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Blog Tour for A Taste of Christmas Spirit plus giveaway UK only

A Taste of Christmas Spirit

AN ALL-NEW CHRISTMAS SPIRIT BOOK FOR 2025

CAN LARA ADD A DASH OF MAGIC THIS CHRISTMAS?

The Sugar and Spice bakery sparkles with holiday spirit as Jacob serves up more mouthwatering festive treats, and Christmas spirit Lara tries to sprinkle her magic over those finding the time of year difficult.

Ollie is at his wits’ end. A debt from years ago comes back to haunt him just as he and his girlfriend are buying their dream home.

Rose is dejected as her college sweetheart has dumped her now they’re in their final year. She’s not looking forward to Christmas alone, nor her twenty-first birthday on Christmas Eve.

Sacha has recently moved to Winstanton following the failure of his business. He’s too embarrassed to confide in his family, but can he find the friendship he so desperately needs and begin to trust again?

Diana tries to find her new normal after the unexpected death of her husband earlier this year. All her plans for retirement have been thrown out the window and she feels lost. She needs a renewed sense of purpose and to find her place in the world.

Can Lara provide the answer to a joy-filled Christmas?

A story of hope, love, friendship, community, and of course, Christmas spirit.

For fans of Sarah Morgan, Philippa Ashley, Jenny Colgan and Cathy Bramley.

Praise for the Christmas Spirit series:

‘Christmas all wrapped up!’
‘Right from page one you are drawn into all the joys of Christmas!’
‘A lovely story about love, friendship and hope all wrapped up in a lovely Christmas jumper!’
‘You can taste the hot chocolate, see all the Christmas lights and feel the warmth of a Christmas hug.’

Purchase Link – https://books2read.com/u/4997jw

MY THOUGHTS

This is a new to me author which in my opinion is so fun to try especially when it’s a Christmas book. I felt happy and content while reading the book. It really has a lot of Christmas spirit within its pages.
The characters kept me reading and the welcoming Sugar and Spice Cafe is sure to have you wanting to stop in. A lot of the story takes place in the cafe.
The cafe is such an important part of the story as friendships and romance are formed and strengthened there.
Charming small-town Christmas romance that has me wanting to read the rest in the series now.

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

Author Bio –

Susan Buchanan writes contemporary romance, women’s fiction and romantic comedies, usually featuring travel, food, family, friendship, community – also Christmas!

Her books are Sign of the Times, The Dating Game, The Christmas Spirit, Return of the Christmas Spirit, A Little Christmas Spirit and Just One Day – Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn, The Leap Year Proposal and You Can’t Hurry Love

As a freelance developmental editor, copyeditor and proofreader, if she’s not reading, editing or writing, she’s thinking about it. 

She is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, the Society of Authors and the Alliance of Independent Authors.

She lives near Glasgow with her husband, two children and a crazy Labrador.

When she’s not editing, writing, reading or caring for her two delightful cherubs, she likes going to the theatre, playing board games, watching quiz shows and eating out, and she has recently discovered a love of writing retreats.

Social Media Links –

https://www.facebook.com/susancbuchananauthor

X @susan_buchanan and Instagram @AuthorSusanBuchanan and Threads @authorsusanbuchanan and BlueSky @susanbuchanan.bsky.social

And on her website http://www.susanbuchananauthor.com

Giveaway to Win a signed and dedicated paperback of A Taste of Christmas Spirit (Open to UK Only)

*Terms and Conditions –UK entries welcome.  Please enter using the Gleam box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Gleam from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

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Waiting for Christmas 

280 pages Tyndale Fiction publisher September 3, 2024 publish date

ABOUT THE BOOK

In this hope-filled Gilded Age Christmas novella from bestselling author Lynn Austin, the year is 1901 and the hustle and bustle of the holidays is descending on New York’s Fifth Avenue.

For the first time in her privileged life, Adelaide Forsythe won’t be swept up in it. She couldn’t be happier about the prospect of a quieter Christmas. That’s not to say her transition from Miss to Mrs. has been without challenge. Though she doesn’t regret marrying for love instead of wealth, she can barely light the hearth or cook more than burnt toast. She feels woefully unprepared to run her own household.

