Book Review - The Cottage on Strawberry Sands by Holly Martin - Blog Tour

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Title: The Cottage on Strawberry Sands

Author: Holly Martin

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Author supplied Copy

Publisher: Self Published

Publication Date: 11th April 2024

Rating: 5 Stars

Escape to the golden sands and glittering seas of Apple Hill Bay for a sizzling summer of love. From the bestselling author of Sunshine and Secrets at Blackberry Beach comes this gorgeously romantic tale.

They say there’s no place like home and for Roo Clarke this couldn’t be more true. Fourteen years ago she left the sparkling shores of Apple Hill Bay for America, leaving behind her childhood best friend Theo Lucas, and with him a piece of her heart. Nothing has felt right since then, and though she’s certain Theo has long since moved on from their hometown, Roo has high hopes that the exciting new job that’s brought her back here and the quirky beach hut she’ll make her own will fill her heart again.

But Theo hasn’t moved on, he’s right where Roo left him in Apple Hill Bay, and he’s even more gorgeous than Roo remembers. Fourteen years is a long time, but the secret crush she harboured as a teenager burns as intensely as if they’d never been apart. What if this is her chance to tell him how she really felt all those years ago? And what if he felt the same way? What if the lost years melted away, could they fall in love? Or could something unexpected ruin everything between them?

Step into the sunshine with this summer’s hottest love story, guaranteed to warm your heart and take your breath away. Perfect for fans of Sarah Morgan, Jill Mansell and Sue Moorcroft.

It's always a joy to dive straight into a new Holly Martin novel, and this was absolutely no exception. I felt right at home between the pages within the first chapter, and it just grew from there. 

I've just re-read the blurb and realised that just about everything I'd love to mention in this review, would be potentially regarded as a spoiler, so this will be tricky. 

But I loved the connection between Roo and Theo, right from when Roo walks back into town and discovers Theo is still there, and it's clear there is unfinished business between them. And getting to know them both was wonderful. 

It was lovely to be back in Apple Hill Bay, and to meet up with some familiar faces from the previous book too. 

Animal lovers will love this book, as there is a clear theme of wildlife and rescuing, and also publishing to do with pets, but I aren't stay any more other than, I couldn't get enough of these storylines.  There is also a plot to do with workplace rumours and relationships.  

There are every now and then amusing emails from the office manager, who seems far more concerned with petty quibbles with things going on in the office, than it actually being a good place to work. 

This has all of Holly Martin's trademark warmth, romantic flare and generally feel good feeling about it. Whether like me you are a massive fan of this author, or brand new to her, this is easily a fabulous book, and will leave you with a warm fuzzy feeling too! 

Everything I wanted it to be and more. 

Thank you to the author for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - The Second Chance Holiday Club by Kate Galley - #HolidayReading Fuerteventura

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Title: The Second Chance Holiday Club

Author: Kate Galley

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Aria

Publication Date: 1st December 2022

Rating: 4 Stars

The delightfully heartwarming and funny debut, perfect for fans of Judy Leigh, Hazel Prior and Maddie Please.

It's never too late to change the habits of a lifetime...

Evelyn Pringle isn't the sort to make rash decisions. Or any decisions, really – she's always left that sort of thing up to her husband. But he's been found dead, wearing his best suit, with a diamond ring in his pocket that doesn't fit her. When Evelyn finds a letter addressed to a woman on the Isle of Wight, she decides to deliver it. By hand.

So begins a very unusual holiday, and an adventure no one could have predicted – least of all Evelyn herself. With the help of some unexpected new friends, and a little effort on her part, Evelyn discovers that it's never too late to have a second chance at life and forge friendships that are well-worth living for.

It took me a while to completely warm to Evelyn, but once I did I really enjoyed this book. 

Especially once we discover just what a scumbag her husband really is, and not just for the reason we are initially led to believe. 

It's the reason why Evelyn against her normal personality books a short coach trip to the Isle of Wight over Christmas, in the hopes of getting some answers. 

However she isn't great at mixing with people, and there are two other ladies on this trip that seem determined to befriend her. 

Which turns into a rather unlikely alliance, and I was certainly surprised by the twist in Joy's story too. 

I really enjoyed this debut novel, and am intrigued to see what the author writes next. 

Thank you to Aria and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - Seeking Retribution by M. A. Comley

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Title: Seeking Retribution

Author: M. A. Comley

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Author supplied copy

Publisher: Jeamel Publishing Limited

Publication Date: 18th April 2024

Rating: 5 Stars

One night of fun, leads to serious consequences.

When Sara and her team investigate a missing person case, it soon becomes clear that things aren’t what they seemed at first glance.

With problems in her personal life, Sara is guilty of taking her eye off the ball. However, when a body is recovered from the river, and it's not the person they've been looking for, her attention is directed back to the case. After missing a vital clue Sara wonders if she and her team have overlooked anything else in what turns out to be a shocking murder inquiry.

