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LBT Blog tour for The Photograph by Diane Clarke

ABOUT THE BOOK

Caryl Hunter believes she lost her brother during the wartime evacuation of 1939. Her adoptive mother denies his existence and Caryl was too young to remember with certainty.

When she finds a black and white photograph of her family standing on a London station, in
the company of a mystery boy, her determination to find him reignites.

In 2020, Caryl’s daughter, Megan, takes up the search for her missing uncle. Confronted by
her own secret, will she ignore it or will she remember Caryl’s lifelong torment and avoid the
mistakes of the past?

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My THOUGHTS

I knew this one would be an enjoyable read as soon as I started it. I was intrigued as I read. First, we start off 3-year-old Caryl Hunter evacuated with many other children from London during the start of WWII to Wales. Her host, Gwen becomes her adoptive mother who is dealing with her own grief at the loss of her husband to the war. Told she was an only child Caryl always had a sense of loneliness growing up that continued into her adulthood. Searching for answers, she feels as though she remembers a brother but doesn’t remember the details. Wanting answers about her biological mother her adoptive mother is no help and shuts her down when she questions her. I could feel Caryl’s pain as she diligently and fruitlessly searches for answers as her life feels so incomplete.
The book is a dual timeline as it features Caryl’s daughters and the struggles they have as well. We revisit the pandemic and how the world shut down for a while as we quarantined and the struggles, we all went through. A secret buried so deep she thought it would never see the light of day, now she realizes her choices she made so many years ago have been laid bare with possible devastating consequences. Family secrets, lifelong searching, betrayal, a need for answers. A book I simply couldn’t put down! The characters faced a lot of adversities, so well written. I enjoyed the author’s writing voice and will be on the lookout for more by her.

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

US Amazon buy link

287 pages May 1,2024 publication date Publisher ‏ : ‎ Wings ePress, Inc.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Before completing her debut novel, ‘The Photograph’, Diane’s writing journey began with short stories. Her writing credits include Flash Fiction and Short Stories published in several anthologies including success in the Sydney Hammond Memorial Short Story Competition – ‘A life Lesson’, 2nd Place (2019) and ‘Courting Danger’, Longlisted (2020).

Though happily settled in Brisbane, Australia since 1996, much of her inspiration comes from the UK. Using stunning locations as the backdrop, her novels feature restless women craving truth, identity and love. She propels her female protagonists into complex family predicaments where they must deal with the agony of missing siblings, absent fathers or ethical dilemmas. When not writing she takes long walks in the Australian bush, upcycles vintage furniture, spends time with family and friends and spoils her cavoodle puppy.

Have a wonderful day and thanks for stopping in.

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Blog Tour for Escape to the Irish Village by Ann O’Loughlin

Sorry I am posting late. I read the wrong book for the tour, it had a very similar name and I had to scramble to read this one quickly.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Emma Wilson is running from a broken marriage after her life has been torn apart, and she’s desperate to start over. Escaping to a small Irish village, Emma begins working for seventy-five-year-old fashion enthusiast Judith McCarthy in her beautiful manor house at the heart of the tight-knit community. The quirky locals give Emma a warm welcome and, inspired by Judith’s passion for life, Emma hopes she can rebuild her life in this village by the sea.

As Emma and Judith’s lives intertwine, Emma meets Judith’s brooding son Miles. At first, the two argue over everything, clashing over decisions about the estate and how to support Judith. But when Emma begins to see a different side to Miles – a hardworking man who will do anything for his family – she can’t deny the attraction between them. But can she open her heart and love again?

Soon Emma realises that Judith’s bold spirit is hiding deeper troubles. The village that means so much to them both is in danger of being destroyed, and protecting their home will be the biggest challenge of Judith’s life. It seems the two women have been thrown together when they need each other most…

Can Emma and Judith save the village? And will Emma build a future with Miles? Or will she lose the only place that has ever felt like home…?

A page-turning and life-affirming novel about the power of female friendships, the importance of community and the magic of second chances. Perfect for fans of Susanne O’Leary, Cathy Kelly and Mary Alice Monroe.

MY THOUGHTS

Where to even start with this review.
I’ve read other books by the author but none quite like this one.
My emotions were on an absolute roller coaster while I read this one and I do wish the book could have gone on longer or maybe a sequel it.
Not many books can capture my heart and soul such as this one set in Killcawley, a small fictional village in Ireland.


Emma, escaping from an abusive marriage runs as far as she can where she thinks her husband won’t find her. The description of Killcawley Estate took my breath away. Sprawling, spectacular I want to go there right now.


Owner, Judith is a quirky seventy-five-year-old woman who enjoys doing fun Instagram videos of all her spectacular vintage fashions. It works out well as Emma is hired as a personal assistant to Judith who in turn gets someone to shoot her Instagram videos. Though Judith enjoys her fashions her videos also have a more serious side to them, help save the manor from a buyout and destruction.


