Tag: holiday

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The Merry Matchmaker by Sheila Roberts 

336 pages publisher Harlequin Trade Publishing | MIRA Publication date October 1, 2024

ABOUT THE BOOK

“Sparkles with warmth, wit, and a sweet helping of holiday charm! The perfect stocking stuffer for readers who crave all the holiday feels and a happy ending!” —Rachel Linden, bestselling author of The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie

Inspired by Jane Austen’s Emma, this joyful Christmas romp tells the story of a woman who can’t stop trying to help everyone around her find their happily-ever-after—even when her help leads to disaster.

Frankie Lane knows what’s best for just about everyone but herself. Her divorced sister, Stef, who is too young to give up on love; her shy employee, Elinor; and her daughter, Natalie, who works in Frankie’s shop, Holiday Happiness, and really needs to start her own business selling the delectable chocolates she makes at home; even her best friend, Viola, who is trying to renovate her old Victorian. Frankie knows she could help all of them, if they’d just let her—and if all of her help didn’t end in utter disaster.

Then there’s Mitch Howard, the owner of the local hardware store. They’ve been friends ever since Frankie opened her store, nine years earlier. He got her through the nightmare when she lost her husband in a freak accident, and he’s her favorite shoulder to cry on. He’s been divorced for years, and it’s such a waste of man! Mitch is the fittest, finest man Frankie knows. He’s easygoing, wise and kindhearted. Mitch needs someone. And she’s determined to help him find that someone—whether he likes it or not.

MY THOUGHTS

The author has so many books out but this is actually my first read by her. Hard to believe I know.
Lots of charming family moments. We explore family relationships, friendships and that meddling family member that’s “just helping.”
Small town charming holiday romance which is just what I needed right now.

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

With more than fifty books to her name, Sheila Roberts is a frequent USA Today and Publishers Weekly bestseller – and a fan favorite. Her Christmas perennial “On Strike for Christmas” was made into a movie for the Lifetime Channel and her novel “The Nine Lives of Christmas” was made into a movie for Hallmark. Hallmark also made a sequel, titled “The Nine Kittens of Christmas.” Her most recent novel to hit the small screen was “Christmas on Candy Cane Lane,” which aired on the Great American Family Channel in 2022. Before settling into her writing career, Sheila owned a singing telegram company and played in band. When she’s not traveling, she splits her time between the Pacific Northwest and Southern California.

Happy almost weekend. Hope you’ve had a great day.

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All I Want Is You

256 pages Publisher G.P. Putnam’s Sons Publication date September 24, 2024

ABOUT THE BOOK

Exes. Professional rivals. Just one bed. What could go wrong?

All Jessica has ever wanted is her own happily ever after. But until that happens, she spends her days as a small-time romance writer, penning satisfying Happily Ever Afters to soothe the heartache left by her ex-boyfriend Nick—also a romance writer and now her biggest rival—who has found success writing love stories without happy endings. It’s what he’s good at, after all . . .

So when their professional obligations bring them to a remote inn a few days before Christmas, they’re a little more than peeved, especially when they get trapped sharing a room in a snowstorm. But what’s more fitting for two romantic writers in a slump? Realizing the friction between them might be the only cure for their writer’s block, they decide to turn their frustration into fiction . . . and the pages start flying. But will Jess’s heart soar, too? Nick is the last guy on earth she should love . . . but what if he is really all she wants for Christmas?

MY THOUGHTS

This is my first time reading this author and it won’t be my last.
Romance author ex’s are at a romance convention to promote their books and after one mix up after another she hasn’t been booked a room mistakenly during this promotional convention.
Fighting romantic feelings these ex’s trying to keep their cool but when their agents suggest they do a romantic collaboration all bets go out the window.
A second chance romance involving being snowed in and in close proximity these two romance authors have just the romantic words on paper and in real life.

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

MEET THE AUTHOR

alon Ballard loves to write about love! She also has an undying affection for exclamation points and isn’t ashamed to admit it! When she’s not writing fictional love stories, she’s helping real-life couples celebrate, working as a wedding planner in Southern California. She has a deep appreciation for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is a Disneyland devotee, and is a reality TV aficionado. In addition, she’s the cohost of the romance novel podcast, Happy to Meet Cute. If she’s not busy wrangling her kiddo, you can probably find her drinking wine and posting a picture on Instagram while simultaneously snarking on Twitter, because multitasking!

Have a lovely day. Thank you for stopping in.

