Welcome back to The Starfish Café for a glorious summer, but with a few dark clouds on the horizon…
This is the final book in The Starfish Café series and is best enjoyed after reading the other two books in the series – Snowflakes Over The Starfish Café and Spring Tides at The Starfish Café.
A new beginning…
As her summer wedding to Jake approaches, Hollie is excited for their new beginning as a family. But when some unexpected news threatens the future she and Jake had hoped for, Hollie will need to find the strength to overcome heartache once more.
A fragile heart….
Single mum, Kerry, loves her job at The Starfish Café, but behind the brave smiles and laughter with customers there is a sadness deep within. So when someone from her past re-appears in her life, Kerry can either hide away or face her demons and try to finally move on from her heartbreak.
A summer to remember…
For Hollie and Kerry it promises to be an emotional rollercoaster of a summer, but the community at The Starfish Café will always be there to help them through – after all, with courage nothing is impossible…
Join top 10 bestseller Jessica Redland for a wonderful summer at the seaside, full of love, friendship and community spirit.
First of all even if I wasn’t a big fan of this author’s books, I would be drawn to this book because of its beautiful cover. I am always so happy when I see this author is releasing a new book. I have read so many of them including all in this series. I have really loved the Hedgehog series she’s released. Summer Nights at the Starfish Cafe is the third and final book in this series. I have loved meeting the characters, they feel like family now. Throughout the series the characters have their ups and downs. The book is written from the heart, a perfect women’s fiction book full of emotions and heart. Full of family, friends and pure emotion. A wonderful heartwarming read. I loved how uplifted I felt while reading this and greatly look forward to more by this author.
Pub Date 06 Apr 2023 I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
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The Author
Jessica Redland writes emotional but uplifting stories of love, friendship, family and community. HerWhitsborough Bay books transport readers to the stunning North Yorkshire Coast where she liveswith her husband, daughter and sprocker spaniel. Her Hedgehog Hollow series, set in a hedgehogrescue centre, takes readers into the beautiful rolling countryside of the Yorkshire Wolds
In 1944 in war-torn Dubrovnik Branko Milisic holds his newborn daughter Safranka and wishes her a better future. But while the Nazis are finally retreating, the arrival of the partisans brings new dangers for Branko, his wife Dragica and their new baby…
As older sister to two half-siblings, Fran has always known she has to fit in. But now, for the first time in her life Fran is facing questions about who she is and where she comes from.
All Fran knows about her real father is that he was a hero, and her mother had to flee Dubrovnik after the war. But when she travels to the city of her birth to uncover the truth, she is devastated to discover her father was executed by the partisans in 1944, accused of being a collaborator. But the past isn’t always what it seems…
My Thoughts
This is the first book I’ve read by this author. This is an incredible story that I connected with the characters right away. A beautifully written dual timeline I was immersed in the story as I read. I liked that the main character is a woman in her sixties as many books do not have a main character this age and it’s wonderful to see women this age shine. Though going by Fran her actual name is Safranka. Fran was born in Dubrovnik, Croatia and towards the end of the Second World War. Her stepfather has just passed away and her mother several years before this. She really didn’t know her father and she is upset that she can’t ask her mother about it. Having spent most of her life in England she knows she must go the land of her birth, Dubrovnik, Croatia. There she meets handsome men Vedran and his uncle Jadran. The descriptions of Croatia’s food, culture, scenery and its people made my imagination come alive. I could just picture it all. This is a journey she will take with Jadran who encourages her in her research to find out about her father’s life. She discovers to move forward in her journey you first have to move backwards, and the past is closer than you think. Such a beautiful story, very touching, heartwarming and will not be forgotten.
Pub Date: 01 Apr 2023 I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Eva Glyn’s The Collaborator’s Daughter is published by One More Chapter and is available to order HERE
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The Author
Eva Glyn writes escapist relationship-driven fiction with a kernel of truth at its heart. She loves to travel and finds inspiration in beautiful places and the stories they hide.