Wow! Wow! Wow!

I just devoured this over the course of a day, not wanting to do anything in terms of real life until I had finished the book as I was so hooked on this right from the first chapter 

And in a very surprising change of pace, there is a lot less of DI Sara Ramsay and her team, and the main focus on the book was on the "bad guys".  Except what was going on was completely understandable and I had a lot of empathy for them, while not being quite as sympathetic to the victims. 

Which makes a change, or just means I've been reading too much crime recently. 

The title is completely apt and there is revenge and retribution being hunted for, after a night out goes wrong for one of the people that were out that evening.  And from there everything spirals. 

We still saw a fair bit of Sara and Carla, enough to catch up with their personal lives too, and to see just how they dealt with these latest cases, which I wouldn't have had a clue where to start. 

I was kept on my toes and was totally gripped by every single word of this book.  I think this may be one of my favourite books of this series so far, and they have all been great. 

I also can't believe we are up to book 23 of this series, it feels like only yesterday that I was eagerly starting it, and I already know I can't wait for the next book. 

Another brilliant story from the always amazing M. A. Comley. 

Thank you to the author for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - Welcome To The Cornish Country Hospital by Jo Bartlett - #HolidayReading Cruise

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Amazon UK

Title: Welcome to the Cornish Country Hospital

Author: Jo Bartlett

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Boldwood Books

Publication Date: 22nd November 2023

Rating: 4 Stars

A new start…

When Danni Carter moves to Cornwall from London, she hopes it will be the fresh start she so desperately needs. She’s nervous, but hopefully the change of scene will help her to finally forget her feelings for Lucas Newman, a man she can never be with, because he’s already engaged to Danni’s best friend, Esther.

An Impossible Dilemma…

But when Lucas and Esther decide to follow Danni to Cornwall, and both announce they will be working with her at the new St Piran’s hospital, Danni is thrown into turmoil again. She can’t lose Esther, but being near Lucas is getting harder to deal with. Will she have to give up her new life before it’s even started?

A chance to start again?

Throwing herself into work, Danni finds herself drawn to new patient, Connie Berrycloth, a woman Danni knows has dark secrets of her own. Secrets that are about to be revealed….

As the two women form a friendship, Danni begins to realise that letting go of her dreams might be the only way of holding on to the people she loves.

What a lovely start to a brand new series aet in the brand new hospital in St Piran, serving the three port areas that were so prominent in Jo Bartlett's previous series. 

And I'm delighted to say that Gwen is back, and is as fabulous as ever. 

We have two main characters who I grew to lover - Connie and Danni.  Danni is an A&E doctor at the hospital, who has a complicated relationship with her best friends.

And Connie who is agonising over decisions from the past, and where we start the book is involved in an awful accident. 

A friendship forms between the ladies as they provide support for each other's predicaments. 

I really loved Connie's story, where as Danni I liked, but found Lucas who was involved to be a big slimeball. 

A really enjoyable start to this series and I am looking forward to reading the next book already. 

Thank you to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - Every Step You Take by M. A. Hunter

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Title: Every Step You Take

Author: M. A. Hunter

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Boldwood Books

Publication Date: 28th March 2024

Rating: 5 Stars

Run for your life...

This morning I woke up to flowers - they should be well wishes for my big race but I know they’re not.

They’re from him.

He shouldn’t be here. He shouldn’t even be in the country. Last I heard he was behind bars for all he did to me.

But he says he’s going to be at the marathon today, watching me.

I have 26 miles to figure out what he wants. Or if it’s even him. Or I could lose more than just the race.

What a wonderfully addictive psychological Thriller this was. It was tense and I changed my mind as to who the threats were coming from almost as often as Molly did.

Following Molly as she battles many things in order to try to meet the Olympics qualifying time,  after recovering from a horrific injury, is astonishing.

We get chapters for each mile of the marathon and I was cheering her on, while also enjoying the alternating chapters giving us the timeline for the London marathon run up and just what is leading to her paranoia come race day. 

I was hooked and was regretting not being able to read this in longer stints as I needed to know what would happen next.

Despite being in front of the World in the elite women's race, it felt rather claustrophobic during the story while everyone becomes a suspect.  

It's a unique concept and one I was definitely invested in.  I loved every step of this book. It's brilliant, 

Thank you to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - Finding Happiness at Penvennan Cove by Linn B Halton - #HolidayReading Fuerteventura

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Title: Finding Happiness at Penvennan Cove

Author: Linn B Halton

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Aria

Publication Date: 10th November 2022

Rating: 4 Stars

Escape to Cornwall with this beautiful page-turning novel set in Penvennan Cove – third book in the Cornish romance series by bestselling author Linn B. Halton!