The longer Emma is there the more she gets to know the other staff of the estate and Judith’s friends. Judith considers all her staff as family including Emma. I enjoyed seeing the tight bond the characters have with each other. The book had a bit of suspense and a feel of danger to it that was revealed as time went on.

Emma and Judith both have secrets they have kept for various reasons, and it really brought the story into a clearer picture when they were revealed. Reading this I felt close to the characters as though I were part of the family observing the going on’s firsthand.


I could barely put this down and I’m off to see what I’ve missed by the author I’ve yet to read.

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

Buy Link: https://geni.us/B0CXJTTZL8social

VISIT OTHER BLOGS ON THE TOUR

Author social media:

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/annolwriter

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annoloughlinbooks/Newsletter: https://www.bookouture.com/ann-oloughlin

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ann is the Irish author of five novels and has been translated into eleven languages. Her first novel The Ballroom Cafe was also an ebook bestseller and in the top 20 bestselling books of 2015 on Amazon UK. Ann loves to write and often gets up at 5am to get the words down, before starting her other job of writing as a news reporter. A leading journalist in Ireland, Ann has covered all major news events in a long career with Independent Newspapers, Ireland. She is now a senior journalist with the Irish Examiner specialising in legal issues. Ann has also lived in India. Originally from the west of Ireland she now lives on the east coast with her husband and family.

Have a beautiful day. Thank you for stopping in.

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The Last Restaurant in Paris: Completely heartbreaking and gripping World War 2 fiction

332 pages Bookouture publisher Pub Date 18 Jul 2022 

ABOUT THE BOOK

Paris 1944. To save her people, she served the enemy.

In enemy-occupied Paris, as the locals go to bed starving and defeated by the war, music and laughter spills through the door of a little restaurant, crowded with German soldiers. The owner Marianne moves on weary feet between its packed tables, carrying plates of steaming, wholesome food for the enemy officers. Her smile is bright and sparkling, her welcome cordial. Nobody would guess the hatred she hides in her heart.

That night, the restaurant closes its doors for the final time. In the morning, the windows are scratched with the words ‘traitor and murderer’. And Marianne has disappeared without a trace…

Years later, Marianne’s granddaughter Sabine stands under the faded green awning, a heavy brass key in her hand, staring at the restaurant left to her by the grandmother she never met. Sabine has so many questions about herself. Perhaps here she can find answers, but she knows she isn’t welcome. Marianne was hated by the locals and when Sabine discovers they blamed her for the terrible tragedy that haunts the pretty restaurant, she is ready to abandon her dark legacy.

But when she finds a passport in a hidden compartment in the water-stained walls, with a picture of a woman who looks like her grandmother but has a different name, she knows there must be more to Marianne’s story. As she digs into the past, she starts to wonder: was her grandmother a heroine, not a traitor? What happened to her after the tragic night when she fled from her restaurant? And will the answer change her own life forever?

A haunting and compelling story of love, strength, and sacrifice in Nazi-occupied Paris as one brave young woman risks everything to save the lives of those around her. Fans of The Nightingale, The Paris Library and The Alice Network will lose their hearts to The Last Restaurant in Paris.

Photo by JOHN TOWNER on Unsplash

MY THOUGHTS

A dual timeline taking place in modern times of 1987 and WW11 years. A gentle back and forth storyline each one easy to follow. Sabine finds out she has inherited a restaurant business in Paris from her grandmother. She is shocked to find out family secrets she had known nothing about.


The author vividly brings the story to life, and it is based on true events. Finding out these secrets is haunting as we can easily visualize the restaurant full of life.

While the young pretty owner of the Parisian restaurant smilingly serves the enemy German soldiers no one can guess the secret she harbors in her heart. Heartbreaking and thought provoking.

The main plot of the story is the action taken that causes her to be labeled a traitor and murderer. I enjoyed reading Gabriel’s thoughts as he actually knew Marianne during WWII. The book has the running of the restaurant as the main focus during the war, which is different than many books, I’ve read but it works well.

This is a book that won’t be easily forgotten.

Pub Date 18 Jul 2022
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lily Graham is the author of the bestselling, The Last Restaurant in Paris, The Paris Secret and The Island Villa, among others. Her books have been translated into numerous languages, including French, Italian, Polish, Portuguese and Turkish.

She grew up in South Africa, and was a journalist for a decade before giving it up to write fiction full time. Her first three novels were lighter, women’s fiction, but when she wrote The Island Villa, a story about a secret Jewish community living on the tiny island of Formentera during the Spanish Inquisition, she switched to historical fiction and hasn’t quite looked back since.

She lives now in the Suffolk coast with her husband and dog.

Thank you for stopping in and enjoy your weekend.