Her last holiday before lockdown was a trip to Croatia, and the country’s haunting histories and gorgeous scenery have proved fertile ground, driven by her friendship with a tour guide she met there. His wartime story provided the inspiration for The Olive Grove and his help in creating a realistic portrayal of Croatian life has proved invaluable. Her second novel set in the country, An Island of Secrets is a dual timeline looking back to World War 2, and although a contemporary romance featuring mature main characters her third, The Collaborator’s Daughter, has its roots in that conflict too.
Eva lives in Cornwall, although she considers herself Welsh, and has been lucky enough to have been married to the love of her life for more than twenty-five years. She also writes as Jane Cable.
With her heart in her mouth, Kitty let herself into her husband’s private study. She knew where he kept the papers that might save her dearest friend from the Nazis. She just had to steal them…
Vienna, 1937. When beautiful American Kitty becomes engaged to Austrian diplomat Edgar, she finds herself thrown into a very different world in Europe, and soon longs for home. But when the woman designing her wedding dress, Judith, takes Kitty under her wing, she sees the city of Vienna in a new light – a city of culture and music that she can explore with her new friend.
But when the Nazis come, the fact that Judith is Jewish means she is no longer safe. Kitty knows that as a diplomat’s wife she can steal the papers that will allow her closest friend to escape to safety, but will it mean betraying the love of her life?
Except that Edgar has grown distant and secretive since she joined him in Europe and, when war breaks out, Kitty wonders which side her husband is really on. And, as she prepares to betray him, Kitty begins to fear that she doesn’t really know the man she married at all.
Facing an impossible choice between her dearest friend and the man she loves, Kitty knows she must be brave, and do the right thing, no matter the personal cost…
An absolutely heartbreaking, powerful and gripping story about finding love, resilience and friendship in the midst of the darkness of World War 2. Perfect for fans of The Nightingale, My Name is Eva and All the Light We Cannot See.
The American Wife is the first book in a new series, The Diplomat’s Wife. As I’ve said many times before in my reviews, I love reading books I can learn from this one is a perfect example of this. Incredibly well researched, the time period taking place right before WW II starts. After an American woman, Kitty in Vienna has a whirlwind relationship and marriage to Austrian diplomat Edgar she feels in over her heard in Europe and longs for the comfort of home. A lovely Jewish woman, Judith, her first real friend in Vienna, Austria introduces her to culture and art. I enjoyed being introduced to the cultural aspect of the story. Our main characters Kitty and Edgar are based on facts gathered on many different actual people and rolled into these characters which I found to make such interesting characters. During the Austrian resistance in Vienna many people stood up to the Nazis. “An absolutely heartbreaking, powerful and gripping story about finding love, resilience and friendship in the midst of the darkness of World War 2.” Such a powerful read that will stay with me. I could not put it down.
Pub Date 14 Apr 2023 I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
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The Author
Chrystyna Lucyk-Berger is a Ukrainian-American who transplanted to Austria.
Born in 1969, she grew up in the culture-rich neighborhood of “Nordeast” Minneapolis and started her writing career with short stories, travel narratives, and worked as a journalist and managing magazine editor, before jumping the desk and pursuing her own writing and traveling.
Her books tackle David-vs.-Goliath themes with strong women battling for the Underdogs against a system, be it political, geographical, or industrial. Sometimes all three. “I enjoy discovering the good, the bad, and the ugly in my characters when they come into conflict,” she says. “And all of my stories have been inspired by injustices I’ve discovered along my travels.”
I am so happy to help kick off the blog tour on publication day of Jo Bartletts’ One Last Summer at Seabreeze Farm. I have been just loving this series and was so excited to see another addition to it.
About The Book
One Last Summer at Seabreeze Farm
A summer to remember…
Georgia Banks knows she’s living on borrowed time. So, when doctors tell her she’s got one last summer to make all her dreams come true, she’s determined to make every day count.
The one thing that’s never in doubt, is that she wants her best friend, Gabe, to be with her every step of the way. And so, Georgia draws up her not-a-bucket list with all the things she’s determined to tick off before she goes – number one of which is to spend one last summer by the sea.
Seabreeze Farm perched high on the cliffs above the English Channel is the perfect spot, and surrounded by the antics of its menagerie of rescued animals and the warmth of the friendship she’s offered there, Georgia starts to believe she can live out all her dreams before it’s too late.
