follows in her footsteps. She has her reasons–but she’ll certainly never reveal the real one.

1965. Glory Ann confesses to her family that she’s pregnant with her deceased fiancé’s baby. Pressured into a marriage of convenience with a shopkeeper to preserve her family’s reputation, Glory Ann vows never to love again. But some promises are not as easily kept as she imagined.

This dual-time story from Amanda Cox deftly explores the complexity of the mother-daughter relationship, the way the secrets we keep shape our lives and the lives of others, and the healing power of telling the truth.

MY THOUGHTS

Such an incredibly powerful story.
This explores three generations of women, mother/daughter relationships and secrets. Secrets that do more harm than good, that can destroy.
Spanning sixty years we see how each generation of women have their own secrets and how the lines of communication are not open but need to be.
Nostalgia runs deep, wooden floors, the creaking of them the remembrance of things long past but seem as if it were just yesterday, knowing your children and grandchildren won’t be able to have the same experiences as you.
I’ve read a few other books by the author and just knew I would enjoy this one as well. It did not disappoint.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

MEET THE AUTHOR

Before becoming a stay-at-home parent, Amanda Cox spent her time counseling children, families, and individuals through life’s challenging moments. Now she uses those same skills to develop layered characters and stories, bringing them on a journey of hope and healing. A journey she hopes her readers experience in their own lives as they read.

A few of her favorite things are the sanctuary of the great outdoors, the feeling of pen on paper, the sound of her children’s laughter, and exploring new places with her husband of 18 years. (Oh, let’s not forget good fiction and good coffee. She’s addicted to both.) You can stay connected with her latest writing updates at http://www.amandacoxwrites.com. You can find her on social media by searching Amanda Cox Writes

To get a free short story featuring characters from The Edge of Belonging visit: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/fuj7mlfd83

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Time Loops & Meet Cutes

352 pages Publisher Atria/Emily Bestler Books Publication date

May 6, 2025

ABOUT THE BOOK

Jackie Lau returns with a thoroughly unique love story about a woman reliving the same Friday over and over again—and the intriguing man who can’t quite remember her.

Noelle Tom really shouldn’t have eaten those dumplings at the night market. But the old woman at the stall said they’d give her what she needed most, and what Noelle desperately needed after another long workweek was food.

Except now she’s reliving the same Friday. Every morning her alarm goes off at 6:45, and the Wordle answer is always “happy.” Worst of all, any work she does at her job as an engineer? It’s erased when she wakes up. Monday might never come in this workaholic’s nightmare. Noelle has no idea how being trapped in a time loop is the “thing she needed most,” and a trip to the food stall doesn’t help…because there’s no sign of it.

Then she meets good-looking Cam, who appears in multiple places on her Friday. While the brewery owner seems to have no memory of their encounters, there are signs he might be the key to getting un-stuck. But Noelle can’t figure out how, even when she steps outside of her comfort zone and lives a little. As she grows attached to him, she becomes more worried that she’ll never escape the loop and he’ll never recall her name. And if she does ever get out, can they be together in the “real” world?

MY THOUGHTS

Time Loops and Meet Cutes is an absolutely adorable story.
I liked that the story didn’t just focus on the time loop and the romance but putting an importance on rekindling family relationships and focusing on the importance of working a job.
I don’t think anyone can control time like in this story but the continuality of the sameness day after day makes me think with sadness of dementia patients stuck in their mind in their own time loop. Lots of humor and good times, I really like the author’s writing style.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

MEET THE AUTHOR

Jackie Lau decided she wanted to be a writer when she was in grade two, sometime between writing “The Heart That Got Lost” and “The Land of Shapes.” She later studied engineering and worked as a geophysicist before turning to writing romance novels.

Jackie lives in Toronto with her husband, and despite living in Canada her whole life, she hates winter. When she’s not writing, she enjoys gelato, gourmet donuts, cooking, hiking, and reading on the balcony when it’s raining.

For more information, please visit jackielaubooks.com, where you can sign up for Jackie’s newsletter.