Then, on the first Sunday of Advent, winter winds bring change through two unlikely means: a young orphan boy, hiding near Adelaide’s front steps, and a seasoned housekeeper who seems too good to be true.

The boy, Jack, claims he isn’t an orphan at all and is desperate to reunite his family. Adelaide and her husband Howard work tirelessly to solve the riddle of Jack’s story, while Adelaide’s new endeavors open her eyes to a world beyond her past experience—and all the challenge and possibility it holds. As Christmas approaches, small glimmers of wonder light the way toward the answers Adaleide seeks and the most miraculous gift of all.

Includes discussion questions for book clubs

The novella length of this delightful work of Christmas fiction about the true meaning of Christmas makes this a great stocking stuffer or host/hostess gift

Beautiful hardcover, giftable size

Great companion to All My Secrets by Lynn Austin

MY THOUGHTS

While I do enjoy Christmas romance books, I do actually prefer feel good Christmas books of which this one is.


Taking place during the gilded age in 1901, newly married Adelaide Forsythe who grew up in the lap of luxury has had enough of it and just wants to be ordinary and live within her husband’s means. It hasn’t been easy though, growing up with cooks, nannies and maids has left her unable to do the simplest domestic chores but she’s willing to learn.


Coming home one evening hearing a rustling in her bushes she investigates and discovers a ragged street urchin about nine years old. Bringing him in out of the cold he’s cared for.

Now I fell in love with this little boy, though he did have some problems adapting to a new way of life and insecurities plagued him. Though this is novella length it is a beautifully, pull on your heartstring filled story.

A child looking for the rest of his family and can’t rest easily until he does. It’s almost Christmas, will his Christmas hopes be fulfilled or will disappointment once again fill his life?


Poignant read, one that will be remembered for a long time.
Recommended highly!

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

Enjoy your day. Thank you for stopping in.

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A Louisiana Christmas to Remember: Three heartwarming, interconnected stories of faith, love, and restoration

435 pages Barbour Fiction publisher September 1, 2023 publication date

ABOUT THE BOOK

A Rare Snowfall Leads to a Christmas to Remember

Three heartwarming, interconnected stories of faith, love, and restoration, brought to you by three Louisiana-native authors. Will a rare snowy Louisiana Christmas bring restoration and hope to the hometown and hearts of three women from the town’s founding family?
 
In A Louisiana Snow by Morgan Tarpley Smith, meet Mattie: A passionate visionary who learns to forgive and finds love in unexpected places…
 
In Restoring Christmas by Betsy St. Amant, meet Jolene: An artist and prodigal daughter who discovers love exists in the very place she once called home…
 
In A Christmas Reunion by Lenora Worth, meet Adale: A beautiful widow who finally dares to love again…
 
And don’t forget Granny, whose feisty spirit, blunt dialogue, and quirky ways play an important and endearing role.

MY THOUGHTS

I enjoy reading novellas and this is a lovely Christmas one. Each story builds off of the previous one and when one ends the next seamlessly starts as we find a generational thing going with strong and faithful women from the same Louisiana town.

We don’t usually connect snow and Louisiana but this season with a little holiday magic and a generous helping from the unexpected snowstorm forgiveness, romance and coming together again of a special family may just be happening.


A delightful feel-good holiday story I was delighted to read.

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

THE AUTHORS

Lenora Worth is an ACFW Honor Roll member. She writes inspirational fiction for Harlequin’s Love Inspired and sweet romance for Tule Publishing. She also writes for Kensington Books. She helped launch the Rodeo Knights Western Romance imprint. Her LIS Body of Evidence made the NY Times Bestseller list and she is also a USA Today and Publishers Weekly Bestselling author. In 2016, she received a Romantic Times Pioneers of Fiction Award. Three of her books have been nominated for the ACFW Carol Award and she is an RWA RITA finalist. Lenora has written 80+ books and has an estimated 3 million books in print. She loves cheesecake, shoe shopping, walking on the beach and reading.