And just when she thinks there’s nothing left to wish for, Georgia gets another chance at life. But taking it might mean losing the one person she cares about the most.
As she faces her biggest challenge yet, Georgia wonders if her last summer at Seabreeze Farm will mean the end of her biggest dream of all.
This book was previously published as One Last Summer at Channel View Farm
What an incredibly emotional book. I love this author’s books, and this is unlike any I have read from the rom com genre before. It emphasizes the importance of organ donation to help others in desperate need. I have always enjoyed reading the Seabreeze Farm series with its farmhouse perched high up on the cliffs above the English Channel. It truly sounds like the perfect relaxation place to be. Before you start reading this do have your tissues ready. Georgia and Gabe have known each other all their life, he has seen her in good times and bad. Recently its been more of her going through the bad times. You see Georgia has failing health and is told she has one last summer to make all her dreams come true. With her bucket list ready of simple things like spending her last days by the sea and having a puppy. She doesn’t dare to voice aloud her one wish she’s doesn’t in a million years think will come true. All these wishes, she wants Gabe by her side all the way. Gabe will be with her all the way as she gets her last wish filled in such an unexpected way. All the emotions with this one. I loved it!
Pub Date: 13 Apr 2023 I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
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The Author
Jo Bartlett is the bestselling author of over nineteen women’s fiction titles. She fits her writing in between her two day jobs as an educational consultant and university lecturer and lives with her family and three dogs on the Kent coast. Her first title for Boldwood is The Cornish Midwife – part of a twelve-book deal.
An irresistible story of love, friendship and the power of Games Night, perfect for fans of Holly Martin and Christie Barlow.
When Emily loses her job, house and boyfriend all within a matter of days, she’s determined to turn a negative into a positive and follow her dream of running a small cafe in the gorgeous Yorkshire village of Essendale.
But she quickly finds she’s bitten off more than she can chew when the ‘popular’ cafe she takes over turns out to secretly be a failing business. Emily desperately needs a way to turn things around, and help comes from the unlikeliest of places when she meets local board game-obsessed GP Ludek. But when a major chain coffee shop opens on the high street, Emily is forced to question if she’ll ever be able to compete.
Has she risked everything on something destined to fail? Or can a playful twist, a homely welcome, and a sprinkle of love make Emily’s cafe the destination she’s always dreamed of?
‘A heart-warming romance perfect for curling up with. I absolutely loved it’ – Kitty Wilson
Purchase Links
My Thoughts
What a delightful story by a debut author. After losing her fiancée and home in quick succession she knows she needs to do something. Moving in with her friend seems to be the best thing for Emily at the moment. When a big upset happens in our lives it can sometimes be the change we need and in this case it is. What seems like a lifetime ago Emily and her mother wanted to open up a little cafe together, unfortunately her mother passed away and Emily threw herself into other endeavors. Now with change out of her control it seems the perfect time to implement this change she can control, opening a cafe. Finding one in her price range hasn’t been easy but she does it, now to get more foot traffic and fix up the inside without it costing an arm and a leg. With no romantic relationship to hold her back timewise she gives it her all and starts living her dream of baking and running a little cafe all the while looking on YouTube for new coffee drink recipes. And still very few customers. A man she meets while out running and gets to talking to has an idea to have a game night at her cafe because the venue he uses has been double booked and the game night needs to go. Will the game night be enough to draw customers into her shop when she adds a few new items to her menu? I adored the idea of a cafe having a game night, it sounds so much fun while drinking delicious specialty coffees. The only thing needed would be to have a few cats lounging around in the cafe. Love and life start picking up. Can it last though at the fast pace it’s on? Delightful and a gem. I’ll be on the lookout for more by this author.
Pub Date 13 Apr 2023 I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
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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.
Save the date…! Olivia can’t believe it when her boyfriend, Teddy, proposes out of the blue. She loves him (of course she does!) BUT it does seem sudden, especially when they don’t even live together yet…There is only one place that Olivia has ever wanted to get married-a gorgeous venue on the Cornish coast, built by her grandfather. The problem is they only have one date available-and it’s only a few weeks away! Olivia isn’t so sure about rushing but Teddy jumps at the chance to be married within the month. Thrown into a whirlwind of wedding planning, alarm bells start to ring for Olivia. Are they doing this for the right reasons? Why is Teddy in such a rush? And when he fails to help with any part of the preparations, Olivia must find help elsewhere, with unexpected results…As the countdown begins, will the wedding go ahead? Or will Olivia find that her future happiness lies elsewhere…?
