416 pages Bethany House Publishers January 24,2023 publication date
About The Book
In two world wars, intelligence and counterintelligence, prejudice, and self-sacrifice collide across two generations In 1942, Evie Farrow is used to life on Ocracoke Island, where every day is the same–until the German U-boats haunting their waters begin to wreak havoc. And when special agent Sterling Bertrand is washed ashore at Evie’s inn, her life is turned upside down. While Sterling’s injuries keep him inn-bound for weeks, making him even more anxious about the SS officer he’s tracking, he becomes increasingly intrigued by Evie, who seems to be hiding secrets of her own.
Decades earlier, in 1914, Englishman Remington Culbreth arrives at the Ocracoke Inn for the summer, never expecting to fall in love with Louisa Adair, the innkeeper’s daughter. But when war breaks out in Europe, their relationship is put in jeopardy and may not survive what lies ahead for them.
As the ripples from the Great War rock Evie and Sterling’s lives in World War II, it seems yesterday’s tides may sweep them all into danger again today.
How do I even begin a review for this absolutely incredible book? Not much got done yesterday, I can tell you that. I read it all in one day.
We visit the Outer Banks in North Carolina several times a year and was so excited to see this took place there in Ocracoke Island, NC. I have been reading this author's books for years and she is an automatic read. I cannot resist her books. Her other books have been fabulous, I've loved them all but with this one she's totally blown it out of the water.
Taking place in two time periods, 1918 and 1942, it's always a treat to read a book taking place in multiple time periods with multiple points of view.
There is so much happening in each time period.
This historical fiction starts out in 1942 and I learned so much about this time period.
I found it fascinating to learn about the HMT Bedfordshire an armed naval ship in the service of the Royal Naval Patrol during WWII. It was sunk by the German submarine U-558 on May 11, 1942, off the coast of Ocracoke Island. It was staffed by British and Canadien crew.
Fascinating history switching between WWI era and WWII time periods the thread runs with the same family and includes not able to put it down action, heart-wrenching family drama, suspense and romance. There is a mixed-race relationship that leads to racism and discrimination which the author deals with carefully and respectfully.
I loved the book and am eagerly awaiting what this author puts out next.
Pub Date 24 Jan 2023
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.
About The Author
Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award nominated author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two kids, editing, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books…to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary. You can learn more about her and her stories at http://www.RoseannaMWhite.com.
Have you read this author yet? What are your favorite books by her?
Thank you for visiting the blog today. Have a wonderful day.
Welcome to another Top Ten Tuesday. This weeks’ topic is books you received as gifts but I’m going to change the topic up and list a few of the books I am looking forward to reading from my February 2023 NetGalley list. Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, visit and see more lists of wonderful books to read.
Clue meets Indiana Jones with a fiction-loving twist only Grace Percy can provide.
Newlyweds Lord and Lady Astley have already experienced their fair-share of suspense, but when a honeymoon trip takes a detour to the mystical land of Egypt, not even Grace with her fiction-loving mind is prepared for the dangers in store. From an assortment of untrustworthy adventure-seekers to a newly discovered tomb with a murderous secret, Frederick and Grace must lean on each other to navigate their dangerous surroundings. As the suspects mount in an antiquities’ heist of ancient proportions, will Frederick and Grace’s attempts to solve the mystery lead to another death among the sands?
The Cairo’s Curse is a delightful sequel to The Mistletoe Countess by Pepper Basham in the Freddie and Grace Mystery series.
A Gem of a Mystery Takes Center Stage
Walk through Doors to the Past via a new series of historical stories of romance and adventure.
Elise Malvern has a habit of letting people down. Her former boyfriend who hoped she’d be his bride. Her grandfather who hoped she’d take over the family’s auction company. But mostly she’s disappointed herself. What’s the point of pursuing her passion as a violinist, if she is too scared to audition for a seat in the Pittsburgh Symphony? Her internship at the elegant Heinz Hall places her in the wings of the stage, but never on it. By accident, she discovers an old stage prop. Her instincts tell her there’s more to the paste necklace than meets the eye. Whether a good idea or not, she accepts help from a childhood friend, who happens to be country music megastar—Pierson Brooks. Pierson and Elise share a history; one she doesn’t care to repeat. The more involved they become in the mystery, the more things get tangled, including her heart.
A century earlier… Sophie Walters longs for center stage, her name on the marquee, and all that jazz, but climbing her way into an acting career is more difficult than she imagined. Having spoiled all her chances in Hollywood, she returns to Pittsburgh, accepting an insignificant role in a popular production. She watches her dreams pass by from behind the curtain at the illustrious Loew’s Penn Theatre. She finally gets the coveted spotlight, but not for her talent. No, her surge to fame is all one terrible mistake. Somehow, she’s suspected to be a notorious jewel thief known around Pittsburgh as The Mirage. The man she pleads for help is none other than the man she jilted at the altar five years before, Sterling Monroe.