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One December Morning: An utterly uplifting and tear-jerking novel of second chances in the most unexpected of places 

304 pages Publication date October 8, 2025 Bookouture publisher

ABOUT THE BOOK

One chance meeting. Two strangers. And a sprinkling of Christmas magic…

Fifty-five-year-old Peg has been lonely for as long as she can remember. As she battles through traffic while the snow softly falls around her, the best she can hope for is to get home for Christmas safely, and to spend it wrapped in a blanket by a roaring open fire in her tumbledown cottage in the Cotswolds. Little does she know that everything is about to change…

Because Henry is also stuck on the road, and when their cars come to a complete standstill, he and Peg strike up a conversation over a homemade mince pie and a flask of hot tea. Towering over Peg, his navy waffle-knit jumper charmingly threadbare at the elbows, he chats effortlessly. With his tortoiseshell glasses pushed back into his mass of curly dark hair, Henry makes Peg laugh, and the two click. As something shifts, Peg realises that it’s been a long time since she smiled like this.

Peg discovers that Henry is single too, but he’s off to grit his teeth through the forced jollity of another family Christmas with his insufferably perfect daughter-in-law in the next village. Before they get a chance to exchange numbers, the traffic starts to move and Peg and Henry are wrenched apart…

She doesn’t expect to see him again. But then, days later, there’s a knock on Peg’s door: Henry needs her help. In an instant, she knows this will be a Christmas she’ll never forget, in ways she could never have imagined. Can she let herself get involved and risk being vulnerable, or will she shy away?

MY THOUGHTS

Oh, my heart! What an incredible book. One I meant to read last year but ran out of time to do so.
Such an emotional story.
The best parts weren’t about Peg and Henry alone but rather relationships, many different types. Mended relationships and how we think others see us. It’s about letting down our guard, being ourselves and taking off the mask that we think others want to see us presented in a certain way. Talking and really listening to what someone is saying, making changes for the better in relationships. Compassion found and healed relationships. I absolutely loved this book. This is a powerful book, and it has zipped right up there on my favorites list.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

MEET THE AUTHOR

After a varied career, Emma Davies once worked for a design studio where she was asked to provide a fun and humorous (and not necessarily true) anecdote for their website. She wrote the following: ‘I am a bestselling novelist currently masquerading as a thirty something mother of three.’ Well the job in the design studio didn’t work out but she’s now a forty something mother of three and is happy to report the rest of her dream came true.

After many years as a finance manager she now writes full time, and is far happier playing with words than numbers. She lives with her husband, three children, and two guinea pigs in rural Shropshire where she writes in all the gaps in between real life. It’s a county she adores, her love of its beautiful people and landscapes providing endless inspiration for her books, and in fact the only thing that would make Shropshire more idyllic is if it were by the sea.

Pop over to her website http://www.emmadaviesauthor.com where, amongst other things, you can read about her passion for Pringles and singing loudly in the car. You can also wave to her on twitter @EmDaviesAuthor or find her on Facebook (a little too often than is good for her).

Have a lovely day. Thank you for stopping in.

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A December to Remember by Jenny Bayliss

416 pages Publisher G.P. Putnam’s Sons Publication date September 26, 2023

ABOUT THE BOOK

Three bickering half sisters.

One unique antiques shop.

The coziest holiday season of their lives.

Wildly different half sisters Maggie, Simone, and Star have hardly seen one another since their sprightly summers at Rowan Thorp, their eccentric father Augustus’s home. Known for his bustling approach to the knick-knack shop he ran, Augustus was loved by all and known by none, not even his daughters.

Now, years later, the three estranged women are called upon for the reading of Augustus’s will and quickly realize he’s orchestrated a series of hoops through which they must jump to unlock their inheritance—the last thing any of them want to do. But Maggie and Star desperately need the money. And who would Simone be to resist?

Through hilarious goose chases, small-town mishaps, and one heart-warming winter solstice celebration, love, hope, and reconcilation is in the air, if only the three sisters can let themselves grasp it.

MY THOUGHTS

I haven’t read a book by the author I haven’t enjoyed.
Charming and with all the feels in this Christmas story.
Three half-sisters honor their father’s last wishes and in doing so discover so much about their father and about themselves they hadn’t known. Harmonious relationships, found family, strong women and forgiveness, this author does it right.
Emotional depth, self-discovery and Christmas vibes in this small-town charmer were just what I needed.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

MEET THE AUTHOR

A former professional cake baker, Jenny Bayliss lives in a small seaside town in the UK with her husband, their children having left home for big adventures. She is also the author of The Twelve Dates of Christmas, A Season for Second Chances, Meet Me Under the Mistletoe, and A December to Remember, Kiss Me At Christmas, and I’ll Be Home for Christmas.