Better off Wed is another book by Rom Com author Portia MacIntosh . Her books are so much fun and are always a laugh out loud guarantee.
I was reading this and it’s going along fine and then all the sudden the book changes direction unexpectedly. In a book sometimes its good and sometimes it’s not. In this case this unexpected diversion was funny. I was rooting for the main character.
Where there is a major rush job on an upcoming wedding you can just imagine the chaos the ensues. A beach house with a beautiful view is where the family and everyone goes to plan the upcoming weddings, yes, a double wedding as her brother and his fiancée are marrying on the same date.
They double wedding is agreed upon because it is a family tradition to marry on the Cornish Coast in a barn her grandfather had built. With only one slot left and the wedding date so close they have only a few weeks to plan this wedding, throw in a fiancée who doesn’t want anything to do with wedding plans well you can see how much of a disaster this could really be.
The book had me laughing and just imagining what all could happen. Could a change of plans be in the works? Wonderful escape read that makes you feel happy with this read.
Pub Date: 10 Apr 2023 I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
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Author Bio –Portia MacIntosh is the bestselling author of over 20 romantic comedy novels. From disastrous datesto destination weddings, Portia’s romcoms are the perfect way to escape from day to day life, visitingsunny beaches in the summer and snowy villages at Christmas time. Whether it’s southern Italy or the Yorkshire coast, Portia’s stories are the holiday you’re craving, conveniently packed in between the pages. Formerly a journalist, Portia has left the city, swapping the music biz for the moors, to live the (not so) quiet life with her husband and her dog in Yorkshire.
413 pages Aria publisher September 2, 2021 publication date
About The Book
Escape to the snowy coast this Christmas with a warm festive read to melt your heart. ‘Like a big festive hug – warm, funny and oh so romantic’ – Holly Martin
It has taken Harriet years to get over the love of her life, but finally she has a dependable boyfriend, a secure job and a decent flat. As long as her thoughts never stray to Mack – the one who got away – she knows that life is good.
But when her beloved grandmother dies just before Christmas, Harriet drops everything to fly back to her childhood home: a white clapboard house nestled among the snow-covered beaches of the Hamptons, Long Island, USA.
Even in her grief, Harriet is determined to give her Grandpa and his neighbours a Christmas to remember. But her world is turned upside down when she sees Mack for the first time, and he begs her to give him a second chance…
Can Harriet forgive Mack and let him mend her broken heart? Or should she return to the safe life she came from?
Everyone LOVES Christmas by the Coast!
My Thoughts
Ready for a fun heartwarming story? Then may I suggest Christmas by the Coast? A fun feel good holiday read, perfect for anytime reading. Perfect for an afternoon escape read.
Just imagine the sandy beaches of Montauk, Long Island, the view, the crashing of the waves. If only her old boyfriend, ex-soldier Mack Wyatt wasn’t there and more determined than ever to win her back.
Her priority while in the Hamptons is her grandfather and comforting him as he’s grieving the passing of her grandmother. Harriet Cookson and Mack Wyatt were pen pals when he was off fighting in Afghanistan, but things moved on and Mack had a hard time adjusting to things that happened to him.
Fun, entertaining and emotional. This book has well-crafted characters, and I will be on the lookout for more by her.
Pub Date 02 Sep 2021 I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
The Author
Mandy Baggot is an international bestselling and award-winning romance writer represented by Tanera Simons of The Darley Anderson Literary, TV and Film Agency.
Mandy is best-known for her laugh-out-loud romantic comedies featuring strong heroines, gorgeous heroes and always that happy-ever-after!
The winner of the Innovation in Romantic Fiction award at the UK’s Festival of Romance, her novel, One Wish in Manhattan, was also shortlisted for the Romantic Novelists’ Association Romantic Comedy Novel of the Year award in 2016. Mandy’s books have so far been translated into Bulgarian, Czech, German, Hungarian and Italian.
