Tag: writing

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The Amberglow Candy Store

ABOUT THE BOOK

In this charming, fable-like book from Japan, a fox spirit sells magical confections to troubled humans, only for them to get a little more than they bargained for…

Welcome. We don’t get many humans here.

In a cozy night-alley lies a very special store. It’s only open between the full moon and the new moon, and it’s full of wagashi, Japanese sweets. Each candy claims to cure some ailment of the heart or the head. But who is the mysterious proprietor, and why does he study his customers so closely?

From the girl who craves more time with her boyfriend to the friends with some buried resentments, each customer learns a valuable lesson from these sugary treats. The candies can give you what you most desire, but not always in the way you expect…

Back to the shop owner—did that shadow just make it look like he has a pair of ears? Surely, not a tail? If he is a half-fox spirit, so be it. But why is he so keen to study human emotions, and why does he say each candy has a “dosage”? Patience. Like the center of a gooey caramel, the best things take time to reveal themselves.

MY THOUGHTS

This book has been translated from the Japanese language.
A fantasy book of short stories.
I read this quickly and enjoyed it a lot.
The story revolves around a magical candy store.
The street to get to it is hidden past the hedges and only is available to those who have a true need for it.
Once in this magical otherworldly candy store you will find candy unlike any available anywhere else. This magical candy will help solve your problem, but you absolutely cannot overindulge.
I enjoyed seeing how people who needed help with life’s problems unexpectedly stumbled onto a magical candy store. Though this magical candy helped them at first, they came to realize the help they need came from strength they already had within themselves.
A happy feel-good story that I recommend. I enjoyed reading tuis Asian literature.

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

Thank you for stopping in.

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

339 pages Publisher Embla Books Publication date September 20, 2022

ABOUT THE BOOK

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

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

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

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

MY THOUGHTS

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thank you for stopping in.

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The Woman Who Met Herself Blog Tour

ABOUT THE BOOK

The Woman Who Met Herself

What would you do, if you met your double?

Debbie Jones thinks life is an adventure. Even having lost her husband a year ago, she’s ready for whatever the world might throw her way. Being in her sixties doesn’t mean it’s all over for her yet, and she loves her new job doing neighbourhood support for a charity. Then she knocks on a stranger’s front door.

Ruth Waverley doesn’t like surprises. Her life isn’t perhaps all she once dreamed off, but what other options are there for a woman in her sixties? She’s proud of her home and children. And she likes her life well enough. Then she hears someone knocking at the door.

As the door opens, both Ruth and Debbie get the shock of their lives. As their eyes meet – the recognition is instant. Not because they’ve met before. But because they have the same face. They’re completely identical.

And everything is about to change, for both women. In ways they couldn’t possibly imagine…

MY THOUGHTS

Life can get boring, especially as you age, set in your ways the sameness day in and day out can wear on you. There’s not much to look forward to.
But then, purely by chance two women come face to face with each other, they look identical but didn’t know the other existed even though at one time they developed in the same womb, legs and arms entwined.
These women are similar but yet so different, having been adopted with different upbringings they are trying to adjust to finding each other and the consequences of not having had each other in their lives up until this point.
The storyline is eye-opening and interesting. We get a bit of a backstory, and this is really a very emotional read.
I will be reading more by the author.

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

Purchase Link – https://mybook.to/WomanWhoMetHerself

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Author Bio –

Laura Pearson is the author of the #1 bestseller The Last List of Mabel Beaumont. She founded The Bookload on Facebook and has had several pieces published in the Guardian and the Telegraph.

Social Media Links –  

Facebook: @LauraPearson22

Twitter: @LauraPAuthor

Instagram: @LauraPAuthor

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/LauraPearsonNews

Bookbub profile: @laurapearson22

Thank you for stopping in.

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B Is for Bonnet (Amish ABCs)

289 pages Publisher Kensington Publication date January 21, 2025

ABOUT THE BOOK

Raised by their divorced, lapsed-Amish father and English mother, siblings Jonny, Martin, Kelsey, and Beth can’t wait to reinvent their lives. The four don’t have much in common, but they long for the stable sense of family they felt when visiting their New Order grandparents, Josiah and Sylvia Schrock, in peaceful Holmes County, Ohio. And the Schrocks couldn’t be more surprised when the grandkids want to try living with them—and joining their faith . . .