Even the best-laid plants can go awry…
After solving a murder and getting her organic farm ready to overwinter, Shiloh Bellamy still expects the next few months to be busy with repairs, spring planning, and networking with local businesses. She might even be able to broker a new partnership with Fields Brewery and its organic brewer’s association. Well, she could if the owner wasn’t found murdered at the county Ice Fishing Derby.
Once again, Shiloh gets tangled up in the investigation when the police ignore an entire crop of suspects to blame one of her friends. She’ll have to dig deep to find the truth, reel in a killer, and convince her city-slicker pug to wear his winter boots. But with Bellamy Farm still struggling, can Shiloh spare the time to look into the town’s fishy characters? Or will her dream farm be the next thing floating belly up?
USA Today bestselling Amanda Flower returns to the Farm to Table cozy mystery series with another exciting sleuthing adventure!
The next gripping and heartbreaking WWII historical fiction novel from international bestseller, Mandy Robotham.
Pianist: NOUN. Informal. A person who operates or controls a radio transmitter – often in code.
July, 1940
Blitz-ridden London: Marnie Fern’s life is torn apart when her grandfather is killed in an air raid. But once she discovers that he’d been working undercover as a radio operative – or Pianist – for the Dutch resistance, Marnie knows she must complete his mission – no matter the cost…
Nazi-occupied Amsterdam: At the other end of the wireless, fellow pianist Corrie Bakker is caught in a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse as she desperately tries to keep her loved ones out of the line of fire – even if it means sacrificing herself…
Bound together by the invisible wires of their radios, the two women lead parallel lives in their home cities, as both are betrayed by those they trust the most. But when the Nazis close in on one of them, only the other can save her…
Two cities. Two spies. But which woman survives?
In a cute new culinary cozy from USA Today bestselling author Sarah Fox, budding chocolatier Becca Ransom must solve a murder before she meets a sticky end.
Former actress Becca Ransom lived her dream in Hollywood for seven years before returning to her hometown of Larch Haven, known as the Venice of North America. The Vermont town has canals instead of roads, gondolas instead of cars, and charming cottages plucked from the pages of a fairy tale. It’s also where Becca is pursuing her newest passion as a chocolatier at True Confections, the chocolate shop owned by her grandparents, Lolly and Pops.
While Becca’s testing new flavors and reconnecting with old friends, the town is gearing up for the annual Gondola Races, popular with both residents and tourists, with one exception. Local curmudgeon Archie Smith wants nothing more than to keep tourists away from Larch Haven. He’s determined to derail this year’s event and does his best to stir up trouble for the organizers, including Becca’s grandfather.
Following a heated argument with Pops, Archie is found floating face-down in the canal, and Pops finds himself in hot water as one of the top suspects. Becca’s determined to clear her grandfather’s name, but when the case heats up, she could be facing a sticky end.
A swoony, slow-burn rom-com, Melonie Johnson’s Too Wrong to Be Right features a true romantic on a mission to find her happily ever after.
After her latest jerk of a boyfriend dumps her (and ditches her with his pet hedgehog), florist Kat Kowalski is done chasing after Mr. Wrong. With her two best friends moving on to more serious relationships, she’s ready to stop repeating the same mistakes that are leaving her stuck in the single lane. Armed with a list of qualities for her perfect Mr. Right, Kat swears off dating until she finds him.
Then in a meet-disaster involving a corpse and a salty cockatoo, she stumbles across Mick O’Sullivan at his family’s funeral home. Their immediate chemistry warns Kat to keep things platonic; after all, following her heart never worked out in the past, and this time she’s determined to listen to her head. But can Kat and Mick be just friends? As she gets to know him better, the lines blur, and Kat starts to wonder if she’s gotten it wrong and Mick is exactly who she’s been looking for…
New York Times bestselling author Shelley Shepard Gray returns with the second novel in her “tantalizing” (Publishers Weekly) Rumors in Ross County series. In Ross County, love can stay the course, but first you have to know who to trust.
There’s a lot going on in Joy Howard’s life. She’s got an ex-husband who starts acting like he doesn’t want to be an ex anymore, a sixteen-year-old daughter in need of a guiding hand and a lot of rides to dance practice, more orders for paintings than she has time to paint, and a roster of tutoring clients who sometimes need far more than she can give.
What she doesn’t have is time for a new relationship.
Samuel “Bo” Beauman is a lot of things. He’s a counselor for transitioning ex-cons, a good friend to many, a construction worker, a brother and son, and even a part-time model for a high-end sportswear catalog. He’s also a man searching for redemption.