Betsy St. Amant Haddox is the author of over twenty romance novels and novellas. She resides in north Louisiana with her hubby, two daughters, an impressive stash of coffee mugs, and one furry Schnauzer-toddler. Betsy has a B.A. in Communications and a deep-rooted passion for seeing women restored to truth. When she’s not composing her next book or baby-talking her dog, Betsy can be found somewhere in the vicinity of an iced coffee. She writes frequently for iBelieve, a devotional site for women, and offers author coaching and editing services through Storyside LLC.

Morgan Tarpley Smith is a bestselling author and world traveler who weaves stories of history and heart. She loves to write inspirational fiction that transports readers to faraway places and intertwines past and present to explore questions of truth and faith. Her debut novella was published in 2023 as part of a contemporary collection of interconnected stories called A Louisiana Christmas to Remember, which ranked #8 on the ECPA Bestseller List for Christmas Fiction. Morgan is an award-winning journalist who works as a freelance writer and publishing assistant. She lives in Louisiana with her husband and son. For more information, visit her website by searching her name online.

Hope you’re having a great weekend. Thanks for stopping in.

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Blog Tour for Christmas at the Board Game Cafe by Jennifer Page

ABOUT THE BOOK

Christmas at the Board Game Café

Kate seems to have it all – wonderful friends, a successful career and an idyllic life in the quirky Yorkshire town of Essendale. But under the surface Kate’s lonely, and she longs to feel part of a family – especially during Christmas.

With the holiday season fast approaching, and the town desperate to attract more visitors, Kate conceives a brilliant plan: an enchanting living Advent calendar. Each December evening, a captivating window display will be unveiled across town. With local businesses struggling, including her best friend’s board game café, she’s feeling the pressure. 

But Kate’s picture-perfect plans take an unexpected turn when her ex-boyfriend arrives in Yorkshire, insisting on creating the Christmas Eve display. Can Kate trust him to deliver a show-stopping window? And can she finally put the past behind her and embrace the future she’s always dreamed of?

Purchase Link – https://amzn.eu/d/gNiOWja

MY THOUGHTS

WOW! How is it even possible the author has four books out already in the Little Board Game Cafe series? I’ve read and loved every single one of them.

This one is Kate’s story, and I think it’s my favorite, but I probably said that about all of them because I loved them all. I think it’s the most emotional of the series but not in a bad way. There are so many things going on and I don’t think this is a spoiler, but the book has a lovely happy ending.


I still wish there was a board game cafe near me in the states, it’s sounds like such a fun way to spend some hours. I love the characters that we got to visit from previous books and meeting new characters was a blast too.
Kate has been friends with the board game cafe owner since early school days and now that winter is here business is not only slowing down in the cafe but around town in general.

With dark approaching earlier there just doesn’t seem to be the draw from the business there was in the summer. Marketing guru Kate overhears her friend lamenting about lack of business during this cold and dreary time and knows she has to do something to jump start business for the cafe but also around town. The plan she comes up with is genius and in such a short amount of time.

A lot of the time is spent talking about this plan and its marvelous final results and I loved every minute of it.
I was so glad to see Kate had cleared up a big misunderstanding she had with her father, and it has brought their relationship closer.

There is also a possibility of a romance brewing for Kate with two very different personality types. There were some laugh out loud moments in the book and some awww moments too.

I also enjoyed learning about some Polish Christmas traditions too and even looked up a few more to learn more about it.
A very well received book, I enjoyed it so much!

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

VISIT OTHER BLOGS ON THE TOUR

MEET THE AUTHOR

Author Bio – Jennifer Page wrote her first novel – a book about ponies – when she was eight. These days she prefers to write romance. When she isn’t writing, Jennifer can usually be found playing board games which are the inspiration for her first novel. She has worked as a television producer, a music teacher and has even run a children’s opera company. She now lives near Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire with her husband and his large collection of games.

Social Media Links –

Home

https://twitter.com/jenpagewrites

https://www.facebook.com/JenniferPagewrites/

https://www.instagram.com/jenniferpagewrites/

Have a wonderful day and thank you for stopping in.

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Blog Tour for Pepper Lane Sweet Shoppe

ABOUT THE BOOK

Pepper Lane Sweet Shoppe

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, best read in order, that intertwine with recurring characters.