When Jonny hears startling news about his health, he knows it’s past time to change his life. Quitting college, he unexpectedly finds the fulfilling job of his dreams. And he’s instantly smitten with cafe owner Treva Kramer, whose baked goods are as warm and delicious as her lively personality. But no matter how hard Jonny tries, he can’t seem to get past her secret sadness and distrust. Can he prove that his feelings for her are for real—and forever—in time?

A bad breakup left Treva heartbroken—and resolved to be independent without relying on anyone ever again. Exhausted from pouring everything she’s got into her cafe, she’s stunned by Jonny’s easygoing ways—and drawn to his optimistic nature. But when she thinks his real interest is in becoming Amish, she’s even more determined to stay focused—and keep her heart safe . . .

Soon, deep secrets and hidden family truths will test Jonny and Treva in unexpected ways. And with help from his warm-hearted grandparents, he and Treva might gain the happiness they secretly long for—with each other.

MY THOUGHTS

This is the second book in the Amish ABC’s series. It’s a heartwarming series and the author’s books always leave me with a smile.
Four English raised siblings are looking for a sense of purpose in life and are considering becoming Amish and coming home to their roots. Their mother was English, and their father is a lapsed Amish man.
As they live with their grandparents, they discover life amongst the Amish is harder than they thought and they will need to experience some unexpected changes. This isn’t deterring them and love just may be in the cards as awareness and self-discovery of what’s really important takes place.
Heartwarming and realistic, the characters and plot kept me reading. Looking forward to the next in the series.

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

MEET THE AUTHOR

Shelley Shepard Gray is a NYT and USA Today bestselling author. She’s published over a hundred novels and has over a million books in print. She currently lives in northern Ohio and writes full time.

Shelley lives just an hour from Holmes County, where many of her Amish-themed novels are set. She currently writes contemporary romance and Amish fiction for a variety of publishers. When not spending time with her family or writing, she can usually be found walking her two dachshunds on one of the many trails in the Cleveland area.

She also bakes a lot, loves coconut cream pie, and will hardly ever pull weeds, mow the yard, or drive in the snow.

Shelley also spends a lot of time on line! Please visit her website, http://www.shelleyshepardgray.com to find out her latest news or to sign up for her newsletter. Shelley can also be found on FaceBook, Instagram @shelley.s.gray, or on Twitter @ShelleySGray.

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historical fiction

Beneath a Starless Sky: A gripping and utterly heartbreaking WW2 historical fiction novel 

423 pages HQ Digital publisher Pub Date Oct 05 2021 

ABOUT THE BOOK

Munich: Smoke filled the air.

Lilli Sternberg’s quickening heart sounded an alarm as she rounded the street corner. Lifting her gaze to the rooftops, a roaring blaze of thick flames engulfed the side of the building and joined the stars to fill the black sky. Her father’s shop was no more.

Lilli Sternberg longs to be a ballet dancer. But outside the sanctuary of the theatre, Munich is no longer a place for dreams.

The Nazi party are gaining power and the threats to Jewish families increasing. Even Lilli’s family shop was torched because of their faith.

When Lilli meets Captain Marco Zeiller during a chance encounter, her heart soars. He is the perfect gentleman and her love for him feels like a bright hope under a bleak sky.

But battle lines are being drawn, and Marco has been spotted by the Reich as an officer with potential. Lilli means more to him than anything and he knows he must find a way out.

With their lives on the line, will Marco and Lilli survive the growing Nazi threat, or do they risk losing everything in the fight to be free?

An absolutely gripping and emotional historical fiction novel about love, courage and betrayal for fans of My Name is Eva and A Woman of War

MY THOUGHTS

Incredible fiction detailing decades of time covering war, love, surprises resilience and sacrifices like no others. Loosely based on real events and actual people I learned a lot and was very impressed with what I read. Highly recommended.

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

MEET THE AUTHOR

When I was five years old, I visited the dungeons of an old castle with my parents. The guide was telling us about the oubliette, the place where they threw prisoners and literally forgot about them. Without warning he turned the light off, plunging the space into darkness. We were blind for a few moments. But instead of terrifying me, the experience had the opposite effect. I wanted to know more about people, lives, events from the past. So,from a very early age, I loved history: buildings, books, stories.