Mandy loves the Greek island of Corfu, wine, cheese, Netflix, country music and handbags. Also a singer, she has taken part in ITV1’s Who Dares Sings and The X-Factor. Most recently, Mandy took part in BBC1’s Ready Steady Cook with Greek celebrity chef, Akis Petretzikis.
Mandy is a member of the Society of Authors and lives near Salisbury, Wiltshire, UK with her husband and two children.
In this uplifting inspirational romance series, award-winning author Amy Lillard unites a “Widows Club” of women who share solace, friendship, faith—and mouthwatering Whoopie Pies—in the Amish community of Paradise Valley, Missouri. Will appeal to fans of Charlotte Hubbard, Molly Jebber, Susan Lantz Simpson, and Kelly Long.
At the heart of a Missouri Amish community, a circle of caring friends—the Widows’ Club of Paradise Valley—sees each other through life’s storms, in this uplifting series from award-winning author Amy Lillard . . .
Joy Lehman has pressed on faithfully since losing her husband, raising their children and running a thriving bakery alone. Even caring for her oldest son, Johnny—seriously injured after a fall—has not shaken her fierce independence. Johnny will walk again, she’s sure. Until then, a meeting of the Widows’ Club at her home makes it clear that Joy must consider some costly renovations. Her brother-in-law, Uriah, is happy to provide the lumber and the labor—if Joy will accept his help.
Uriah understands family challenges—he’s a widower himself, and father to four daughters. Yet he can see that Joy’s struggle lies deeper than house repairs, in learning to accept an altered future for her son. As Uriah’s daughters begin helping in the bakery, and Joy and Uriah’s bond grows deeper, a new possibility glows bright—the unexpected happiness that lies in embracing one strong, united family, filled with support and love . . .
“Readers will delight in this sweet love story and stay hungry for the next installment.” –Publishers Weekly on Marry Me, Millie
My Thoughts
I can't even begin to tell you how much I enjoyed this book.
It was such a powerful and uplifting that I felt so good while I was reading it and even afterwards.
In this third book in the Paradise Valley series the “Whoopie Pie Widow’s Club,” a group of widowed women whom Joy is a part of help each other and others in need in the community in their time of need. In Joy's case she has a wheelchair bound son who is bitterly disappointed when doctors tell him he'll never walk again.
I just loved Joy's character, after her husband's death she has to support her children and she works long, exhausting hours in her home bakery, with very little help.
Widower Uriah, who happens to be her brother-in-law is contacted by the Widowers club to help with some home improvements at Joy's home to accommodate her son's wheelchair.
Joy and Uriah both being widowed with children have challenges in their daily lives but do have a positive outlook on life. I loved seeing the children from each family become more involved with the other family in trying to bring their parents together. I very much enjoyed meeting Johnny, Joy's wheelchair bound son and hope we'll see an update on him in a future book.
There is support from each family member as the relationship between Joy and Uriah progresses and I think they know how the relationship will turn out before the couple does.
Such a positive and uplifting book that I was happy to have read.
Pub Date 28 Mar 2023
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.
The Author
Amy loves nothing more than a good book. Except for her family...and maybe homemade tacos...and nail polish. But reading and writing are definitely high on the list.
Born and bred in Mississippi, Amy is a transplanted Southern Belle who now lives in Oklahoma with her deputy husband, their genius son, two spoiled cats, and one very lazy beagle. Oh, and don't forget the stray kitty that has taken up residence on her front porch. ^..^
When she's not creating quirky characters and happy endings, she's chauffeuring her prodigy to guitar lessons, orchestra concerts and baseball practice. She has a variety of hobbies, but her favorite is whatever gets her out of housework.
Amy also writes contemporary romances under the pen name Amie Louellen.
An award-winning author, Amy is a member of RWA and ACFW. She loves to hear from readers. You can find her on Facebook, Instagram, Google+, Twitter, Goodreads, and Pinterest. For links to the various sites, check her website: www.amylillardbooks.com.
Have a wonderful day and don’t forget to share a smile with someone.