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Christmas Sweater Weather by Jaqueline Snowe

ABOUT THE BOOK

Charlotte Calhoun has avoided Hayden Porter, her older brother’s sexy-as-sin best friend, ever since that mortifying night when he flat-out rejected her. Fine. Except this Christmas season, they’re thrown together at a snowy ski resort for her brother’s bachelor party, complete with mistletoe, cozy fireplaces, and adjoining rooms. She can tell herself to get over Hayden, but holiday cheer is turning to holiday lust every time he is within ten feet of her. 

Between being a full-time single father and his high-pressure college coaching job, a romantic relationship is off the table for Hayden. But he’s fought his attraction to Charlotte for as long as he can. A one-night stand is starting to sound like a good idea—as long as her brother never finds out. But with two long weeks until the wedding, hiding their growing feelings is going to take a Christmas miracle.  

MY THOUGHTS

I would call this a holiday delight.
A second chance romance between Charlotte and her older brother’s best friend, Hayden. She’s been able to mostly avoid him after totally embarrassing herself around him but not this time. Thrown together when her brother is set to marry there’s no avoiding him this time.
After the initial awkwardness wears off things get hot quickly. The chemistry sizzles between these two. We also find out he’s a father of a little girl; she is the sweetest. He is a single dad as the mother isn’t ready to commit to much of anything. Sad!
The characters are charming, and you can see the encouragement given when needed. Another win for the author, her books are so much fun!

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

About the author

Jaqueline Snowe lives in Arizona where the “dry heat” really isn’t that bad. She prefers drinking coffee all hours of the day and snacking on anything that has peanut butter or chocolate. She is the mother to two dogs who don’t realize they aren’t humans and a mom. She is an avid reader and writer of romances and tends to write about athletes. Her husband works for an MLB team (not a player, lol) so she knows more about baseball than any human ever should.

For more information on her upcoming books, please visit her website.

Hope you’ve had a pleasant day. Thank you for stopping in.

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And Then There Was You 

344 pages Publisher G.P. Putnam’s Sons Publication date November 18, 2025

ABOUT THE BOOK

She’s found the perfect man . . . There’s just one big twist.

Stuck in a Production Assistant job and living at home with her parents after a painful breakup, thirty-one-year-old Chloe Fairway isn’t where she wants to be in life. The last thing she needs is to face the people who once voted her “most likely to succeed” at her upcoming ten-year college reunion. And she definitely doesn’t want to see her former best friend, Sean Adler, who is now a hotshot film director living the life Chloe dreamed of. Desperate to make a splash—and to save face in front of the man who might be the one that got away—she turns to a mysterious dating service.

Enter Rob, her handsome, well-read, and charming match, the perfect plus-one to take to her reunion. The more she gets to know him, the more perfect he appears to be. Could it be that this dating service knows her better than she knows herself? And can she overlook the one big catch? As Chloe reconnects with old friends, she begins to question everything she thought she wanted. Maybe, just maybe, revisiting the past is exactly what she needs to move forward.

MY THOUGHTS

I enjoy the author’s books a lot, so I really didn’t even read what the book was about when I requested it.
I will admit while reading it I had conflicting feelings about the book.
Chloe Fairway has come out of another failed relationship, and she still lives at home with her parents. For someone voted most likely to succeed she’s not feeling too successful right now.
At the suggestion of a friend, she tries a very secretive and exclusive matchmaking service.
And here we come with the tricky part, you are matched with a boibot, in other words a robot. It’s so realistic that no one can tell it’s not the real deal.
It’s programmed to be the perfect partner, saying and doing all the right things and to have all the same interest as you.
I’m not one to read sff, it’s just not my thing. It wasn’t total sf but just different. The more time she spent with this robot the more she realized human interaction and real emotions are what she actually needs.
There is something to be said about something being too perfect.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

MEET THE AUTHOR

About the author

Sophie Cousens is a New York Times bestselling author. She has written four novels; This Time Next Year, Just Haven’t Met You Yet, Before I Do and The Good Part. Her books have been translated into over twenty languages and the rights optioned for film and TV. She appears in the Library Reads Hall of Fame, with books that are consistently recommended by library staff. Sophie adapted her debut novel This Time Next Year into a screenplay and the film, staring Sophie Cookson and Lucien Laviscount, should be released late 2024.