I went on to read History at Oxford University and qualified as a journalist and editor, contributing to several national publications such as The Times and The Telegraph. I also acted as a literary publicist for the English TV presenter and novelist Pam Rhodes.

Winning a European-wide screenplay writing competition led to the optioning of a screenplay. (Here’s where the history comes in.) Set in 18th century England, it highlighted what has to be one of the most fascinating periods of England’s past. The screenplay languished in what’s known as development hell, but I was determined to tell some of the stories I’d discovered during my researches into the period. The result is “The Anatomist’s Apprentice,” the first of a series of Dr Thomas Silkstone Mysteries – stories from late 18th century England that are based on true events.

Until December 2010 I was editor of a regional glossy magazine and was regularly heard on BBC local radio. As well interviewing dozens of celebrities, I interviewed writers at literary events in front of audiences. My most recent interviews were with Oscar winner Julian Fellowes (who wrote the screenplay for Downton Abbey), Barbara Taylor Bradford and Hollywood legend Leslie Caron.

“Every setback is a setup for a comeback.”

Categories
holidays

Christmas at the Little Paris Hotel by Rebecca Raisin

338 pages Boldwood Books publisher September 17, 2024 publication date buy link

ABOUT THE BOOK

Turn a tumbledown Paris hotel into a perfect boutique, bookish retreat, and have it open for Christmas? What could possibly go wrong?

When Anais receives a near-derelict Paris hotel in her divorce settlement, her first thought is to tidy it up and sell it immediately. All she wants is to move on and forget her disaster of a marriage ever happened.

But selling it proves impossible, so she has only one option: to make it gorgeous and open by Christmas… when her funds will almost certainly run out.

She’s not counting on the grumpy American bar-owner next door, Noah, coming and interfering at every moment though. Nor is she expecting to find a mysterious room – which holds the key to a one-hundred-year-old secret – about a woman who chose love against the odds.

One thing’s for sure… as the fairy lights twinkle all over the city of lights and the first snowflakes start to fall… this will be a Christmas in Paris to remember.

MY THOUGHTS

A warm hug in a book. This one was lovely with lots of descriptions of Paris life and foods.


Renovation of an old, dilapidated Parisian hotel into a new and modern boutique and bookish retreat had all the bookish feels you can imagine. The book also deals with Anais’s writers block after a divorce from a man just a little too charming with the ladies.

There is a mystery attached to the hotel, and we get lots of hotel renovation details.
I was drawn into the Paris life and the many literary references as I read.

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

MEET THE AUTHOR

Rebecca Raisin is an internationally bestselling romance writer from Perth, Australia. Her books are set in stunning locations around the world providing a touch of escapism for her readers and those who like to partake in a spot of armchair travel from the comfort of their own home. Rebecca writes quirky heroines who haven’t figured it all out yet but are perfectly relatable, flaws and all. You’ll find themes such as friendship, love, new beginnings, food, wine and travel. She’s known for writing books for book lovers. Her next book: The Paris Bookshop for the Broken-Hearted is being published by Boldwood Books on February 3rd 2025. It’s a heartwarming tale about the power of reading and the finding community in bookshops.

Rebecca’s novel, Rosie’s Travelling Tea Shop has been optioned by MRC Films for film adaptation.

Thank you for stopping in.

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holidays

A White Christmas on Winter Street: a fun, heartwarming new Christmas romance to curl up with this winter 

374 pages Avon publisher Publication date October 27, 2022

ABOUT THE BOOK

When Sky Terran returns to the village of Middledip after losing the job she loves, she anticipates a quiet Christmas getting used to her new life. However, the annual street decoration competition is coming up and this year, the residents of Winter Street are determined to win.

As she is pulled into the preparations, Sky quickly grows to love the quirky, tight-knit community she is now part of. Including the extremely handsome Daz, who soon becomes more than just a friendly neighbour.

But when Daz’s ex turns up determined to win him back and it seems he might not be the man Sky thought he was, she remembers how much allowing people into her life – and heart – can hurt. As the snow falls, will she and Daz find a way through – and help win a Christmas victory for Winter Street?

MY THOUGHTS

A wonderful curl up in the evening winter read.
Having read other books by the author I was sure I’d enjoy this book published several years ago and I did.


How aptly named is Winter Street, the street Sky Terran moves to when she returns to Middledip in this winter themed book?
Ready for some relaxation and quiet time, it doesn’t seem to be happening as her street is in the midst of a competition preparation.