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Christmas in July Reads, Snowflakes and Secrets in the Scottish Highlands: A totally gorgeous and completely addictive Christmas romance by Donna Ashcroft

254 pages publication date September 27,2022 Bookouture publisher

About The Book

Step into Christmas Village in the Scottish Highlands where you’ll find plenty of mulled wine, romance and secrets! And join Merry McKenzie as she stays at her Aunt Ava’s cottage for the winter festivities to try and mend her broken heart…

Thirty-one-year-old Merry has vowed never to have her heart broken again. When her Aunt Ava asks her to house-sit Chestnut Cottage to look after her menagerie of animals, Merry jumps at the opportunity. Perhaps spending Christmas in the snowy Scottish Highlands will be just the escape she needs…

But on her first night in the little cottage everything goes wrong. The lights don’t work. It’s freezing cold. She has to call out the local vet, Theo Ellis-Lee, to help her calm down her aunt’s over-excited pet turkey. Merry realises she’s completely out of her comfort zone and it doesn’t help that Theo is both infuriatingly cheerful and insanely attractive.

It gets worse when Theo begins stopping by the cottage every day to check on the unruly animals. Merry wanted to prove that she doesn’t need a man holding her hand all the way. And Theo wasn’t part of her plans to be home alone for Christmas. Except Merry can’t deny the handsome vet sets her pulse racing…

Merry tries to keep up her Scrooge-like persona, but gradually Theo begins to melt her heart with his cheeky sense of humour and smouldering looks. As the two of them share cosy evenings drinking wine and eating cookies, Merry lets down her guard for the first time in a very long time.

But when Merry discovers Theo has been keeping a secret from her, it makes her wonder if she can really trust him. Can Theo convince Merry to give him a second chance? Or will Merry leave Christmas Village and return home heartbroken?

My Thoughts

Merry McKenzie is visiting the Scottish Highlands for Christmas. Now I’ve never visited there myself, but the book sure makes it sound like the perfectly festive getaway.
As a lover of animals, I was thrilled to read a book full of so many animals including some pretty funny scenes.

She is there for a month to take care of her aunts’ animals while she is traveling. I’ve read a few of this authors’ books already so I knew I would enjoy this story and it was what I was expecting. Things get off to a bit of a hilarious start when Chewy, her aunts’ rabbit chews up an important list she needed. With her aunt away, Merry is tasked with filling her aunt’s job of doing the Secret Santa.

I just love Secret Santa, so much fun. When Chewy chews up the list she doesn’t know what gift for who is. The local vet helps her figure out who each gift is for, but she doesn’t know it, she thinks she figures it out herself.
Theo Ellis-Lee, the local vet starts coming every evening to check on the animals, he’s infuriatingly cheerful and can’t help bringing a smile to Merry’s face when they go to the pub.
This visit to the highlands is really a healing trip for Merry, she needs to figure out somethings in life and this is to help take her mind off things. She has important things to decide and with the help of a certain handsome vet her mind just may have been made up a lot quicker.

Loved the immersion of the Christmas spirit I felt while reading this. The town’s people are so friendly and welcoming to this outsider she just may decide to make this winter’s vacation one she’s not going to leave. Grab your hot chocolate with marshmallows and your cat you’re going to enjoy snuggling up while reading this one.

Pub Date 27 Sep 2022
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

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About The Author

Donna Ashcroft was born in London, England and grew up in Buckinghamshire. She went to university in Lancashire and, among other things, worked as a copywriter, buyer, waitress, secretary and marketing manager.

Donna was shortlisted for the RNA Debut Romantic Novel of the Year in 2019, has had eleven books published with Bookouture and is working on her next which is due out in September 2023.

Donna loves a happy ending and is never happier than when she’s escaping into a romance novel or movie. When she’s not reading or writing she’ll probably be found hoovering … or negotiating with her kids about who is doing the washing up.

You can find Donna on Twitter @Donnashc or visit her at http://www.donna-writes.co.uk

Enjoy your weekend and thanks for stopping in today.

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This Is Where It Ends by Cindy K. Sproles, Award-Winning Author Pens a Unique Southern Tale

274 pages Publish date June 27, 2023 Revell publisher

About The Book

When Minerva Jane Jenkins was just 14 years old, she married a man who moved her to the mountains. He carried with him a small box, which he told her was filled with gold. And when he died 50 years later, he made her promise to keep his secret. She is to tell no one about the box or the treasure it contains.

Now 94, Minerva is nearing the end of what has sometimes been a lonely life. But she’s kept that secret. Even so, rumors of hidden gold have a way of spreading, and Minerva is visited by a reporter, Del Rankin, who wants to know more of her story. His friend who joins him only wants to find the location of the gold. Neither of them knows quite who they’re up against when it comes to the old woman on the mountain.