Kerra Shaw's happiness should be complete when the love of her life moves into her cottage. But there is trouble in her beloved Penvennan Cove and Kerra knows she won't be able to enjoy her new start with Ross until she's put things right.

Two struggling businesses threaten to change the beach at Penvennan Cove forever. The Lark and Lantern, an inn at the heart of the community, is struggling and a corporate chain is trying to redevelop the site. Meanwhile, The Salvager's Yard nearby is becoming an eyesore that brings down the area.

Kerra knows she can find the perfect solution, but with her eyes on the community, will Kerra miss the tensions in her own life? Can Kerra find her own happy ending, or could putting others first cost her what she deserves most?

Was lovely to be back in Penvennan Cove, amongst all of my favourite characters from this series.  

I think I left it far too long though between reading the second and this third book in the series, as I definitely needed all the reminders that the author seeded in to bring me right back up to speed, and to a point they work. 

However there are so many characters in this series, that I do feel its best read as a trilogy, rather than a standalone. 

Really enjoyed all of the various storylines, as well as seeing resolutions for those that were still ongoing from the previous books. 

Kerra is a fabulous character, and I just love how is able to help transform the cove she loves so much, and help so so many of the locals too. 

There is a real community spirt in the town, and I loved so many of the various threads that ran through this book. 

It's a fabulous way to end a series of books, and I really wish the Cove was a real place that I could go an visit myself as it sounds so lovely. 

Thank you to Aria and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - The Ski Trip by Sarah Clarke - #HolidayReading Fuerteventura

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Amazon UK

Title: The Ski Trip

Author: Sarah Clarke

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: HQ Digital

Publication Date: 14th September 2023

Rating: 5 Stars

THE PERFECT TRIP

When four friends embark on a boys’ skiing holiday in the Alps, they anticipate a weekend of fun, drinking, and some healthy competition on the slopes. But their trip is cut short when one of them falls to his death.

A TERRIBLE ACCIDENT…

Tom’s widow, Zoe travels to France with her friend, Ivy to collect his body. While Zoe is consumed by grief, Ivy starts to question everything.

OR COLD-BLOODED MURDER?

The slope Tom fell from wasn’t dangerous, and tensions between the group were at breaking point in the days before his death.

But if Ivy’s suspicions are correct, Tom was killed by one of his closest friends. And they are still in the chalet…

Wow, what a conclusion, didn't see that coming at all. 

So much good stuff in the pages of this incredibly gripping book, that I was totally enthralled by. 

We have Ivy and Zoe, who have gone out to France, after Zoe's husband Tom dies on a boys ski trip. They are all old friends, but there is something about the accident that has Ivy asking many questions. 

We learn a lot about the groups mixed history, in addition to the ups and downs of Ivy's pasts with a few of them in particular. 

And the descriptions of the skiing were to die for!

I couldn't' get enough of this book, and just wanted to keep on reading, even past the end page. 

Was fabulous. 

Thank you to HQ Digital and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - Clickbait by L.C. North - #HolidayReading Fuerteventura - #Blogtour

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Amazon UK

Title: Clickbait

Author: L. C. North

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Transworld Digital

Publication Date: 11th April 2024

Rating: 5 Stars

'We're not famous anymore. We're notorious.'

For over a decade, the Lancasters were celebrity royalty, with millions tuning in every week to watch their reality show, Living with the Lancasters.

But then an old video emerges of one of their legendary parties. Suddenly, they're in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons: witnesses swore they'd seen missing teenager Bradley Wilcox leaving the Lancaster family home on the night of the party, but the video tells a different story

Now true crime investigator and YouTuber Tom Isaac is on the case. He's determined to find out what really happened to Bradley - he just needs to read between the Lancasters' lies . . .

Because when the cameras are always rolling, it won't be long until someone cracks.

Wow once again L. C. North has written a captivating and rather twisty novel that I was hooked on. 

She has created the Lancaster family, who are clearly modelled on the Kardashians I would imagine I've never watched them) and they are a car crash of a family that I couldn't get enough of. 

The whole book doesn't have a typical narrative, rather told from pod casts, comments, you tube episodes, police transcripts and more. 

And I would have never guessed how everything would unravel and yet it all made sense. 

Was remarkably easy to follow and totally had me hooked, And you never know who to trust fully. 

The finale was perfection with many gasps from me, as everything came together.  

Just wonderful. 

Thank you to Transworld Digital and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - At The Captain's Table by Gervase Phinn

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Amazon UK

Title: At The Captain's Table

Author: Gervase Phinn

Format reviewed: Paperback

Source: Purchased

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Publication Date: 9th June 2022

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Sail away with the delightful new novel from Gervase Phinn, bestselling author of The School at the Top of the Dale

A summer cruise should be just the ticket for a few weeks of luxury and relaxation - but for the passengers and crew of the Empress of the Ocean, the sights of the Mediterranean are nothing compared to the excitement on board...