All on the street try to outdo each other with the most festively lit and holiday decorated house. Not feeling like joining in she does anyway, after all how would it look if the street’s newest member was the grinch who didn’t participate. A little help from handsome Daz may just be the motivation Sky needs.


With his former girlfriend making a play for him again will Sky just stand by and let it happen? More importantly will Daz find the grass greener in past pastures or will he see what he truly has.


Heartwarming, great characters that I enjoyed reading about. Uplifting and festive.

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

MEET THE AUTHOR

NEVER MISS AN UPDATE ON SUE’S BOOKS! Follow her on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sue-Moorcroft/e/B0034Q9O4U/

Website: suemoorcroft.com Twitter: @suemoorcroft Instagram: @SueMoorcroftAuthor

Facebook: SueMoorcroftAuthor and sue.moorcroft.3

Sue Moorcroft is an award-winning Sunday Times and internationally published author of emotionally compelling, feel-good, page-turning fiction who has reached #1 on Amazon Kindle UK and Top 100 Amazon Kindle US, Canada and Italy. Her novels, short stories, serials, courses and columns have appeared around the world. An army child, Sue was born in Germany and then lived in Cyprus, Malta and the UK.

Enjoy your weekend. Thanks for stopping in.

Categories
holidays

A Wish for Christmas

360 pages Avon publisher November 14, 2023 publication date

ABOUT THE BOOK

In this heartwarming story from New York Times bestselling author Courtney Cole, an unhappily married couple makes a wish on an enchanted snow globe that they had never met, but when they wake up the next day in separate lives, the magic of Christmas helps them to realize that some love is just meant to be. 

Two weeks ’til Christmas…

Noel Blake is not in a great place. After several years of marriage, she and her husband Jonah are quietly drifting apart. The only time they really talk at all anymore is when they walk their dog, Elliott. And even then it usually ends in bickering.

When, one snowy day, Elliott manages to slip his leash, they find him blocks away in the care of a mysterious old man who asks them to make a wish on an old snow globe. Eager to get their dog safely home, they agree to his strange request. Neither one realizes that the wish they’re about to make will change the course of their lives… possibly forever.

When Noel and Jonah wake up the next morning, they’re in separate beds, separate apartments, separate lives. But are they any happier? As they live the existences they’d always wished for, both feel that something very important is missing. And when a chance encounter brings the pair back together, they find they have a spark of something very special.

Will they be able to find their way back to each other before it’s too late, or does the Christmas Magic have another fate in store?

MY THOUGHTS

This is a very magical Christmas story. I’ve never seen a book with this premise before.
A married couple who used to be so in love who have lost the shine in their marriage are walking their Mastiff one evening. Unable to control him the leash slips out of her hands, and he runs off through the busy streets into an elderly man’s Curiosity Shop, full of odds and ends you’ll find it all here.


The man gives them a magical snow globe and they make a wish to have never met.
Waking up the next day single, each has their own life and jobs they are proud of, and they don’t know each other.


A work-related task and an elderly parent both call them home for the holidays and they happen to both coincidently be going to the same town. We follow them on their day-to-day life as they get a second chance at writing wrongs and falling in love all over again.


That old snow globe may have just sprinkled a little holiday magic in the air for this couple. Sweet second chance romance in a charming small town.

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

THE AUTHOR

Courtney Cole is a New York Times bestselling author of over twenty novels. She enjoys eating reader emotions for breakfast, wearing cashmere socks (when she’s not barefoot) and collecting hula girls.

An optimist, Pacman champion, trophy wife, and fierce mama, her motto is to live with grace. She believes in the power of blonde hair dye and red lipstick, and feels that a well-timed smile can change the world.

To learn more about her, visit http://www.courtneycolecreates.com

Enjoy your day. Thank you for stopping in.

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Letters to Whitman: A Short Story 

October 5, 2023 publication date Calleia Press publisher

ABOUT THE BOOK

“A moving, brilliantly conceived short piece… funny, grim, insightful” – Readers’ Favorite

“Highly recommended to Civil War aficionados, fans of Walt Whitman, and all those who appreciate beautiful writing.” – Renaissance Writer blog

During the American Civil War, the poet Walt Whitman volunteered in army hospitals tending to sick and wounded soldiers. This poignant short story imagines one of these patients, Private Nathaniel Gwynnett of the 97th New York Volunteer Infantry, writing to Whitman after returning to his regiment.