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Christmas People

304 pages Publisher St. Martin’s Griffin Publication date September 30, 2025

ABOUT THE BOOK

The Seven Year Slip meets Hallmark with a dash of sass and a sprinkle of sexiness in this sparkling Christmas rom com…with a speculative twist!

Some people are Christmas people, but Jill Jacobs is most certainly not. She hasn’t been ever since her hometown love broke her heart on Christmas Eve three years ago. After that, Jill moved to L.A. to pursue her dream of becoming a screenwriter. She hasn’t been home in years to avoid her ex, but this winter she finds herself back in drab, suburban Illinois for the holidays.

After one very hazy night, Jill wakes up to a hometown that’s filled with jolly neighbors, covered in pristine white snow, and seasoned with the smell of peppermint. She realizes that this is more than just a bad hangover… she’s stuck in a Heartfelt movie. One set in her town, starring real people from her life, including her family, her high school crush (uber perfect, owns a bakery, and definitely a Christmas Person), and of course, her ex ―handsome as ever and now exclusively clad in plaid flannel.

The only way out of this bizarro world is to complete the plot of the movie, including a holiday bake off and a cookie-sweet love story. To get home in time for Christmas, Jill must act out a picture-perfect holiday romance with the one that got away, all while her ex watches on. Fa la la la freaking la….

MY THOUGHTS

Some people love Christmas; you can’t say that about Jill Jacobs though. Three years ago, she and her ex had a fight right before Christmas and it led to their breakup.
Visiting her parents isn’t something that has happened in the past few years because she doesn’t want to accidently run into her ex.
Taking a leap, she decides to visit and sure enough they run into each other.
When this screenwriter somehow ends up in an alternative reality cozy winter wonderland Christmas Hallmark movie, she’s grumpier than ever.
It’s all to perfect, too Christmassy and it even has a Christmas cookie baking competition.
This second chance romance had me laughing out loud at a lot of the parts even though I didn’t overly like the main character.

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

MEET THE AUTHOR

Despite being born on the first day of summer long before too much sun was considered bad for you, Iva-Marie Palmer possesses no capacity to achieve a decent tan (or its cousin, the sun-kissed glow). Still, she relocated from her native Chicago to sunny southern California nearly ten years ago and only regrets the choice on the rare occasions when she forgets to apply sunscreen. A former journalist who oversubscribes to periodicals, she loves books, running, cooking and eating elaborate meals, classic screwball comedies, food sold off carts and trucks, old movie palaces, word games and crossword puzzles, adventures large and small, indulging her curiosity and overextending herself. She lives with her husband, two sons and a seeming inability to take her sunglasses off her head when indoors. You can find her online on Facebook, Twitter (follow @ivamarie), and Instagram (ivamarie), as well as seldom updating her site, http://ivamariepalmer.com.

Have a super day. Thank you for stopping in.

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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.

Have a wonderful day. Thank you for stopping in.

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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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Finding Family at Seabreeze Farm: A wonderfully uplifting, heartwarming read from Jo Bartlett 

220 pages Boldwood Books December 2,2022 publication date

ABOUT THE BOOK

Welcome to Seabreeze Farm.

Freya Halliwell is looking forward to marrying the man of her dreams and starting their new life together. After the death of both of her parents, Ollie, along with Freya’s aunt, are the only family she has, but they are all the family she needs.

Until Freya discovers a shocking secret that makes her question everything she thought she knew about her once happy family and especially the man she used to call Dad. Devastated, and feeling more alone than ever before, Freya needs time and space to come to terms with the news. But until then the wedding is off!

Seabreeze Farm is the perfect place for Freya to recover. But could this beautiful farm perched high on the cliffs, also hold the answer to Freya’s past and reunite her with the family she never even knew she’d been wishing for?

MY THOUGHTS

This is another book in the Seabreeze Farm series and the whole series is so charming.
You really get drawn into Kelsea Bay and the characters are so realistic .
A total misunderstanding stops a wedding days before it’s to happen.
When shocking secrets are revealed our main character feels like she no longer knows herself or the man she called dad.
Dealing with such news will not be easy but Seabreeze Farm is the perfect place to get away from it all and forget. The setting is beautiful, the rugged coast, the gulls and the farm animals provide just the tonic she needs. A second chance at love. found family and complete holiday warmth.
Warm and fulfilling story.
Looking forward to more by the author.