As an unlikely friendship develops, Minerva is tempted to reveal her secret to Del. After all, how long is one bound by a promise? But the truth of what’s really buried in the box may be hidden even from her.

mountain wisteria vines

My Thoughts

This Is Where It Ends is an exceptionally amazing book. Told through the eyes of our main character Minerva Jane Jenkins at 94 years of age. Living in the hills of Appalachia Kentucky she married a man at 14 years old, he was only 17. Married for about fifty years as her husband lays dying, he makes her promise to keep his secret and also never share with anyone the contents of a box he carries around with him, she does. In my opinion Minverva doesn’t get a fair shake in life, high up on a hill she is lonely for friends and neighbors and her marriage isn’t how she would have planned it to be.
She lives a simple life living off the fruits of the land. She is a simple woman and knew this going in she just never expected her life to be quite like this.
So lonely after her husband dies. she manages with the occasional visit from a neighbor when they bring some type of food, she’s unable to grow.
There’s been a rumor that her husband years ago had gold hidden away on their homestead but looking at her little run down falling apart cabin it would make you wonder,
When a reporter gets word of this gold he goes to visit and she thinks he’s there because of the rumor of the gold. She’s hesitant to trust him, as most hill people are apt not to trust outsiders.
The more they talk and get to know each other the more she lets her guard down and begins to trust him. She’s been so lonely is this God’s way of bringing help and a friend into her life?
Days turn into weeks that turn into months as he stays and helps her with repairs that have needed done for years. It really warmed my heart to see such a bond forming between the two characters.
I really felt authenticity with the dialect, setting, foods and descriptions of the character’s actions.
I really felt as though I have gotten to know Minerva through this book. She was a unique and quite special person. This book is a real treasure. Get to know the elderly and form a bond with them.
This book will stay with me for quite some time!

Pub Date 27 Jun 2023
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Grab A Copy Here

About the Author

Cindy K. Sproles is an author and speaker. Raised and living in the mountains of East Tennessee, she spins tales of life in the deep crevices of the Appalachian mountains. Cindy is proud of her mountain heritage and her desire is to see this culture live on in history. “Children aren’t taught in school about the innovation and determination of the mountain people or about the heritage that is richly embedded in them. These are the people who helped forge America and these are the people who have the brawn and guts to stand by their families, heritage, and beliefs.” Cindy’s desire is to continue to weave the stories, despite their hardships, that show the resilience of the Appalachian culture. Being raised in these mountains and having family who practiced the old ways, Cindy writes from a deep love and experience of the mountains of East Tennessee. Who better to pen the stories of the people, than someone who knows it first hand.?

Aside from her writing, Cindy co-founded ChristianDevotions.us and served as managing editor for SonRise Books and Straight Street Books, imprints of Iron Stream Media. She teaches at Christian Writers Conferences and ladies retreats and ladies conferences across the country. Her devotions are heartfelt and honest. Edgy and inviting. Cindy serves as the executive editor of ChristianDevotions.us, a writing mentor, and life coach. She shares mentoring with Lori Marett at Writing Right Author Mentoring Service. Author of four non-fiction books, Cindy’s fiction debut novel, Mercy’s Rain(Kregel Publishing), won book of the year and her second novel, Liar’s Winter has won numerous awards. Cindy’s 3rd Appalachian Novel, Revell Publishing, What Momma Left Behind, also received a gold medal in the national Illumination Awards and was named Christian Market Novel of the Year. She has contributed to CBN.com and InspireaFire.com and serves as the director of the Asheville Christian Writers Conference. Visit her at http://www.cindysproles.com or contact her at cindyksproles@gmail.com

Cindy is available for speaking events by contacting her at cindyksproles@gmail.com.

Have a beautiful day and thanks for stopping in.

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All the World’s A Stage in this intriguing historical mystery taking place on a riverboat-In the Shadow of the River by Ann H. Gabhart

345 pages Revell publisher May 09, 2023 publish date

About The Book

If all the world’s a stage, Jacci will play her part.

She only hopes her story does not turn out to be a tragedy.

In 1881, Jacci Reed is only five years old when a man attempts to kidnap her from the steamboat her mother, Irena, works on. Badly wounded during the confrontation, Irena takes Jacci aboard the Kingston Floating Palace, a showboat tied up beside them. There, Jacci’s actor grandfather tends to her mother and Jacci gets a first taste of the life she will come to lead.

Fifteen years later, Jacci is an actress aboard the Kingston Floating Palace, and largely contented with her adopted family of actors, singers, and dancers. Especially Gabe, who has always supported her, and the gruff grandfather she has come to know and love. Jacci’s mother has been gone for years, but the memory of the altercation that ultimately took her life–and the cryptic things Jacci has overheard about her past–is always there, lurking in the back of her mind.

When someone on the showboat tries to kill Jacci, it’s clear her questions demand answers. But secrets have a way of staying in the shadows, and the answers she craves will not come easily. Gabe only hopes they come in time for him and Jacci to have a future together.

Grab A Copy Here

My Thoughts

I enjoy books taking place on the river and this one takes place on a showboat described as a floating palace. The book has such wonderful descriptions and sounds so opulent inside.


The thing I enjoy about this author’s books is she writes different historical topics than many authors do which makes for quite an interesting read.
Spending her life since she was five years old on showboats this is all that Jacci Reed knows. When she was very young her mother kept her from the shows but now that she’s older she is an actress on the stage of the showboat. Sadly, her mother passes away when she was very young, and she continues to live on the showboat on the Ohio River with her grandfather and his theater troupe.