One thing he isn’t is a man in need of a girlfriend.
But none of that seems to matter when Bo hears Joy’s kind voice in a crowded coffee shop. He instantly knows she’s someone he wants to know better. The two of them hit it off—much to the dismay of practically everyone they know—but Bo doesn’t care what other people think. He feels at peace whenever he’s with Joy, and he won’t let her go without a fight.
When Joy starts getting mysterious texts and phone calls from unknown numbers, she tries to ignore it. But instead of going away, the messages escalate and Joy realizes she can’t handle it alone. But she is juggling a jealous ex-husband, a handful of students with little to lose, and a brand-new boyfriend who spent several years behind bars. Who can she trust?
She gave up everything— and changed the world.
A riveting novel based on the true story of the woman who stopped a pandemic, from the bestselling author of Mrs. Poe.
In 1940s and ’50s America, polio is as dreaded as the atomic bomb. No one’s life is untouched by this disease that kills or paralyzes its victims, particularly children. Outbreaks of the virus across the country regularly put American cities in lockdown. Some of the world’s best minds are engaged in the race to find a vaccine. The man who succeeds will be a god.
But Dorothy Horstmann is not focused on beating her colleagues to the vaccine. She just wants the world to have a cure. Applying the same determination that lifted her from a humble background as the daughter of immigrants, to becoming a doctor –often the only woman in the room–she hunts down the monster where it lurks: in the blood.
This discovery of hers, and an error by a competitor, catapults her closest colleague to a lead in the race. When his chance to win comes on a worldwide scale, she is asked to sink or validate his vaccine—and to decide what is forgivable, and how much should be sacrificed, in pursuit of the cure.
One woman fights to hold on to her friends, her family, and all that she holds dear as a brewing conflict divides her small-town Georgia community in this powerful novel from the author of The Sweet Taste of Muscadines.
“This book is a treasure. Pamela Terry writes with a poet’s ear and a wicked sense of comic timing.”—Nationally bestselling author Barbara O’Neal
On the morning after Harry Cline’s funeral, a rare ice storm hits the town of Wesleyan, Georgia. The community wakes up to find its controversial statue of Confederate general Henry Benning destroyed—and not by the weather. Half the town had wanted to remove the statue; the other half had wanted to preserve it. Now that the matter has been taken out of their hands, the town’s long-simmering tensions are laid bare.
Without Harry beside her, Marietta is left to question many of her preconceived ideas about her friends and family. Her childhood friend, Butter, has come to her aid in ways Marietta never expected or asked for. Her sister-in-law, Glinda, is behaving completely out of character, and her brother, Macon, the top defense attorney in the Southeast, is determined to find those responsible for the damage to the statue and protect the legacy of Old Man Griffin, the owner of the park where it once stood. Marietta longs to salvage these connections, but the world is changing and the divides can no longer be ignored.
With a cast of compassionate, relatable characters, When the Moon Turns Blue is a poignant and timely novel about family, friendship, and what can happen when we discover that we don’t particularly like the people we love.
Will a big-city veterinarian give this small town—and the single dad who’s caught her heart—a chance?
Veterinarian Harlow Jones knew returning to small-town life, even temporarily, would be a disaster. She just never guessed it would start that way—with her car skidding off the road outside Mistletoe, Maine. And while her rescuer is both charming and handsome, Harlow isn’t about to get involved with a local. She’s in town for one reason only—to pay off her vet school bills—and then she’s back to her real life in Seattle.
Nick Keegan knows all about unexpected, life-altering detours. He lost his wife in the blink of an eye, and he’s spent the years since being the best single dad he can be. He’s also learned not to take anything for granted, so when sparks start to fly with Harlow, Nick is all in. He senses Harlow feels it too, but she insists romance isn’t on her agenda. He’ll have to pull out all the stops to show her that love is worth changing the best-laid plans.
Thank you for stopping by today. Are any of these titles on your want to read list? Do you see any new titles you are interested in reading?
A lively competition draws her into her rival’s blueprints–and maybe even his heart.
Olive Kentworth has spent her life hiding her interest in architecture, even though she pores over architectural books and sketches buildings. When she accepts a job on a home expansion, it’s only because her cousin Amos agrees to pose as the builder. To further hide her involvement, Olive takes a position as a nanny–not knowing that she’ll be working for her idol, Joplin’s leading architect, widower Maxfield Scott.
Maxfield is intrigued by his new nanny–she makes his home and his life bearable again. His work, on the other hand, is a disaster. An untrained builder is remodeling a completed project of his. What’s worse, Maxfield’s current client wants changes to his plans because of that builder’s work.