After a rough year, the last place Lizzie Warner wants to be is Roseford. It may be a picture-postcard country idyll, but for Lizzie it will always hold difficult memories from her past. But when the alternative to staying with her Aunt Bee, owner of Roseford Blooms, is moving back in with her controlling parents – well, the choice is easy.
Simon Treloar was born and raised to be the Lord of the Manor, but now he’s had to hand over his beloved Roseford Hall to a heritage charity, he begins to question his usefulness. Can he find a way to make his mark, or is it better to walk away from generations of history and strike out on his own?
When Lizzie and Simon meet, they recognise kindred spirits in each other. But with both questioning their futures, can one magical summer in Roseford help Lizzie and Simon move on from what is holding them back? Or is there too much history on both sides for them ever truly to be happy together?
Once again back in scenic rural Roseford. I just love these books in the Roseford series. You feel like you’ve made some friends and they’ll have your back if problems arise over a cup of tea. Just put on the kettle. Our main character Lizzie Warner has gone through a rough spot the past year or so. Not wanting to move back in with her parents, her father is very controlling she goes to see Aunt Bee who runs Roseford Blooms floral shop. Unfortunately on the way there she’s in an accident and breaks her collarbone. Now I’ve never broken a bone, but I can imagine a broken collarbone is especially painful. Her aunt welcomes her with open arms. Simon Treloar was born and raised as lord of the manor but due to circumstances not of his making he’s had to hand it over to charity. I enjoyed seeing how cautious Lizzie and Simon are around each other though they are attracted to each other. They can sense a bit of a wariness in the other and don’t want to move things too quickly. A slow burn romance that I so enjoyed watching it play out. Aunt Bee is a sweetheart, so kind and understanding but she won’t let anyone get the best of her. There also is a wedding taking place with one of the characters from the last book and Aunt Bee is so busy planning it. When financial accusation gets put into Lizzie’s head it causes trouble with the couple. Will they be able to overcome this? Full of lighthearted characters and a fun plot I’m looking forward to the next book coming out by this author.
Pub Date 16 Mar 2023 I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
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About The Author
Fay Keenan is the author of the bestselling Little Willowbury series of novels. She has led writing workshops with Bristol University and has been a visiting speaker in schools. She is a full-time teacher and lives in Somerset.
Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.
How it works:
I assign each Tuesday a topic and then post my top ten list that fits that topic. You’re more than welcome to join me and create your own top ten (or 2, 5, 20, etc.) list as well. Feel free to put a unique spin on the topic to make it work for you! Please link back to That Artsy Reader Girl in your own post so that others know where to find more information.
This week’s topic is March 14: Books on My Spring 2023 To-Read List
I could list 100 books I’d love to read this Spring so I’m going to make it special and list books with flowers on the cover I’d love to read this Spring. I’m so ready for Spring and Flowers.
Romance has never been so sweet… While Holly Berry may have finally purchased Just One More and landed a date with one of Bourton-on-the-Water’s most eligible bachelors, it is far from plain sailing.
A face from the past threatens to torpedo Holly’s fledgling relationship before it even gets going.
Will everything go according to plan? Or is Holly’s dream life at risk of turning sour?
Starting over never tasted so good Holly Berry has it all: a good career, a steady boyfriend, and enough savings that the two of them will soon be able to buy a nice little house. But when she finds out her boyfriend has been cheating on her, she decides to retreat to the Cotswolds and a place full of far sweeter memories.
Quite literally.
However, Holly discovers the quaint village sweet shop she worked in as a teenager is starting to crumble. Putting all her chocolate eggs in one basket, she says goodbye to the city, and sets her sights on a new project.
After all, how hard can running a sweet shop be?
Full of laughter, sweet clean romance and cosy village life, The Sweet Shop of Second Chances will make you believe that the best things in life really are worth fighting for.
A heartrending story about a young mother’s fight to keep her daughter, and the winds of fortune that tear them apart by the USA Today bestselling author of The Nature of Fragile Things and The Last Year of the War.