Pepper Lane Sweet Shoppe: Erin Mason didn’t know she had any family left, so when she inherits a sweet shop, she’s not entirely sure what to do. There isn’t much else going on in her life, so she goes to check it out in Pepper Bay. After all, a short trip to the Isle of Wight is hardly going to change her life.

MY THOUGHTS

The Pepper Bay series is quite an entertaining series. I’ve read quite a few books in the series, but not all, yet. These are a great comfort read with characters you can relate to and emphasize with.
The beautiful bay on the Isle of Wright sounds charming and I’m sure I’d feel right at home there.


This was a smile my way through it comfort read.
I’ll admit I’m a sucker for sweet shops in books, it must be a comfort thing taking me back to my childhood.


: Erin Mason is stunned to realize she has inherited a sweet shop when she didn’t even realize she had any family left. Not getting on the best with her mother she was never told she had a grandfather while he was living so that took away any chance, she had of knowing the man. After his death she inherits his sweet shop. That would be a terrible thing to have happen to you.


Traveling the short distance to Pepper Bay she investigates the shop and apartment above. Through her grandfather’s sweet shop employee, she’s able to make a decision on whether to sell the shop or reopen it. I enjoyed the fun interaction Erin had with her new friend, there are some pretty funny interactions.

It was lovely seeing her fitting right in with the town’s folks and his friends, it’s as though she was meant to be there, but does this mean a new romance is in the works too?

Books in the series aren’t overly long, so you get a full and fun read but don’t get bogged down when time is short. I keep making fun new discoveries while reading this series. Every time I read one of these books, I realize why this is one of my favorite series.

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

Purchase Link – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pepper-Lane-Sweet-Shoppe-Book-ebook/dp/B0CNVD4DYB

VISIT OTHR BLOGS ON THE TOUR

AUTHOR BIO

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.

Social Media Links –

Welcome

https://www.instagram.com/kt_dady

https://www.facebook.com/ktdady

Thank you for stopping in. I hope you’re having a wonderful day.

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Blog Tour for A Little Place in Prague

ABOUT THE BOOK

A Little Place in Prague

It’s been years since Anna has seen Leo Knight. And of all the apartments in all the cities in all the world, he just happens to walk in to her cosy new attic home – as her new housemate.

As the two walk the cobbled streets of Prague, taking in the sights and sounds from Wenceslas Square, frosted with snow, to the soft glow of candlelit Charles Bridge, the enchantment of the City of a Hundred Spires soon starts to work its magic on them…

Purchase Link –

https://www.amazon.com/Little-Place-Prague-swoon-worthy-must-read-ebook/dp/B0CW1F5HX8

MY THOUGHTS

It is not a joke to say while reading this book and even after I was left with a warm happy glow. I have been experiencing a lot of stressful times recently and this book has made me forget my troubles and I was totally engrossed in it.


A beer competition in Prague has a most exciting prize. The winner who makes, do I call it crafts, or brews (I’m not a beer drinker) the best tasting beer wins beer making equipment to start their own brewery.


Anna is in Prague for several months as she prepares for this contest, sure she’ll win. Unbelievably her roommate is none other than Leo, she hasn’t seen him in years and she’s certainly not happy about this surprise.


The description the author has given of Prague is marvelous, from its architecture work to arts, weather and scrumptious foods. Meeting the locals I almost felt as though I could hear their accent and see their welcoming smiles. The author really writes with an authentic flair with her descriptions.


Can a second chance romance go better the second time around? It can but will it, that’s the question as Leo, who is such a charmer around the women and Anna battle their growing feelings for each other and compete in who will have the best beer.


I loved this story, so festively fun, I laughed out loud many times and could empathize with the predicaments the characters found themselves in.
Recommended read!

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

VISIT OTHER BLOGS ON THE TOUR

MEET THE AUTHOR

Julie caplin, formerly a PR director, swanned around Europe for many years taking top food and drink writers on press trips (junkets) sampling the gastronomic delights of various cities in Italy, France, Belgium, Spain, Copenhagen and Switzerland. It was a tough job but someone had to do it. 

These trips have provided the inspiration and settings for the highly successful Romantic Escapes series which have hit the best seller charts in Italy, Germany and the Czech Republic and have sold over two million copies worldwide.