Before become a writer, she had a career in television. Producing shows such as, The Graham Norton Show, Big Brother and Russell Howard’s Good News. Her novels are romantic comedies, full of heart, hope and memorable characters. She is a huge fan of 90s rom coms, Bridget Jones, Four Weddings a Funeral and ‘anything with Sandra Bullock or Reese Witherspoon in it.’

Sophie currently lives in Jersey where she now writes full time. She is married with two small children who keep her occupied with important questions such as ‘but did Cinderella have a toothbrush?’ and ‘do giraffe’s know they have really long necks?’ She is currently working on her fifth novel, ‘Is She Really Going Out With Him?’

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While It Was Snowing 

320 pages Publisher Berkley Publication date October 28, 2025

ABOUT THE BOOK

Under the mistletoe, a single mom and a professional athlete realize they have more in common than the lake house they unexpectedly have to share for the holidays, in this heartwarming romance from New York Times bestselling author Julia London.

All Amy Casey wants for Christmas is to paint. She needs five new paintings for the holiday show at her local art gallery, but between her two teenage sons, her needy ex-husband, and her overbearing parents, she hardly has any time for herself. Luckily, her best friend has the perfect solution: a vacant family lake house in North Texas, all hers for two weeks of distraction-free painting. Or so she thought.

Turns out professional golfer Harrison Neely also rented the lake house so he can spend the holidays rehabbing the injury that has put his career—and life—on hold. Despite the booking snafu, both Amy and Harrison (along with Amy’s old blind dog and the army of child-sized nutcrackers residing in the living room) agree to share the festive lodging.

When an impending snowstorm has the two cozying up by the fire, sparks fly in more ways than one, and they open up to each other, unwrapping secrets and stories they’ve never shared before. But Harrison is expected back on the tournament circuit after the holidays, and Amy’s family needs her. As their departure date looms and her family and his manager press them for answers, they’ll have to decide if this December to remember has been a fun holiday fling, or if they’ve found a Christmas miracle: true love.

MY THOUGHTS

While It Was Snowing is a delicious snowy romp of a story.
The hilarity ensues when an accidental overbooking happens at a lake house over the holidays.
Two strangers have to share a house; he’s a professional golfer and just needs a little time away to rehab his golf injury. She’s a divorced mom of teenaged sons who just wants some time to concentrate on her painting.
Amy Casey and Harrison Neely are absolutely looking forward to a relaxing holiday at the lake house, alone, or so they thought.
The book had me laughing throughout as I read it, from their first startling meeting to saying awww as they snuggled by the fire.
The flakes are flying; a snowstorm will leave them stranded so they better start getting cozy.
This holiday vacation didn’t quite turn out like they had thought it would but sometimes the unexpected can turn out a lot better.
Fun and charming holiday read.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

MEET THE AUTHOR

ulia London is the New York Times, USA Today, and Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author of more than thirty novels, including the popular Secrets of Hadley Green series, the Cabot Sisters series and The Highland Grooms historical romance series. She also wrote the Pine River and the Lake Haven contemporary romance series. She is a six time finalist for the prestigious RITA Award for excellence in romantic fiction, and RT Bookclub award recipient for Best Historical Romance for Dangerous Gentleman. She lives in Austin, Texas.

Visit Julia on the web:

http://www.julialondon.com/newsletter

http://www.facebook.com/julialondon

http://www.twitter.com/juliaflondon

http://www.instagram.com/julia_f_london

I hope you’ve had a great day.

Thank you for stopping in.

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Beyond the Clouds (The Women of Midtown): Christian Historical Opposites Attract Romance Set in WWI New York City and Europe 

343 pages Publisher Bethany House Publishers Publication date January 20, 2026

They lost each other once before; now the clouds of war may give them a second chance.

As teenagers, Delia Byrne and Finn Delaney fell in love while flying kites and dreaming of a future together–until betrayal tore them apart. Now, as America enters World War I, Delia works for peace as a paralegal and pacifist. Her values forbid her from supporting the war effort, but she volunteers for a relief organization trying to save millions of lives in famine-stricken Belgium.

Returning to America as a decorated war hero, Finn is eager to get back to the front but is assigned to use his fame to raise funds instead. To his surprise, this mission will bring him face-to-face with Delia, the only woman he ever loved and once hoped to marry. As their shared mission draws them together, old sparks of romance begin to stir–until duty sends them behind enemy lines in occupied Belgium. Will the greatest danger be the conflict raging around them–or the possibility of falling in love again?