As the architectural one-upmanship heats up, Olive’s involvement becomes harder to hide. Will the relationship between her and Maxfield survive, or will they both miss out on building something for their future?
Calista York needs one more successful case as a Pinkerton operative to secure her job. When she’s assigned to find the kidnapped daughter of a mob boss, she’s sent to the rowdy mining town of Joplin, Missouri, despite having extended family in the area. Will their meddling expose her mission and keep Lila Seaton from being recovered?
When Matthew Cook decided to be a missionary, he never expected to be sent only a short train ride away. While fighting against corruption of all sorts, Matthew hears of a baby raffle being held to raise funds for a children’s home. He’ll do what he can to stop it, but he also wants to stop the reckless Miss York, whose bad judgment consistently seems to be putting her in harm’s way.
Calista doesn’t need the handsome pastor interfering with her investigation, and she can’t let her disguise slip. Her job and the life of a young lady depend on keeping Matthew in the dark.
My Thoughts
Oh, how I have loved this series and how well researched it is. I enjoyed reading the author’s notes at the end of the book, she lets us know that some of the characters are based off of actual Joplinites of an earlier time, including their name. She does this as a way to honor these individuals and because she finds some of these people fascinating. I enjoyed our character Olive, a woman architect who has hidden her interest and talent because this is not an occupation woman are “supposed” to have during this historical time period. Her reading choices are not the lady’s society page but rather architectural books and building blueprints. Now that’s one smart cookie. Agreeing to help with a home expansion, only because her cousin Amos, “is the builder”. Max, or Maxfield as he is sometimes called is so grateful for his new Nanny, she gives his life a little breathing room as she cares for his children and his home. On the other hand, his working environment is a mess with an incompetent builder who very possibly may make him lose an important work contract he has. The competition between builders was interesting to read about as you wondered what is going to happen. Will Olive be able to keep her work skills a secret from Max, and should she? I can understand her wanting to keep it a secret in this time period but as their relationship ramps up, she should be more open. I think women should have been more valued for their smarts back then instead of having to hide it so much. I will admit I love the humor the author inserts into her books; it always brightens my day when reading it. I enjoyed reading more about the early 20th-century mining town of Joplin, MO, and its people, the author tells it in such an interesting way. Though this is the end of our journey in this series, which I have enjoyed immensely by the way, I look forward to many more books by this author.
Pub Date 13 Dec 2022 I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Regina Jennings is the winner of the National Reader’s Choice Award and a finalist for the Christy Award, the Golden Quill and the Oklahoma Book of the Year Award. A graduate of Oklahoma Baptist University with a degree in English and a minor in history, Regina has worked at the Mustang News and at First Baptist Church of Mustang, along with time at the Oklahoma National Stockyards and various livestock shows. She lives outside of Oklahoma City with her husband and four children when not traveling the world.
A laugh-out-loud, opposites attract romance about three of the world’s most beloved C’s: Christmas, Coffee, and Cats.
Veterinarian and animal lover Kara Ingalls needs a Christmas miracle. Opening the Meow and Furrever Cat Café to find loving homes for adorable, adoptable cats was a dream come true—but with more cats than customers, it’s quickly turning into a nightmare. If Kara can’t figure out some way to get the café out of the red, it won’t last past the holidays.
Marketing guru Ben Reese may be annoyingly smart and frustratingly bossy, but when he hatches a plan to put the café in the “green” by Christmas, Kara realizes that she’d be a fool to turn down his help. And so what if he turns out to be an excellent problem solver and nerdy-hot—he can’t even handle fostering one little kitten. She needs to keep their relationship professional and focus on saving the cafe.
But if Ben and Kara can set aside their differences—and find homes for all the cats by Christmas—they might discover that, by risking their hearts, they’ll have their own purr-fect holiday . . . together.
My Thoughts
What a cute warm hug of a Christmas book. A Cat Cafe Christmas is the perfect read for your cold winter’s night while sipping hot chocolate with your cat(s) snuggled in your lap. This rom com features Ben and Kara. Kara is a veterinarian and co-owner of Meow and Furrever Cat Café. They need a Christmas miracle and plenty of donations to stay open and run the veterinarian’s office as a low cost one for the disadvantaged like she wants to. There are such cute blurbs at the beginning of each chapter talking about the cats for adoption.
With more cats than customers it looks like they may be in trouble. Ben is a marketing guru who decides to help put together a marketing plan to help the cats, it has nothing to do with how pretty Kara is of course. He just may turn from grumpy to sunshine the more time he spends with Kara though.
Kara and Ben both have a lot of healing to do though from previous relationships and are in this for the cats. Ben admits he is not at all a cat guy but when he takes a kitten into his apartment to watch for a bit with it’s crazy and mischievous antics it seems as though this little one has him now wrapped around its paw.