The first book in the nine strong series,The Little Café in Copenhagen, was shortlisted for a Romantic Novel of the Year Award.

Social Media Links – @JulieCaplin Twitter

https://www.facebook.com/JulieCaplinAuthor/

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/juliecaplinauthor/

Thank you for stopping in.

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Blog Blitz for Cosy Nights and Snowball Fights

ABOUT THE BOOK

Cosy Nights & Snowball Fights

As the nights draw in, gingerbread lattes and festive hot chocolates are on the menu, and the Little Duck Pond Café girls are gearing up for the cosiest time of the year. But new recruit Laurel just wishes she could sleep through the whole jolly affair! It might be October, but she’s still haunted by the events of last Christmas. Could a new start in Sunnybrook help to heal her heart?

Purchase Link

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CR8BNTRL

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CR8BNTRL

I love all the covers in this series including this one. Isn’t it so charming? It would make me want to read this book just by looking at the cover.

MY THOUGHTS

Being back in Sunnybrook is always a true joy. Laurel has had some not too pleasant experiences recently and is ready to make a new start. Will Sunnybrook be just what she needs?

I really enjoy the festive holiday ambience in the book. It starts out in Autumn, but we quickly move toward the holiday season and how sweet is that? From the festive holiday decorations to the scrumptious sounding drinks. Though novella length you get a full story that is quite packed with emotion.


We meet up with some of the characters from past stories and I’m always up for catching up with the Little Duck Pond Cafe girls. They are here to bring her up when she’s been feeling down. Fun and caring relationships are shown, strong friendships and new romances blooming.

I loved seeing how Laurel got her life back on course and has once again found hope and happiness. Looking forward to more in this series I love so much.

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

MEET THE AUTHOR

Author Bio – Rosie Green’s Little Duck Pond Cafe series of novellas is centred around life in a village cafe and most can be read as stand-alone stories. (‘The Sunshine Sisters’ is a trilogy within the Little Duck Pond Café series and it would benefit from being read in order: Aurora, Skye and Blossom.) Look out for ‘Cosy Nights & Snowball Fights’, and ‘Maddy’s Christmas Wedding’, both out later this year in time for the festive season!

Follow Rosie on Twitter – https://twitter.com/Rosie_Green88

Thank you for stopping in. Your smile is beautiful, share it with someone.

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Can’t Wait Wednesday

CAN’T WAIT WEDNESDAY

Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings to spotlight and discuss the books we’re excited about that we have yet to read. Generally, they’re books that have yet to be released. Find out more here.

I really enjoy holiday books, so much so that I read them year round when I get a chance. Unfortunately, I don’t get a chance to read them as much as I’d like to as I have other reading commitments. So, let’s get on with it. I am looking forward to:

A Corpse Among the Carolers by Debra Sennefelder publication date  Nov 12 2024

Book 7 of A Food Blogger Mystery

Description

Hope Early is fully immersed in the spirit of the Christmas season, until the sounds of joyful carolers are silenced by the words “Ho-ho-homicide” . . .

Food blogger Hope Early always gets a hearty holiday laugh from knowing that the weeks leading up to Christmas are as frantic as they are festive. But in spite of everything she has to do, the one thing she always has time for is the annual Jingle Bell Stroll, a night when the community gathers to sing their hearts out and enjoy each other’s company. This year’s caroling feels especially heartwarming, until the final note lands with a thud when Hope finds the body of the man who’d volunteered to play Santa, a knife plunged into his back.

With virtually the whole town present at the caroling, the list of suspects seems endless. It doesn’t take long, though, for both Hope and the police to turn a sharp eye on the victim’s bitter and vindictive ex-wife, along with his new wife, who may have been after his money. Then Hope unearths a clue that suggests the dead man may have been hiding a sordid past and connections to unseemly characters. But as she closes in on the killer, they’re determined to wring her neck before she can ring in the new year . . .

Includes tasty and toasty holiday recipes!