I enjoyed the historical aspect of the story and equally I enjoyed the mystery of who was putting Jacci’s life in danger and why. The book kept me entertained and I read it in less than 24 hours I found it very hard to put down.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book from Baker Books through Interviews & Reviews.
All opinions expressed are my own.

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About The Author

Ann H. Gabhart caught the writing bug at the age of ten and has been writing ever since. An award winning author, she’s published many books for both adults and young adults. Her books cover several genres from historical to small town family stories to cozy mysteries (mysteries published with author name A.H. Gabhart). Her ideas are sparked by events in Kentucky history and by experiences in her own family. Her first Shaker novel, The Outsider, was a finalist for the ECPA Christian Fiction Book of the Year. Love Comes Home won the Selah Book of the Year award, and These Healing Hills was the Faith, Hope & Love Readers’ Choice Women’s Fiction Book of the Year.

Ann lives on a Kentucky farm not far from where she was born. She and her husband have three children and nine grandchildren. Ann enjoys hiking on her farm with her grandkids and her dogs, Frankie and Marley. See more about her books at http://www.annhgabhart.com or join the conversation on her Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/anngabhart.

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Bookouture Blog tour for Summer at the Cornish Beach Cafe by Donna Ashcroft

About The Book

Step into the Cornish Beach Café, where you’ll find stunning views of the sea, plenty of cream cakes and a warm welcome from the quirky locals. But will this special place help to heal Jessie’s broken heart this summer?

Thirty-year-old Jessie is heartbroken after being dumped just before reaching the altar. So she escapes to her favourite place in the world, the little Cornish Beach café in Indigo Cove. There she plans to spend her summer indulging in home-made lemonade and freshly made brownies. Except, on her first night, fate has other ideas and Jessie bumps into tall and brooding Ashton, the first guy she ever kissed…

Determined to protect her fragile emotions, Jessie swears not to get distracted by Ashton’s sea-glass eyes or the way being near him makes her heart hammer against her chest. Instead, she spends time with her beloved grandfather George, helping him to prepare for the café’s puzzle championships.

In the small community, she keeps crossing paths with handsome Ashton, who’s now a wealthy and successful businessman. They end up sharing sunny afternoons together, which turn into long evenings walking along the beach. As the temperature soars between them, Jessie’s heart begins to melt as she discovers the generous personality behind Ashton’s reserved exterior.

But when she discovers a secret from Ashton’s past, Jessie is left shaken. How much does she really know about him, and can she take a leap of faith and trust Ashton when he asks her to?

Will Jessie’s summer at the beach café in Indigo Cove be the biggest mistake of her life or will it turn out to be the fresh start she needs?

Buy Link: https://geni.us/B0BX14V8SRsocial

My Thoughts

Such a heartwarming book. I loved settling into the pages of its setting in Indigo Cove with it’s pristine waters, endless sand and characters you’d love to have tea with.
Nursing a broken heart after a breakup from a man who thought he was God’s gift to women Jessie needs to heal. She just knows that a family trip with Grandpa while he recreates loving memories of past wonderful times with his wife are sure to do it.

Throw in cream cakes and lemonade from the Cornish Beach Cafe and what more could you need. Past memories have never left of the first boy she fell for and kissed; how could it be possible she runs into him here? As she gets to know him again, she falls for him and it seems as though he feels the same way but when a serious secret from his past surfaces, will it drawn them together or make them go their separate ways?


So much has changed with them both in the years that have separated them. He is now a successful businessman; she was engaged to be married but is still shy and reserved. Can they let their inhibitions down around each other in this sunny paradise?


Such a lighthearted feel-good book, the perfect vacation bring along book. Emotional, with the importance of being yourself and accepting others for who they are. The ending was so fabulous!

May 12, 2023 publication date
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Visit other blogs on the tour

The Author

Copyright VanessaChampion.co.uk

Donna Ashcroft was born in London, England and grew up in Buckinghamshire. She went to university in Lancashire and, among other things, worked as a copywriter, buyer, waitress, secretary and marketing manager.

Donna was shortlisted for the RNA Debut Romantic Novel of the Year in 2019, has had nine books published with Bookouture and her tenth is due out in September 2022.

Donna loves a happy ending and is never happier than when she’s escaping into a romance novel or movie. When she’s not reading or writing she’ll probably be found hoovering … or negotiating with her two teenagers about who is doing the washing up.

Social Media

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DonnaAshcroftAuthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Donnashc

Website: http://donna-writes.co.uk/

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

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California Golden: Two sisters navigate the thrilling, euphoric early days of California surf culture by Melanie Benjamin

352 pages Dell publisher Aug 8, 2023 publish date

About The Book

Two sisters navigate the thrilling, euphoric early days of California surf culture in this dazzling saga of ambition, sacrifice, and the tangled ties between mothers and daughters from the New York Times bestselling author of The Aviator’s Wife.