California, 1938—When she loses her parents in an accident, sixteen-year-old Rosanne is taken in by the owners of the vineyard where she has lived her whole life as the vinedresser’s daughter. She moves into Celine and Truman Calvert’s spacious house with a secret, however—Rosie sees colors when she hears sound. She promised her mother she’d never reveal her little-understood ability to anyone, but the weight of her isolation and grief prove too much for her. Driven by her loneliness she not only breaks the vow to her mother, but in a desperate moment lets down her guard and ends up pregnant. Banished by the Calverts, Rosanne believes she is bound for a home for unwed mothers, and having lost her family she treasures her pregnancy as the chance for a future one. But she soon finds out she is not going to a home of any kind, but to a place far worse than anything she could have imagined.
Austria, 1947—After witnessing firsthand Adolf Hitler’s brutal pursuit of hereditary purity—especially with regard to “different children”—Helen Calvert, Truman’s sister, is ready to return to America for good. But when she arrives at her brother’s peaceful vineyard after decades working abroad, she is shocked to learn what really happened nine years earlier to the vinedresser’s daughter, a girl whom Helen had long ago befriended. In her determination to find Rosanne, Helen discovers that while the war had been won in Europe, there are still terrifying battles to be fought at home.
In the spirit of Colleen Hoover and Jojo Moyes’s Me Before You, an unforgettable and heartbreaking love story with an earth-shattering secret at its core that asks the question: is love worth risking everything for?
An earth-shattering secret. A life-changing love story.
When Wren realizes her fiancé is in love with someone else, she thinks her heart will never recover.
On the other side of the world, Anders lost his wife four years ago and is still struggling to move on.
Wren hopes that spending the summer with her dad and step-family on their farm in Indiana will help her to heal. There, amid the cornfields and fireflies, she and Anders cross paths and their worlds are turned upside-down again.
But Wren doesn’t know that Anders is harboring a secret, and if he acts on any feelings he has for Wren it will have serious fall-out for everyone. Walking away would hurt Wren more than she can imagine. But, knowing the truth, how can she possibly stay?
Secrets Sealed Within a Wall Come to Light in Lower Manhattan
Walk through Doors to the Past via a new series of historical stories of romance and adventure.
Investigative historical journalist Andrea Andrews is tired of waiting tables to make ends meet. If she could find and write the next breakout story, she could secure a promotion with Smithsonian Magazine as their writer-at-large. But not much happens in lower Manhattan out of the ordinary until she discovers post-Civil War counterfeit bills hidden in the wall of her historic district apartment.
Politics have always been Beau Davidson-Quincy’s passion, despite his family’s real estate empire. His clean image and single status make him a target in the media as he prepares to build his campaign for New York governor. He has nothing to hide until a cute waitress unravels a mystery that could destroy his family’s reputation.
Two centuries earlier, wounded Civil War veteran Franklin Davidson lost everything—his house, his wife, his standing in society. In his darkest moment, he’s awarded a position with the newly formed Secret Service to combat the spread of counterfeit U.S. currency. His life and new home in Gramercy Park are the envy of his peers, but nothing is as it seems. Secrets are meant to be kept, and Franklin will take his to his grave.
In this heartwarming small‑town romance, can three months, two planning projects, and a meddling grandmother finally make two high school hate crushes see just how right they are for each other?
Ambitious real estate agent Sinclair Buchanan is ecstatic to be her best friend’s maid-of-honor—until she discovers the best man is Garrett Davenport. Sin and Rett’s mutual hate crush ignited when they were teens and hasn’t let up since . . . except for that one extremely hot (and extremely regrettable) night they shared five years ago.
Nothing gets Rett fired up like going toe-to-toe with Sinclair. She’s as infuriatingly stubborn, and as absolutely gorgeous, as when he fell for her back in high school. Working together to plan their best friends’ last-minute wedding is one thing, but when his matchmaking grandmother gets involved Rett knows he’s in deep. Attraction has always simmered between them, but this time, they’re both in danger of losing their hearts.
Periwinkle-blue flowers spill over the picket fence, framing the simple wooden sign that reads Hydrangea House. But Molly’s eyes fill with tears. Her grandmother Beverley used to stand right there in the doorway, ready to welcome guests. Now Beverley is gone, will the inn close forever?