About the Author:

Debra Sennefelder lives and writes in Connecticut, where she shares her home with her family and slightly spoiled Shih Tzu. An avid reader across a range of genres, mystery fiction is her obsession. Her interest in people and relationships is channeled into her novels against a backdrop of crime and mystery. She’s the author of the Food Blogger Mysteries, the Resale Boutique Mysteries, and the Cookie Shop Mysteries. When she’s not writing, she’s either baking or reading. To learn more, visit her on the web at debrasennefelder.com.

Is this one on your radar and will it be getting a read this holiday season?

Have a wonderful day and thank you for stopping in.

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Can’t Wait Wednesday

CAN’T WAIT WEDNESDAY

Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings to spotlight and discuss the books we’re excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they’re books that have yet to be released. Find out more here.

The book I’m waiting for this week is one I received from NetGalley.

Paris, Pumpkins & Puns

A Sweet Fake Dating Romcom

by Marion De Ré

ABOUT THE BOOK

Description

Paris in the fall.

The Eiffel tower, the blanket of colorful leaves on the ground of the Jardin du Luxembourg, the picturesque cobbled streets of Montmartre.

Sounds amazing, right? That’s exactly what I thought when my boss offered me to come here to critique restaurants.

Well, the reality is a completely different beast.

There is no accordion music playing in the street, the city smells like smoke, and I have yet to see a single guy wearing a beret! This was all a lie.

To top it all, I’m now a prisoner of this city because of a national strike keeping all planes on the ground and flooding hotels capacities. At least one cliché wasn’t false.

Enter Olivier Brun, chef of a Michelin star restaurant and as hot as a pizza oven who offers me a room and even cooks me breakfast.

So, when he asks me to pretend to be his date for his matchmaking mom’s birthday, I return the favor.

As we get to know each other through pun-filled cooking lessons, farmer’s market outings and autumn festivals, I start to fall in loaf with Paris… and Olivier.

Suddenly, the idea of relocating here isn’t as crazy.

But does Olivier feel the same? And if he does, will he be able to get past the fact that I lied about my job?

Paris, Pumpkins & Puns is a closed-door romcom with cozy autumn vibes, plenty of cooking puns and an irresistible Frenchman.

Pub Date Sep 24 2024

This is a new to me author. I will admit I love holiday covers and couldn’t resist requesting this one from NetGalley. It’s sounds like a fun story too.

Have a wonderful day. Thanks for your visit today.

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Just for you, two festive holiday book reviews: A Cornish Christmas at the Farmhouse Bakery and Bright Lights, Big Christmas

341 pages Aria publisher October 12, 2023 publish date

ABOUT THE BOOK

Newlyweds Ivy and Adam Taylor have put their heart and soul into building their own businesses, but when circumstances conspire against them, it all comes crashing down. Could a Christmas miracle be just around the corner when best friend Jess suggests Ivy open the bakery she has always dreamed of at her Cornish Farmhouse.

Ivy is not so sure she has the heart to start over and winter is hardly the best time to launch a new business near the seaside… but it’s not long before the couple realise that although they are starting from scratch in a new place, they are far from alone.

There is nothing the community at Renweneth Farm does better than Christmas, and as the nights draw in and the snow falls, nothing is impossible…

MY THOUGHTS

Book 2 of The Escape to Cornwall series.
When I’m ready for a great relaxation read with snow and wind blowing outside, I turn to books like this. Set in Cornwall this one was hard to put down.


I enjoyed reading Adam and Ivy’s story. He is so sweet and supportive of her and all her endeavors going forward. Making the hard decision to relocate because of personal and business decisions we follow along with the couple as they experience ups and downs. Hard work pays off though in the end. Warm, feel-good read with holiday festivity.

Pub Date 12 Oct 2023
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

THE AUTHOR

Linn B. Halton is a #1 bestselling author of contemporary romantic fiction. In 2013 she won the UK Festival of Romance: Innovation in Romantic Fiction Award. Originally from Bristol, she now lives in the Welsh Valleys with her husband and Bengal cat, Ziggy.

For Linn, life is all about family, friends and writing. She is a self-confessed hopeless romantic and an eternal optimist. When Linn is not writing, she spends time in the garden weeding or practising Tai Chi. And she is often found with a paintbrush in her hand indulging her passion for upcycling furniture.