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

About the author

Jo Bartlett was born a stone’s throw from the English Channel and still lives near the sea in Kent, with her family, so close to the South Eastern edge of England that they’re very nearly French. It’s probably why so many of her books are set near the sea too. Jo has made up stories for as long as she can remember, but never really took it any further, until a catalyst called cancer gave her the impetus to follow her dreams.

Since having her debut novel published in 2015, Jo has had numerous bestsellers in the UK, the USA, Australia and Canada. Jo writes contemporary women’s fiction, with mostly series-based stories that focus on love, friendship, family and community. She also writes grittier standalone novels focusing on a wide range of issues. Since joining Boldwood Books in 2021, Jo has written two bestselling series – the Cornish Midwife novels and the Cornish Country Hospital books, with the first book of a brand new series coming in early 2026.

Back in 2023 Jo celebrated one million sales worldwide and, after twenty-five years in teaching, now writes full time. You can follow Jo on Instagram, her author page on Facebook, or sign up to her newsletter – the details of which can be found on any of her social media accounts.

Have a wonderful day. Thank you for stopping in.

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Christmas at the Highland Flower Shop: A perfect feel-good, small town heart-warming read! 

339 pages Publisher Embla Books Publication date September 20, 2022

ABOUT THE BOOK

Four months. One impossible task. It’s time to save Christmas at The Highland Flower Shop…

Bella Reed has worked at The Highland Flower Shop ever since she left college and now her Aunt Jane has handed the keys and the lease over to her. With the business under her reign, Bella is ready to hit the ground running – until she’s dealt a massive blow. They’re being evicted.

When dashing businessman Maverick McIntyre turns up in Fort William, Bella discovers the reason they’re being kicked out. He has no intention of honouring a ridiculous deal his father made many years ago.

As Maverick and Bella lock horns, they both begin to see different sides to one another and before long the two strike up the most unexpected of friendships. Bella knows she has to keep business separate, but when her head and her heart are saying two different things, life starts to get complicated. No matter her feelings, Bella isn’t about to let anyone down and the entire town’s counting on her to save Christmas.

MY THOUGHTS

Bella Reed’s home away from home is at the The Highland Flower Shop as she’s worked at her aunt’s flower shop ever since she’s left college.
When her Aunt Jane hands the keys over to her, she’s ecstatic, what could be more perfect and she’s already dreaming and planning now that she’s in charge.
A terrible miscommunication leaves her being evicted before any of those plans can come to fruition.
Set in a beautiful small town setting the flower shop is a pillar of the community and always so beautifully decorated for Christmas and quite busy.
Maverick McIntyre is quite hardlined and not interested in honoring a deal his father made years ago.
If only while in business meetings Bella didn’t find Maverick quite so handsome and has to remind herself, he’s the enemy.
A typical enemy to lover’s romance with a lovely Christmassy theme that was an enjoyable story.

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

Lucy Coleman is a #1 bestselling author of contemporary romantic fiction. Originally from Bristol, she has also lived in Gloucestershire, the Welsh Valleys and is now based in Somerset.

For Lucy, life is all about family, friends and writing. She is a self-confessed hopeless romantic and an eternal optimist. Lucy is often found with a paintbrush in her hand indulging her passion for upcycling furniture, or in the garden. She’s hoping to fulfil her dream of moving to a smallholding, together with her husband – and their adorable Bengal cat – in 2026!

Her novels have been translated into Italian, Croatian, Czech, Hungarian, Estonian, Slovenian, Bulgarian, Romanian, Danish and German.

Lucy also writes as Linn B. Halton and is represented by Sara Keane from the Keane Kataria Literary Agency.

Thank you for stopping in.

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The Recipe for Hope by Fiona Valpy #Backlistread

198 pages Publisher Lake Union Publishing Publication date September 1, 2022

I have sooooo many books on my back list and I’ve come to accept I’ll never be caught up because I keep adding more new ones. Do you have a miles long back list as well?

ABOUT THE BOOK

n this charming novel from the bestselling author of The Dressmaker’s Gift, food was once the language of Evie’s soul. Now, can she remember the recipe for happiness?

Revised edition: Previously published as The French for Christmas, this edition of The Recipe for Hope includes editorial revisions.

Evie’s running away: from her soon-to-be ex-husband’s shiny new life, from the devastating loss of her baby last year, from a memory-filled London and, most particularly, from Christmas. A remote cottage in the South of France seems like the perfect peaceful place to soothe her sorrows.