Grieving and newly single Molly Anderson begs the wealthy Frost family, owners of Hydrangea House, to allow her to run the inn for one last summer before they shut it down. She vows to give the final guests a summer to remember by the sea. It’s what Beverly—who worked uncomplainingly for the Frosts her whole life—would have wanted.
But when an elderly woman checks in claiming to know a secret about Beverly’s true connection to the Frost family, everything Molly knows about her beloved grandmother is called into question. The woman says that a message in a bottle hidden somewhere at Hydrangea House, will not only reveal the truth, but could stop the Frosts’ plan in its tracks.
Desperate to do whatever she can to save Hydrangea House, Molly combs the inn from attic to basement, helped by visiting oceanographer Matt. She could never get involved with a guest, but Matt’s kindness as he listens to her worries, and the way his deep brown eyes keep locking with hers are hard to ignore…
But as they fill their summer with searching, rumors and bad reviews about Molly start to spread. By delving into the mystery of the past, has she shattered any chance of the inn’s future? Can Matt be trusted, or is he more closely linked to the Frost family than she thought? And when she finally unlocks the secret about her grandmother, will it bring Molly peace—or tear her apart?
An absolutely gorgeous read about learning to trust, the meaning of home, and the importance of family. Fans of Debbie Macomber, Carolyn Brown and Mary Alice Monroe will be captivated.
Readers of Eve Chase, Kate Morton, and Anita Frank will devour this bewitchingly atmospheric, melancholy modern ghost story set in the lush hills of England’s Lake District. There, a solitary women’s quiet life spent in her crumbling ancestral manor house with the company of a child’s ghost is dramatically interrupted when her estranged sister returns to share a horrific story of cruelty and desperation from decades earlier…
Francine Thwaite has lived all her fifty-five years in her family’s ancestral home, a rambling Elizabethan manor in England’s Lake District. No other living soul resides there, but Francine isn’t alone. There are ghosts in Thwaite Manor, harmless and familiar. Most beloved is Bree, the mischievous ghost girl who has been Francine’s companion since childhood.
When Francine’s estranged sister, Madeleine, returns to the manor after years away, she brings with her a story that threatens everything Francine has always believed. It is a tale of cruelty and desperation, of terror and unbearable heartache. And as Francine learns more about the darkness in her family’s past—and the role she may have played in it—she realizes that confronting the truth may mean losing what she holds most dear.
As moving and poignant as it is chilling, Her Little Flowers is a story of grief and enduring love—and of the haunting regrets only forgiveness can dispel.
From the bestselling author of Christmas at The Highland Flower Shop writing as Lucy Coleman, comes a brand new series set in a Cornish Farmhouse.
When Jess Newman married the love of her life Ben she was sure they had what it took to stay together forever. So when Ben falls out of love with her only to promptly fall in the arms of new girlfriend, Naomi, she really doesn’t know how to come to terms with their divorce.
Thankfully Jess’s granddad, Gabe, has the perfect place for Jess and her eight-year-old daughter Lola to start afresh when he hands them the keys to his holiday home in Cornwall, a beautiful albeit rundown farmhouse – the fresh countryside air, the saffron buns and the seaside breeze might just be what the doctor ordered but soon it’s clear this fresh start includes a whole new set of complications…
Love isn’t blind, it’s just little blurry.
Sadie Montgomery never saw what was coming . . . Literally! One minute she’s celebrating the biggest achievement of her life—placing as a finalist in the North American Portrait Society competition—the next she’s lying in a hospital bed diagnosed with a “probably temporary” condition known as face blindness. She can see, but every face she looks at is now a jumbled puzzle of disconnected features. Imagine trying to read a book upside down and in another language. This is Sadie’s new reality.
But, as she struggles to cope, hang on to her artistic dream, work through major family issues, and take care of her beloved dog, Peanut, she falls in love—not with one man but two. The timing couldn’t be worse.
Making judgment calls on anything right now is a nightmare. If only her life were a little more in focus, Sadie might be able to have it all.
What do you think of my flower filled covers? Let me know your choices in the comments.
I am so happy to see you stopping in today!
(French Hybrid Lavender) is notable for its outstanding cold hardiness and tolerance to heat and high humidity. The plants grow into a beautiful, mounded shape, with purple flowers on tall stems in mid-summer.
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