It’s heartwarming to see the healing process this couple is going through, and my favorite part is seeing the cats adopted into their forever homes. Warm, cosy, Christmas, romance and full of adorable and adoptable cats. What more could you want in a holiday read?
Pub Date 04 Oct 2022 I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
About The Author
About the Author
Codi Gary grew up in a small town in Northern California that no one has ever heard of. In 2011, Codi and her husband uprooted their two children and moved two states over to Southern Idaho. They only had one car and during their first Idaho winter, Codi read all the books on her shelf (TWICE) and played a lot of peek-a-boo. But one day, while her children were napping and her husband was at work, she sat down at her lap top and made a list of things she wanted to accomplish before she was thirty.
Number One- Lose weight (still working on that!)
Number Two- Finish one of her novels
Since the time she was eleven, reading and writing was an escape, but she could never finish a story. Life, school, love…she just kept getting distracted.
But in August 2012, Codi wrote “THE END” on her very first full length novel.
It had a little bit of everything in it and man, was it terrible. But it did give her something to work with…
The small town of Rock Canyon, Idaho.
In September 2012, Codi saw an “Open Call” for Valentine’s Day novellas from Avon Books, for their new digital imprint. She submitted her first contemporary romance novella to them and ten days later, she got an email…
“Hi Codi!
We really enjoyed THE TROUBLE WITH SEXY and would like to include it in our Valentine’s Day Anthology!”
Seven year and twenty-four books later, Codi is still writing. She is a member of the RWA Honor Roll, and her first full length novel, Things Good Girls Don’t Do, has sold over 100,000 copies. Right now, Codi is working on several projects and trying not to get caught up in Tik Tok. Follow Codi on social media for more updates, and adorable animal pictures!
Thanks so much for stopping in today. May your day be blessed.
A heartwarming and playful novel about the ones we love and the ones we lose by the New York Times bestselling author of This Time Next Year
What would you do if ‘the one that got away’ turned up the night before your wedding?
Head-in-the-stars Audrey is about to marry down-to-earth Josh. Though they are polar opposites, they have a healthy, stable relationship; Josh is just what Audrey needs. But romance should be unpredictable and full of fireworks, and as the big day approaches, Audrey’s found herself wondering if Josh really is “The One.”
So, when Josh’s sister shows up to the rehearsal dinner with Fred, Audrey’s “What If? guy”—the man she met six years ago and had one amazing day with—Audrey finds herself torn. Surely Fred’s appearance the night before she is due to get married can’t be a coincidence. And when everything that could go wrong with the wedding starts to go wrong, Audrey has to ask herself: Is fate trying to stop her from making a huge mistake? Or does destiny just have a really twisty sense of humor?
My Thoughts
This was a “I couldn’t put it down” kind of book. A Sophie Cousen’s book is truly a charmer, a book that’ll make you laugh, delight you and you’ll insist all your friends read it. There are some crazy things that happen in it, crazy but totally not out of the possibility of actually happening. There are multiple timelines in it so start each chapter looking at the timeline at the top of the page or you’re going to be lost. Our bride to be Audrey is set to marry Josh, but they are such opposites in so many ways. In the days leading up to the wedding she starts to doubt if marrying is the right thing as she remembers a past relationship, of one day and can’t stop thinking of it. It seemed so fun and that what if possibility lingers in her mind. The guy was so incredible and handsome. The possibilities are endless. Going back and forth from past times in this relationship to her time in the church leading up to the possibility of her wedding. There is a strong female friendship and a lot of support from her best friend, Clare at the church. I enjoyed Clare’s character, she is there for Audrey every step of the way, Audrey’s mother is there as well, she and her daughter are trying to get their adult relationship back on track. A guest from Audrey’s past that she hasn’t seen in over six years at her wedding has Audrey stressed and exhibiting self-doubt. Is Josh really the one she wants to spend the rest of her life with? I enjoyed Josh’s character; he puts up with Audrey when she has panic attacks and self-doubt. He is the most supportive husband to be even at times I think Audrey may not deserve it. Such a peppy and full of surprises book. I recommend this book.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Sophie Cousens started her career in television, where she produced, among other things, The Graham Norton Show, Big Brother, Ant and Dec and Russell Howard’s Good News. Working in TV taught her three things;
1 – Wearing a lanyard makes you look as though you know what you are doing.
2 -The best phrase you can contribute in meetings is “let’s action that!”If you say it often enough, hopefully someone else will do your work for you.
3 – If in doubt, find someone wearing a lanyard – they’ll know what to do.