But the countryside soon proves anything but quiet, from the rooster crowing at dawn to the barn owl hooting through the night—not to mention Evie’s handsome neighbour, doctor Didier, who works away in his garage at all hours.

Unexpectedly, the sights and sounds of life amid the sparkling beauty of the Dordogne give Evie a renewed sense of inspiration, and with her French grandmother’s recipe book for company, she begins to rediscover her love of cooking. Soon, the tight-knit community begins to enfold her, reminding Evie what really matters in life.

But are Didier’s gorgeous blue eyes on more than Evie’s delicious dinners? And can a cancelled Christmas—complete with a Not-Christmas feast for two—heal her heart?

MY THOUGHTS

A poignant and deeply moving story.
Set in the beautiful South of France this was with its original publication titled Escape to France.
Evie has had a most dreadful year, the stillbirth of her baby and her marriage has dissolved.
This short story takes her to France, away from the tear-soaked nights in London to a soothing escape in a remote cottage. A place to recover, relax and move forward in life.
Emotion filled story that had me filled with compassion and hope of healing for Evie.

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

About the author

Fiona is an acclaimed number 1 bestselling author, whose books have been translated into more than thirty different languages worldwide.

She draws inspiration from the stories of strong women, especially during the years of World War II. Her meticulous historical research enriches her writing with an evocative sense of time and place.

She spent seven years living in France, having moved there from the UK in 2007, before returning to live in Scotland. Her love for both of these countries, their people and their histories, has found its way into the books she’s written.

Fiona says, “To be the first to hear about my NEW releases, please visit my website at http://www.fionavalpy.com and subscribe to the mailing list. I promise not to share your e-mail and I’ll only contact you when there’s news about my books.”

Thank you for stopping in.

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Christmas at the Borrow a Bookshop

A heartwarming, cosy, utterly uplifting romcom

by Kiley Dunbar

292 pages Publisher Hera Publication date September 1, 2022

Description

‘Tis the season for finding love… and the perfect book

With just two weeks until Christmas, everything in Clove Lore should be perfect. But the latest holidaymaker to the Borrow a Bookshop is feeling far from festive…

Icelandic ex-bookseller Magnús Sturluson might be surrounded by love stories in the Bookshop, but he’s nursing a sadness that not even fiction can fix.

When Alexandra Robinson finds herself stranded in Clove Lore, she finds a safe place to hide from heartbreak. After all, all that’s waiting for her at home is a cheater boyfriend and the memories of her parents. As Alex finds herself embraced by the quirky village community, she finds her tough exterior thawing – and as she grows closer to Magnús, she finds an equally soft heart under his gruff shell.

It seems that Clove Lore is working its magic once again – until a great flood on Christmas Eve brings devastation in its wake. It’s up to Magnús and Alex to batten down the hatches and help bring the village back together again, while also introducing the locals to the Icelandic tradition of the jólabókaflóð – Yule book flood – where families and friends gather on Christmas Eve to exchange books and read together.

But can Magnús and Alex truly rescue the ruins of the village, and salvage their Christmas spirit? Or is there another complication lurking even closer than they thought?

MY THOUGHTS

This is the second book in the Borrow a Bookshop series and though I haven’t read the first I easily jumped right into the story.
Such a heartwarming and uplifting story brimming with goodwill and cheer.
Loved the seaside village of Clove Lore and its characters. It felt like I was visiting with old friends.
I enjoyed reading about the Icelandic customs especially jólabókaflóð – Yule book flood – where families and friends gather on Christmas Eve to exchange books and read together. It’s great to see such an importance put on literacy there.
Very much enjoyed this holiday read.

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

Hi! I’m Kiley Dunbar, and I write bestselling, uplifting romance novels centering radical kindness and community.

I’m Scottish, a parent carer, lover of all things thrifty and money-saving, and I exist to drink tea and visit gardens or potter round the charity shops looking for vintage bargains.

I’m so excited to share my new ‘repair shop’ series which launched on 24th JULY 2025 with FIXING A BROKEN HEART AT THE HIGHLAND REPAIR SHOP. You can buy it here right now on eBook, paperback, audiobook as well as large print! Request it to your library or your fave indie book shop too if you like!

I hope you absolutely love my new books. If you enjoy visiting my Highland Repair Shop, why not pay a visit to the BORROW A BOOKSHOP? Check out the whole gorgeous, nerdy, funny, romantic series here too!

Happy reading,

Love,

Kiley, x

Happy weekend. Thank you for stopping in.