For bickering couple Albert and Maureen, the trip might prove a much-needed escape - or the final straw. Elegant Frances de la Mare is determined to hobnob with the right kind of people - but her penthouse suite proves lonelier than she ever imagined. Meanwhile, precocious twelve-year-old Oliver discovers that guidebooks don't teach you everything, sparks fly when the port lecturer finds himself upstaged by a popular author, dancers Bruce and Babs can't keep in step, and cruise expert Neville just wants someone to speak to.

But as unlikely friendships are forged, feuds bubble in the laundry room, and everyone jostles for a seat at the Captain's table, they might find all their plans going overboard....

Warm, funny and uplifting, this is the perfect escapist read for fans of Gervase Phinn's Yorkshire novels, as well as readers of Celia Imrie, Alan Titchmarsh and Maeve Haran.

Although being aware of Gervase Phinn and thinking I'd probably enjoy his books,  I had never got as far as reading one before At The Captain's Table, and I know it was the fact it was set on a cruise ship that attracted my attention.

After all I love all travel and cruising and couldn't want to see just what Empress of the Ocean is like.  And I get the impression that it was most likely modelled on one of the Cunard Queens  - which makes it not the sort of ship that I would prefer to cruise on, but made it perfectly suited for the sort of story that was being told. 

For we meet absolutely loads of the guests and crew, in short snippets, in a manner that you may think would be confusing but in fact made perfect sense and once I was used to the writing style I loved the way everything was told to us.

Because being on a cruise ship you do keep running into the same guests over and over, so you do start to get to know them a bit better than the initial surface cruise ship chat my imply.  And there is a wide ranging group of people on this particular Med cruise. 

Easily my favourite was Oliver,  who is a rather unusual 12 year old boy, and proud of it. He is eloquent, knowledgeable and genuinely interested in the ports and their historic sides.  Although I did feel it rather unrealistic that he was being allowed to explore the ports on his own, even if his grandparents had disembarked with him.  It just didn't ring true to anything that I know which was a slight shame. 

Other than that, I recognised elements of many of the guests on board, and that of the entertainers and crew too.  I felt as though I was on the voyage alongside everyone and was curious to see the various ports on this itinerary too. 

However again, I did feel that some elements weren't realistic, like a ship that has just done a med cruise, having a Caribbean cruise as it's very next sailing. Given just about every ship would do a transatlantic between the cruising seasons, sold separately to a Caribbean cruise, as they attract different clientele. 

With the few weird things aside, I was invested in these characters, and curious to see how their holidays would turn out. 

A completely different narrative style to what I'm used to, but I felt it really worked well for this book.  And I really do think  I should get around to reading other books from this author at some point.

Book Review - Winning At Life by Kathryn Wallace

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Title: Winning At Life

Author: Kathryn Wallace

Format reviewed: Paperback

Source: Secret Santa Present

Publisher: Sphere

Publication Date: 6th February 2020

Rating: 5 Stars

Thank god for back to school at the end of the summer!

The kids are back at school after a long summer. Gemma and Becky can finally breathe a huge sigh of relief and reach for the gin bottle.

Except it seems that Becky is accidentally a little bit pregnant...

But that's not the first shock for the parents in the playground. Over the summer, part of their beloved Redcoats Primary has burned down. The school needs to raise thousands of pounds to stay open - and Gemma and Becky have been forced on to the fundraising committee (just to add to the millions of messages from their online parent groups).

In year that will see new babies for Becky, new schools and a whole new business for Gemma, can they keep their heads above water and find that they're #winningatlife?

I devoured this book, I literally couldn't read it fast enough. 

After all any book that starts with "Mum! Ava keeps showing me her vagina" as an opening sentence is definitely going to grab my attention and make me think the kids in this will be brilliant. 

And that was a fair assumption as Ava is totally amazing, I can't believe her logic and everything she comes out with and what she does over the course of her new school year. I actually felt sorry for her old brother Sam, who is having his own problems but it's harder to notice as Ava is a limelight grabber! 

I loved Gemma and Becky's friendship and their dynamics, as they juggle parenting,  new jobs (or roles at work), and being roped into the save our school fundraising campaign (which had a rather unfortunate acronym for it's real title). 

This is just a lot of fun, while being a realistic look at motherhood, and with Becky being pregnant again, her comments about pregnancy especially in ante-natal classes are classic, hilarious, almost certainly truthful and real, but not really the dynamic the group leader was going for! 

I had occasional sense of wonderings while I was reading this, as to whether that had been any other books, but it wasn't until I got to the back matter of the book that I knew for sure that this was actually a sequel.  Which I think just shows it totally reads well as a standalone. 

So many great one liners to make you giggle. 

This is just a whole lot of fun, that I absolutely adored reading.