Southern California, 1960s: endless sunny days surfing in Malibu, followed by glittering neon nights at Whisky a Go Go. In an era when women are expected to be housewives, Carol Donnelly breaks the mold as a legendary female surfer struggling to compete in a male-dominated sport—and her daughters, Mindy and Ginger, bear the weight of Carol’s unconventional lifestyle.

The Donnelly sisters grow up enduring their mother’s absence—physically, when she’s at the beach, and emotionally, the rare times she’s at home. To escape questions about Carol’s whereabouts—and to chase her elusive affection—they cut school to spend their days in the surf. From her first time on a board, Mindy is a natural, but Ginger, two years younger, feels out of place in the water.

As they grow up and their lives diverge, Mindy and Ginger’s relationship ebbs and flows. Mindy finds herself swept up in celebrity, complete with beachside love affairs, parties at the Playboy Club, and a USO tour in Vietnam. Meanwhile, Ginger, desperate for a community of her own, is tugged into the dangerous counterculture of drugs and cults. But through it all, their sense of duty to each other survives, as the girls are forever connected by the emotional damage they carry from their unorthodox childhood.

A gripping, emotional story set at a time when mothers were expected to be Donna Reed, not Gidget, California Golden is an unforgettable novel about three women living in a society that was shifting as tempestuously as the breaking waves.

Grab A Copy Here

My Thoughts

When I downloaded this book at the recommendation of the publisher, I wasn’t sure I would enjoy it. It’s historical yes, which I read a lot of, but it takes place later than most of the historicals I read, in the 1960’s. I don’t read many books taking place in the 60’s, it’s before I was born and also from what I’ve read a very tumultuous time.


I could tell you this takes place in California and is one of those surfing novels and that’s true but it’s so much more than that.
It’s about sisters, pretty young when this starts, and it follows their path as they grow and mature.


It’s also about the sister’s relationship, one is a giver and carer and the other is a receiver and the one taken care of by multiple people throughout her life.
We also see the girl’s relationship with their mother, these girls practically raise themselves while their mother surfs. Not your typical PTA mom.

The girls don’t want to be like their mother who ignores everything in life but surfing but to some degree they both are. One even surfs competitively for a time. It’s the 60’s vibe tumultuous times, surfing and waxing your board, family relationships broken by lies and neglect and unconventional women.

Very emotional as we see the girls finding themselves in life and their evolving relationship with each other and their mother.
Well worth the read and recommended!

Pub Date 08 Aug 2023
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

About The Author

Melanie Benjamin was born in Indianapolis, Indiana. An avid reader all her life–as a child, she was the proud winner, several years running, of the summer reading program at her local library–she still firmly believes that a lifetime of reading is the best education a writer can have.

While attending Indiana University–Purdue University at Indianapolis, Melanie performed in many community theater productions before meeting her husband, moving to the Chicago area and raising two sons. Writing was always beckoning, however, and soon she began writing for local magazines and newspapers before venturing into her first love, fiction.

By combining her passion for history and biography, she has found her niche writing historical fiction, concentrating on the “stories behind the stories.” Her most recent novel, THE GIRLS IN THE PICTURE, tells the fascinating and timely story of the first true female partnership – and enduring friendship – in Hollywood, between the silent film star Mary Pickford and her collaborator (and first woman to win an Academy Award for Best Screenplay), Frances Marion.

Her previous novels, THE SWANS OF FIFTH AVENUE, and THE AVIATOR’S WIFE, were New York Times, USA Today and IndieBound best sellers. Her first novel, ALICE I HAVE BEEN, was a national bestseller; this was followed by the critically acclaimed THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MRS. TOM THUMB. Her next novel will be out in May, 2019.

She and her family still live in the Chicago area; when she’s not writing, she’s gardening, taking long walks, rooting for the Cubs–

And reading, of course.

Have a terrific Tuesday and thanks for stopping by.

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Bookouture Blog Tour for Whitecliff Bay Mystery series by Kerry Wilkinson 

My Review is of The One Who Fell, Book 1

About The Book

In the seaside town of Whitecliff, everyone looks out for each other. Everyone knows your name. And everyone knows your secrets…

Moonlight falls on the figure of the girl standing on the red-tiled roof. Her white dress and blonde hair flutter in the freezing night wind. And suddenly – she is gone.

Volunteering at the local nursing home is Millie Westlake’s one escape from the rumours that swirl around Whitecliff about her past. But speaking with elderly resident, Ingrid, as they play board games, Millie gets chills at her strange story about a young girl being pushed from a roof, somewhere across the valley…

Everybody thinks Ingrid is confused: but Millie knows how it feels to not be believed. Her parents died a year ago, and the residents of Whitecliff – such a quiet place, other than crashing waves and cawing seagulls – are convinced Millie killed them.

Desperately searching for evidence to find the girl Ingrid saw, a broken roof tile could prove Ingrid was telling the truth. But when strange footprints appear in Millie’s garden, she’s certain someone out there is watching.

Have Ingrid and Millie stumbled across something terribly dangerous? And with the town against her, will Millie have to face up to her own secrets to solve the mystery before it becomes deadly?