Sophie currently lives in Jersey where she now writes full time. She lives with her husband Tim and has two small children who keep her occupied with important questions such as ‘but did Cinderella have a toothbrush?’ and ‘do giraffe’s know they have really long necks?’ She yearns for a time when she will be able to add a miniature dachshund to the party.
Thank you for stopping in today. Have a wonderful day.
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Today I am delighted to post my review of a new series I’ve discovered that is so much fun. Come join me.
About the Book
Frost Falls at The Potting Shed: An absolutely heart-warming and feel-good read to cosy up with this Christmas!
From the author of the bestselling Mill Grange series a new exciting series perfect for fans of Cathy Bramley, Jo Thomas and Trisha Ashley!
It has always been Maddie Willand‘s dream to take over her father’s plant nursery. But after his sudden death, she is devastated to discover that she might lose The Potting Shed forever.
Maddie’s bossy older sister, Sabi, is joint owner of the nursery, and she’s convinced that the best thing for both of them would be to sell up. Determined to keep the business going, Maddie can’t afford any distractions, but staying focused might be harder than she thinks when – after a major garden centre chain puts in an offer – her search for legal advice throws her into the path of attractive lawyer Ed…
As frost begins to fall over The Potting Shed, will Maddie find the strength to save her father’s legacy and open herself up to new beginnings?
Readers love Frost Falls at the Potting Shed!
My Thoughts
Frost Falls at the Potting Shed is the start of a brand-new series, The Potting Shed, #1. I really enjoy gardening and even though it’s Fall here in the states and the only gardening I’m currently doing is watering house plants I really enjoyed it. Maddie Willand and her bossy, older sister Sabi are devastated by the sudden and unexpected death of their father. The Potting Shed was their father’s whole life, he put everything he had into it and his daughter Maddie still does as well. Looking at the books after his death she’s devastated to learn the shop is badly in the red. Maddie and Sabi are co-owners of the shop but having totally different outlooks on life makes for an incompatible relationship. Maddie is desperate to keep the shop running and honor her father’s memory and she plain just loves the shop with all the family memories it holds. Sabi doesn’t put any stock into sentimental memories and is ready to sell it out from under Maddie. She even goes as far as making devious plans to try to get it sold. Try as she may to hold onto the shop Maddie knows it may all be futile in the end if something doesn’t come up and quickly at that. This is such a feel-good sentimental journey. It’s not only charming but there is a sweet Christmassy vibe intertwined within the pages as well. I loved the descriptions in the potting shed, Christmas trees, mistletoe, poinsettia and hot chocolate. Throw in the distraction of a sweet new romance and what more could you need? A definite must read!
Usually to be found within range of plate of hot buttered toast, a huge mug of black coffee, and a with a bar of emergency chocolate tucked in her jacket pocket, Jenny Kane spends her days in her local café typing away…
Inspired by everything and anything, Jenny combines her past experiences as an archaeologist, university tutor, cheese seller, newsagent, Welsh hat maker, Robin Hood obsessive, and data clerk, with the sights and sounds of everyday life, to weave tales of relaxingly relatable romance.
Look out for the brand new #MillGrange series – including Midsummer Dreams at Mill Grange – and the forthcoming, Autumn Leaves at Mill Grange and Spring Blossom at Mill Grange.
Jenny’s Cornish novels – A Cornish Escape and A Cornish Wedding have received fabulous reviews and her romcom, Another Cup of Coffee, was a long-time bestseller – as were its sequels – Another Cup of Christmas, Christmas in the Cotswolds, Christmas at the Castle and Another Glass of Champagne.
Jenny also writes historical mysteries under the name of Jennifer Ash.
Another year has passed and it’s Christmas again. This year best friends Chloe, Jules and Lucy are all loved up but living worlds apart.
Chloe is madly in love with her celebrity beau, Archer, but after a whirlwind year in Hollywood’s limelight, she’s desperate to get away and spend some quality time together.
Jules loves her Melbourne life – and gorgeous winemaker Matt – but a crowded flat share has her longing for a place of her own.
Meanwhile, Lucy is stuck in a long distance relationship, jetting back and forth between Colorado and London to see Will.
When Archer’s plan to whisk Chloe to Paris goes awry, he surprises her by bringing her friends together for a Christmas to remember…
The perfect feel-good holiday romance for fans of Sarah Morgan, Jo Thomas and Holly Martin.
What a fun adventure THE CHRISTMAS TRIP is. It is the follow up to The Christmas Swap. It’s so much fun meeting up with the characters again and adding in a few new friends. Set in the beautiful surroundings of Hawaii you won’t feel any less Christmas spirit because of the lack of snow. The friends and their beaus are back at it again meeting up and relaxing after working and having so much going on. I loved the setting of their vacation, Hawaii plenty of delicious authentic foods, decorations, holiday singing and all around that happy Christmassy vibe. Full of love, laughter, strong friendships, a bit of drama, fun surprises and joy. I fell in love with this delightful book and its marvelous characters.