MY THOUGHTS

Though this is fictional I didn’t find it any less informative
Letters to Whitman follows the life of Private Nathaniel Gwynnett of the 97th New York Volunteer Infantry. He met poet Walt Whitman who volunteered in army hospitals in Washington when Nathaniel was a patient there. Walt boosted the moral of the men there and also brought small presents.


After returning to his regiment Nathaniel writes letters of daily life during the civil war and of their travels. Though there are good times there are also sorrows, losing friends, leaking tents, not enough to eat, etc.

Nathaniel uses these letters as a way to lift his spirit during battle as he tries to turn this into a friendship.
I do wish the book wasn’t all epistolary format though.

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

THE AUTHOR

Margo Laurie studied history at university and is a member of the RNA. She is the author of the Christmas ghost story New York Miracle and the historical fiction novella The Anarchist’s Wife about the 1920s Sacco-Vanzetti case. She lives in the North West.

Thank you for stopping in.

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Christmas at Corgi Cove: A heartwarming tail with mischievous Corgis

352 pages publisher Avon publish date October 17, 2023

ABOUT THE BOOK

If you’re looking for the perfect feel-good Christmas novel, then look no further than Annie England Noblin’s newest novel. This book will absolutely delight readers looking for a sweet and sassy read—and not to mention enchant the fans of Annie’s signature canine characters.

Rosie Reynolds had come to lakeside Corgi Cove as a lost, lonely girl abandoned by her own mother, but there she discovered a true place to call home. She loves her Corgis, Bonnie and Clyde; loves the lakeside life; and loves her aunt and uncle most of all. But when she discovers their struggling inn is about to be bought out by some big city chain, she hatches a plan: to win a contest naming theirs the best Christmas-themed inn in the USA. It’s a long shot, but she knows if the whole town pulls together that they can do it.

But she didn’t count on Everett St Claire, who emerged from his gleaming, black BMW, straightening his tie and asking himself how did a big-city guy like him find himself in a speck on the map like Corgi Cove? And how fast could he get back to the city? After all, it couldn’t be that difficult to convince one elderly couple to take the money to retire.

He didn’t count on getting sucked into life on the lake. Sure, the people might be…eccentric, and Rosie might seem like a pain in the backside, but there is something alluring about the place. And with the holidays nearing, and the deadline looming, Rosie and Everett are about to discover the magic of a Christmas at Corgi Cove.

MY THOUGHTS

A quick and delightful comfort read.
I love reading Christmas books all year round and if they have dogs added that’s such a fun addition.

Rosie Reynolds is the niece of the innkeepers, and their inn is called Corgi Cove. Two corgis’ live there, Bonnie and Clyde. They all reside at Corgi Cove with Rosie’s aunt and uncle who adopted her as a child when her mother left her.


Corgi Cove, located in Texas is beautiful but struggling financially. Nearby a big-name developer is buying up property and turning it into vacation spots.


Everett St Claire comes to Corgi Cove looking to make a quick sale and be back home in time for Christmas. He doesn’t count on getting to know the family and falling for Rosie. The family doesn’t want to sell the inn but if they don’t, foreclosure will happen in the new year. With the family of course not wanting Everett around, especially Rosie how will this problem resolve?

Now I’ve seen this plot before, failing family inn leaking money, the family doesn’t want to sell and somehow it gets saved. You know what though I like the premise of this, especially with the dogs, it’s such a charming read.

Rosie is so upset her family’s inn needs to be sold or it’ll go into foreclosure. When Everett is there on day a family emergency happens and he saves her uncles life. The family warms up to him after this, but Rosie seems to be running hot and cold.

I think you’ll be charmed by this Christmas book with the mischievous corgis. You’ll want to see how things turn out with the inn; can it be saved? Will Everett continue to get the cold shoulder from Rosie or will her heart melt as the temperature warms? Cute, fun read.

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

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Annie England Noblin lives with her son, husband, and three dogs in the Missouri Ozarks. She graduated with an M.A. in creative writing from Missouri State University and currently teaches English and communications for Arkansas State University in Mountain Home, Arkansas. She spends her free time playing make-believe, feeding stray cats, and working with animal shelters across the country to save homeless dogs.

Have a terrific day and thank you for stopping in.