An utterly compelling, character-driven mystery by bestselling author Kerry Wilkinson, perfect for fans of Faith Martin, Mary Burton and LJ Ross.

My Thoughts

The One Who Fell by Kerry Wilkinson is the first book in the Whitecliff Bay Mystery series.
As this is the first book we are introduced to a lot of characters and the situations are set up for us.
Many of these characters have secrets and back stories, some of which are told, and we are introduced to.
Millie Westlake is a divorced woman after it was discovered she was having an affair with a man of importance. Unfortunately, she has also lost custody of her son but will not fight it until she feels she is in a better position to do so. Making ends meet she works at an elder care home. Nice friendly older folks you would think, especially an elderly woman with dementia who says she saw a woman being pushed from the roof of a house next door last evening.
Can she even be trusted to remember what she saw or is she remembering a television show she saw years ago replaying in her mind? Millie isn’t sure but she knows she needs to investigate.
Millie’s life is covered in scandal, will anyone want to help her? The town is small, everyone knows everyone’s business and secrets. Millie has gone through a public marriage breakup, lost custody of her son and experienced the death of both parents which many are blaming her for.
A very interesting story opener that had me glued to the pages. I will need to read more of this continuing mystery with its many twists and turns to learn all the reveals. Recommended!

Pub Date: 17 Apr 2023
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Book 2 description- I have not reviewed this one

In the darkness, the girl slumps against the rough tree bark. Her eyes are closed, her wrists tied. As consciousness fades, her last thought is of her best friend, and how much she regrets what she did…

Seventeen-year-old best friends Nicola and Millie were supposed to have a summer night of fun and freedom in the local park. But when dawn comes Millie realises Nicola is missing. Distraught, she searches for her alone: and finds Nicola tied to a tree, her purple Converse shoes missing, her long hair cut and scattered on the ground. With no memory of what happened, terrified Nicola begs Millie never to speak of this again…

Fifteen years later. With countless secrets and hurt between them, Millie and Nicola have not spoken in over a decade. But now Nicola has found her old purple Converse strung up in her garden. Is her attacker sending a message? Why now, after all this time?

In the small town of Whitecliff, people have long memories – but Millie is the only one who can help get answers. And, as she asks questions of their school friends, she realises one of them knows more than they should about her own family secrets…

Not knowing who to trust, and knowing Nicola’s kidnapper is still out there, Millie must ask: how far will they go to keep the truth buried forever?

Fans of Faith Martin, Ann Cleeves and LJ Ross won’t be able to put down this addictive mystery read set in the small seaside town of Whitecliff, where nothing is as it seems.

Book 3 description-I have not reviewed this one

Up on the desolate moor, she tightens her coat against the bitter wind. The man she followed here points to a rock embedded in the mossy earth. ‘This is the place.’ But when they dig, what will they find?

Everyone in the small seaside town of Whitecliff knows the name Kevin Ashworth. Two boys disappeared thirty years ago – and although local teacher Kevin never admitted to knowing where their bodies are, he’s been in prison ever since.

Now, Kevin is finally ready to talk: but only to amateur sleuth Millie Westlake and journalist Guy Rushden. With the families of the boys desperate for answers, Guy and Millie are led to a lonely spot on the moors above Whitecliff. They’re on the moors expecting to find bodies… but what if they find something even more terrifying?

Reeling from their discovery, as Millie scours the local countryside and speaks to heartbroken families what she discovers changes everything she believes about Whitecliff and the people who live here. With rumours about her own dark past still haunting Millie, can she ever get justice for a decades-old wrong? Or as she gets closer to finding out who else Kevin has hurt, will she learn that some secrets are destined to stay buried?

An absolutely addictive mystery read that fans of LJ Ross, Mary Burton and Faith Martin won’t be able to put down.

The series together

Sign up to be the first to hear about new releases from Kerry Wilkinson here: https://www.bookouture.com/kerry-wilkinson

Buy Links:

The One Who Fell: https://geni.us/B0BWK5W5K2social

Audio:

UK: zpr.io/bEL9DASuFVvp
US:zpr.io/MxnWLQWDN9nU

Listen here: https://soundcloud.com/bookouture/the-one-who-fell-by-kerry-wilkinson-narrated-by-helen-keeley

The One Who Was Taken: https://geni.us/B0BWK5Q8K8social

Audio:

UK: zpr.io/p4z6zxfmGsg6
US: zpr.io/jG3k8Yk4mLsN

Listen here: https://soundcloud.com/bookouture/the-one-who-was-taken-by-kerry-wilkinson-narrated-by-helen

The Ones Who Are Buried: https://geni.us/B0BWK8PSFVsocial

Audio:

UK: zpr.io/qwpUJGDbp8HN
US: zpr.io/5ZvQEGvSYEqd

Listen here: https://soundcloud.com/bookouture/the-ones-who-are-buried-by-kerry-wilkinson-narrated-by-helen-keeley

You can sign up for all the best Bookouture deals you’ll love at: http://ow.ly/Fkiz30lnzdo

Visit other blogs on the tour here

The Author

Kerry Wilkinson is from the English county of Somerset but has spent far too long living in the north. It’s there that he’s picked up possibly made-up regional words like ‘barm’ and ‘ginnel’. He pretends to know what they mean.