Pub Date 10 Nov 2022 I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
About The Author
I’m a writer, traveller and hopeful romantic with a lengthy bucket list. I love exploring new places, outdoor adventures, and eating and drinking like a local when I travel, and many of my travel adventures have found homes in my novels. I’m also an avid reader, a film buff, a wine lover and a coffee snob.
My first novel, a romantic comedy set in Greece and inspired by my real-life love story, was published in June 2019 by One More Chapter (HarperCollins). In 2020, two follow-ups in the Holiday Romance series hit the shelves: That Night in Paris and A Sunset in Sydney. 2021 saw the publication of my 5th novel, The Dating Game, which is set in the fascinating world of Reality TV. The next two books in the Holiday Romance series are set in Bali and Tuscany and they’ll be followed by The May Ladies’ Christmas, a follow-up to The Christmas Swap, my Christmas book from 2020.
Like most authors I have a dozen ideas humming away in the background for new stories. Next, I’ll be working on a new romcom series!
I am represented by Lina Langlee of The North Literary Agency.
New York Times bestselling author Lori Wilde returns to Twilight, Texas, with a delicious love story about a sexy cowboy and a love-shy nurse determined to win the Christmas Cookie Bake-off challenge.
He’s sexy, single, and he can bake!
Roan Sullivan is the answer to Jazzy Walker’s prayers. The doting single dad is also fresh off his win on a popular cooking show and a whiz at campfire cooking, so who better to help her win this year’s annual cookie bake-off? With his help, Jazzy is sure she can finally take first prize right out the grasping hands of Andi Browning, the gal who stole her fiancé right from under her nose.
A widower with a four-year-old daughter, Roan tells himself there’s a million reasons not to help Jazzy. She’s too kind, too optimistic, and could do so much better than hitching up with a curmudgeon like him. But every time she draws near, he can’t help but wonder if he could open his heart and love again.
As the holidays come closer, the magic of Twilight starts to weave its spell…and soon it’s not just the competition that’s heating up, it’s the hot sizzle between Roan and Jazzy.
My Thoughts
The Cowboy Cookie Challenge is the thirteenth book in the Twilight,Texas series. This is such a fine series. I have really enjoyed the books I’ve read in this series. Twilight,Texas is a beautiful place that you will definitely want to visit. A charming small town pediatric nurse Jazzy Walker meets Roan Sullivan when he brings his daughter in to be treated. Yes Roan is attracted to Jazzy but he’s still grieving the loss of his wife,doing the single daddy thing to his 4 year old daughter and just happens to be ten years older than Jazzy. I loved the daughter she has such a fun,mischievous personality. Now not only is this guy good looking , he can bake too. Actually he’s just won a baking competition and is encouraging Jazzy to enter the cookie baking contest with something that’ll really catch their attention. I had never heard of baking cookies over a campfire, sounds like you need a special technique but it sounds like a sure fire winner to me. I loved the slow burn relationship Jazzy and Roan had and seeing their characters develop. This couple has quite the chemistry. This is a wonderful series!
Pub Date: 25 Oct 2022 I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Lori Wilde is an award-winning, New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers’ Weekly bestselling author of 97 works of romantic fiction. Her writing has won numerous awards and her books have been translated into 26 languages, with more than four million copies of her books sold worldwide. Her series The Wedding Veil Wishes inspired three movies from Hallmark starring Lacey Chabert, Autumn Reese, and Alison Sweeney. The movies broke viewing records for Hallmark.
Lori is a registered nurse with a BSN from Texas Christian University, along with a Master in Liberal Arts from the same university. She holds a certificate in forensics and is also a certified yoga instructor. A sixth-generation Texan, Lori lives with her husband, Bill, in the Cutting Horse Capital of the World.
In this best-friends-to-lovers romance, mistaken identity leads to a Halloween hook-up that might not be so mistaken after all.
After losing her husband last winter, the thought of hosting a Halloween couples costume party is the furthest thing from Kelsey O’Henry’s mind. Besides raising three young children, managing O’Henry’s Bar and Grill, and caring for her alcoholic mother, she has more important things to worry about. Like the stack of unpaid business loans that threaten the bar’s existence. As well as her newfound feelings she’s developed for her best guy friend.
Davis Vance is tired of being followed around by cameras. He misses the days before he and his twin brother became “Renovation Dudes”—hosts of an HGTV show. When Davis learns Kelsey could lose the bar at the end of the fall season, he sees it as an opportunity to not only help his friend, but as a way out of renewing his HGTV contract.