Her novels have been translated into Italian, Czech and Croatian. She also writes as Lucy Coleman.

Linn is represented by Sara Keane from the Keane Kataria Literary Agency.

Visit Linn & Lucy’s websites at:

Home

https://lucycolemanromance.com

285 pages St. Martins Press publisher September 26,2023 publish date

ABOUT THE BOOK

When fall rolls around, it’s time for Kerry Tolliver to leave her family’s Christmas tree farm in the mountains of North Carolina for the wilds of New York City to help her gruff older brother & his dog, Queenie, sell the trees at the family stand on a corner in Greenwich Village. Sharing a tiny vintage camper and experiencing Manhattan for the first time, Kerry’s ready to try to carve out a new corner for herself.

In the weeks leading into Christmas, Kerry quickly becomes close with the charming neighbors who live near their stand. When an elderly neighbor goes missing, Kerry will need to combine her country know-how with her newly acquired New York knowledge to protect the new friends she’s come to think of as family,

And complicating everything is Patrick, a single dad raising his adorable, dragon-loving son Austin on this quirky block. Kerry and Patrick’s chemistry is undeniable, but what chance does this holiday romance really have?

Filled with family ties, both rekindled and new, and sparkling with Christmas magic, BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG CHRISTMAS delivers everything Mary Kay Andrews fans adore, all tied up in a hilarious, romantic gem of a novel.

MY THOUGHTS

The Tolliver’s are Christmas tree farmers living in North Carolina. Every year they cart their trees to New York and make a nice profit. This year their dad is sick and can’t go, siblings Kerry and Murphy are tasked to do it this year.

Traveling in “Spammy”, an old vintage camper they set up the family stand on a corner in Greenwich Village. While there they meet the neighborhood, quite the eclectic group of people. The neighbors are charming and enjoy the fast-paced Manhattan lifestyle.

I enjoyed meeting single dad, Patrick, and his son, Austin. A slow burn romance starts but will anything come of it in the short time they are at the tree lot?


Heartwarming, MKA does it again, writing a hard to put down book tugging at your heartstrings. Old man Heinz was my favorite character and I enjoyed seeing the character development. He is hiding a secret but it’s wonderful seeing how he opens up to Kerry as he comes to trust her and lets her care for him. A little bit of Christmas magic comes alive in this book.

Pub Date 26 Sep 2023
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

THE AUTHOR

MARY KAY ANDREWS is the New York Times bestselling author of 27 novels (including Hello, Summer; Sunset Beach; The High Tide Club; The Weekenders; Beach Town; Save the Date; Christmas Bliss; Ladies’ Night; Spring Fever; and Summer Rental, all from St. Martin’s Press, as well as Savannah Breeze; Blue Christmas; Hissy Fit; Little Bitty Lies; and Savannah Blues, all Harper Collins), and one cookbook, The Beach House Cookbook.

A native of St. Petersburg, Florida, she earned a B.A. in journalism from The University of Georgia (go Dawgs!). After a 14-year career working as a reporter at newspapers including The Savannah Morning News, The Marietta Journal, and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, where she spent the final ten years of her career, she left journalism in 1991 to write fiction.

Her first novel, Every Crooked Nanny, was published in 1992 by HarperCollins. She went on to write ten critically acclaimed mysteries, including the Callahan Garrity mystery series, under her real name, Kathy Hogan Trocheck. In 2002, she assumed the pen name Mary Kay Andrews with the publication of Savannah Blues. In 2006, Hissy Fit became her first New York Times bestseller, followed by twelve more New York Times, USA Today and Publisher’s Weekly bestsellers. To date, her novels have been published in German, Italian, Polish, Slovenian, Hungarian, Dutch, Czech and Japanese.

She and her family divide their time between Atlanta and Tybee Island, GA, where they cook up new recipes in two restored beach homes, The Breeze Inn and Ebbtide—both named after fictional places in Mary Kay’s novels, and both available to rent through Tybee Vacation Rentals. In between cooking, spoiling her grandkids, and plotting her next novel, Mary Kay is an intrepid treasure hunter whose favorite pastime is junking and fixing up old houses.

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