He’s also been busy since turning thirty: his Jessica Daniel crime series has sold more than a million copies in the UK; he has written a fantasy-adventure trilogy for young adults; a second crime series featuring private investigator Andrew Hunter and the standalone thriller, Down Among The Dead Men.

https://kerrywilkinson.com/
https://www.facebook.com/KerryWilkinsonBooks/
https://twitter.com/kerrywk

Sign up to be the first to hear about new releases from Kerry Wilkinson here: https://www.bookouture.com/kerry-wilkinson

Happy Release Day to Kerry Wilkinson and the release of his Whitecliff Bay Mystery series.

Have a wonderful day and thanks for stopping in.

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Bookouture Blog Tour for The Paris Maid by Ella Carey

About The Book

Paris, 1944. “Traitor!” yells the crowd as they push me down onto a stool. “Nazi collaborator.” Tears blur my vision as the razor grazes my scalp, waves of blonde hair falling to the ground. As men paint a swastika across my face, I hold onto one small glimmer of hope. They have no idea who I am.

Louise Basset works as a housemaid at The Ritz Hotel, home to the most powerful Nazis in France. As she changes silk sheets and scrubs sumptuous marble bathtubs, she listens and watches, reporting all she can to the Resistance. The only secret she never tells is her own.

Everything changes for Louise on the day a young Allied pilot, hunted by the Nazis, is smuggled into the hotel. As he and Louise share a small carafe of red wine hidden amongst her cleaning bottles, she feels her heart begin to open. But if Louise trusts someone with the truth, what will happen?

Years later, her granddaughter Nicole looks up at the ornate façade of the infamous Paris hotel. She is reeling from her recent discovery: a black-and-white photograph of her grandmother as a young woman, head shaved, branded a traitor. Devastated by her new legacy and about to start a family of her own, Nicole searches for answers.

When a French historian calls Louise by a different name, Nicole realizes there must be more to her grandmother’s story. Was the woman who taught Nicole so much about family and loyalty a resistance fighter, or will her granddaughter have to live with the knowledge that she is descended from a traitor? And will Nicole be able to finally move forward with her life if she can uncover the truth?

An utterly heart-shattering and gripping novel about love, betrayal and how one courageous young woman paid a terrible price to save those she loved. From top-ten bestseller Ella Carey, fans of Fiona Valpy, The Nightingale and Rhys Bowen will never forget The Paris Maid.

My Thoughts

I just love Ella Carey’s historical fiction books.
The author writes with such passion you can tell how well researched the book is as well. Based on some actual people and events and I love how realistic this makes the books she writes.
This is a dual timeline book taking place in Paris 1944 and modern times.
Modern times, Nicole a young woman ready to start her own family is a happy woman. A shocking discovery about a woman she thought she knew so well has her taken aback.
A young woman stares back at her from a black and white photo, the face so familiar, the features so like her own. It’s her grandmother, head shaved, tears in her eyes and branded a traitor. Nicole is shocked and saddened.
With the help of a French historian Nicole makes discoveries about her grandmothers’ life when she was younger.
As a young woman she is a housemaid at the fancy Ritz Hotel, home to the most powerful Nazis in France. Right under their noses in their hotel a young Allied pilot, that the Nazis are searching for is someone Louise can open up to. As he’s hidden Louise feels just may be able to trust him with a secret. If this trust is misplaced it could mean her life though.
Absolutely heartbreaking! This story is just amazing and kept me in its grips. I couldn’t put it down.

Pub Date 06 Apr 2023
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Visit other blogs on the tour

The Author

Ella Carey is the international bestselling author of The Things We Don’t Say, Secret Shores, From a Paris Balcony, The House by the Lake, and Paris Time Capsule. Her books have been published in over fourteen languages, in twelve countries, and have been shortlisted for ARRA awards. A Francophile who has long been fascinated by secret histories set in Europe’s entrancing past, Ella has degrees in music, nineteenth-century women’s fiction, and modern European history. She lives in Melbourne with her two children and two Italian greyhounds who are constantly mistaken for whippets.

Ella loves to connect with her readers regularly through her facebook page and on her website.

http://www.ellacarey.com/

https://www.facebook.com/ellacareyauthor/

https://www.instagram.com/ellacarey_author/

Sign up to be the first to hear about new releases from Ella Carey here: https://www.bookouture.com/ella-carey

Buy Link:

Amazon: https://geni.us/B0BRQQXRZRsocial

Audio:

UK: zpr.io/HUt3bRnq9dNZ
US: zpr.io/hK8UezPXf6Et

Listen to a sample here:

You can sign up for all the best Bookouture deals you’ll love at: http://ow.ly/Fkiz30lnzdo

Thank you for visiting and have an amazing day.