MY THOUGHTS

From the first book I’ve read by the author through all the rest of her books I’ve noticed how impeccably researched they are. Every single one, every single time and I love it. I love when historical fiction is so well detailed and heavy handed on facts. I love facts but the books are not dry or slow. You learn from them but enjoy the characters and situations.
The author’s magical pen makes these stories come alive and I can completely picture what I was reading as though I were there in the time period experiencing it.
During the war things were terrible but it was not all bad. So many behind the scenes helped out in even a small way that we’ll never know about. It’s just between them, the person/people they helped and God.
Strong themes of selflessness, compassion and forgiveness. A second chance at love and realizing what you first thought you wanted may not be oh so important after all, but God has a plan for you, and it will be revealed in his time.
Excellent and highly recommended!

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

MEET THE AUTHOR

Elizabeth Camden is best known for her historical novels set in gilded age America featuring clever heroines and richly layered storylines. Before she was a writer, she was an academic librarian at some of the largest and smallest libraries in America, but her favorite is the continually growing library in her own home. Her novels have won the RITA and Christy Award, and she lives in Florida with her husband who graciously tolerates her intimidating stockpile of books.

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The Sugar Plum Rebellion: An Enemies to Lovers Nutcracker Christmas Romance

288 pages Publication date December 3, 2025

ABOUT THE BOOK

Clara Winters has one rule: never let anyone see the ADHD-fueled chaos underneath her ballet perfection.

As the adopted daughter of a ballet legend, she’s spent her entire life proving she belongs by forcing her neurodivergent brain into the Porcelain Princess mold everyone expects. This Christmas Eve Nutcracker is her final audition. One flawless Sugar Plum Fairy performance will land her a prestigious contract and prove she deserves her legacy.

Then, her dance partner snaps his ankle. His only replacement? Trevor Williams, a tattooed, recovering addict from the county arts program next door.

Their partnership should fail. But between heated arguments and hotter stolen glances, their forced proximity turns into late-night rehearsals and vulnerable confessions. Trevor sees the scattered, brilliant woman she’s been hiding. Clara reawakens the joy he shut down to stay sober.

Now, with the curtain about to rise on Christmas Eve, Clara must decide: perform the flawless lie that will secure her future, or risk everything for the messy, beautiful truth she found hiding beneath the porcelain.

The Sugar Plum Rebellion is a witty & heartwarming Christmas dance romance with a touch of angst and a happily ever after. Take the explosive banter of The Hating Game with the dance floor chemistry of Step Up, all wrapped up in a cozy, festive bow. This is an open-door romance with medium heat and tons of simmering tension.

MY THOUGHTS

I would have never known this was a debut author. I enjoyed the subject matter and the characters.
In this enemies to lover’s book Trevor is absolutely my favorite character.
Clara is the daughter of a famous renowned dancer, and she’s been dancing a long time.
She feels the pressure to measure up, to achieve perfection and dance despite an injury to her foot.
Trevor gets mad at her when he sees her pushing herself despite her injury, but he only has her best interest at heart. There were some pretty deep conversations that you may not expect just by looking at the books cover. Trevor is a recovered addict, and his love language is trying to keep her safe, so she won’t follow the same road he has.
I enjoyed the author’s writing style and will look for more in the future she writes.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

MEET THE AUTHOR

I write messy people and messier kisses.

The Sugar Plum Rebellion is my debut contemporary Christmas romance featuring a perfectionist ballerina, a tattooed dancer in recovery, and one very chaotic Nutcracker rehearsal. Expect found family, second chances, and guaranteed happily ever afters.

Hope you’ve enjoyed a pleasant day.

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Cover Reveal for Evelyn Eventually- K M Price 

Doesn’t this sound lovely?

Evelyn Forbes is ready for a fresh start. She heads north to the picturesque countryside of Northumberland—though, is it Northumbria, she wonders?—with Daisy, her not-so-loyal dog, by her side. Armed with enough savings to find her dream home, Evelyn is certain her new life is just around the corner. But instead of a charming cottage, she encounters cold and distant Jane. What’s supposed to be a peaceful new beginning quickly becomes more complicated than she expected…

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Hannah May
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