There’s just one problem—lately Davis’s feelings for Kelsey have been less friendly and more romantic. And on the night of the bar’s Halloween party, both Kelsey and Davis can no longer ignore their desires. Will their passionate evening be a one-night stand—only a flicker of heat during the crisp autumn, or will she risk her pride and accept his help?
Pumpkin patch in autumn.
My Thoughts
I am a cover lover. I’ll admit to judging a book by it’s cover. There are so many book options out there so an appealing cover makes me much more likely to want to grab a book to read and this one did it for me. This book is perfect for this time of year. It has such a Fallish/Halloweenish vibe all the way through it and it was great. Tricked in October has a woman who lost her husband last winter. She has so much going on she’s tripping over her own feet trying to get it all done. She has three young children,an alcoholic mother who also runs a bakeshop that she wants her to help manage, a bar she’s about to lose because of back bills and more. O’Henry’s Bar and Grill was her late husband’s bar and though Kelsey O’Henry runs it because it’s been in her husband’s family a long time she feels she should pass it down to her children but it’s giving her more stress than she can handle. Throw in her best guy friend Davis Vance, she seems to be falling for him. With her responsibilities she really doesn’t need this complication. Davis and his twin brother are filming a HGTV show and are recognizable now. One twin enjoys the extra attention from women,one does not. Davis has been friends with Kelsey for a long time and would love to move this relationship to a more personal level but will the timing be right or will the Halloween chill be in the air between them? Loved the Fall vibes in this and will be looking forward to read more by this author.
Pub Date 25 Oct 2022 I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Starla DeKruyf started writing when she still had words left to say and everyone stopped listening. Her love of romance novels began when she borrowed her friend’s copy of Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume and kept it hidden from her mom. When she’s not slinging coffee, volunteering with youth, or taxiing her kids around, you can find her jamming out to her playlists and writing her next swoony romance, usually by hand. She lives in Spring, Texas, with her husband, three children, an English Mastiff, and a rescue pup.
When sparks start flying, these total opposites discover Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year.
To raise enough money to start her own business, Nola Bennett needs to sell “The Castle,” her beloved grandmother’s historic house, and get back home to the city. But Heart Lake’s most eligible bachelor is insisting she hang on to the property. He may be one of the hottest, grumpiest men she’s ever seen, but Nola has no time to pine over her high school crush.
All woodworker Tanner Dean wants for Christmas is some peace and quiet, but that’s not going to happen with infuriating, irresistible Nola Bennett back in town. How can he persuade her to keep The Castle out of the hands of greedy developers when sizzling attraction flares every time they’re together? And the more time he spends with Nola, the harder it becomes to picture a future without her—unless he can convince her, once and for all, that Heart Lake is exactly where she belongs.
My Review
We all want to be home for the holidays, but what if home really doesn’t feel like home anymore? Nola Bennett needs to sell “The Castle” her grandmother’s historic house in Heart Lake since she has passed. Coming back to her hometown with all it’s memories of the good times in this small charming town,her best friend who still lives there and the many memories of visiting with her grandmother, not to mention this is where her first love still lives . None of these memories should deter her from what she needs to do, sell the house and be on her way back to the big city where she has moved on with an important job and no thoughts of this small town life. This charming Hallmark like plot was such a fun read. The setting was atmospheric and romantic. Loved the setting of the snow storm. Nola wants to run back to the big city as soon as she takes care of business but Tanner Dean her previous flame is the nostalgic type wanting her to stay in this small hometown of theirs,remember the good times and not sell the “Castle”. A whimsical,small town charming romance full of plenty of heartwarming scenes and Christmas charm. Now this is definitely worth a second read this holiday season.
Pub Date 27 Sep 2022 I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
About Sarah: Sarah Robinson first started her writing career as a published poet in high school, and then continued in college, winning several poetry awards and being published in multiple local literary journals.
Never expecting to make a career of it, a freelance writing Craigslist job accidentally introduced her to the world of book publishing. Lengthening her writing from poetry to novels, Robinson published her first book through a small press publisher, before moving into self-publishing, and then finally accepting a contract from Penguin Random House two years later. She continues to publish both traditionally and indie with over 18+ novels to her name with publishers like Penguin, Waterhouse Press, Hachette, and more.
In her personal life, Sarah Robinson identifies as queer and is happily married to the gentle giant of her dreams. The duo recently welcomed to the world their first baby, Norah Grace. They have a home full of love, snuggly pets, and are living in Arlington, Virginia.
Thank you for visiting. Have a beautiful day and stay safe. What makes you want to read Dreaming of a Heartlake Christmas?
